Tools of the Trade

I have been thinking about the occupations of our ancestors and what tools that might have used. 

William Mathers came to America from Ireland about 1865. He had a shoe and bootmaking business in  New York City. Here are a few of the tools he might have used.

John Murphy was in Brooklyn in the 1870's.  He came from Ireland and probably had several different jobs because on a couple of listings in City Directories he was just listed as a Laborer.  Several years after that in the 1880 census he indicates he is a plasterer.  Here are some tools he would have used.

Another ancestor John Nelson Moore was born in Savannah, Georgia and became a telegraph operator for the Rail Road.  Around 1917 he brought his Mother and family up to New York City.  He work as a telegraph operator for newspapers, Western Union, and retired from Paine Webber Jackson and Curtis Brokerage Firm as their manager of the Telegraph/Ticker Tape room.  Below is a picture of an early machine that he would have used.

John Moore's wife Isabel Tierney worked  before she got married in 1918.  I believe that is how the two of them met.  She was a telephone operator on Wall Street.  Also her daughter Ruth, my mother, also worked as a telephone operator and met my father down in the Wall Street area.  Here is what they probably worked on.

James R. Mathews, my Dad, was an editor, and a ghost writer (he wrote articles and speeches for other people).  These were his tools.







The Hunt for Grandpa Thomas J. Murphy's Sister

I have researched the Murphy family and have an amazing amount of information.  One of the problems I have is finding information on Thomas' sister Mary.

Thomas was born in 1877 in Brooklyn, NY.  His parents were Honora (Nora) Quinlan and John Murphy.  They also had 2 other sons, Patrick and Michael both died very young.  They had two daughters, Mary and Margaret (Maggie).

In researching I had found Maggie living with her Mother and brother Thomas in the 1900 census.  She was married to James Coyne and had a son John.  I was able to get documents on her family because I had her married name.  The sister, Mary, was not living with them in 1900 so I assumed she either died or got married.  I was going to  check for a death record but it was a daunting task.  I would have had to look from 1880 when I find her with the family  (the last census before the 1900 census) to 1900 when I don't find her.  There were just too many Mary Murphy's.  I would have to see every death certificate to see who the parents of the Mary was to confirm I had the right Mary.  The other document, marriage, was just as impossible because I had no married name.

I have the family tree on Ancestry for all to see.  When someone sees a name they think might be connected to their family they contact the owner of the tree.  I was contacted by someone looking for Honora and John Murphy and their daughter Mary.  It has happened before but this time a lot of things look like it could be a connection.  They have a death certificate for Mary Murphy McEvoy saying her parents were Honora Quinlan and John Murphy.  One of the first things I asked was did they have a marriage certificate?  No they couldn't find one.  Since that time I have looked and found nothing either.  Looking under Mary Murphy is not the way to go.  Looking under McEvoy is a better chance of finding the certificate, you would think.  I have found there are several ways of spelling McEvoy and then spelling it by sound adds a few more.  We do have the first name, Edward A.  But I still have not been able to locate the document.

I thought if I got every document for the family there might be some clues.  The women looking for information said that the grandson of her Mary is John McEvoy born in 1934 and his father was John born in 1898. They also had a daughter name Mary born in 1902. So I got the birth certificate for John born 1898.  It lists his parents as Mary Murphy and Edward A. McEvoy. I have found this Mary and Edward McEvoy in the 1900 and 1910 census. In the census they indicate they were married in 1897. 

I found all this information but none of it helps confirm that this is the same Mary Murphy that was the sister to Thomas Joseph Murphy. 

I really feel the only way I'm going to find confirmation is to find the marriage document.  They ask for the bride and groom's parents names.  Since I have not found anything in the index for the New York Cities five boroughs, I'm going to look at the area that they were living and find the churches.  Possible they were married in church and the information was never sent to the city.

Researching a Maiden Name

The first person in the Moor(e) family to come to America in 1715 was William Moor.  I don’t know if he was married when he came or got married after arriving.  His wife was Martha.

Ever since I started researching this family it has been surmised that Martha’s maiden name was Anderson.  I never found a document to prove this fact.  It was stated in the book “Memorial of the Loyalist Families of William Moore, Josiah Hitchings and Robert Livingstone”, compiled by John Elliott Moore in 1898. This book is a great book naming and dating so many families but it has no sources.  The maiden name was also told to me by various other genealogists researching this same line, but no documents.

I was searching on-line recently and found an index at the New Hampshire Archives (www.sos.nh.gov/archives/nhstatepapers.html),  for probate records.  Whenever I find a new database I put in all the names in the family for that area.  I came up with two records, one for Allen Anderson and the other Martha Moor(e) from Londonderry, NH.  That was where the family was living in the early 1700’s.

I e-mailed the archives through the web site and several days later I received a reply that both Allen and Martha are mentioned in the same probate file and did I want a copy.  Of course, I said yes and received it a week later, all 12 pages of it.  There was a cost of $9 but after all these years it was worth a lot more to me.

In Allen Anderson’s will dated 11 September 1755 he says “I Give & Bequeath to my Sister Martha Moores Children George Moore, Allen Moore, Jane Cristey & Eliz Moore One third of all my Estate Either Real or Personal Excepting What is Before Bequeathed to them & their heirs or assigns forever”.

I am sure of the children’s names because in William Moor(e)’s will he bequeaths to his wife Martha and his sons George Moor, Thomas Moor, Allen Moor and William Moor.  He also mentions his daughter Betty Moor and daughter Mary Moor.  It is signed 6 November 1739 naming Allen and Samuel Anderson his only and sole Executors.  It is proved 26 Aug 1741.

I believe this confirms that Martha's maiden name is Anderson and Allen was her brother and that she was married to William Moor all of Londonderry, New Hampshire. 

His son William Moor eventually migrated to New Brunswick, Canada and founded the town of Moores Mills.

Music Passed Down Through The Generations

All of our grandchildren are musically inclined.  We have wondered where they get all the talent as Tom and I have none.

I have been reading letters written by my Moore family from 1854 through 1910.  Many mention great great grandfather Horatio Moore.  I have come to realize that his family had the music talent.  His daughters took vocal lessons, many times from their father.  Horatio and at least one daughter played the piano.  Horatio tuned pianos and work for the Bradbury Piano Manufactory in of all places Brooklyn, New York in the 1870's.  I hadn't realize he came up to New York after living in Alabama during the civil war.  Here is an excerpt from a letter written April 28, 1879.

"Jessie expects to go directly on to New York and make the first of her visits at Uncle Horatio's ....".   "Your uncle is still overseer of the Bradbury's Piano Manufactory,  he visits every department of workmen every day before dinner, and the different branches of piano making from the cases to the keyboard, and tunes all of them, keeping one in his office all the time.  The sales rooms are in New York City.  His salary was two thousand dollars per year.  It may be raised for they did not want him to return to Mobile, and since the yellow fever last summer I hear nothing about their return, and another thing, they are getting used to New York life.  It must be very different from where they were for so many years."

The pull of the south was strong though.  By 1885 they are in Savannah, Georgia, where Horatio and his son work for the Southern Music Company which is affiliated with the Ludden and Bates Piano Company.  In the directory for 1885 Horatio is listed as a piano tuner.

Anniversary of the Civil War

One hundred and fifty years ago the Civil War started in South Carolina at Fort Sumter.

Some of the Moore family had migrated to the south, from Moores Mills, New Brunswick, Canada, in the 1850's.  They were looking for a better climate for some sickly members of the family.  They found work quickly because of their expertise in the lumber milling business.

Several of the women members were prolific writers.  Most of the letters were sent up to New Brunswick, Canada to relatives.  Those relatives saved all the letters.

In a letter written from Vicksburg, Mississippi on June 28th, 1864, mention was made of our great great grandfather and his family.

"Uncle Rashe (Horatio Moore) sent his family to Marion, Mississippi, the first year of the war.  He was then living in Mobile.  George and Adelade were living there in Marion.  Uncle Rashe stayed in Mobile, Mary and the children lived with Adelade.  George was then employed by a Mr. Henderson, Uncle Williams' partner in a mill.  They lived there a year or more.  Aunt Mary then commenced housekeeping by herself in the village of Marion.  George moved then a few miles to another mill, his employer Mr. McClavin.  He was living there at the time of his death which occurred one year ago last April."

Uncle Rashe "belonged to a home Co. nearly ever since the war commenced, composed of foreigners and called the British Guards.  Foreigners up to last fall were exempt but a law was about being passed to take them all."  "His family will remain at Citronelle, Alabama with Aunt Emily who has a very large and commodious house and have everything around them comfortable.  They have between two and three hundred chickens, cows, and hogs, and plenty of corn, but very little flour is to be had in the whole country, although we have a little hard biscuit two or three times a week and those that did not have a supply of sugar and molasses on hand never saw the article.  Sugar, $7.00 per lb.; molasses, $35 per gallon, and everything nearly in the same proportion.  I suppose, to speak with surety, not half of the people in the Confederacy have anything in the world but corn bread and meat, and about half of that half just  bread, and thankful that they get even that." 

Horatio never did fight in the Civil War but he and his family lived in the midst of it all.  In a letter dated December 12, 1869 he is mentioned again.  This is after the war and everything has quieted down and life is back to normal. 
 "We had such a good time; it was such a grand treat to hear Rashe sing and Kitty accompany his voice with the piano.  Everything about them seems so nice and comfortable.  Mary keeps only a black boy for help this winter, tho' the family is pretty large - their own four juveniles and May.  The girls all go to the same school and pay $5.00 each for Nan, Bess and May.  Prof. Lamus gives Kitty her tuition.  Rashe is giving them private lessons in vocal music two evenings in a week."

Even though the family was only in the south about 10 years before the civil war they were strongly for the confederacy.  In some of letters they were asking relatives up in Canada what they thought of the war.  Unfortunately we have no letters from Canada to the south to hear their replies.

Talk to Relatives - You Never Know What You Will Learn About The Family History

Funerals are sad events but they are where you will be re-aquainted with your relatives.  My grandfather died in April of 1982.  I met my Mother's cousin who I hadn't seen in about 20 years.  During our conversations over the couple of days of the wake, I asked about his relationship with my grandfather.

My grandfather was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1889.  The cousin was also born in Savannah in about 1911. His mother and father divorced and my grandfather took care of him, his mother and his own mother.  About 1917 my grandfather travelled up to New York City to get a job.  He had been working as a telegraph operator for the railroad in Savannah and thought he wouldn't have any trouble getting a job in New York City.  He started working for Western Union as a telegraph operator as soon as he arrived.  Several years later after having married and starting a family he had the rest of the family come up to New York City.  He still was providing for the three of them all those years.

While telling about the relationship he happen to mention "did you know that grandpa's family came from Canada?"  Well I have to say I was absolutely stunned.  I had never heard anyone mention Canada ever!  It even got better, he said  there was a town named after them because they founded the town.  I told him my husband and I had just planned a trip by motorcyle up through New England and into Canada for July.  He told me the name of the town was Moores Mills but he couldn't remember the name of the great grandfather who left Canada to come to America.

I checked the map when we got home and found the town and realized it was about 20 miles north of the border crossing we were going to use.  The day before we were going to leave for our trip, I received a letter from the cousin.  He had remember the name, Horatio Nelson Moore.  Well, we were thrilled.

We had a great motorcyle ride up through New England.  It was our first out of state motorcyle ride and it was July and beautiful.  When we crossed into Canada we stayed right at the border in St. Stephen.  We went to the local library and asked if they knew anything about the people from Moores Mills and the name Horatio.  They knew the family right away but said they had several books about one family member named John Warren Moore.  We checked into the books and found that John was Horatio's brother.  The books told the history of the town and the family.
We then travelled to Moores Mills, it is directly north of St. Stephen about 20 miles away.  It is a very small town with only a few houses, a post office, church, and  community house.  We went a  little further and found the cemetery.  We went through the small cemetery and I wrote down all the Moore grave stones information.  I had found from the books at the library that Horatio's father was Tristram and his mother Thankful.  I found their grave and took a picture of the grave stone.

We then went to the archives for that county.  They had a book that someone had put together on the family line.  They didn't have a copy machine, so I ask to use their typewriter and typed out a few pages.  If I had only looked through the whole book at that time I would have seen my grandfather's name.  I found that out many years later when I tracked down a copy of the book and purchased it.
The conversation and then the trip to Moores Mills started me on the genealogy journey to investigate the history of my family.  So you never know what you will learn talking to relatives.

Athletes in the Family

Today is the Super Bowl!

I don't think any of my family were football players in school.

My father was on the basketball team at Bishop Loughlin in the 1930's.  We had his uniform in the attic and many a Halloween we wore it for a costume.  I will look for any articles and pictures of him playing basketball. 

I have a picture of my brother playing Little League.

I know that my father-in-law fought in the Golden Gloves in New York City.  Unfortunately, he never won a title.  I will search newspapers for mention of him in the boxing world. 

I have a couple of pictures of my husband in a Little League uniform. 

Now my grandchildren are in sports at school.  I must get some pictures together of them in their uniforms.

This is an excellent way to put a story behind the names and dates.

Vacations and Family History

Vacations are a good time to research the history of an area pertaining to your family.  Last summer my son, his wife and my two grandchildren went to Boston and Plymouth during their vacation.

A few years ago I had told my grandchildren about their connection to John Howell and his wife Elizabeth Tilly and her parents.  They all arrived in Plymouth on the Mayflower.  In the book "Mayflower" by Nathaniel Philbrick, there is an account of John Howland that showed how much courage and fortitude he had.

 "In the fall of 1620, the Mayflower's ability to steady herself in a gal produced almost deceptive tranquillity for a young indentured servant named John Howland.  As the Mayflower lay ahull, Howland apparently grew restless down below.  He saw no reason why he could not venture out of the fetid depths of the 'tween decks for just a moment.  After more than a month as a passenger ship, the Mayflower was no longer a sweet ship, and Howland wanted some air.  So he climbed a ladder to one of the hatches and stepped onto the deck. Howland quickly discovered that the deck of a tempest-tossed ship was no place for a landsman.  Even if the ship had found her own still point, the gale continued to rage with astonishing violence around her.  The shriek of the wind through the rope rigging was terrifying, as was the sight of all those towering, spume-flecked waves.  The Mayflower lurched suddenly to leeward.  Howland staggered to ship's rail and tumbled into the sea." 

He held onto a rope that was hanging along side the ship until some sailors pulled him back in.

While my grandchildren were in Plymouth they visited the ship and could image John Howland on the ship.

My granddaughter also found Howland St. in Plymouth and had her picture taken under the street sign.

My granddaughter was so intrigued by the account of John Howland that she bought her own copy of "Mayflower".  She has read the book and done a couple of reports for school on the subject of the Howland's and the Mayflower.