M. before 1846 in Ireland
Wife: Hanora Coleman
D. before 28 Jul 1870 in (probably) Sibley County, Minnesota
The story of Timothy Toole was like that of countless other Irishmen who had the misfortune to live during the 1840s: he was forced by famine to leave the land where his family had lived for centuries. Timothy was born in the early 1800s somewhere in Ireland, possibly in County Mayo, where his surname was common. After he came of age, he married Hanora Coleman, and they had a daughter named Mary born in May 1846.
That year, the potato crop failed for the first time, and it didn’t take long for people like Timothy to feel it. With everyone else around him also suffering, there was almost nowhere to turn for relief. After the blight continued for several years, the only place to find work was in another country. So Timothy made the difficult decision to leave his family behind and go to America. He booked passage on the ship Queen of the West, which sailed out of Liverpool, and docked in New York on December 17, 1849.
Timothy experienced a scene much like this when he left Liverpool.
Timothy settled in Ohio, possibly in Cincinnati, where two men by his name were named in the 1850 U.S. Census. One was listed as Timothy Toole, age 35, and the other was Tim Toole, age 30. Both men were laborers, born in Ireland, and living in boarding houses in the 4th Ward. Unfortunately no other identifying information gives a clue if either one was Timothy.
Over three years went by before Hanora and Mary were able to join him in Ohio. It’s likely that he was sending them whatever money he could from his wages. They arrived in July of 1853, and within a few years, two more children were born. Around 1860, Timothy and his family left Ohio and moved to Sibley County, Minnesota, where there was a community of Irish immigrants. The 1865 Minnesota State Census showed a man named Dominick Toole who lived near Timothy, and he was very likely his brother or cousin (Dominick had also spent a few years in Ohio).
Timothy and his family in the 1865 Minnesota State Census.
For the generation of Irish who escaped famine to the United States, some found great success, but Timothy wasn’t one of them. After filing a declaration of intent to become a U.S. citizen on July 3, 1866, he disappeared from further records. Hanora was listed as a widow in the 1870 census, suggesting he must have died before then.
Children:
1. Mary Toole – B. 3 May 1846, Ireland; D. 14 Dec 1904, Minneapolis, Minnesota; M. Patrick McGuire (1834-1882), 7 Jan 1867, Henderson, Minnesota
2. Thomas Toole – B. about 1857, Ohio; D. after 14 Jun 1880
3. Margaret Toole – B. about 1859, Ohio; D. after 1890
Sources:
Declaration of Intent of Timothy Toole, Sibley County, Minnesota, 3 Jul 1866
Passenger list of Queen of the West, 17 Dec 1849
1865 Minnesota State Census, Sibley County, Minnesota
Death certificate of Mary McGuire, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dec 1904
1870 U.S. Census, Sibley County, Minnesota
Marriage certificate of Patrick McGuire and Mary Toole, 7 Jan 1867, Henderson, Minnesota
