Irish family "Gone to America" but where?

[aghadowey]

Mid-Ulster Mail (Cookstown), 22 Sept.1900: ... wherein Richard Charles [?] is Plaintiff, said Martha Mulholland is Defendant—All that said these that Farm of Land in the Townland of Tyressan, in said County...

Belfast Newsletter, 5 Feb.1902: AN EVICTION NEAR COOKSTOWN. On the 3rd inst. Wm. M‘Mullan, Sheriff’s bailiff, with two assistants, proceeded to evict Martha Mulholland, Tyresson, near Cookslown, power of decree for possession granted by his Honour Judge Overend, K.C., Recorder Londonderry …

[aghadowey]

Following the land for a moment-
Valuation Revision Books (free, on PRONI's website)- townland Terressen- property #1 just over 15 acres-
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/searching-valuation-revision-books
1864 John Lees, changed to Martha Lees 1873, changed to William Mulholland 1874, changed to Margaret Mulholland 1898, changed to William James ? 1904, changed to William Harkness 1909.
This fits with
1) John Lees either dying or leaving c1873 (see below)
2) Martha Lees marrying William Mulholland in 1873
3) William Mulholland leaving farm to daughter Margaret
4) no Mulhollands there in 1911 census

Not all civil deaths are online (just keep checking as the ones back to 1864 will eventually be added) but this is possibility for John Lees-
John Lees, age 76, died 1 Mar.1872 Magherafelt district (Bellaghy sub-district)
and just a short while earlier-
Margaret Lees, age 69, died 16 Jan.1872 Magherafelt district (Bellaghy sub-district)

[oldohiohome]

a couple of the NYC City Directories

1857 New York City Directory
James Lees, tables, home r 326 W 29th
John Lees, laborer, h 270 W 28th

1860/61 New York Directory
James Lees, tables, r 227 W26th, h Brooklyn
no John Lees
Jane Lees, fancy goods, 536 Broome

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So in 1857 this James and John Lees lived one block apart, then by 1860 James moved to Brooklyn. The James Lees in Brooklyn on the 1860 Census was a carpenter . But where did this John Lees go after 1860? And is that your Jane Lees? and where is 536 Broome?

The John Lees you found in 1860  was a "carman", so he could be the laborer above, but not the plasterer listed below.

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these people probably are not yours, but I'll post them. maybe they will come in handy down the road.

also in 1857 City Directory:
John Lees, plasterer, h 64 W 38th 
James Lees, merchant at 9 S. William, home 40 Tenth
Samuel, plasterer at 302 Fourth Ave, Henry, Thomas
and
Lees & Johnson, plasterers, 302 Fourth Ave
Lees & Waller, merchants, 9 S William

also in 1860/61 Directory
James, baker 617 Third Ave
James, merchant, lives in Westchester County
Joseph Lees, finisher, h 205 Mott
Richard, Thomas, William

[TunjiLees]

Thanks for the responses everyone! I hadn't thought to check directories, so that seems like a good step to check those.

The Carpenter occupation rang a bell so I checked my research and there is a James Denham Lees, Carpenter, son of Alexander Lees, who married a Mary Anne Bailey in 1850 Ardtrea, Cookstown; https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1850/09386/5399785.pdf
This James is likely the brother of the Maria Lees who married the John Lees, son of John Lees. It's all a bit confusing! This is useful in any case. I'm trying to track these Lees families as they lived in neighbouring townlands and all seem to be related somehow. The witness of this James' wedding is a John Lays, who I guess is the John Lees in Terressan as his is the only Lees family I have found who use that spelling.

I'm going to try going through the directories and cross reference that with the censuses. I have found that Lees families often lose the "s" and go by Lees after moving abroad, so I'll check for Lee families as well.

Is there a good place to look for New York marriages 1840s-60s?

aghadowey thank you for looking into the Irish side. Sorry I actually had most of what you posted already in my research. Didn't think to mention it as I was posting this on the United States board. I didn't have William Mulholland's will though so that is great! The Martha Mulholland who died at Derry Asylum must be Martha Lees as the article you referenced tells the full story, a sad story really. Martha was evicted from her home but refused to leave and had to be carried off forcefully by 3 men. The judge then ordered her to be committed to the asylum as a lunatic. There are actually surviving Derry hospital patient records for that period, so I hope to consult those one day.

[oldohiohome]

Thanks for the responses everyone! I hadn't thought to check directories, so that seems like a good step to check those.

The Carpenter occupation rang a bell so I checked my research and there is a James Denham Lees, Carpenter, son of Alexander Lees, who married a Mary Anne Bailey in 1850 Ardtrea, Cookstown;

That might explain why the son in Brooklyn in 1860 and 1870 is named Alexander

[oldohiohome]

Is there a good place to look for New York marriages 1840s-60s?

familysearch claims to have them in this collection, but I don't know how many you will actually find. I tried Lees, NYC, 1840 to 1860 and didn't find anything.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1680847

it doesn't look promising, according to this site:
https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/new-york-birth-marriage-death-vital-records

maybe look for newspaper announcements of the marriage or filing for a license, or church records, as that site suggests.

Someone else might have some better ideas.

[RJ137]

There is a James Lees in Brooklyn in 1860 and 1870, but both times his birth year works out to 1823. He named two daughters Jane and Maria, though, so that is a plus.

1860
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCHX-1SK

1870
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8ND-F9L

a couple of the NYC City Directories

1857 New York City Directory
James Lees, tables, home r 326 W 29th
John Lees, laborer, h 270 W 28th

1860/61 New York Directory
James Lees, tables, r 227 W26th, h Brooklyn
no John Lees
Jane Lees, fancy goods, 536 Broome

----
So in 1857 this James and John Lees lived one block apart, then by 1860 James moved to Brooklyn. The James Lees in Brooklyn on the 1860 Census was a carpenter . But where did this John Lees go after 1860? And is that your Jane Lees? and where is 536 Broome?

I remember a while back on these boards there was a search for a "Lees" family. What we discovered was a lot of them over time dropped the "S" at the end of their name and were listed as "Lee".

I think this is John's death record. Age is right, parents listed as John & Margaret. Buried Greenwood Cemetery

Death: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WDS-1WL

This would be James's death in 1882

Death: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WS8-7K1
Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/181656730/james-lees

From the 1860-1880 census we know James Lees had a son Alexander(b.1852/1853). The son Alexander J was a policeman as indicated in the 1880 census. He eventually became a Captain in the Police  before retiring and dying in 1902.

With father & sister Jennie in 1880.

1880 census: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ8V-1J6

I question some of the info on some of these transcribed death records for the New York City Municipal Deaths, in particular the parents names. Alexander is a fine example. His father's name is listed as Alexander, which isn't true. His 2nd wife of a couple of years may have given the info & didn't know?

Alexander's death: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WF4-8LH

Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/181656252

===================

What's interesting and connects all the above information is they were all buried at Greenwood Cemetery- Section 15- Lot 17263

What is listed below is some of what I've pulled from the Greenwood Cemetery records with that Section & Lot number. I  think these all might be related? In looking at death records for the names & Dates on Family Search, some are infants, possibly children of the children of James & John. Others appear older and be more around the age of John & James & born in Ireland, perhaps cousins, uncles or other relation?


Greenwood Cemetery

  Name                       Burial Date    Lot      Section
LEE  JOHN                  1890-01-26  17263   15
LEES  JAMES              1882-03-10  17263   15
LEES ALEXANDER J.    1902-01-19  17263   15
LEE  ANN                    1887-02-28  17263   15
LEE  SAMUEL F.           1882-03-21  17263   15
LEE MABEL                 1881-07-11  17263   15
LEE ROBERT               1895-04-18  17263   15
LEE THOMAS              1890-10-11  17263   15

https://www.green-wood.com/burial_search/

[TunjiLees]

Wow that burial plot is a massive lead! Great find thanks! Got to try and see how they all fit together now. How were you able to see the ages of the deceased people in those plots? Do you know of a way to search by plot number, or did you find each of those manually?

[TunjiLees]

I went through all the Lee/Lees burials in Greenwood and wow there are many buried in that lot!
Would a lot only have had 1 owner, or could these have been multiple unrelated families? If they are all from the same family then that's awesome, and I've got a lot of detective work ahead of me!

LEE EDNA 1970-08-07 17263 15
LEE HENRY 1923-07-31 17263 15
LEE JANE 1927-10-14 17263 15
LEE JOHN 1882-05-27 17263 15
LEE JOHN 1890-01-26 17263 15
LEE JOHN 1893-11-16 17263 15
LEE JOHN ALEXANDER 1937-02-15 17263 15
LEE LENA 1920-03-10 17263 15
LEE MABEL 1881-07-11 17263 15
LEE MARY 1901-01-04 17263 15
LEE MATHEW 1892-01-30 17263 15
LEE RAY 1917-02-14 17263 15
LEE RPBT 1895-04-18 17263 15
LEE SAMUEL F. 1882-03-21 17263 15
LEE THOMAS 1890-10-11 17263 15
LEE THOMAS H. 1897-10-31 17263 15
LEE WILLIAM 1915-01-06 17263 15
LEES ALEXANDER J. 1902-01-19 17263 15
LEES JAMES 1882-03-10 17263 15
LEES SAMUEL F. 1882-03-21 17263 15