CAIRNEY/KEARNEY- Sarah COMPLETED

[minniehaha]

Sarah Cairney was born abt. 1863 in Landward, New Monkland, Lanark, Scotland.
Parents: James Cairney and Sarah nee Walker.

Known siblings: Martha, Jane and possibly James.

Martha and Jane emigrated to New Zealand in 1877.

I have a studio photograph of their sister Sarah as a mature woman taken by Bostwick of 98 Sixth Avenue, N.Y. The reverse of the picture states that the photographer was established in 1867.

As nothing is known of this branch of the family, I would very much like to fill in at least some of the numerous gaps. But oh! where to begin???

Minniehaha.

[jorose]

What is the latest census in Scotland on which you have Sarah with her family?

familysearch.org shows the death in Ohio in 1932 of a Mary Walker, spouse of John Walker and daughter of James Cairney and Sarah Walker, b. 05 Dec 1862 Scotland.

There are also some children of John Walker and Mary Cairney around, including Catherine b. 1885 Scotland, who married in New York, Christmas 1906.

http://www.ellisisland.org/ shows that in 1906, on the Caledonia, Jessie Walker (16), Catherine Walker (22), and Mary Walker (45), arrived into NY. They had previously been there, 1904-1906. They were heading to "aunt" (of Jessie and Catherine, presumably), Miss S. Cairney, 145 W 8?th Street, New York.

On the 1905 NY State census, she appears to be there as "Sarah Kearney", aged 46, cook in the house of James Lordly, a physician from Nova Scotia (address matches).   She's with him as well in 1900, indexed as Sary Cairney b. Great Britain (age 31).

[shellyesq]

Sarah's birth record is here:  https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQ75-P9N 

Also Martha & James' births:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQ91-BL2
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQPP-LWY

[shellyesq]

I found a mention of Dr. James Lordly of New York in a medical journal on Google books that says he died in his country home in Chester, Nova Scotia in August 1913.  Thought it might have been a possibility that Sarah travelled with him, but haven't found anything yet.

[jorose]

https://novascotiagenealogy.com/
 His death is here (listed as widowed, cause of death electric shock/amnesia!).
In 1910 "James E M Lorelly" appears in NY with Sarah Carney, aged 40 and a couple others.

I thought she might have gone to Ohio, where her sister Mary and niece Catherine ended up so I had a bit more of a look at them:

Catherine married to William Hamilton and they had several children. In 1920 James, Robert, and Winifred are listed; however all died young.
James died in 1935, aged 27, after a car accident (single; father William informant); Robert in 1949, tuberculosis (married), Winifred May Hamilton d. in 1921 (as a little girl, of diabetes).  William's death is listed in 1950 and Catherine's in 1952.

http://www.findagrave.com has several burials of this family record in Elmwood Cemetery, Lorain, Ohio, including Mary Walker (d. 1932), Catherine Hamilton (d. 1952), her husband William (d. 1950), children James and Winifred Hamilton, and last but definitely not least, the burial of a Sarah Cairney, 1865-1940.

I can't find her death in Ohio (maybe she died elsewhere and was buried there).  She may in in New Jersey in 1930 (Sarah Cairney of Westwood, Bergen, New Jersey) and in 1920 (Sarah Carney), listing her birthdate as 1872 - familysearch only shows the index for these years so you'll have to check elsewhere to see who she was living with.

[minniehaha]

Wow!! Thank you Jorose and Shellyesq for all the terrific information provided. It looks like we are definitely going somewhere with this one.

The last census I have is for 1871; civil parish New Monkland, parish of Clarkston, village of Drumgelloch. where the children were living together at "Houses north of Edinburgh Road".

Jane Kearney, Head (she emigrated to New Zealand), unmarried, aged 22, cotton mill worker, born Ireland. Robert, brother, single, aged 19, iron miner, born Ireland. Mary, sister, aged 15, no occupation stated, born Ireland. Sarah, sister, aged 7, scholar, born Lanarkshire, New Monkland and James, brother, aged 4, also born Lanarkshire, New Monkland.

No mention of their sister Martha but I have her life quite well documented in New Zealand.

Maybe the parents had died, or remained in Ireland where they had married in 1844, and some of the children were born?
If I did not have the photograph taken of Sarah in New York (with her name written on the back by her niece, my grandmother) I would not have had any idea as to where she may have gone.

The Walker/Cairney New York connection looks promising.

Any more ideas most welcome.

Minniehaha.