James O'Reilly or Reilly

[heywood]

So sorry, I'm confusing myself now.  It should read that Edward Reilly and wife Bridget O'Meara were James's parents!!

Back on the other thread we found Ellen Bergin with parents Edward and Bridget O’Meara. . That was in Kilkenny but you say now there is no Kilkenny connection.
There was a lot of work done there by oldohiohome.
It all seems very mixed up.

I understand that it might be a family secret but does your friend at least have the name of their Reilly parent with a birth year. This might have to be obtained from their death in England.
Your friend might recall aunts and uncles who also came to England and we could find years of birth for them.

[Lisa in California]

Yes, most things right except James Reilly was born in Tuam, Galway in 1914 but I unfortunately don't have any further information and he worked as an Inspector for MTA.  I too have not been able to find anything further either.
There is no longer a Kilkenny connection.  All the family except Ellen moved to London after James' death.
I am waiting to speak to my friend to ask more questions but unfortunately this is her grandfather we are talking about and she tells me it was treated as a family secret and no one spoke about James thereafter.
I will get back to you if anything further comes to light.

I haven’t finished reading the other thread so perhaps I’m asking this prematurely but since others have not yet been able to find any answers  - is there any chance that he wasn’t killed in a trolley accident?
Did James leave Ireland in search of work or for some other reason?  Was his death a made up story to “save face” for family members (his wife)?  Did he live a separate life in Boston/somewhere in America and HE sent money home to Ireland to take care of his family? Upon his real death, when the money stopped, James became “the family secret”. [So, was James’ death accidental with a pension sent to his wife; or, was the death made up and he actually just sent money home every month with that stopping when he died?] 

Again, I’m only on page two of the other thread, but to me, things don’t seem to be adding up.  But, perhaps once I’ve reread this thread and finish reading the other one I may not feel as though there is something missing. 

[daisynook]

Who knows, you could be right.  The only thing against that was that Ellen lived to be 90 and the pension had been still coming, all those years.

[heywood]

Just another thing to query, looking the bus authority up, it looks as though the Boston area would be MBTA. I think MTA is New York from visits there.
This might make a difference to search areas.

I hope the family can get some better names and dates to search. It is such a puzzle.

Where did Ellen die, if not Kilkenny?

[heywood]

Who knows, you could be right.  The only thing against that was that Ellen lived to be 90 and the pension had been still coming, all those years.

From your other thread

I'm looking for these people for a friend.  Her grandmother was Ellen Berrigan, the only date I have is she died in Kilkenny around 1980 at the age of 90.  Grandfather James Reilly went to Boston and died there but as they had all those children it must have been after the war.

This would make Ellen born abt 1890 which would make her 24 years older than James if he was born about 1914.
Is that right?

[daisynook]

I will check with my friend if she knows.  That's probably not right.

[heywood]

Thanks. I apologise for keep asking these questions. 

[oldohiohome]

Just another thing to query, looking the bus authority up, it looks as though the Boston area would be MBTA. I think MTA is New York from visits there.

The name of Boston's transit system changed over the years. It was MTA until a song in the '60s came along and satirized it. (The Kingston Trio's  "Charlie on the MTA"). - motive for changing the name ascribed by me, not them .
Then it was the MBTA for a while.
Now it is just the "T".

I've been on all three. Many people still referred to it as the MTA long after the name change. No one ever calls it the MBTA and probably didn't even when that was the official name. Too long for a Bostonian to say.

[daisynook]

Thanks for that information.  I will bear that in mind.