The brothers Donnelly: Tragedy in the Pennsylvania coal mines, 1893

Back in 1893 in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, March 19, a powerful boiler explosion occurred at the West Bear Ridge colliery in Mahanoy Plane, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. This mine, which was operated by the Philadelphia & Reading Coal and Iron Company, was staffed at that fatal hour by two men who were cleaning the fires. The men were brothers: John and Michael Donnelly.

The newspaper reports read as follows (I've included each scanned article and its transcription):

The Evening Herald (Shenandoah, Pennsylvania), March 20, 1893:

BOILERS EXPLODE

One Man Killed at Mahanoy Plane - One Injured

At 4 o'clock yesterday morning the inhabitants of Mahanoy Plane were suddenly awakened by a loud report which proved to be the explosion of two of the West Bear Ridge colliery boilers. At the time John and Michael Donnelly, brothers, were in the act of cleaning out the fires. John was instantly killed, being buried under the falling walls and terribly scalded. Michael was thrown some distance and so badly scalded and injured that he cannot recover.

The force of the explosion was so great that one of the large boilers was thrown a distance of three hundred yards.

The Pottsville Republican, March 20, 1893:

The Pottsville Republican's account of the accident can be found within its "Frackville Gossip" section followed some very trivial town announcements such as "The electric light at the P. & R. depot failed to throw out its luminous rays last evening."

Here is The Pottsville Republican's version of the accident:

At about three o'clock Sunday morning the inhabitants of Mahanoy Plane were awakened from their peaceful slumbers by a tremendous explosion. Upon investigation it was discovered that one of the boilers of the Bear Ridge colliery, situated on the outskirts of Gilberton borough and a short distance below Mahanoy Plane, had exploded killing and injuring two brothers named Michael and John Donnelly. The former was badly scalded and will probably die while the latter was killed instantly. Michael Donnelly is a resident of Mahanoy PLane and the other brother, John, is a resident of town. Two sets of boilers and stacks were thrown out of place by the force of the explosion and the part of the building in which the boiler was situated is a total wreck. One half of the exploded boiler went under the scraper line and into the cribbing at the colliery knocking the timbers into splinters while the other half landed in the creek about three hundred yards away and about twenty yards from a frame dwelling house. A large force of men were at once put to work, under the supervision of Mr. Jones, the outside foreman and Mr. Frank Dawson, the assistant foreman, to clear away the debris. The injured and killed men were at once taken to their homes where sorrowing families awaited them. Large crowds of spectators viewed the scene of the disaster all day Sunday.

The Evening Herald (Shenandoah, Pennsylvania), March 21, 1893:

Buried To-day

The remains of John and Michael Donnelly, who met their death by the explosion of boilers at West Bear Ridge colliery Monday, the particulars of which have been published in the Herald, were interred at Frackville this morning. High Mass was celebrated in the Catholic church at Mahanoy Plane. The deceased each leave a wife and two children.

The Pottsville Republican, March 21, 1893:

Michael Donnelly who was scalded by the boiler explosion at West Bear Ridge has since died, and his deceased brother John was taken to the same house at Mahanoy Plane where the funeral of both will take place on Wednesday morning, at 9 o'clock, and High Mass will be celebrated in St. Mary's church. Interment at Frackville.

The Donnelly brothers' sad deaths must have been devastating for their families. John, age 32, (shown on the coroner's list above) and Michael, age 28, both left a wife and two small children. Life had certainly not been easy for these young coal miners' wives. Now it would be almost unthinkable.

The Annual Reports of the Inspectors of the Coal Mines of the Anthracite Regions of Pennsylvania, 1870-1900 lists the rules enforced by the Philadelphia & Reading Coal and Iron Company upon their employees.

Rule III states as follows:

"All persons employed by the day, either inside or outside, are expected to work ten hours for a day's pay, or fifty-eight hours per week for a week's pay. Any persons working less than this will receive wages proportionate for the time worked. The same rule to apply in all cases where overtime is worked, unless by special agreement with the mining superintendent."

What were John and Michael Donnelly doing on the job in the wee hours of the morning that Sunday in March 1893? Fitting in time on the job before Sunday Mass? Catching up from a week of lost work because of illness? Or was this their regular shift? I will probably never know what caused them to be on the job at the fateful hour on the day of the explosion that took their lives.

Surely they could relate to the ballad published in the Pottsville newspaper in 1878 by an anonymous writer after the disappointing end of "The Long Strike" of 1875:

"Well, we've been beaten, beaten all to smash,

and now, sire, we've begun to feel the lash,

as wielded by a gigantic corporation,

which runs the commonwealth and ruins the nation."

From George Korson's Minstrels of the Mine Patch: Songs & Stories of the Anthracite Industry, published 1938.

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I am fairly confident that the men who died in the mine explosion on March 19, 1893 were my great-great-grandfather and his brother.

Donnelly is a common surname, but many facts fit together with what I know about my John Donnelly and his family.

• I know from family lore that my ancestor John worked in the coal mines in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
• This John is close to the right age, although the marriage license application that I have for my ancestor indicates that he should be about seven years older at the time of the accident.
• My great-great-grandfather and his wife had two children, one of whom I know was born in 1891. This John is survived by his wife and two children.
• My Donnelly ancestors resided in Frackville. The newspaper articles list this John as a resident of Frackville and also mentions both men's interment at Frackville.

This branch of my family is one that has often intrigued me because of the lack of information that has been passed down from previous generations. It could be that this accident and its devastating implications for the family caused such pain and hardship that those who remembered it vowed never to talk about it with their children.

In honor of their memories, and the hardships that they faced as Irish laborers in 19th-century Pennsylvania, I will continue to seek answers to the questions that remain about the Donnelly family of Schuylkill County.

Sources:

“Boilers Explode. One Man Killed at Mahanoy Plane – One Injured.,” Shenandoah Evening Herald, March 20, 1893.

“Frackville Gossip: At about three o’clock Sunday morning…,” Pottsville Republican, March 20, 1893.

“Buried To-day,” Shenandoah Evening Herald, March 21, 1893.

“Frackville Notes: Michael Donnelly…,” Pottsville Republican, March 21, 1893.

John Donnelly (Miners, Bear Ridge Colliery, Mahanoy Plane), Report of the Inspector of Mines for the Sixth Anthracite District of Pennsylvania, Schuylkill County, 1893; Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Mining & Reclamation, Harrisburg.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Annual Reports of the Inspectors of the Coal Mines of the Anthracite Regions of Pennsylvania, 1870-1900.

Korson, George G., Minstrels of the Mine Patch: Songs & Stories of the Anthracite Industry. Philadelphia: University of Philadelphia Press, 1938.

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This article has been contributed to the "I read it in the news!" edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Jasia of Creative Gene.

Getting to Know "Small-leaved Shamrock"

It has been more than a year since I began sharing my family history on my three blogs: my Irish side of the family at Small-leaved Shamrock (with an emphasis on my Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania roots) and A light that shines again (with an emphasis on my Boston and Quincy, Massachusetts immigrant ancestors) and my Hungarian/Croatian side of the family at 100 Years in America.

Read Getting to Know “100 Years in America” for a little more background on me and my interest in family history.

Inspired by my abundant and endlessly fascinating Cowhey family ancestors of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, I began Small-leaved Shamrock to tell their stories and the tales of the region that gave birth to many of them, to anthracite coal and to several well-known railroads. This area of Pennsylvania helped shape America into what it is today through the blood, sweat and tears of many immigrants (including numerous Irish). We owe a debt of gratitude for their hard work as laborers and their service to the nation during the Civil War.

My focus here is also to rejoice in the love of Ireland. I hope to continue to learn and share more about my family's origins in Ireland (in County Cork, Limerick and Tipperary) and the Irish culture in general. The inspiration for the name Small-leaved Shamrock came from this poem by an anonymous poet named only S.M.E. published in March 1921 in The Catholic World:

The Gift of Shamrocks

He took the small-leaved shamrock from his breast
As though it were a diamond-mounted crest
And gave with eyes grown deep with love and pride
And as I took the gift of mystic green I knew
He saw, not me, but fields brushed by the dew
That lay, so green, his mother's home beside.

And still each year I take from that kind hand
The dainty leaves sent from far Ireland
Though sorrowing time has come and stood between.
Still see the tear-dimmed eyes, the glance so true;
Through them behold the hills I never knew:
The Irish hills where grow the shamrocks green.

Small-leaved Shamrock is the home of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, a compendium of “all things Irish” published every so often on many a topic. See a compilation of the first eight editions of the carnival and your invitation to attend the next one here.

To get a further introduction to Small-leaved Shamrock, you might enjoy reading the following. Inspired by Terry Thornton's "Getting to Know You" challenge, I've listed what I've chosen as the "brightest", "breeziest" and "most beautiful" articles here at Small-leaved Shamrock.

Brightest (my best work): A look back at Schuylkill County: 1908

Breeziest (best light-hearted article): The provenance of a hairbrush: thievery and the family historian

Most beautiful: To be born Irish

I choose not to write too much about myself on my various family history blogs. The preservation of the stories of my family's deeper history are usually my focus. However, you can learn a little more about me at The view from my corner of the world. Thanks for reading. I appreciate your comments, so please write!

"Luck of the Irish": Superstitions and the Irish people

The next edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture will be hosted by one of our carnival’s regular contributors: Bill West of West in New England. Bill explains the theme for the 9^th edition as follows:

Halloween (or Samhain as it was known among the ancient Celts) is approaching and what better time to tell us about your family’s Irish superstitions? Perhaps you have stories about strange coincidences and events that might have been passed down by your Irish relatives, or even know of some favorite legend or haunted place in Ireland. Share them with us in the next edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture.

Deadline for submissions for the Irish Superstitions edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture is October 25^th. The carnival will be published at West in New England on October 31. See you there!

Lisa's note: We might be pushing our luck on this one. Does Bill know that October 31st is a Friday this year? Every good Irishman knows Friday is the most unlucky day of the week! (See numbers eleven and twelve in Karen Michelle Nutt's Brush Up On Your Irish Superstitions, if you don't believe me.) :)

Want to read the "back issues" of our Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture? Here are your complimentary copies:

• 1st edition: Everyone loves a good Irish story - Stories of Ireland and the Irish
• 2nd edition: They say there's a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow... - A focus on Irish family history research
• 3rd edition: Off to Ireland! - Irish places, both in and out of Ireland
• 4th edition: A St. Patrick's Day parade of posts! - An assortment of posts on all things Irish in celebration of St. Patrick's Day 2008
• 5th edition: A little Irish language, a bit of Blarney... - A tribute to the Irish language
• 6th edition: The many faces of Irish identity - Contributors ponder the question, "What does it mean to be Irish?"
• 7th edition: Looking into the heart of Ireland - A compilation of books recommended by participants in the Small-leaved Shamrock Summer Reading Challenge
  
• 8th edition: Top of the class: Family historians set goals for Irish research - A assortment of various family historians to-do lists for Irish genealogy
  

Want to join us for the 9th edition but never participated in a blog carnival before? For a step-by-step tutorial, see Miriam Robbins Midkiff's How to Submit a Post to a Carnival on the Bootcamp for Genea-Bloggers blog.

Top of the class: Family historians set goals for Irish research

Ring-a-ling!

The school bell is ringing for the 8th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. This is the "Back to School" edition, so get your pencils sharpened and put your thinking caps on as we scroll through the research plans and to do lists of others seeking to get a better grip on their Irish heritage and/or to learn a little more about the culture of Ireland.

Why would you want to read through an assortment of other people's to-do lists? Why, it’s fascinating reading! (After all, there is even a popular blog that is devoted solely to To-Do Lists.)

Let me give you a few reasons why you might want to spend time reading through the assortment of to-do lists and itemized Irish genealogy plans that make up this edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture:

1. To be inspired in your own research by seeing what others are trying to accomplish
2. To gather ideas for your own research and/or gain interesting perspectives on the quest for your personal family history
3. To be introduced to resources you might not be aware of
4. To help keep these family historians accountable to the goals that they have set
   

If you are working on your own to-do list of Irish genealogy and family history tasks and don't currently manage a blog of your own, please use the comment section at the end of this article to share your goals. We hope you’ll join us: the more the merrier!

The bell has rung and it’s time to begin, so without any further ado let’s get on task and scroll through our submissions.

Colleen Johnson is on a mission to seek out her roots in County Monaghan and possibly County Mayo. As she shares on The Finegan/Donahue Quest, two branches of her family are the focus of her plans this year. She hopes to find the original Irish townland for the Finegan family and to learn all she can about the Donahues, working at least once a week on both family lines. As Colleen puts it, “I’m such a Type A personality. I better not fail.”

Apple’s search for her Irish ancestry takes her back to Ireland during the 18^th-century. She plans to work further back in her family tree on the following lines: Carlisle (of Massachusetts), Graham (of Virginia) and Kelly (of New York and Ontario). She will also focus on learning about the history of Ireland during that time period. Read Irish Homework posted at Apple's Tree to see the detailed “assignments” that she has laid out for herself, broken down by fall and spring semesters.

First-time carnival contributor Melody LaSalle is not new to Irish genealogy. She has done much research in the past on her family tree, but still finds that she is stumped on several lines. As Melody puts it, she “has her work cut out for her”. When she found herself at a “brick wall” in the past for one particular family member, her approach was to search for every known document for that person. Her persistence paid off when she discovered a probate file with the names of many family members from various branches. Check out Melody’s plans to search for information on her elusive Kelly and Dolan ancestors of New Hampshire, Massachusetts and California at Getting My Irish Ancestors Back to Ireland posted at The Research Journal.

Julie Cahill Tarr is another first-time contributor to our carnival. Her quest is to find the home county in Ireland of her great-great-great-grandparents, Michael and Anne (Hale) Cahill. Julie outlines what she knows about later generations of the Cahill family and lists the resources she plans to use to make further progress, including a nice assortment of Michael O’Laughlin’s books. Julie also plans to focus on learning more about Ireland’s history using some popular history books. Read more at GenBlog: Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture posted at GenBlog.

Bill West of West in New England shares his goals at "BACK TO SCHOOL" ON MY IRISH GENEALOGY. He is focusing on searching for information about one couple in his family tree: John & Anna (Kelley) McFarland. Bill hopes to learn about his great-grandparents using archived newspapers, passenger lists, vital records, employment records, and records from the Archives of the Archdiocese of Boston when they open again in 2009. He also plans to contact some older relatives in the family for more information.

Her Scotch-Irish branch of the family is one line that Jessica Oswalt has not yet focused on since she began writing about her personal search for family history at Jessica's Genejournal. She plans to familiarize herself with Scottish and Irish records and use the British census along with probate, vital and other records to pinpoint her family’s history in the United Kingdom. Read more about her plans at Searching For My Ancestors: My Research Plan and Goals For My Ancestors Born in Scotland and Ireland.

A collection of family photographs dating from 1850 is the focus of M. Diane Rogers’ project related to her Irish genealogy. At CanadaGenealogy, or, Jane’s Your Aunt she writes IRWIN and MOFFAT, County Cavan, Ireland - 8th Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture and shares a beautiful portrait of James and Mary Ann (Moffat) Irwin who immigrated from County Cavan, Ireland to western Canada. Diane plans to scan and organize all of the photos in her collection related to this couple and their descendants. She shares a book written by a relative on the history of the Irwin family and provides a nice list of links relating to County Cavan, Ireland. Diane is another first-time contributor to the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. Thanks to all of you for joining us!

Donna Pointkouski found that in doing research for others on their 19th-century Irish immigrant ancestors she may have found a more difficult type of “genealogy coursework” than that of researching her more recent immigrant ancestors of the early 20th-century. She has worked back through several generations of her niece’s Irish ancestors in America: the McGeehan and Lee families. Donna details the work she has done thus far using census and vital records, and shares the difficulties that she ran into looking for accurate information on these American immigrants that arrived before the days of consistent vital records and comprehensive passenger lists. Read The Challenges of Researching Irish Ancestry posted at What's Past is Prologue.

When lost in the assortment of notes, documents, and other family history information that I've accumulated, I've found that the best way to refocus has been to create a family timeline for the ancestral branch that troubles me. That is at the top of my priority list as I revisit some of my Irish family lines that have been elusive lately. Visit Filling in the gaps on the Irish side of my family tree here at Small-leaved Shamrock for an introduction to my search for the Cowhey, Foley and Donnelly families of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

I often receive carnival submissions that are not quite within the realm of the topic covered by the current edition. They are sometimes items that I’m interested in sharing, but because they don’t fit with the theme, I have chosen not to include them in the past.

This month, since the scope of our "Back to School" edition has covered the “study” of all aspects of Irish heritage and culture, I’ll include the additional submissions that I received on Irish topics.

Smoky Mountain Family Historian Lori presents a review of a children’s book dealing with an Irish family’s heritage in Review: St. Patrick's Day Shillelagh. She suggests it as a reminder to families to tell their own stories. I wholeheartedly agree.

Peter presents a gallery of photos he has taken on his travels by motorbike throughout Ireland. See we overstep for a photo tour of the Emerald Isle.

Kerry Dexter of Music Road shares the story of Cathie Ryan: Irish and American. The daughter of Irish immigrants living in Michigan, Cathie's love for Celtic music eventually led her back to Ireland. Cathie is a singer and songwriter (the lead singer for Cherish the Ladies) and as Kerry puts it, "builds bridges between Ireland and America, between past and present, and between the stuff of daily life and the spiritual and emotional dimensions that give that day to day another dimension".

Thanks for reading this, the 8th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. We hope it has inspired you to join the class and get to work on your personal Irish heritage & culture coursework!

For a little fun and a break from your serious studies, plan to join us for the upcoming 9th edition to be hosted by Bill West. See The luck of the Irish: Superstitions and the Irish people for details.

Filling in the gaps on the Irish side of my family tree

One of the best exercises that I have done with regard to researching my family history has been to create a timeline of each family. Once I had amassed various notes, documents, photographs, etc. about a family, I found myself overwhelmed with everything that I had collected. It was sometimes difficult to remember what information I had and what I might need in order to fill in the gaps in the family's history or further solidify proof of my conclusions.

Creating a family timeline was my solution. Taking a step back from all of the minute details of the individual lives of my ancestors, I laid out the basic facts in chronological order for each branch of the family. Listing important life events, residences and historical events that impacted the family, I found that I had created a picture of their lives that I was not able to see when viewing the various notes and documents that comprised my genealogical research.

It has been awhile since I went back to the timelines that I have created for several families that I am currently researching. Inspired by the "Back to School" edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, I've been doing some thinking about goals I'd like to set and gaps I'd like to fill in on my family tree. Revisiting those timelines again will be my first step in taking a good look at what information I am missing.

In the meantime, I have a few clear gaps in my research into my Irish side of the family tree that I hope to address soon. Here are the goals that I've set for various branches. I hope you, my readers, will keep me accountable to these and check to make sure that I'm doing my homework throughout the school year!

The Cowhey Family

This is the family that I've focused the most on within my Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania research. It's hard to miss the Cowheys: they have an unusual surname and there were so many of them!

Where in Ireland was the immigrant ancestor and patriarch of the Cowhey family born?

Arriving in New York in 1823 via the Ship William from what is now the port of Cóbh, Patrick Cowhey was the earliest arrival in America that I've discovered thus far within the Irish side of my family tree. Records related to him are hard to come by, so I was very excited when I found his ship's passenger list from April 1823. My next step: to search for naturalization papers, birth or baptism records, or other documents that might lead me to the family's original townland in Ireland.

What about his trans-Atlantic voyage? Why and how did he emigrate?

I'd like to get more information about the actual voyage that brought Patrick Cowhey to America. I have some good ideas about where to start, including searching newspapers for information about the ship's voyage and circumstances surrounding its arrival at port. I'm also interested in what specific events were happening in Ireland at the time that might have encouraged his departure.

Just where did the Cowhey family reside before arriving in Pennsylvania?

Patrick Cowhey's ship passenger list and census records listing his children's birthplaces have told me that the Cowhey family spent some time in New York before settling permanently in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. I have yet to find other proof of their New York residence, census or otherwise. My task is to finally hunt them down in New York. My challenge may be overcoming the many unusual spellings of the family's name. I've seen Cowhey, Cowhy, Cowey, Cowie, Cowy and many more. We'll see what other unusual spellings turn up as I search for this family in New York in the 19th-century. I plan to refer again to Your Guide to the Federal Censusby Kathleen Hinckley and Finding Answers in the U.S. Census Records by Szucs and Wright for tips as I revisit the various census resources available.

The Foley Family

Margaret Foley might not have known what she was getting herself into when she married William Cowhey and instantly became mother to the children William had with his former wife before her death. William and Margaret went on to have many children of their own before William's tragic death in a train engine explosion.

Margaret's ancestry is one line that I have not yet focused on much. I was told many years ago that her father's name was Patrick, but have yet to find him in the census or any other records. Her mother, Margaret (Graham) Byrnes-Foley became known to me through a handwritten family tree that I received from a distant cousin. Aside from a few census listings including her, I have nothing yet to go on regarding her life either.

My plan to find my elusive Foley ancestors: the no-holds-barred genealogy approach.

For Margaret and her parents, I plan to search for obituaries, death records, marriage records, special Pennsylvania census records, directories and others. Thanks to a tip from Sharon DeBartolo Carmack's A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Female Ancestors, I plan to search for orphan/guardianship records for Margaret's children after her husband William's accidental death and to seek out land and property records for the couple.

The Donnelly Family

The Donnelly branch of my family seems to have quite an aura of mystery about them. Many families have neglected to pass down family stories to the younger generations. This branch of my family seems to have taken this to the extreme. Here are a few goals I've set to dig into the past on this branch of my family tree:

Did my great-great-grandfather John Donnelly die of a mine explosion in Schuylkill County in the late 19th-century?

At this point, I have some newspaper articles, mine inspectors' reports, and death records indicating that a John Donnelly died of a mine explosion at Bear Ridge Colliery. Is this my John Donnelly? I plan to do further research, beginning with searching for my John's grave, that will help to evaluate whether or not I have the right John.

Just who were my great-great-grandparents, John & Mary (McGonigle) Donnelly?

I have little information about this couple, in fact their daughter was always very averse to sharing even little bits of information about them with her children. I would very much like to find John and Mary's parents and extended family members. Census records have not helped much in this area. I'll have to branch out and research other records, including directories.

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So many family members, so little time! By stepping back and taking a look at each branch of the family and getting an overview of their lives in history, I hope to get a bird's eye view of what I've learned thus far and be able to focus on making further progress.

It is always rewarding to make new discoveries in family history research, but the hard work has to come first! Here's hoping that I have the persistence to continue with some of the challenging branches of my Irish family tree.

Two days left to turn in your Irish heritage homework!

School’s in – and your homework is due!

Submit your plans to work on your Irish genealogy or to learn more about Irish heritage and culture this year. Hopefully by sharing our goals we will keep each other accountable and make some progress this school year. Submissions are due Monday, September 22. For full details about this edition of the carnival and how you can participate, see Back to School for the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture.

Never participated in a blog carnival before? For a step-by-step tutorial, see Miriam Robbins Midkiff's How to Submit a Post to a Carnival on the Bootcamp for Genea-Bloggers blog.

The Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture goes "Back to School"

Fall is fast approaching. It's that time of year again: a time for fresh starts and new beginnings.

Plan to join us for the Back to School edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. It's less than two weeks away!

Here are the details:

Have Irish heritage in your family history? Make a plan to further investigate the Irish side of your family tree and share your goals with us. Here are some ideas:

• Work back a few more generations on one branch of your Irish family tree


• Find naturalization papers that give the county of origin for an immigrant ancestor


• Find the townland in Ireland where your immigrant ancestor was born


• Get in touch with other relatives who share the same Irish genealogy

Instead of (or in addition to) focusing on genealogy, want to learn more about Irish heritage or culture in general? Choose a topic or task that interests you, and let us know how you plan to learn more about it this coming year. Give one of these a try:

• Take up Irish baking


• Learn more about and enjoy Celtic music


• Take up or set out to watch Irish dance


• Learn the Irish language


• Plan a trip to Ireland or a place where Irish culture resides

Set some goals for the new school year and share them with us, whether you've begun working on them or not. Hopefully we will all inspire eachother in our quest for Irish family history and in our attempts to make the culture of Ireland more a part of our lives.

Don't forget to share your plans with us by Monday, September 22 in order to be included in the 8th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. The carnival will be published Thursday, September 25.

Never participated in a blog carnival before? For a step-by-step tutorial, see Miriam Robbins Midkiff's How to Submit a Post to a Carnival on the Bootcamp for Genea-Bloggers blog.

A look at the veterans of the Civil War

Interested in getting a visual picture of the Civil War and its veterans? Check out the images posted to the Flickr group Veterans of the American Civil War. According to David Foster, group administrator, this collection includes all types of images of Civil War veterans: taken during or after the war, in or out of uniform.

No photos of my Union soldier ancestors yet, but I enjoyed getting a look at their comrades and those who fought on the other side. I especially enjoyed group photos like this one of a Grand Army of the Republic parade in Rochester, New York around 1910.

G.A.R. Parade, Rochester
Library of Congress image also posted at Flickr

For more Flickr groups related to Civil War research and genealogy, see Jennifer's post Flickr Civil War Pools [Tidbits] at Rainy Day Genealogy Readings.

Sons of Irish shoemakers make a bid for the American presidency

It was with interest that I read about Megan Smolenyak's research into the roots of one of the current presidential candidates. Now she has gone even further and researched his running mate's genealogy.

Ironically, both men descend from Irish shoemakers who immigrated to America in the year 1849. For the latest on the story, see Megan's article on her Roots Television/Megan's Roots World blog.

Are you an avid reader of all things Irish?

If you are both a lover of Ireland and a bookworm, you might be interested in the Ireland Book Discussion mailing list organized by Pat Connors of Connors Genealogy.

The list is ten years old but still very small with only a handful of posts a month. Most are brief recommendations for reading material on various topics related to Ireland. According to the website, the list is "for anyone who has an interest in books relating to Ireland Genealogy, Culture, Travel and/or History."

You might also be interested in the numerous links at the bottom of the information page directing readers to Irish publishers, book lists, book reviews, etc.

Happy reading!

Drumroll, please! Lisa's medal count

It has been a tough couple of weeks for this Genea-Blogger Group Games competitor. The hardest part for me has been the effort I have exerted toward fighting for free time to work on my events during waking hours and the endurance required of me to continue through some late nights and very, very early mornings. (Read more at my post Just call me a Michael Phelps wanna-be.)

I'm happy with my accomplishments and inspired to continue with some of the projects that I have started. (If only the games lasted a little longer!) I feel quite like an Olympian wondering how these "games" flew by so fast (it seems like the Opening Ceremonies started yesterday!) and wishing that it wouldn't be quite so long before the next will begin.

Here are the results of my efforts, and the resulting "medals" that I have earned in this, the first Genea-Blogger Group Games:

Category 1: Cite Your Sources

My goal: To cite as many sources as possible (documents, photographs, artifacts, letters, etc. that pertain to my family history).
Medal: PLATINUM
This is the one event that I got started on immediately, thinking that I could swiftly hit 50 source citations without much effort at all. It wasn't quite as easy as I thought, but I made it. Read my post The provenance of a hairbrush: thievery and the family historian for details on some of my efforts at turning my genealogy into bibliography.

Category 2: Back Up Your Data

My goal: To prepare a comprehensive back-up plan for both digital and hard copy materials, store both types in waterproof containers and backup all data.
Medal: BRONZE
I created my backup plan and got a wonderful start on storing photographs in waterproof containers, but I am far from finished with the task of protecting my family history research. More to come in this area but unfortunately, it will be too late to move up on the "medal stand".

Category 3: Organize Your Research

My goal: To organize the loose file for each of my ancestral homes and family surnames placing into its corresponding notebook the documents and other items of importance, to re-organize digital genealogy files (currently living on two hard drives) using the same surname and place system where appropriate, to organize photographs (which are in many different sizes and formats) by surname, and to begin scanning many of these photographs in bulk (instead of one or two at a time, which I have been doing).Medal: GOLD
This is an area that I could work on for awhile! I've had a nice start, but have a lot more work to do. Within the boundaries of this competition, I have scanned 20+ photos and documents (I lost count a long time ago), organized 20+ hard files and ancestral items (including a hairbrush, of all things!), and organized lots of photos into protective boxes (I'm guessing almost 100, and that's probably low). This has been a great exercise for me to get things organized. I am only at the beginning of the project. I'm on a roll now... Too bad the games have to end!

Category 4: Write, Write, Write

My goal: To rethink and possibly revise the blog summaries that I've written on each of my blogs, to participate in both the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival and the Carnival of Genealogy, and to prepare a few posts as drafts to be published when things get busier for me in September. I've already signed up to host a future carnival (my very own Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture), so that one's taken care of.Medal: DIAMOND
Writing is often the first thing that I gravitate toward doing. In this case, I tried to put some of these tasks toward the end of the games in order to accomplish the more tedious jobs of a family historian. In the end, I almost ran out of time, but I did accomplish a few things. I submitted a post for the 54th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy at What's Past is Prologue (my article is entitled The Hungarian language and the poetry of my childhood). I also submitted a post to the 4th edition of the I Smile for the Camera Carnival at Shades of the Departed (see If only this photograph had musical accompaniment). I have signed up to host a future carnival: my very own Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. (Read the most recent edition Looking into the heart of Ireland.) I have also begun a series of blog posts that will be published in the near future. (I'm not telling the subject yet!) I've also updated my Blogger Profile and my Facebook About Me page and written a post on each of my blogs entitled Who is Lisa and why the leaf? to give readers a little bit more background about me (well, just a little bit more).

Category 5: Genealogical Acts of Kindness

My goal: To complete my application for the Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War, comment on a few blogs that are new to me, join the blog networks of other genealogy bloggers, and invite a few other family historians to connect on Facebook (new to me just this week).
Medal: DIAMOND
My genealogical random acts of kindness for these games have included writing comments on a few genealogy blogs that are new to me, specifically Kathi Reid's Ancestor Search Blog, Midge Frazel's Granite in My Blood, Melody Lasalle's The Research Journal, and Sheri Fenley's The Educated Genealogist. I've also joined many genealogy blog networks on Facebook. (Check out my Facebook page to see them all.) I've invited a fellow blogging friend to join, too. My most time consuming task for this event, however, has been the process of completing my application for the Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War. Sort of a "this is your life" in paperwork, it was an interesting exercise to put together all of the documents to prove that I am a descendant of my great-great-grandfather. I've completed the application and plan to submit it at the next meeting.



In conclusion, my final medal count for these games is:

PLATINUM - 1
DIAMOND - 2
GOLD - 1
BRONZE - 1

Congratulations to all of you that competed! We are all winners for giving our best at these "games".

Special thanks to the organizing committee: Kathryn Doyle of the California Genealogical Society and Library, Thomas MacEntee of Destination Austin Family and Miriam Midkiff of AnceStories. Thanks also to footnoteMaven for creating the logo and medal designs.

See you all at the next Genea-Blogger Group Games, whenever and wherever they take place!

Who is Lisa and why the leaf?

You can tell a lot about me by the entries and links at 100 Years in America, Small-leaved Shamrock and A light that shines again. I’ll let you guess the rest…

I consider each of my blogs a "leaf by Lisa". This is a take on a wonderful little short story called Leaf by Niggle written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published as part of his collection Tree and Leaf. It expresses one man’s desire to work on and complete something beautiful during his lifetime. Somehow life keeps getting in his way. You’ll have to read this little story to get the full idea and understand how his magnificent tree that turned into a full landscape all came down to one beautifully painted little leaf in the end.

He was the sort of painter who could paint leaves better than trees. He used to spend a long time on a single leaf, trying to catch its shape, and its sheen, and the glistening of dewdrops on its edges. Yet he wanted to paint a whole tree, with all of its leaves in the same style, and all of them different.

~ J.R.R. Tolkien, from Leaf by Niggle

My three family history blogs are each a small leaf in the landscape of my life and my family tree. I have been researching my family history for many years in the midst of the busy-ness of life. I hope you'll continue to enjoy reading a little bit of what I've learned throughout my search, and be inspired to look at the world in a different way than you might have before you visited.

Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.

~ Henry David Thoreau

If you are a regular reader of Small-leaved Shamrock or are just stopping by for the first time, I'd love to hear from you. Post a comment or send me an email when you have a minute. Thanks for reading.

The provenance of a hairbrush: Thievery and the family historian

For many, many years I have been collecting documents, photographs and artifacts related to my family tree. I was a young girl when I first became interested in the stories of my forebears. Although I have taken a few breaks from my genealogical efforts due to life getting in the way (in terms of years at a time), along the way I have compiled a nice assortment of items related to my family tree.

One of the events which I entered as a competitor in the 2008 Genea-Blogger Group Games was Cite Your Sources! In the process of going through fifty of my various sources (a small sampling, but the number needed for a "platinum medal"), I have waded through some interesting items and tried to determine how to cite them properly.

Here are a few I've cited:

• A newspaper obituary for a very young child
• An obituary mispelling the name of the deceased
• Newspaper accounts of a train explosion and a mine explosion
• A ship manifest for the family's immigrant ancestor arriving in New York harbor
• The Civil War pension file for my great-great-grandfather
• A gravestone marker for an unlikely three-some
• And more...

Perhaps my most interesting effort at creating a bibliographical reference was when I tried to cite my great-grandmother's ornate hairbrush and mirror set.



In citing my sources, I rely on Elizabeth Shown Mills' comprehensive reference Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace. According to Mills' guide, a citation for an artifact (a set of grooming accessories in this case) normally includes provenance. The provenance "will typically include the identity of the current owner and how that owner came to acquire it".

Sounded simple. Until I started out with my citation...

Hairbrush and mirror belonging to Agnes (Donnelly) Cowhey, Cowhey Family Collection; privately held by Lisa, [address for private use].

Now things got a little tricky. You see, the example from the book seems to indicate that the next portion, the provenance, would say something like this:

This hairbrush and mirror set was passed from Agnes (Donnelly) Cowhey to [her daughter] to [her niece], from whom her daughter Lisa inherited it.

Problem: I didn't actually inherit it, I stole it.

Well, sort of.

Before you lose all respect for my family history methods (not to mention my character), let me explain.

As I child I often admired items around our home that had some sort of historical significance to our family: my grandfather's old business cards, needlework done by my grandmother, etc. My great-grandmother's hairbrush and mirror set was no exception.

One day, as a young girl (I'm not sure what age) admiring the set in my mother's bathroom, I took the liberty of moving it to my bathroom, thus "acquiring" the items for myself. They remained there for many years, until they later moved with me once I grew up and moved out on my own. Thankfully, my mother, who understands and appreciates my propensity toward genealogy, gave me her blessing and never returned the items to her bathroom. (So kind of you, Mom.)

As I set out to create a citation for these family artifacts, I didn't quite feel right about writing:

This hairbrush and mirror set was passed from Agnes (Donnelly) Cowhey to [her daughter] to [her niece], from whom her daughter Lisa inherited it.

But this didn't quite sound right, either:

This hairbrush and mirror set was passed from Agnes (Donnelly) Cowhey to [her daughter] to [her niece], from whom her daughter Lisa outright stole it.

So, getting a little creative with the art of bibliography, I considered this one:

This hairbrush and mirror set was passed from Agnes (Donnelly) Cowhey to [her daughter] to [her niece], from whom her daughter Lisa proactively inherited it.

I felt I might have hit upon something here. Any of you genealogists out there ever "proactively inherit" a family artifact?

Actually, I finally settled on this description of the provenance of these family heirlooms, artfully avoiding the suggestion of my childhood method of acquisition:

This hairbrush and mirror set was passed from Agnes (Donnelly) Cowhey to [her daughter] to [her niece], to her daughter Lisa, the current owner.

It looks like Elizabeth Shown Mills might have a new citation format to consider adding to her revised edition of Evidence Explained, if she ever ends up doing one.

Watch for a new listing: "Basic Format, Family Artifacts, Provenance: Proactive Inheritance".

***

This story has been submitted as part of the 55th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. The topic is "Show and Tell!". Visit Jasia's Creative Gene for more stories about family heirlooms and other special items in family collections.

Have Irish roots but can't get yourself to Ireland?

Then get yourself to New York, at least!

The New York Irish History Roundtable will be holding a seminar on Researching Genealogical Resources in Ireland Long-Distance. The event, to be held the afternoon of Sunday, September 28, is open to the public.

This announcement from the New York Irish History Roundtable's Vice President for Family History, Jim Garrity, includes all the details:

The New York Irish History Roundtable will present the only New York City area appearance of two internationally-acclaimed experts on genealogical research in Ireland—Dr. William Roulston, Research Director of Ulster Historical Foundation in Belfast, and Dr. Brian Trainor, the Foundation’s retired Research Director and the former Director of the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland. They will present an information-packed afternoon on researching genealogical resources in Ireland long-distance. The seminar is open to members of the New York Irish History Roundtable and the public.

Drs. Roulston and Trainor will give four lectures that focus on genealogical resources in a variety of repositories in the thirty-two counties of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. They will introduce attendees to many lesser-known resources. The afternoon will begin with a general introductory lecture, followed by specialized talks: "Introduction to Irish and Scots-Irish Family History Research," "The Three Cs: Church Registers, Census Records and Civil Registration Records," "Gravestone Inscriptions," and "Not Always at the Bottom of the Pile." Time will be allotted for questions after each lecture.

The seminar will take place on Sunday, September 28th, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., in the McNally Amphitheatre of Fordham Law School at Lincoln Center, located at 140 W. 62nd Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus avenues. Take the A, B, C, D, or 1 subway line to 59th Street-Columbus Circle. The price of admission is $15 for members and $20 for non-members.

Ulster Historical Foundation, established in 1956, is one of the principal genealogical research agencies in Ireland and a leading publisher of quality historical, educational, and genealogical books.

For more information about the seminar, check out this webpage. You might also be interested in taking a look at the New York Irish Roundtable Weblog.

Pennsylvania's 2nd annual Genealogy Day

The State Library of Pennsylvania has announced its second annual day Genealogy Day: Saturday, September 20, 2008.

According to the press release, the "free event will bring together genealogists from throughout Pennsylvania for a day of learning and independent research". Make plans to attend for info sessions on various topics and an introduction to historical societies that will be in attendance in the exhibit area.

For more information, contact Marc Bender of the State Library of Pennsylvania, take a look at the library's genealogical holdings or search its catalog online.

Just call me a Michael Phelps wanna-be

It could be that I was a little ambitious when I entered all the categories in the 2008 Genea-Blogger Group Games (see the opening ceremonies here). It looks like I wasn't the only one. But still, I'm plugging away at my events, trying to "go for the gold" (or the platinum in some cases) in the midst of life as it continues at full speed.

If you are wondering why it has been so quiet here at Small-leaved Shamrock and my other blogs, it's because I've been focusing on sorting notes, citing sources, preserving pictures and other tasks testing my genealogical muscles. I may not be able to fit in the time to report on what I'm accomplishing (like some have done in wonderful detail), but I'm hoping that the Genea-Blogger Group Games committee will understand and award me for my hard work based on the honor system.

This "competition" has been a great motivation for me to focus on what I've needed to do for a long time: get my family history project organized. It's a tough time of year to do it, yet I'm not sure I have found any time of year better to tackle a new project. You know what they say: "No time like the present."

So, back I go to citing my sources. I've been burning the midnight oil since 2:00 a.m. (or is that another kind of oil) and making slow and steady progress. Cheer for me in the stands, if you like! I'm hoping that my efforts will reward me with a trip to the virtual medal stand at the end of these games, not to mention the intangible feeling of accomplishment that means more than any medal, virtual or real.


Note: You can watch my progress by checking Lisa's Games Tally on the sidebar of this blog.

Ellis Island's Annie Moore: found and remembered

Annie Moore, the first immigrant to be received at Ellis Island (back in 1892), was long thought to have traveled west, her final resting place lost to history. Two years ago her whereabouts were discovered thanks to the efforts of genealogist Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak.

Now with the help of many Irish and American donations, Annie Moore's grave (and that of her five children) will finally be memorialized. After October 11 her resting place in Calvary Cemetery, Queens, New York will no longer be anonymous but will be marked with a headstone of Irish Blue Limestone. The dedication ceremony promises to be a special one incorporating "both cultural and liturgical aspects", according to Julia Devous, Annie Moore's great-granddaughter. "We understand that Annie holds a special place in the hearts and minds of Irish American immigrants and their families here in America and Ireland."

Read more about the plans for Annie Moore's gravestone and its dedication at the Irish Echo online article's Annie will finally get her marker.

For more on the 2006 discovery of Annie Moore's final resting place, see Roots Television's In Search of Annie Moore.

Thanks to Megan's Roots Television blog for announcing the news about Annie's Moore's memorial.

Let the games begin!

The opening ceremonies of the 2008 Genea-Blogger Group Games have begun! Make a visit to see the competitors' flags flying, including mine (also shown below). Let the games begin!

My flag is flying high for the Genea-Blogger Group Games!

In the spirit of the Olympic Games and in honor of my ancestors who have hailed from four different countries, I have chosen to compete in the Genea-Blogger Group Games. The event will correspond roughly to the 2008 Summer Olympics, but will involve competition quite different from what we'll see in Beijing. They might not seem like Olympic events to you, but activities related to preserving family history can sometimes take similar preparation and perseverance. Backing up data, scanning photographs, citing sources, preserving family artifacts: these tasks all take dedication (and sometimes even physical endurance, since I do much of this in the wee hours of the night).

In time for the opening ceremonies, I have put together my "game plan" as a competitor in the 2008 Genea-Blogger Group Games. Follow along with me on my three family history blogs as I work toward some specific goals during this two week period.

Unfortunately the "balance beam" event, which may have originally been on the schedule, was cut from the games. According to Donna Poinkouski, I was one of the favorites in that competition. (Thanks, Donna, for the vote of confidence.)

Kidding aside, here are my serious plans for competition:

Category 1: Go Back and Cite Your Sources!

Ever since I purchased my copy of Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace by Elizabeth Shown Mills (actually, well before that) I've been meaning to spend some serious time citing. Here's my chance to get re-inspired about this project. My goal: To cite as many sources as possible (documents, photographs, artifacts, letters, etc. that pertain to my family history). If I make it to 50 or more sources, I'll be awarded a "platinum medal", so they say. More importantly, I'll be on my way to having my family history facts documented so that I can properly share them with others. Time to sit down with my copy of Evidence Explained.

Category 2: Back Up Your Data!

For the amount of time I've spent on researching my family history over the years, it would be devastating to lose my digital records, photographs and other documents for some reason. Time for me to stand back and take a look at how I am protecting the information and items that I have collected, and take steps to ensure that such a loss never happens. My goal: To prepare a comprehensive back-up plan for both digital and hard copy materials, store both types in waterproof containers and backup all data. If I accomplish this, I'll be "going for the gold" in the Genea-Blogger Group Games, but more importantly, I'll have taken steps to preserve items and information that would be irreplaceable for my family.

Category 3: Organize Your Research!

Doing genealogy in fits and spurts for so many years, I've collected quite a few pictures, documents and artifacts, not to mention scraps of paper and digital files. I've tried to keep everything organized, but these types of things grow and I need to play a little "catch-up". Inspired by the Genea-Blogger Group Games, I plan to make an effort to get my organization up to date with my research. My goal: To organize the loose file for each of my ancestral homes and family surnames placing into its corresponding notebook the documents and other items of importance, to re-organize digital genealogy files (currently living on two hard drives) using the same surname and place system where appropriate, to organize photographs (which are in many different sizes and formats) by surname, and to begin scanning many of these photographs in bulk (instead of one or two at a time, which I have been doing). If I accomplish all this (doing 20 of each task), I'll be a "diamond" medal-winner. Even better, I'll be starting of the school year feeling happily organized and ready for more research.

Category 4: Write, Write, Write!

The fun part of genealogy for me is fitting all the pieces together in the puzzle of my family history. That is one of the reasons that I enjoy writing my three genealogy blogs so much. As part of the Genea-Blogger Group Games, I plan to do the following writing tasks. My goal: To rethink and possibly revise the blog summaries that I've written on each of my blogs, to participate in both the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival and the Carnival of Genealogy, and to prepare a few posts as drafts to be published when things get busier for me in September. I've already signed up to host a future carnival (my very own Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture), so that one's taken care of. If I accomplish all of these tasks above, I'll receive a "diamond medal". I'd better get writing!

Category 5: Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!

Connecting with others researching the same families, places and subjects is always rewarding. It is exciting to share with others what I've learned. My goal: To complete my application for the Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War, comment on a few blogs that are new to me, join the blog networks of other genealogy bloggers, and invite a few other family historians to connect on Facebook (new to me just this week). If I accomplish all these tasks, I'll be competing at the "diamond-level".

Think my goals are quite lofty? So do I, but I've learned that I work better when I set my sights high. Please wish me luck as I embark on this family history endeavor. I hope to make some exciting progress in these areas, and have some fun at the "games" along the way. Look for me at the "opening ceremonies" on AnceStories.

Lisa's "ancestral homelands flag":
Ireland, Hungary & Croatia together

In the spirit of Olympic competition and in honor of the homelands of myself and my ancestors (the United States of America, Ireland, Hungary and Croatia): Let the games begin!

Thanks to Miriam of AnceStories, Thomas of Destination: Austin Family and Kathryn of the California Genealogical Society & Library blog, the 2008 Genea-Blogger Group Games committee who crafted the idea for this competition. Thanks to footnoteMaven for designing the games logo and the medals for the participants and champions. Let the games begin!