The Weekly Genealogist survey

Newsletter nameplate

     The New England Historic Genealogical Society publishes online The Weekly Genealogist. The survey in yesterday's issue (21 September 2016) had to do with newspapers - how readers' ancestors were involved. Since my great-grandfather's ancestry is my most impenetrable brick wall, I responded:

     "My great-grandfather, C. Godfrey Patterson, said to be a run-away from an orphanage in Northern Ireland, supposedly worked for an Elizabeth NJ newspaper before heading west where he was editor of a Kansas newspaper. In fact, he immigrated from Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in 1855, graduated from Columbia Law School in 1865, and practiced law on Broadway in Manhattan. He then moved to Ottawa KS, where in October 1869 he purchased an interest in the Ottawa Republic. When his partner retired, Patterson renamed the newspaper Ottawa Journal and published its first issue on 6 January 1870. He wrote for, edited, and published the paper until he sold it in June 1871 to return east to practice law for the rest of his life."

     Is anyone looking for Pattersons in Londonderry NIR in the early 1800s?

    

Grandpa Johnson & Uncle Edward Johnson

     Edward Lewis (or Louis) Johnson was born in Ireland circa 1828, son of James and Margaret Johnson, and he died in New York City on 28 August 1898. His wife was Elizabeth Kiley, who was baptized in County Cork, Ireland, on 25 April 1840, daughter of Timothy Kiley and Margaret Donovan, and died in New York City on 24 June 1889.
     Edward and Elizabeth had three sons: Edward Richard Johnson, born in 1856; James V. Johnson, born circa 1860; and Louis P. Johnson, born circa 1867. Edward married Bertha and had no children. James married Margaret Lane and had two daughters, Gertrude (born circa 1908-1910) and Margaret (born and died in 1913). Louis married Ethel E. Pinkney and had a son Eugene Webster (born in 1881, married Ethel and then Kezia) and a daughter Ethel May (born in 1883, married Ira Monach Baird). To date, no great-grandchildren of the elder Johnsons have been found.
     Edward is pictured with his father in front of the family's drug store in Carmensville, a community in New York City on 10th Avenue above 155th Street. Written on the photograph in an unidentified hand: "Grandpa Johnson" [left], "Uncle Edward Johnson" [right] and "Carmensville, N.Y. city."
     Was it Gertrude, Eugene or Ethel who annotated the photograph?
 
Photo from Buffalogen's collection
 

Was Charles Godfrey Patterson an assumed name?

    Charles Godfrey Patterson supposedly ran away at age sixteen (circa 1852) from an orphanage in Northern Ireland, where he was being prepared for the Presbyterian ministry. A runaway might very well change his name, which would explain why he has not been found on any passenger list; in records of Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey, where he allegedly first settled and worked for a newspaper; and in the 1860 census of any state. Among his possessions, however, were generic  “genealogies” of the Patterson and Fraser families, so maybe he really was a Patterson. 

    The  first known (but not found) record of this man is his application for naturalization, filed in an unidentified court on 15 October 1860. A certificate of naturalization was issued by the Court of Common Pleas in Essex County, New Jersey, on 31 October 1868.

    In the years following 1860, C. Godfrey Patterson (as he termed himself) earned a degree from Columbia University’s Law School in New York City; moved to Ottawa, Franklin County, Kansas, where he purchased, edited and published a newspaper; returned to New York City and established a law practice; got married in Connecticut; and fathered two sons. Although he moved to New Jersey for a time, he continued his New York City law practice until shortly before his death.

    One of Godfrey’s sons died young; the other grew up, graduated from New York University’s Law School, joined his father’s law practice, and  married in 1908. He kept his marriage a secret until after his mother's death in January 1909.

    Godfrey died in January 1910, his son died the following month, and his son’s widow gave birth to her only child two weeks later. Needless to say, she barely knew her father-in-law and had little information about him. 

    According to his death certificate, the information for which was provided by his son, Godfrey was born in Ireland on 24 December 1836 to unknown parents. His daughter-in-law thought he was born near Bushmills, County Antrim, Ulster; however, according to census records, he was born in Londonderry (whether city or county is unknown). 

    On my behalf, in 1980 the Ulster Historical Foundation searched for the birth of Charles Godfrey Patterson near Bushmills and also in the neighboring towns of County Londonderry and found nothing. The researcher did consider the possibility that Fraser and Godfrey might be associated surnames.
    My most challenging brick wall is my great-grandfather Patterson's ancestry. 

Naturalization certificate from Buffalogen's collection

Jeremiah Kiley of Limerick, Ireland, and New York City

    Jeremiah Kiley or Kiely was born in County Limerick, Ireland, circa 1817-1820 and died in New York City on 20 October 1881. His wife was Mary Ann Nolan, who was born in Ireland between 1809 and 1818 and died on 4 December 1880 at 71 years of age..
    According to his death certificate, and confirmed by bank records, Jeremiah had lived in the United States for forty-five years (immigrated circa 1836).

Emigrant Savings Bank, Jeremiah Kiely account, 1863

    In September 1863 Jeremiah Kiely, a cooper residing at 3 Vandewater Street, made a transaction at the New York Emigrant Savings Bank. The record stated he was born in 1819 in County Limerick, arrived in the United States in 1836 aboard the ship Diamond, was married to Mary Ann Nolan, and had no children.[1]
    In 1870 Jere Kiley (54, grocer, $1500 personal estate, born in Ireland), Mary A. Kiley (54, born in Ireland), Johana Noonan (22, silver burnisher, born in Ireland), and Jno Weinenapst (27, grocer clerk, born in Prussia) were enumerated in New York City’s Ward 4.[2]
    Jeremiah Kiely, a grocer residing at 369 Pearl Street in New York City, made an additional transaction at the New York Emigrant Savings Bank in December 1871. The record stated he was born in 1817 in County Limerick and had arrived in the United States in 1836 aboard the ship Diamond.[3]
    The 1880 census recorded  Jeremiah Keily (60, head, married, cooper, born in Ireland, parents born in Ireland), Mary Ann Keily (66, wife, married, keeping  house, born in Ireland, parents born in Ireland), Joseph Keily (35, son, single, cooper, born in Ireland, parents born in Ireland), Henry Keily (30, son, single, cooper, born in New York, parents born in Ireland), Margaret Keily (22, daughter, single, no occupation, born in New York, parents born in Ireland), and Patrick O'Hare (39, boarder, widowed, cooper, born in Ireland, parents born in Ireland) at 50 Oliver Street in New York City. No additional records pertaining to the three children have been found.[4]
    Jeremiah died in Charity Hospital[5] in 1880 and was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, Queens County. His death certificate identified him as 63 years old and a widower, whose last residence was 43 Oliver Street.[6]

Calvary Cemetery, Jeremiah Kiely plot

    The cemetery recorded the owner of his plot (Section 5, Avenue 13, Plot R, graves 7 and 8) as Jeremiah Kelly.[7]  Buried in grave 7 were Margaret O'Hare (27 June 1866, 57 years old, born in Ireland), Joseph Weinabst (20 September 1874, 8 months old, born in New York), and Annie Hagan (9 May 1888, 9 months old, born in New York).  Buried in grave 8 were Mary Kiely (4 December 1880, 71 years old, born in Ireland), Jeremiah Kiely (20 October 1881, 60 years old, born in Ireland), Timothy Hayes (5 January 1910, 13 years old, born in New York), Mary Agnes Ferguson (24 June 1935, 74 years old, born in Ireland), and Hannah Hallesey (4 June 1936, 75 years old, born in Ireland). Margaret O'Hare may have had a connection to Patrick O'Hare who boarded with Jeremiah in 1880; Mary Kiely was Jeremiah’s wife; and Joseph Weinabst was probably related to the John Weinenapst who was in Jeremiah’s household in 1870. The identities of the others is unknown.
    It is the children reported in the 1880 census that is disturbing about this brief account of Jeremiah. He had no children, according to the bank transaction of 1863, made well after their reputed birth dates. Joseph was supposedly born in Ireland in 1845, nine years after Jeremiah immigrated to America - not too serious a discrepancy, however, as the census might very well be wrong. More important, where were the children, especially 12-year-old Margaret, in 1870? And where were Jeremiah and his sons in 1850 and 1860?
________________
   1 “New York Emigrant Savings Bank, 1850-1883,” database and images, Ancestry.com (accessed 27 July 2015), entry for Jeremiah Kiely, test books, account 36368, 17 September 1863; citing call number *R-USLHG *ZI-815. roll 7, New York Public Library, New York, New York. 
   2 1870 U.S. census (1st enumeration), New York County, New York, population schedule, New York City, Ward 4, ED 2, p. 405, line 24, dwelling ?, family 1134, Jere Kiley; NA microfilm M593, roll 976.
   3 “New York Emigrant Savings Bank, 1850-1883,” database and images, Ancestry.com (accessed 27 July 2015), entry for Jeremiah Kiely, test books, account 64568, 20 April 1868; citing call number *R-USLHG *ZI-815. roll 10, New York Public Library, New York, New York. 
   4 1880 U.S. census, New York County, New York, population schedule, New York City, Ward , ED 26, p. 462 (sheet 44D), line 6, dwelling 73, family 344, Jeremiah Keily; NA film no. T9, roll 867.
   5 Probably the insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island, now Roosevelt Island, which became known as Charity Hospital.
   6 New York, New York, Manhattan death certificates, 1866-1919, certificate 400134 (1881), Jeremiah Kiley; FHL microfilm 1,322,610.
   7 Calvary Cemetery (Woodside, New York), typewritten transcript of interment records, Section 5, Avenue 13, plot R, graves 7/8, Jeremiah Kelly [sic] owner; Buffalogen’s Collection.

What became of Mary Bartley?

    Mary Bartley was born in New York City (Manhattan) circa 1846, daughter of David Bartley and Margaret Burnes.  She was a member of the Bartley household when the 1850, 1855, and 1860 censuses of New York City were taken.  No further record of her has been found.  According to the 1860 census, her given name was Mary Jane.¹

1860 U.S. census, Manhattan, New York County, New York (Ancestry.com)

    Mary was still alive in 1862 when her father opened an account in the Emigrant Savings Bank in New York City, since he stated he had four children by his "former wife." (Margaret died in November 1860 and David had remarried.)
    Since Mary Bartley was not found in any 1870 census, she was probably dead or married.  She was not buried in either of her father’s plots in Calvary Cemetery, so it is likely it was the latter. 
    Marriage records indexed by the Italian Genealogical Group include Manhattan 1866-1937 and Kings County 1871-1937, and those of the other boroughs from 1898 and later. These records do not include a marriage for Mary Bartley.  Unindexed records have not been searched. 
    The indexed marriage records on FamilySearch reveal many brides and grooms whose mother’s maiden name was Mary Bartley; however, no proof that one of them is the person sought has been found.

Source:
    ¹1860 U.S. census, New York County, New York, population schedule, Manhattan, Ward 4, p. 34, line 14, dwelling N/R, family 294, David Battel; digital image, Ancestry.com (accessed 21 October 2014); citing FHL microfilm 803,789.  HeritageQuest Online indexed the surname as Batlet.