Help with New York Mystery.

[ABoyd]

Hello, looking for any help or advice in tracking down an Irishman who emigrated to the US,  have little idea of best way to go.

Thomas Boyd was born somewhere between 1879 and 1890 , one of nine or possibly ten children of John Boyd and Eleanor Cardin of Ballysakerry near Ballina co. Mayo Ireland. It is not known when he went to the USA, and while Civil registrations and a marrige cert have been found for most of the siblings, none has been found for Thomas. He does not appear with the family in the 1901 or 1911 Irish census.

In family papers have been found a letter from Thomas dated October 19th 1939, from New York. It refers to a Charlie Boyd,  a Mr Cline being 90, a Dorothy, says the children are all well, and is addressed to his brother Alexander Boyd, who is known to have been in new York from 1928 to 1932. (dates taken from an old bank book in his name). He - Alex - returned to Ireland and died there in the 1940's.

An address of 430 E.80  st New York City was on the letter. Brother Alex is believed - not certain to have worked for a firm called Shipley Brothers Wall st, and to have been a successful boxer.


Tom stayed in USA.  A memorial card for Thomas Boyd was found in Alex's effects giving a date of death:  5th Octoiber 1943. New York.


I would appreciate any info to help trace what Thomas's life was like in the USA, if he married, where he is buried -  and if he had any descendants.

There is an address for a Charlie Boyd at 151 West St NYC with the numbers 228 L3373 beside it, not sure what that means?


Any help appreciated tracing the elusive Thomas would be much appreciated.

ABoyd

[shellyesq]

Did he have a brother named Patrick?  I see an 1899 passenger list with an 18 yr. old Thomas Boyd of Ballina going to join his brother Patrick of 343 E. 41 (I think) St., New York.

The address on this WWII Draft Registration card is very close to the address on your letter: 
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12043-124285-17?cc=1861144

His death does not appear to be on the New York City death index at www.italiangen.org, so seems likely that he died outside of New York City.

[ABoyd]

Hi, and thank you for your quick reply!

Yes, he did have a brother Patrick, born 15th August 1887 (Civil registration Cert), Ballina district, Patrick was in Ireland in 1901 aged 14 on the census.

Interesting about the address- it was a large family -so maybe a relative rather than a brother, unless the ages fit?

ABoyd

[shellyesq]

You're welcome.

If Thomas had a brother born Aug. 1887, I suppose he couldn't have been born Nov. 1887.  However, in my experience, it does seem to be fairly common among people of this time (particularly the Irish) to have fluctuating birth dates/years in various records throughout their lives. 

Might the Dorothy mentioned in the letter have been Thomas' daughter?  There is a Thomas Boyd in New York in the 1930 Census with a daughter named Dorothy (among other children):  https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X428-S31 

[ABoyd]

Yes, I do agree - irish dates can be very tricky at times.

I looked at the letter again and it says " Dorothy is a big girl now, 1/2 foot taller than her mother". It does not say who she is.  So if Dorothy was 5 in 1930, she would have been 14 in 1939 when he wrote the letter, which would fit nicely. Would there be any way of finding a birth cert for her?

How would I buy a copy of this record, and would it give more info? Are there any other census available to look up?

Re the military card, which looks promising - does it mean he would have served in the army, or was it just a record of eligeble men for service?

Thank you so very much for all this helpful info.

ABoyd

[heywood]

Ellis island site has some Boyd emigration records:

1908 Charles to brother Patrick 436 West 38th St NY mother Mrs Boyd Carrowkelly Ballina

1911 Charles to brother Alex 415 West 17th St NY mother Mrs M Boyd, Carrowkelly, Ballina

1930 census on Family Search looks to have a couple of Thomas Boyds b Ireland.
One with daughter Dorothy and one single.

Irish census has a Charles with mother Maria and father William.

Is Eleanor the Ellenor in Rosserk, Ballysakeery in 1901?

[shellyesq]

All men of a certain age were required to register for the draft.  Most among the ones from WWII currently available to the public did not serve, as they were older men.

I think your death date may have been off by one year.  The death index at www.italiangen.org has the death of Thomas Boyd, age 56, died 5 Oct. 1942 in Manhattan.  The certificate # is 19811.  There is information about ordering the certificate here:  
http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/vitalrecords/death.shtml

On www.fultonhistory.com, a site with old newspapers, there is a death notice in the New York Evening Post for Thomas Boyd who died Oct. 5.  If you go there and do a boolean search with the words "thomas w/2 boyd and 1942", it should be the first result.  Unfortunately, the scan is a bit fuzzy, so I'm not entirely sure what the date of the paper was.  Thomas was listed as the beloved husband of Mary, which is a possible match for the census record I found above.  It says he was "reposing at Walter B. Cooke Funeral Home, 1451 First Ave., New York City until Friday, 9:30 AM.  Requiem mass St. Monica's Church, 10 A.M.  Internment Calvary Cemetery."

[heywood]

1913 - Alexander, William and Ann from Carrowkeely go to their brother Charles, 209 West 33 St

Are there two Alexanders?

[heywood]

Alick Boyd arrives 1922 -relative Henry Boyd, brother Carrowkeely and is going to his brother Charles.

All these siblings seem to be the children of William and Maria.

I am posting because in the first post, you say that Thomas writes a letter to his brother Alex.


Thomas 17 yrs is with John and Ellenor in 1901 , Rosserk, Ballysakeery.
They too have an Alexander 12 yrs in 1901.
1901 Boyd

The brothers, Thomas, Alexander and Patrick are still in Ireland in 1911
1911 Boyd

Apologies, if I have the wrong family - I am a bit puzzled.