HORATIO NELSON MOORE #8 52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS

In January 2014, Amy Johnson Crow of the Ancestry blog "No Story Too Small"  issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.

 

The premise: write once a week about a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, a research problem — any that focuses on that one ancestor. The next week, write about a different ancestor. In 52 weeks, you’ll have taken a closer look at 52 people in your family tree… and maybe learned a little bit more about them in the process.

Horatio Nelson Moore was born 26 March 1825 the same day his older brother died, so he was named after his brother.

 

He was one of 15 children born to Tristram and Thankful (Foster) Moore of Moore’s Mill, New Brunswick, Canada. He was my 2nd Great Grandfather.

 

 

As soon as he was old enough to work, he apprenticed with an older brother, John, at John's furniture and Piano making factory, eventually becoming a craftsman in this field.

 

Horatio married Mary Christiana Rose in 1850 in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada and had 4 children, Tristram born 1851, Kathleen born 1853, Anna Rose (Nanny) born 1855 and Bessie Agnes born in 1857.

 

One of Horatio’s sisters, Emily and her husband Charles Williams travelled down to Alabama for work in 1850.  Apparently they were doing very well with a milling company that they convinced Horatio and his family to join them down south.  I found Horatio's family living in Mobile, Alabama in the 1860 census.  He was there just in time to get involved with the Civil War. He was foreign born so he was not drafted into service but was a Volunteer.  He belonged to the British Brigade (a company of foreign born men) and was put to work guarding the Mobile waterfront for the Confederate States.

 

Horatio was a very talented musician particularly on the piano and was a voice teacher and choir leader.

Many of the letters Emily Williams wrote home to their Mother mentioned Rache, as he was called, having small concerts in his home.

 

Horatio began working for the Chickering Piano Company of Boston.  He was asked to work in Savannah, Georgia and loved the city.  He moved the whole family there around 1880.

 

Another company he worked for was the Ludden & Bates Piano Company. They owned the Southern Music Company Store in Savannah where Horatio was the piano tuner and his son Tristram worked as a clerk.  At times Horatio would have to travel for the piano companies.  Some of his sister's letters mention him going to California, New York and Boston to work but he never lived anywhere but Savannah after 1880. I had the pleasure of touring around Savannah and seeing all the different houses the family lived in while in Savannah. 

 

Horatio Nelson Moore died 1 January 1901 and is buried in the Laurel Grove Cemetery in Savannah, as is most of his family.

 

JOHN J. TIERNEY #7 52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS

In January 2014, Amy Johnson Crow of the “No Story Too Small” blog issued a challenge.

The premise: write once a week about a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, a research problem — any that focuses on that one ancestor. The next week, write about a different ancestor. In 52 weeks, you’ll have taken a closer look at 52 people in your family tree… and maybe learned a little bit more about them in the process.

John J. Tierney was born 1859 in Brooklyn, New York as were his two brothers, Patrick in 1856 and Dennis in 1860.  John was my maternal great grandfather.  His father was Dennis Tierney and his mother Mary, but I haven’t found her maiden name yet. Several records indicate that Dennis Tierney was for some years a policeman with New York City.  I have not found any document on John's birth but all the census records I have found indicate a birth year of 1859.

In the 1880 census it states that John Tierney is 21 years old and his occupation is telegraph operator.  I believe he went into this job because his older brother Patrick was also a telegraph operator.  The 1870 census stated that Patrick’s occupation was telegraph operator.  John kept this occupation all his life. 

Sometime around 1883 John Tierney married Margaret Delaney also of Brooklyn, New York.  I have not found their marriage certificate yet but their first child May was born in 1884.  They eventually had 6 other children, Francis born 23 March 1888, John born about 1890, and Isabelle (my Grandmother) born 1 January 1892, Rose born 10 June 1894, Alice born August 1898 and Margaret born 27 Feb 1900.  Their son John died when he was 4 years old and Margaret died at 2 months old.  The other daughters all lived into their 80’s and 90’s.

John Tierney lived with his in-laws, Michael Delaney and Mary Malloy Delaney, all his married life. According to my grandmother, Isabelle, it was a very happy multi generational home.  She had an Aunt Kitty who spoiled her and an Uncle Michael who helped her with her school work in addition to her siblings, parents and grandparents.  They moved several times as was the custom in those days.  All their moves were, to larger apartments or houses, in the same neighborhoods in Brooklyn. 

Tragedy struck in February 1900 when Margaret died giving birth to baby Margaret.  The baby lived only 2 months.  Those deaths and the death earlier of their only son, John, put the father into a deep depression that finally ended his life.  Ultimately, I think John J. Tierney died on 29 October 1901 of a broken heart.

ALEXANDRIA CONACOVA GLESSOFF #6 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

 

 

 

 

 

In January 2014, Amy Johnson Crow of the No Story Too Small blog issued a challenge.

 

 

The premise: write once a week about a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, a research problem — any that focuses on that one ancestor. The next week, write about a different ancestor. In 52 weeks, you’ll have taken a closer look at 52 people in your family tree… and maybe learned a little bit more about them in the process.

 

 

 

Alexandria Conacova was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1871.  I thought I would write about her this week as the Olympics are being held in Russia.  This woman was my husbands Grandmother.  Alexandria died when my husband was only 2 so he has no memories of her.  All my information about her came through her daughters and some historical documents.

 

Alexandria’s father, George, was an officer in the Russian army and her mother, Pearl, was a housekeeper and a dressmaker.  Alexandria had one brother also named George.

 

Sometime before she came to America she married John Glessoff also of St. Petersburg.  Her condition on marrying him was that they immigrate to America.  The two of them arrived in New York’s Ellis Island on 16 June 1899 from the port of Bremen, Germany.

 

The story I heard from the daughters, Florence, Valentine, Mary and Anna was Alexandria and John Glessoff,  after arriving in New York,  travelled to St. Louis with a friend.  Apparently they could not get work in St. Louis so they returned to the New York area.  I have not found any record of them being in St. Louis.  On the passenger list the person next to Jwan Glasow (as it was spelled on the passenger list) was a Michal Swald, of Russia, going to his brother in St. Louis.  So the story seems like it could have been true. 

 

In 1902 Alexandria and John had their first child Florence and they were living in Elisabeth, New Jersey.  I found the family in the 1910 census and it indicates he worked in a machine shop.  The area in New Jersey where they settled was adjacent to the docks with all the traffic of New York harbor so I’m sure his talent came in very handy.

 

Unfortunately, John Glessoff died in May of 1910 leaving his wife Alexandria and 4 children.  The children were Florence, Walter, Valentine, and Mary.  Several years later Alexandria remarried another Russian named Walinsky Shesnesky.  They had a daughter Anna.  Alexandria and Walinsky did divorce after several years.

 

Alexandria managed to keep her family together by doing sewing.  She sewed most of the girl’s clothes.  She also took in sewing from people in the neighborhood.  At this time they were living in Newark, New Jersey. Sometime between 1910 and 1915 their house went on fire.  I spoke with Florence when she was in her 80’s and she still remembered the fear she had during that fire.  She had to jump out a window from the 2^nd floor, she didn’t get hurt but the fear stayed with her all her life.  Another daughter, Mary hid from rescuers so they had to search for her to save her life.

 

Alexandria decided to move to Brooklyn, she felt she would have a better opportunity for work.  Her son and daughters were starting to work for themselves and this would be a better place for them.

 

 

Alexandria became a citizen of the United States in 1931 and was very proud.  She kept up with the political scene and had lively debates with all the family.  During her life in America she wanted nothing to do with Russia and her old life.  She did not teach her children how to speak Russian, they all, including her, had to speak only English.  They did learn some nursery rhymes and songs in Russian and learned an occasional word but nothing for a conversation.  She continued to sew all her life and the family still has a few dresses she made for the daughters when they were little. This dress was made for Flag Day and we have in hanging up for display.

 

 

When I married into the family she had been dead for 20 years and the family still talked of her as if she spoke to them yesterday.  Alexandria Glessoff died in Brooklyn, New York 21 April 1943.

WILLIAM JOHN MATHERS - #5 – 52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS

In January 2014, Amy Johnson Crow of the Ancestry blog issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.

The premise: write once a week about a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, a research problem — any that focuses on that one ancestor. The next week, write about a different ancestor. In 52 weeks, you’ll have taken a closer look at 52 people in your family tree… and maybe learned a little bit more about them in the process.

William John Mathers was born in 1845 in County Tyrone, Ireland. He was my Great Grandfather.  I have only one record that indicates his father’s name.  His marriage certificate dated 31 January 1864 indicates his father was Thomas and was deceased at the time of the marriage.  William John Mathers married Mary McCrudden of Sion Mills, Tyrone, Ireland.  On the marriage certificate it states his residence is in Gallony, Tyrone, Ireland.

Sometime after his first daughter, Mary Jane, was born in December of 1864, William took his family to New York.  He felt he would have a better opportunity for work in his trade of boot/shoe maker.  His wife was very afraid of the move and consulted with her parish priest who told her she had to stay with her husband.  I have not found them travelling from Ireland to New York but find them in Manhattan when their first son is born.  James was born 31 July 1868 in Manhattan.  They lived at 357 7^th Avenue at this time.

He and his wife Mary continued to have children, 9 in all.  Two children died when they were young. Thomas died when he was 11 and Elizabeth when she was 15.  The other children married and had many children.

The children are

• Mary Jane who married  Joseph Flanagan and had 13 children.
•  James who married Cecelia O’Brien and had just one son. 
• Catherine who married Patrick Morris and had 2 daughters.
• Ellen (Nellie) who married William Hickey and had 6 children
• Ann who married William White and one daughter
• Theresa (Tessie) who married William Rudolph and had 5 children
• William Joseph who married Mary (Mamie) McGuigan and had 4 children

I have several city directories showing him as a boot maker and all of his census records have him working as a boot/shoe maker in Manhattan until his death. I was very curious about how his shop might have looked and how it serve customers.  I found a movie made in 1954 about a boot maker in 19th century England that gave me the answers I was looking for.  The movie was "Hobson's Choice".

I had a very hard time finding out when and where William John Mathers had died.  Over the years the Mathers family name was changed (not legally) but just for convenience of spelling I think.  It was Mathers, Mathews, and Matthews.  In Ireland the spellings were interchangeable and so it also happened in the United States.  Every time I would search data bases for a death for William John Mathers I would use all 3 spellings.  After many years of on and off searching I came across a William Matthers that looked promising. It was a certificate dated 27 February 1902.  I sent for the document and it was him.  It gave his address which was the same as on the census for 1900.  It also listed his occupation as shoe maker.  I was pretty sure it was the right person.  I then contacted Calvary Cemetery where it stated he was buried.  I was given the plot number and the names of others buried there.  The two children Thomas and Elizabeth were buried with William John Mathers. 

I have a lot of information on all the family members here in New York but would love to find more information on his life in Ireland.  He was an only child according to several family members I have contacted.  I will have to find church records in Ireland to find out about his family there.  I have searched in the data bases that are available in Tyrone but I think his parish also included part of County Donegal and will have to look at churches in that County.

His adventure from Ireland to New York turned out to be for the best and we are all very happy he made that decision.