Adella Rice Fenton b 3 Sept 1886 Kilworth, Country Cork

[heywood]

Mary Fenton marriage to Patrick Lane , Manhattan

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2493-RWZ

[themexican]

How do you know Margaret and Adella are sisters?

Over several American censuses (both State and Federal) Margaret and Adella are shown living in the same household and marked as sisters. Also we have a short letter from Adella to Margaret written as Adella was on her deathbed saying that she is forever grateful for her sister agreeing to take care of her children after she is gone and that one day they will see each other in the "rich and fair land of home."

[Sinann]

In that case I'd be inclined to look for an emigration record for Bridget Fenton despite the difference in birth years. She is the best candidate so far.

[themexican]

Fantastic detective work!

These Irish genealogy sites are new to me, so this has been a tremendous help. I think I can now be semi-confident with the following:

Maurice David Fenton (1825-1885)
married Elizabeth Rice Fenton (1831-1910) in Mitchelstown on Aug 12, 1860. They lived in Kilworth where he worked as a laborer.

Children:
1865 Mary Josephine Fenton (Lane)
1866 James Fenton
1867 Thomas Fenton
1870 Elizabeth Fenton
1872 William Fenton
1875 Margaret Fenton
1877 Bridget Fenton
1883 Maurice Fenton (probably Thomas or James' son)
1884? Adela Rice Fenton (probably Bridget)

Maurice died in 1885. His wife moved in with their son Thomas who was also hosting Mary Josephine's child. Margaret eventually joined her sisters Mary Josephine and Adela in NY.

Mary Grant Remains a mystery.

Elizabeth Rice's age is given as 70 in 1901 which would make her 46 when Bridget was born. My guess is Maurice Jr. was Thomas's son and Adella = Bridget (and the age in US records is incorrect)

Any advice on where to start looking for records relating to Maurice Fenton's parents and Elizabeth Rice's parents?

One crazy thought: What if Maurice b1825 is actually Adella's grandfather? Perhaps he had a son Maurice born between 1860-1865 who married a Mary Grant and did indeed have Adella in 1884 in Kilworth. She might have listed Margaret Fenton as a sister because of their relative closeness in age. No proof of this, just trying to solve the Mary Grant problem as the name appears on a few records. Either way, Maurice 1825 would still be related and part of the tree!

[hallmark]

"....Any advice on where to start looking for records relating to Elizabeth Rice's parents?..."


You could look to see if she was Baptized in the Church she got married in, as Brides normally marry in their Parish

https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634791#page/165/mode/1up


 

[Sinann]

I've been wondering why Bridget was born in Limerick.
Maurice was a labourer and they did go where the work was but why travel 30 odd miles from Kilworth to Camas and than back again. I guess it's possible some big project was happening there at the time.

I could understand if Maurice went on his own but Bridget's birth cert has Elizabeth as informant so the whole family must be there, unless it's all fibs. Could Maurice and Mary Grant have had Bridget in Limerick and claimed she was Elizabeth's but than why tell Bridget she had a different mother than her siblings.
It might be useful to see Bridget's baptism priests could be brutally honest on baptisms. I wonder if it could be on RootsIreland.

Has Margaret's birth cert been found?

If Bridget is Adella could she have got her age incorrect by 10 years?
Who is Mary Grant?
If Maurice and Elizabeth are Adella's grandparents was she registered at birth as Grant.

[hallmark]

Maybe worked on railways?

A lot of railway building was going on around then, families moved camp as railway progressed. 

[themexican]

Apparently, it was fairly common for unmarried immigrant women to reduce their legal ages upon arrival because a lower age was considered to be helpful for women looking to find a husband.  I don't know how common the practice was, but I've read about it in other genealogy forums.

[mifi001]

I have been trying to trace my husbands, fathers-side of the family back and I have stumbled upon this post and this site. Thomas Fenton (1872 -1948) born in County Cork is a son of Eliza Fenton. I dont know if this is all of the same relation or family (I have a feeling it is and I may be able to help). Thomas Fenton came to Ellis Island and they changed his last name to "Fitten" when he came to the US.

I am trying to find information on Eliza Fenton and her husband (is this the same person as Elizabeth Rice Fenton)?