Scots-Irish Man in Early Indiana — Robert Hunter

B. about 1780, Downpatrick, County Down, Ireland¹
M. before 1803, location unknown²
Wife: Naomi _______
D. after 1850, (probably) Knox County, Indiana³

Robert Hunter represents the non-French Europeans who began populating the Midwest at the turn of the 19th century. Many of these people were of the Mid-Atlantic English colonies who had just won their independence, but Robert came from Ireland with a heritage that traced back to Scotland.

Robert was born in about 1780 in the town of Downpatrick,¹ which is in present-day Northern Ireland. Nothing is known of his family or childhood. This leaves the curious question, when and why did he come to America? If he came as a boy with his parents, that would have been during the American Revolution, which seems doubtful. More likely was that he traveled on his own as a young adult. He probably landed at a place like Philadelphia in about 1800, and soon after, headed west. 

Map showing Downpatrick, Ireland.

Robert wound up in Vincennes, a former French trading post in what is now Indiana.⁴ Through later records, we know that he married a woman named Naomi.³ She was of an English heritage, and had been born in Delaware,^3,5 but without a maiden name, her family has been impossible to track. Between about 1803 and about 1832, they had up to a dozen children.⁶

The village of Vincennes during Robert’s day was a lively place, with all of the characteristics of the American frontier. His neighbors were a mix of families from places like Kentucky and Virginia, and those descended from the French fur traders who came a generation earlier. Robert’s home was likely a log cabin, but also may have been a simple wooden structure; records show that he lived at the corner of 4th and Dubois.⁷

Robert’s name turned up on several court records during this time, starting in June 1806 when he served on a jury.⁴ The record described the 12 jurors as “good and lawful men, who [were] elected tried and sworn.” The trial doesn’t seem to have gone forward, though.

In July 1813, he and his wife were somehow involved with unlawful actions concerning a woman named Fanny Dixon.⁸ The woman was assaulted by a man named Wrexham Ellis, and Naomi seems to have been an important witness. Then in a court case tried in February and March of 1815, Robert brought charges against the same woman for stealing a coffee pot and a tin pan in July 1813.⁹ The suggestion is that both incidents are related and may have happened at the same time. The coffee pot and tin pan were valued at 50¢ each. The court record said that Fanny Dixon took the items “with force and arms,” but this may have been boilerplate language. 

Court document about 1815 case.

In another colorful case that October, Robert was summoned to court along with three other men as witnesses to a “riot.”¹⁰ The details of this case are sketchy, so it’s hard to really make sense of it. In yet another case in 1816, Robert was named as owing some money along with three other men.¹¹ One significant detail was that a transcript of part of the record indicated that his signature is on the document, meaning he was literate.

Since Robert was an immigrant, at some point it seemed important to him to become an American citizen. So on March 1, 1830, he foreswore allegiance to Ireland and became naturalized.¹ Sometime during the 1820s, Robert moved out of Vincennes to a new area of farms in Knox County called Harrison Township. The 1830 census listed him there,¹² and he was listed again in 1840 and 1850.^13,3 The Hunters were members of the Indiana Church, a Presbyterian church in Knox County. Robert was admitted to the church for the first time in a meeting on July 4, 1824, and Naomi was admitted a couple weeks later.¹⁴

Robert’s personality is revealed by an incident involving the church when he was brought in to “converse with” elders about charges against him.¹⁴ The record told that that in August 1830 he had shown up drunk at a church election, and in June 1831, he had struck another parishioner, and also had encouraged “fighting and swearing.” The elders ended up ruling that Robert be suspended from church membership until “he brings forth fruitment for repentance.” It wasn’t until June 29, 1834 that he was restored to his full standing in the church. 

Standing before the elders. (AI-generated image)

After his suspension from the church was lifted, Robert seems to have behaved himself because there were no further records of misconduct. The last known record of Robert and his wife Naomi was their appearance in 1850 U.S. Census.³ They were both missing in the 1860 census, so presumably they passed away before that date.

Children (the ones who are named in records):
1. Isabelle Hunter — B. about 1803, Indiana;¹⁵ D. 8 Jan 1872, Vincennes, Indiana;¹⁶ M. John Baptiste Edeline (1802-1849), 11 Jun 1826, Vincennes, Indiana¹⁷

2. James Hunter — B. about 1805, Indiana;¹³ D. 12 Sep 1848, Knox County, Indiana;¹⁸ M. Parmelia Westfall (1808-1870), 10 Jul 1831, Knox County, Indiana¹⁹

3. (possibly) Elizabeth Hunter — B. between 1805 and 1810, Indiana;²⁰ M. Ephraim Jordon (~1809-?), 6 Mar 1834, Knox County, Indiana²¹

4. (possibly) Jane Hunter — B. about 1810, (probably) Knox County, Indiana;²⁰ M. William Jordon, 5 Nov 1828, Knox County, Indiana²²

5. Robert Hunter — B. about 1822, Indiana;³ M. (1) Martha Thacker, 1 Oct 1846, Knox County, Indiana;²³ (2) Zerena Lafter (~1827-?), 21 Jun 1849, Knox County, Indiana²⁴

6. Naomi Hunter — B. about 1832, (probably) Knox County, Indiana;³ D. after 1880;²⁵ M. John Kensler (1825-1899), 7 Oct 1851, Knox County, Indiana²⁶

Sources:

1    Naturalization record of Robert Hunter, 1 Mar 1830, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage date is based on age of oldest known child, Isabelle
3    1850 U.S. Census, Knox County, Indiana
4    Knox County Minutes of the Court of Common Pleas, 1801-1806, FamilySearch.org
5    “My Ancestry & their descendants plus misc research,” Denis Paul Edeline, RootsWeb.Ancestry.com
6    The names of Robert and Naomi Hunter’s children are gathered from various sources. Their relation to Robert and Naomi is implied in some cases because they were the only family named Hunter living in Knox County, Indiana at the time. Based on early census records, the number of children may have been as high as 12.
7    Miscellaneous papers found in the vault of the clerk, City Hall, Vincennes, 1784-1815, FamilySearch.org
8    Assault and battery case of Wrexham Ellis, Indiana Memory (website)
9    United States vs. Fanny Dixon, Indiana Memory (website)
10  United States vs. James Lansdown, Indiana Memory (website)
11  Recapitulation of debt and damages case, Indiana Memory (website)
12  1830 U.S. Census, Knox County, Indiana
13  1840 U.S. Census, Knox County, Indiana
14  Minutes of the Session of the Upper Indiana Church, compiled by Mary Aline Polk, Helen Polk and Mary R. Hribal, 1965
15  1870 U.S. Census, Vincennes, Indiana
16  Marriage record of Isabella Hunter, Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1806-1861, Ancestry.com
17  Find-a-Grave listing for Isabella (Hunter) Edeline
18  James Hunter’s death date was mentioned on several Ancestry family trees. His wife was living without a husband in the 1850 U.S. Census.
19  Marriage record of James Hunter and Parmelia Westfall, Indiana, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1802-1892, Ancestry.com
20  1820 U.S. Census, Vincennes, Indiana
21  Marriage record of Ephraim Jordon and Elizabeth Hunter, I., U.S., M. I.
22  Marriage record of William Jordan and Jane Hunter, I., U.S., C. M.
23  Marriage record of Robert Hunter and Martha Thacker, I., U.S., M. I.
24  Marriage record of Robert Hunter and Zerena Lafter, I., U.S., M. I.
25  1880 U.S. Census, Vincennes, Indiana
26  Marriage record of John Kensler and Naoma Hunter, Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012, Ancestry.com

Committed to the Poorhouse — Julia ______

B. about 1810 in County Mayo, Ireland
M. before 1834 in (probably) County Mayo, Ireland
Husband: Lawrence McGuire
D. after 1880 in (probably) Sullivan County, New York

Julia McGuire was a victim of the times in which she lived and the drinking of her husband. She was born in County Mayo, Ireland in about 1810 to a very poor family whose name is unknown. Her father was a farmer and likely an alcoholic; her mother was said to be intemperate. She had no education, and reportedly, no siblings.

During the early 1830s, Julia married Lawrence McGuire, a peasant farmer. On Christmas Day of 1834, she gave birth to a son, and by 1850, had three more children. With large gaps in their ages, it’s possible that she had other babies who didn’t survive. County Mayo was one of the hardest hit areas of Ireland during the potato famine; it was estimated that about 90% of the people there depended on the potato crop for their food and livelihood. By 1851, Julia and her family were unable to continue living there, and like many others around them, fled to the United States. The record of their immigration hasn’t been found.

Julia’s family settled in the town of Thompson, in Sullivan County, New York. There they acquired a small farm, which was valued at $300 in 1860. One-by-one, the children moved out, until by 1875, it was just Julia and Lawrence living there alone. Their income that year was almost non-existent; the farm only produced about 20 bushels of potatoes, and they didn’t own any farm animals.

There was evidence that Lawrence was a major cause of their poverty due to his addiction to alcohol. Julia reached a point at age 65 where she could no longer work, and the decision was made to move out on Lawrence. She refused to impose on any of her married children, saying that they barely had enough money to live on themselves. With nobody else to support her, she had no choice but to go into the county poorhouse where she was admitted on November 11, 1875; it was a place she had previously stayed for one month at an unknown time. 

Record of Julia’s admission to Sullivan County Poorhouse.

One of the buildings of the Sullivan County Poorhouse.

The Sullivan County Poorhouse was an institution that was part shelter for the poor and part insane asylum. It had an adjoining farm where inmates who were physically able worked to harvest hay, wheat and other products to help pay the expenses of the facility. During the years Julia lived in the poorhouse, it held roughly 100 residents. Needless to say, the accommodations were rough; in January 1879, it was reported that one of the residents froze to death for lack of heat.

Julia spent at least five years at the poorhouse. The 1880 census showed that her time there had taken a toll because she had become one of the people described as “insane.” Given her age, she probably suffered from some form of dementia or Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile, Lawrence continued to live alone on his farm. Both of them likely died within a few years of that date.

Children:
1. Patrick McGuire — B. 25 Dec 1834, (probably) County Mayo, Ireland; D. 1 Apr 1882, Washington Lake, Minnesota; M. (1) Bridget Tuffy, before 1857, (probably) Sullivan County, New York; (2) Mary Toole (1846-1904), 7 Jan 1867, Henderson, Minnesota

2. Bridget McGuire — B. about 1836, (probably) County Mayo, Ireland; after 11 Nov 1875

3. Michael McGuire — B. about 1842, (probably) County Mayo, Ireland; after 11 Nov 1875

4. Catherine McGuire — B. about 1850, (probably) County Mayo, Ireland; after 11 Nov 1875

Sources:
1860, 1870, and 1880 U.S. Censuses in New York
1855 New York State census
1875 Sullivan County, New York poorhouse records
Marriage certificate of Patrick McGuire and Mary Toole, Henderson, Minnesota, 7 Jan 1867
Death certificate of Patrick McGuire, Washington Lake, Minnesota, 1 Apr 1882
Port Jervis Evening Gazette, January 25, 1879 and September 26, 1884

A Weakness for Alcohol — Lawrence McGuire

B. about 1810 in (probably) County Mayo, Ireland
M. before 1834 in (probably) County Mayo, Ireland
Wife: Julia _______
D. after 1880 in (probably) Sullivan County, New York

Many 19th-century immigrants to America triumphed over difficult circumstances, rising from poverty to offer a better future for their children, but Lawrence McGuire didn’t have such a story. He was a man with a drinking problem, which seemed to have kept him from making much of himself in life.

Lawrence was very likely born in County Mayo, Ireland, and based on later records, his birth was in about 1810. He had no education and it can be assumed that his peasant roots went back for generations. As a young man, he married a County Mayo woman known only by the first name Julia; their marriage probably happened during the early 1830s.

Lawrence and Julia had at least four children born between about 1834 and 1850. Like most of the men in Catholic Ireland, he was a tenant farmer who struggled on a barely subsistent income, and was wiped out during the years 1846 to 1848 when the potato crop failed. Lawrence had no choice but to leave his homeland. The family boarded a ship in around 1851 or 1852 and migrated to America; the record of their crossing has not been found.

By 1852, Lawrence found a place to live in upstate New York, establishing a small farm in the town of Thompson, located in Sullivan County. Census records showed that in 1855, his frame house was valued at $50. In 1860, Lawrence owned a farm worth $300, though it was a lot less valuable than his neighbors. His three older children left the household during the late 1850s, and the youngest daughter was gone before 1875; probably they all got married. None of the children were noted as attending school, even though other children did who lived nearby.

Plat map of Sullivan County showing location of Lawrence’s farm.

The most detailed documents of Lawrence’s life were in 1875, where the New York State Census described the condition of his farm. His main achievement was that he became a U.S. citizen, but everything else points to a life of poverty. Most of the farmers in the area had much more land and wealth than he did; Lawrence’s property was worth only $300 while others typically had values in the thousands. Neighboring farms grew several crops such as oats, rye, corn and apples, he only grew a quarter-acre of potatoes; his 20 bushels of product was dwarfed by the production of farms around him. And he was the only one not to have a single animal on his farm, not even a chicken.

One more record from 1875 gave a sad reason why Lawrence was a failure as a farmer. In November of that year, his wife Julia was admitted to the county poorhouse. The form filled out by the administrators told that she had become destitute and could no longer work, and the reason given was that “due to the intemperate habits of her husband, they could not accumulate any property, and they have parted.” From this, it’s easy to imagine a scenario where she had been doing the work on the farm while he drank heavily, until she reached an age where she couldn’t go on.

Old man alone on a farm. (AI-generated image)

Lawrence appeared in one more census in 1880. While he lived alone on whatever was left of the farm, Julia still resided in the poorhouse, now described as “insane.” They each likely died within a few years.

Children:
1. Patrick McGuire — B. 25 Dec 1834, (probably) County Mayo, Ireland; D. 1 Apr 1882, Washington Lake, Minnesota; M. (1) Bridget Tuffy, before 1857, (probably) Sullivan County, New York; (2) Mary Toole (1846-1904), 7 Jan 1867, Henderson, Minnesota

2. Bridget McGuire — B. about 1836, (probably) County Mayo, Ireland

3. Michael McGuire — B. about 1842, (probably) County Mayo, Ireland

4. Catherine McGuire — B. about 1850, (probably) County Mayo, Ireland

Sources:
1860, 1870, and 1880 U.S. Censuses in New York
1855 New York State census
1875 Sullivan County, New York poorhouse records
Marriage certificate of Patrick McGuire and Mary Toole, Henderson, Minnesota, 7 Jan 1867
Death certificate of Patrick McGuire, Washington Lake, Minnesota, 1 Apr 1882

Escaping Ireland to Civil War America — Simon C. Carey

B. about 1844 in (probably) Doonbeg, County Clare, Ireland
M. 24 Dec 1863 in Ray County, Missouri
Wife: Elizabeth C. Sutherlin
D. about 1865 in (probably) Kansas

Simon C. Carey’s entire life seems to have been a struggle for survival. He was born in County Clare, Ireland in about 1844, a couple of years before the tragic potato famine. There are no records of who his parents were, and only a family story that he may have had a twin brother, but it’s likely there were many more siblings in his family.

There is one record which may reveal how the time of starvation affected Simon’s childhood. A book recording the minutes of a Kilrush Union meeting dated March 5, 1853 stated that Simon Carey, age 8, was among the boys who lived there. The listing said that he was from the town of Doonbeg, and that among the other 24 boys was one named Thomas Carey, also age 8 from Doonbeg. It’s possible that this was the twin mentioned by Simon’s descendants.

My Ancestry DNA “Ancestral Journey” shows a region called Doonbeg Bay.

The Kilrush Union was a workhouse which sprung out of the Poor Law of Ireland during the 1830s. This system of charity started in England with the order that a recipient of government handouts had to live in a workhouse. The idea was well-meaning, but unfortunately in practice, the treatment was more like being a prison. Inmates would be provided food and shelter in return for doing work assigned to them, usually farm labor or simple manufacturing. The workhouses separated families, so that men, women and children lived in different buildings, and parents had little contact with their own children.

The Kilrush Union was designed to house hundreds, but during the famine, was forced to take in thousands. For many, it was a death sentence, and probably Simon had siblings who didn’t make it out alive. A family story suggested that Simon and other relatives somehow got out, and they may have been back on a tenant farm within a few years. It was told that that Simon’s father died, and the local church demanded the family cow as payment for his burial. Simon and his brother went to retrieve the animal because they couldn’t survive without it, and in the process, may have been physically violent with a priest. This is what caused Simon (and possibly his brother) to flee to America. 

Conditions in Clare County during the famine.

Simon arrived in probably New York in about 1859 or 1860, and within a couple of years, he turned up in Missouri. This was a tense time in U.S. history just before the start of the Civil War. When fighting began, young men like Simon were lured into service with an opportunity to make quick money. On April 25, 1862, he joined the 71st Regiment Enlisted Missouri Militia in Marshall, Missouri, serving as a replacement for a man named Thomas Owens. A man named Lilburn Carey signed up at the same time and place as Simon, and this may have been a relative, but there are no other records of him. It’s worth noting that no DNA matches have turned up among Simon’s descendants that would suggest anyone else in his family made it to America. 

Simon re-enlisted again on January 17, 1863 in the same regiment under a different captain. This record has his age being born in 1839 or 1840. The company disbanded on May 6th and he returned to civilian life. A few months later, Simon married a non-Irish woman, Elizabeth Sutherlin, in Ray County, Missouri; the wedding took place on Christmas Eve. She became pregnant, then he joined the army again, signing on with the 7th Missouri Cavalry in Hannibal on August 15, 1864. His military record said that he was 5' 7-1/2" tall with blue eyes and dark hair. His signature showed that he had enough education to at least write his name. Simon’s age on the enlistment gave him a birth year of about 1844, which matches the 1853 record from Kilrush Union. 

Simon's enlistment dated August 15, 1864.

The 7th Missouri Cavalry was said to have so many Irish immigrants that it was known as the “Irish Seventh.” During Simon’s time in the regiment, his company marched into Arkansas, and the only action they seem to have been involved with was with “a party of bushwhackers” on January 9, 1865. It was near Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and the skirmish resulted in one man wounded on the Union side and four killed among the Confederates. Since the action didn’t involve the entire company, there’s no way of saying if Simon participated in this.

Simon served through the end of the Civil War and beyond. He was assigned to companies L, K, and C before being put in company M in January 1865. In February, he was an orderly at the regimental headquarters in Arkansas, and in April and May, he worked as a cook. This was after the war ended, but because he had committed to a 3-year enlistment the summer before, he wasn’t discharged yet. On June 28th, Simon was given the job of “escort duty,” taking him away from camp. He was finally mustered out on September 1, 1865 in Little Rock.

While Simon was in the army, his only child was born on October 7, 1864, a son named Thomas. He didn’t live to see the boy grow up, because only a short time after his discharge, Simon was said to have died of “an abscess in his side.” The date of his death is unknown. Elizabeth remarried in 1868 to another man who served in the Civil War, but she died within a couple years.

Child:
1. Thomas Michael Carey — B. 7 Oct 1864, Gardner, Kansas; D. 5 Feb 1937, Coffeyville, Kansas; M. Bertha Gertrude Kightlinger (1875-1946), 21 Oct 1895, Burlington, Kansas

Sources:
Civil War military records of Simon C. Carey
“Tom Carey is Dead After Brief Illness”, Coffeyville Daily Journal, February 6, 1937
Rootsweb message boards

To America From 18th-Century Ireland — Michael Clifford

B. (probably) 1720s in Ireland¹
M. (1) (probably) 1740s in Ireland^1,2
Wife: _______ Painter
M. (2) (probably) 1750s in New Jersey³
Wife: Sarah Gray Moffatt
M. (3) (probably) 1760s in Maryland²
Wife: Elizabeth _______
D. after 16 Dec 1785 in Rowan County, North Carolina

During the early 18th century, the lure of America attracted many to leave Europe and settle in the English colonies. It was people like Michael Clifford who began populating the frontiers, although in his case, it took a few moves to ultimately land where he made his life.

Michael was born somewhere in Ireland, likely during the 1720s.¹ Some researchers have identified his parents without citing any sources, so those names won’t be considered here. It’s almost certain that Michael’s family was of Scots-Irish descent because Irish Catholics didn’t come to America in any great numbers until 100 years later. After Michael came of age, he married a woman who is believed to have had the surname “Painter,”² and they had three children together.

Sometime during the 1750s, Michael bought passage for his family aboard a ship bound for the American colonies.² An 18th-century voyage could be a hazardous trip, and sadly his wife seemed to have become sick and died onboard the ship.² He must have been devastated to have her body buried at sea, facing an unknown future with three young children to look after.

Dying wife onboard the ship to America. (AI-generated image)

Philadelphia was his likely port of entry; from there he went to New Jersey for a time. There he met and married a woman named Sarah Gray Moffatt,³ and it’s believed that they had three children together before moving on to Frederick County, Maryland.³ On February 20, 1766, Michael acquired 12 acres of land near present-day Woodsboro.³ Sarah seems to have died while he lived there, and he married a third wife, Elizabeth.² He had another two children, although it isn’t certain which woman was the mother of them because exact marriage and birth years are unknown.

Around 1775, Michael took his family to North Carolina, settling in what was Rowan County. Perhaps he found that land was cheaper there because he bought 230 acres on February 18, 1778,³ then another 640 acres on June 7th of the same year.³ The location was on Dutchman’s Creek in an area that later became Montgomery County. In 1783, Michael sold 50 acres to his son-in-law Richard Haines for the small amount of 25 shillings.⁴ He did the same for his son John in August of 1784.⁴

Dutchman's Creek today is still a wilderness. (Source: Google Maps)

It’s likely that Michael’s health was failing by 1784, because he wrote his will on December 16th,² and it was probated the following year.² Michael was survived by his wife Elizabeth and his eight children. From North Carolina, his descendants fanned out all across the United States — the deep South, the Midwest, the prairie lands, and the Far West. Today, tens of thousands of people can trace their roots to Michael Clifford. 

Children by ______ Painter:
1. John Clifford — B. about 1746, Ireland;⁵ D. about Nov 1826, Rowan County, North Carolina;⁶ M. (1) Rachel Gray;² (2) Alsey Galloway (~1755-?)²

2. Eleanor Clifford — B. (probably) 1740s, Ireland;⁷ D. after 1789, Lincoln County, Tennessee;⁷ M. Charles Westerman (1750-~1820)²

3. Sarah Clifford — B. (probably) 1740s, Ireland;² M. (1) Isaac Wilcoxson;² (2) Richard Haines²

Children by Sarah Gray Moffatt:
1. Jacob Clifford — B. (probably) 1750s, New Jersey;² M. Nancy Ann Boone (1762-1829), Rowan County, North Carolina²

2. Catherine Clifford — B. (probably) 1750s, New Jersey;² M. _____ Pippins²

3. Elizabeth Ann Clifford — B. (probably) 1750s, New Jersey;² M. (1) James Woods;² (2) John Jennings²

Children by Sarah Gray Moffatt or Elizabeth ________:

1. Eve Clifford — B. about 1756, Rowan County, North Carolina;⁸ M. Ebenezer Eaton (?-1810), 1777, Rowan County, North Carolina²

2. Michael Clifford — B. about 1759, New Jersey;² D. 30 Jul 1835, Sangamon County, Illinois;² M. (1) Phoebe Eaton (?-~1810), 18 Mar 1781, Frederick County, Maryland;² (2) Elizabeth Webb (~1782-?), 1811, Woodford County, Kentucky²

Sources:
1    Estimated birth and marriage dates based on rough age of his oldest child.
2    “Michael Clifford, Sr. and Descendants,” A.E. Collier, The Heritage of Rowan County, North Carolina, 1991

3    WikiTree listing of Michael Clifford
4    Michael Clifford and His Family, James Monroe Clifford and Frank Powers, 1993
5    John Clifford in the U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900, Ancestry.com
6    Probate file of John Clifford, North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998, Ancestry.com
7    Find-a-Grave listing of Eleanor (Clifford) Westerman
8    Eve Clifford in the U.S. & International Marriage Records, 1560-1900

Scotsman Makes a Home in New Hampshire — John Bell

B. about 1696 in Coleraine, Londonderry, Ireland^1,2
M. before about 1721 in (probably0 Londonderry, Ireland³
Wife: Katherine __________
D. 2 Feb 1763 in Bedford, New Hampshire¹

During the early 18th century, a migration took place which brought a hardy breed of people to the English colonies in America — the Scots-Irish. Primarily they came to the middle-Atlantic states of Pennsylvania and Virginia, but some landed in New England as well. This was the course taken by John Bell, who was one of the earliest settlers of Bedford, New Hampshire

John was born in about 1696 in Coleraine, Ireland,^1,2 a town near the northern coast. It had been populated by Scottish settlers in the early 17th century, among whom were John’s ancestors. As John came of age, there was turmoil among the Catholics and Protestants, and this drove many people to leave. By 1721, John married a woman named Katherine, whose last name is unknown.³ They had at least four children, born between the years 1722 and 1732.

Map showing Coleraine, Ireland, where John was born.

In about 1736, John boarded a ship bound for America.³ His wife and children were left behind, and they would join him three years later. John likely landed at Boston, and made his way to New Hampshire within a year or two. The place he settled was still raw wilderness, as many of his former countrymen were building cabins on unsettled land. John’s new home became part of the town of Bedford.³ After the rest of his family came over from Ireland, they lived in a place alongside an orchard that likely produced crops for their needs.³ They later moved to another location before settling in an area that would be called Bell Hill.³ Sadly, Katherine passed away on January 4, 1746, and she was buried in the town cemetery, one of its earliest graves.⁴

Bedford’s Scots-Irish immigrants were mostly Presbyterians. After the town was incorporated, the brethren needed to decide where to build their church, and this demonstrates how the community solved such issues. On January 24, 1750, a committee of men gathered at the barn of one congregant and voted that the church should be constructed at Bell Hill.³ This meant that either John or his neighbor, John McLaughlin, had to give up 2 acres of land. It seemed neither wanted to do it, so some neutral men were appointed to decide which land was a better location. They chose McLaughlin’s property, but then dragged their feet on following through with it. So the committee met again in 1755, this time in John’s barn, coming to the conclusion to build in another part of town.³

John lived only another few years, and he died in Bedford on February 2, 1763.¹ He was buried next to Katherine, and a double tombstone was erected over their graves. The inscription reads in part, “Our bodys [sic] turned are to dust, our dust it shall arise.” John’s legacy lives on with a street in present-day Bedford called Bell Hill Road. 

The grave of John and Katherine Bell.

Children:
1. Mary Bell – B. about 1721, Coleraine, Londonderry, Ireland;³ D. 7 Jan 1813, Bedford, New Hampshire;⁵ M. Gawn Riddle (~1700-1779), about 1745³

2. Susanna Bell – B. about 1722, Coleraine, Londonderry, Ireland²

3. Joseph Bell – B. about 1723, Coleraine, Londonderry, Ireland²

4. John Bell — B. about 1732, Coleraine, Londonderry, Ireland;³ D. April 1804, Bedford, New Hampshire;⁶ M. (1) Jane Carr;³ (2) Sarah Bell (?-1786), about 1755, New Hampshire³

Sources:
1    Gravestone of John Bell, Find-a-Grave.com  
2    The Bells in U.S.A. and Allied Families, 1650-1977, Getha Gina Bell, 1977, p. 377
3    The History of Bedford, New Hampshire, from 1737, Rumford Printing Company, 1903, p.869
4    Find-a-Grave listing of Katherine Bell
5    Find-a-Grave listing of Mary (Bell) Riddle  
6    History of the Bell family of Bedford (website) 

The Journey From Ireland to Minnesota — Mary Butler

B. 1807 in (probably) County Wexford, Ireland¹
M. 27 Aug 1828, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland²
Husband: Martin Furlong
D. 29 Sep 1898, Kilkenny, Minnesota³

When the Catholics in Ireland were hit by the potato blight of the 1840s, each family had to decide how best to survive. Do they remain in the country of their birth? Or do they pick up and move to a new land far from home? For Mary Butler’s family, they made the decision to start over in the United States, in a place called Minnesota.

Mary was born in 1807, probably in County Wexford, Ireland, to M____ Butler and Annie Murphy.¹ Nothing is known of her childhood, although she seems to have attended school enough to learn to read and write.⁴ On August 27, 1828, she married Martin Furlong, a widower from Rathanagan.² Along with becoming mother to at least two of the children from his first marriage, she bore him nine daughters and one son between about 1827 and 1848. It’s believed that two of the daughters died young.

Rathanagan parish register showing marriage of Martin and Mary Furlong.

When the potato crop failed four years in a row starting in 1845, the Catholics in Ireland were hit hard. With no money and little charity, there wasn’t enough to eat in most households. For Mary and her husband Martin, there were a lot of mouths to feed during that time, so the famine likely had a terrible impact on them. People started leaving Ireland in large numbers starting in about 1846, but the Furlongs held out for a few more years, perhaps because they needed to scrape up enough passage for their large family. In late 1851, they were ready to embark, taking a boat over to England so they could ship out from Liverpool.⁵

The vessel that took Mary and her family to America was the Essex,⁵ one of the many ships configured for poor emigrant families. The Furlongs boarded on about October 9th;⁵ there were 350 steerage passengers on the ship, and an overwhelming amount of them were Irish.⁶ One Englishman who was onboard with his family later wrote about his experience during the voyage. He described that his wife gave birth to a child who didn’t survive, and that “the only means of burial [was] for the body to be stitched up in a sheet and slid down a board into the water.”⁶ Poor Mary also lost a child on the trip — her only son John, age 12⁵ — so we can imagine she faced a similar burial at sea for the boy.

Instead of sailing to New York, the Essex went to New Orleans, arriving after nine weeks at sea on December 13th.⁵ Mary, Martin, and the surviving children (all girls) were in a weakened condition, but their trip was far from over. Now they had to get to their final destination far up the Mississippi River, and this was done via steamboat. They may have transferred to a steamboat right after landing in New Orleans, but it’s also possible they faced a layover of up to a month. The lines that ran up and down the Mississippi were doing a booming business with all of the people escaping Europe, and only recently had they been going all the way to Minnesota.⁷

New Orleans as it looked when Mary arrived there.

Mary and her family settled in West St. Paul,⁸ a new community on a bend in the Mississippi River. They were among the first people of European heritage to be living there; largely the settlers were German, Irish and French-Canadian immigrants. Like many people desperately leaving a bad circumstance, Mary found herself having to adapt in a land that was unfamiliar The soil was said to be so rocky, that it was impossible to dig a well, and they had to bring water from a long distance away.⁹ One of Mary’s daughters was noted to have been the first death in West St. Paul during 1854,¹⁰ although the source doesn’t state which one it was. Likely it was 20-year-old Mary since she was on the passenger list of the Essex and disappeared from records after that.

The Furlong family would spend the next 25 years in West St. Paul; their farm was shown to be worth $2,000 in 1870.¹¹ As St. Paul to the north encroached upon their community, the area where the Furlongs lived was annexed into the city in 1874. So in 1878, Mary and Martin moved to the town of Rosemount where they continued to have a farm.¹² The couple lived long enough to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary, but Martin passed away on July 28, 1889.¹³ After his death, Mary moved in with her daughter Catherine Furlong in Le Sueur County, where she died on September 29, 1898.³ She is buried in St. Michael’s Cemetery in Kilkenny, Minnesota.

Children:
1. Margaret Furlong – B. before 26 May 1829, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland;¹⁴ D. 24 Nov 1889, Dakota County, Minnesota¹²

2. Eliza Furlong – B. 18 Sep 1830, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland;¹⁵ D. 3 Feb 1912, Maple Lake, Minnesota;¹⁶ M. Francis Labree (1828-1909), 23 Jan 1854, St. Paul, Minnesota¹⁷

3. Frances Furlong – B. before 30 Aug 1832, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland;¹⁸ D. (probably) young¹⁹

4. Mary Furlong – B. before 21 Sep 1834, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland²⁰

5. Ellen Furlong – B. before 14 Jul 1836, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland;²¹ D. 24 Apr 1921, St. Paul, Minnesota;²² M. Michael Kennedy (~1830-1895)²²

6. John Furlong – B. about 1839, (probably) County Wexford, Ireland;⁵ D. before 13 Dec 1851, at sea²³

7. Catherine Furlong – B. 26 Jul 1841, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland;²⁴ D. 21 Jun 1923, Le Sueur County, Minnesota;²⁵ M. Thomas Furlong (1828-1908), 21 Jan 1869, St. Paul, Minnesota²⁶

8. Alice Furlong – B. before 19 Dec 1843, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland;²⁷ D. (probably) young²⁸

9. Bridget Furlong – B. about 1848, Ireland;⁵ M. William Maher, 2 Jan 1873, Ramsey County, Minnesota²⁹

10. Jennie Furlong – B. 10 Jan 1849, County Wexford, Ireland;³⁰ D. 30 May 1935, Kilkenny, Minnesota³⁰

Sources:
1    Find-a-Grave listing of Mary Furlong  
2    Marriage record of Martin Furlong and Mary Butler, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
3    Death record of Mary (Butler) Furlong, Minnesota County Deaths, 1850-2001, FamilySearch.org
4    1880 U.S. Census, Rosemount, Minnesota
5    Passenger list of ship Essex, Liverpool to New Orleans, December 1851
6    “Review of an Active Life,” Juvenile Instructor, 17:4, George Goddard, 15 Feb 1882
7    The History of the City of Saint Paul, and the County of Ramsey, Minnesota, J. Fletcher Williams, 1876
8    1857 Minnesota Territorial Census, West St. Paul, FamilySearch.org
9    Letter from Hazel Swenson to Laura Mitchell, 28 Sep 1977
10  History of Dakota County and the City of Hastings, Rev. Edward D. Neill and Fletcher Williams, 1881
11  1870 U.S. Census, West St. Paul, Minnesota
12  Margaret Furlong obituary, Hastings Gazette, 30 Nov 1889
13  Find-a-Grave listing of Martin Furlong  
14  Baptismal record of Margaret Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
15  Baptismal record of Eliza Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
16  Death record of Eliza (Furlong) Labree, Minnesota Deaths, 1887-2001, FamilySearch.org
17  Marriage record of Francis Labree and Eliza Furlong, Minnesota County Marriages, 1849-1950, FamilySearch.org
18  Baptismal record of Frances Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
19  There are no further records of Frances Furlong
20  Baptismal record of Mary Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
21  Baptismal record of Ellen Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
22  Death record of Ellen (Furlong) Kennedy, M.D.
23  John Furlong was listed on the passenger list of the Essex, and there is no further mention of him
24  Baptismal record of Catherine Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
25  Death record of Catherine (Furlong) Furlong, M.D.
26  Marriage record of Thomas Furlong and Catherine Furlong, M.C.M.
27  Baptismal record of Alice Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
28  There are no further records of Alice Furlong
29  Marriage record of William Maher and Bridget Furlong, M.C.M.
30  Death certificate of Jennie Furlong, 31 May 1935, Kilkenny, Minnesota

Setting Out Alone from Ireland — Timothy Toole

B. before 1825 in Ireland
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

Poverty That Came Over From Ireland — Patrick McGuire

B. 25 Dec 1834 in (probably) County Mayo, Ireland¹
M. (1) before 1857 in (probably) Sullivan County, New York²
Wife: Bridget Tuffy
M. (2) 7 Jan 1867 in Henderson, Minnesota³
Wife: Mary Toole
D. 1 Apr 1882 in Washington Lake, Minnesota^1,4

For many who escaped the potato famine in Ireland, opportunity in America meant breaking the cycle of financial trouble. Such was not the case for Patrick McGuire, who lived most of his life in need of money.

Patrick was born on Christmas Day, 1834 to Lawrence and Julia McGuire.⁵ His mother was known to have been born in County Mayo,¹ making it highly likely that he was as well. He had at least one younger brother and two younger sisters; none of the children learned to read and write.

County Mayo was heavily dependent on the potato crop, and Patrick’s father was almost certainly a farmer. When the crop failed for the first time in 1846, Patrick was about 11-years-old, and it didn’t take very long before nearly everyone in the county was affected. People did what they could to survive, but the details of what Patrick’s family went through weren’t handed down. They likely struggled to have enough to eat for several years in a row, while watching people around them also starving, and some of them dying.

 

Starving times in 1840s Ireland. (AI-generated image)

 

It wasn’t until about 1852, that Patrick along with his parents and siblings boarded a ship to brought them to New York.⁶ The McGuires settled in the town of Thompson in Sullivan County, New York where they were listed in the 1855 state census.⁶ Patrick’s parents didn’t find the success of some immigrants, and instead seemed to transfer their poverty to America; by 1875, his mother moved into a poor house where she seems to have died alone.⁵ His father was described as a heavy drinker, and disappeared from records after 1880.^5,7

Patrick wasn't around to witness his parents' failures because he left the household within the first few years in America. He married an Irish woman named Bridget Tuffy, and before about 1857,² they had three children. At some point, Patrick moved to Minnesota, possibly living for a short time in Illinois beforehand.⁸ Sadly, Bridget died, but it isn’t known when or where.

 

On January 7, 1867, Patrick married Mary Toole in Henderson, Minnesota, which was in Sibley County.³ She was a young widow with a baby girl, and the probate record of her first husband Michael Toole reveals the poverty of Patrick and Mary. The estate was awarded to the young daughter, and in June of 1867, Mary asked the probate court for $12 out of the estate to pay for food.⁹ Although only Mary and her baby girl were mentioned in the action, it’s easy to imagine that the money was used to feed Patrick’s children as well.

Mary’s little girl died in August 1868, and Patrick stepped in as administrator of the estate.⁹ Since Mary was the heir, she and Patrick ended up with her former husband’s property, primarily consisting of a 160-acre homestead in Washington Lake. One-quarter was sold off in 1867 to pay for probate expenses, but the rest of the land came into Patrick and Mary’s possession after the child died. Their family’s life continued to be a financial struggle, though, and in 1869, they sold off another quarter of the original homestead for $312.¹⁰

Patrick’s mark on a document in the probate file of Mary’s daughter.

By 1870, the family was living in the town of Belle Plain in Le Seuer County, where Patrick worked as a railroad laborer.¹¹ Soon after, they were back in Sibley County, presumably on the Washington Lake farm.¹² Patrick and Mary had five children born between 1871 and 1881. There still seemed to be financial problems as an 1878 deed shows that they sold a strip of land from the old homestead, getting $10 for it.¹⁰ 

Patrick was just 47 when he died of typhoid fever on April 1, 1882.⁴ He was buried in St. Brendan's Cemetery in Green Isle, Minnesota; the stone on his grave is quite large, and it’s likely that it was put there some years later.¹ His widow Mary sold off the farm over the next couple years, and she and the children moved to Minneapolis in about 1886.¹⁴

 

Children by Bridget Tuffy:

1. Mary McGuire — B. Nov 1857, (probably) Sullivan County, New York;¹⁵ D. 1939, (probably) Green Isle, Minnesota;¹⁶ M. (1) Michael Sweeney (1851-?), 1 Oct 1877, Gessen Land, Minnesota;¹⁷ (2) Daniel Myers (1855-1932), 1919¹⁶

2. Katherine McGuire — 1 May 1861, (probably) Sullivan County, New York;¹⁸ D. 21 Apr 1939, Peever, South Dakota;¹⁸ M. Joseph Renshaw Brown (1854-1930), 24 Feb 1881, Stevens County, Minnesota¹⁹

3. Michael McGuire — B. 5 May 1864, Monticello, New York;²⁰ D. 23 Oct 1936, Superior, Wisconsin;²⁰ M. Mary A. Green (1874-1956), 1 Jul 1908, Superior, Wisconsin²¹
 

Children by Mary Toole:
1. Julia A. McGuire — B. 30 Mar 1871, Washington Lake, Minnesota;¹² D. 18 May 1922, St. Paul, Minnesota;²² M. Louis Martin La Brie (1868-1911), 1 Jun 1891, Minneapolis, Minnesota²³

2. Margaret McGuire — B. 7 Aug 1873, Washington Lake, Minnesota;²⁴ D. 19 Oct 1923, Minneapolis, Minnesota;²⁴ M. Harry Albert Whittaker (1873-?), 1902, St. Paul, Minnesota²⁵

3. John McGuire — B. 19 Feb 1876, Washington Lake, Minnesota;²⁶ D. 18 May 1917, Minneapolis, Minnesota²⁷

4. Alice McGuire — B. 1 Apr 1879, Washington Lake, Minnesota;²⁸ D. 22 Sep 1893, Sibley County, Minnesota²⁹

5. Johanna McGuire — B. 3 Sep 1881, Washington Lake, Minnesota;³⁰ M. William Henning (1877-~1904), 25 Apr 1899, Hennepin County, Minnesota³¹

Sources:
1    Find-a-Grave listing of Patrick McGuire
2    Estimated marriage is based on birth of oldest child Mary
3    Marriage record of Patrick McGuire and Mary Toole, Minnesota, County Marriages, 1853-1983, FamilySearch.org
4    Death record of Patrick McGuire, Minnesota, County Deaths, 1850-2001, FamilySearch.org
5    Listing of Julia McGuire, New York, U.S., Census of Inmates in Almshouses and Poorhouses, 1830-1920, Ancestry.com
6    1855 New York State census, Sullivan County, New York
7    1880 U.S. Census, Sullivan County, New York
8    1910 U.S. Census, Roberts, South Dakota listing for Katherine (McGuire) Brown
9    Probate file of Michael Toole, Sibley, Minnesota, Probate Estate Case Files, 1870-1922, FamilySearch.org
10  Deed of sale between Patrick & Mary McGuire and Thomas Madden, 8 Feb 1869, Sibley, Minnesota, Deeds 1867-1873, FamilySearch.org
11  1870 U.S. Census, Belle Plain, Minnesota
12  Birth record of Julia McGuire, Minnesota County Birth Records, 1863-1983, FamilySearch.org
13  Deed of sale between Patrick & Mary McGuire and Patrick O’Keefe, 26 Jul 1878, Sibley, Minnesota, Deeds 1878-1886, FamilySearch.org
14  1887 Minneapolis City Directory
15  1900 U.S. Census, Green Isle, Minnesota
16  Find-a-Grave listing of Mary (McGuire) Sweeney Myers
17  Marriage record of Michael Sweeney and Mary McGuire, Minnesota, U.S., Marriages Index, 1849-1950, Ancestry.com
18  Death certificate of Katherine Brown, Department of Health, State of South Dakota
19  Marriage record of Joseph Renshaw Brown and Katherine McGuire, Minnesota Official Marriage System, 1850-2019, Ancestry.com
20  Death record of Michael James McGuire, Wisconsin, U.S., Death Records, 1872-2004, Ancestry.com
21  Marriage record of Michael McGuire and Mary Green, Wisconsin, U.s., Marriage Records, 1820-2004, Ancestry.com
22  Death record of Julia LaBrie, Minnesota Death Index, 1908-2002, FamilySearch.org
23  Marriage record of Lewis Labree and Julia McGuire, M., C. M.
24  Death record of Margaret Whittaker, Minnesota Deaths and Burials, 1835-1990, FamilySearch.org
25  Marriage record of Harry Whittaker and Margaret McGuire, M., C. M.
26  Birth record of John McGuire, Minnesota Birth and Death Records, 1866-1916, FamilySearch.org
27  Death record of John McGuire, Minnesota Deaths, 1887-2001, FamilySearch.org
28  Birth record of Alice McGuire, M., C. B. R.
29  Death record of Allie McGuire, M., B. & D.
30  Birth record of Johanna McGuire, M., B. & D.
31  Marriage of record William Henning and Johanna McGuire, M., C. M.

Out of Ireland to a Better Life — Martin Furlong

B. 12 Nov 1797 in County Wexford, Ireland¹
M. (1) 15 Jun 1818 in Rathangan, Ireland²
Wife: Ellen Radford
M. (2) 27 Aug 1828 in Rathangan, Ireland³
Wife: Mary Butler
D. 28 Jul 1889 in Pine Bend, Minnesota¹

To uproot your family at a time of famine, and move them across the globe to a strange new place, took a sort of courage. And to make a successful life in your new home was perhaps a reflection on the type of person you were.

Martin Furlong was one of the thousands who left Ireland during the Great Potato Famine in order to find a better life in America. He was born in County Wexford, Ireland on November 12, 1797.¹ The Furlongs were a large clan in the area and it’s likely his family spent generations there. Nothing is known about his parents or whether or not he had siblings.

Although most records in Ireland were destroyed in a 20th century fire, a few documents survived in Wexford County that give some details of Martin’s life. On June 15, 1818, he married Ellen Radford in Rathangan Parish.² The baptisms of many of his children are also listed there, so presumably he lived on a farm nearby. Rathangan was close to the southern coastline of Ireland, so the family lived within a mile or two of the ocean.

Where Martin lived in County Wexford, Ireland.

Martin and Ellen had at least five children between 1819 and 1825, three boys and two girls. Sometime between 1825 and 1827, Ellen died, and on August 27, 1828, Martin married Mary Butler.³ They had nine daughters and one son born between 1827 and 1848.

When the potato famine struck in the late 1840s, it must have taken a toll on the Furlong family, and by 1851, the decision was made to leave Ireland. The entire family sailed together on the ship Essex,⁴ but sadly, Martin’s 13-year-old son John died on the trip.⁴ Some details of the voyage survive in the form of a memoir written by a Mormon convert named George Godard,⁵ who was on the same ship. Godard told of a day on which he tried to preach to the other passengers, but since most of them were Irish Catholics, they had a strong objection. He said that, “…some of the passengers manifested a good deal of ill-feeling towards me, and I was secretly informed of a plot the Catholics had concocted to throw me overboard.” Whether or not the plotters included Martin isn’t known, but he must have been present at Godard’s speech because everyone onboard was said to have attended.

Martin and his family arrived at the port of New Orleans on December 13th.⁴ They didn’t spend very long in New Orleans. In 1852, they boarded a steamship up the Mississippi to West St. Paul, Minnesota, an immigrant community in Dakota County.⁶ The Furlongs were among the first families in the area, and one of Martin’s daughters was noted as the first death in the town.⁷ A story was handed down that the soil was so rocky on their land, that they couldn't dig a well, and that “water had to be carried for blocks.”⁸ Martin was listed in West St. Paul as a farmer in the 1860⁹ and 1870 censuses, with a farm worth $2,000,¹⁰ but in about 1878, he moved to the town of Rosemount.¹¹

After a very long life, Martin died on July 28, 1889 at the age of 91 in Pine Bend, Minnesota.¹ A small obituary in the local newspaper stated that “he was highly esteemed,” and that he left behind many friends.¹² His funeral took place at the Catholic church in Inver Grove and he was buried at St. Patrick Cemetery.¹ Martin left behind 62 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren, and his wife Mary survived him.

Martin's death was remembered in a newspaper 50 years later.

Children by Ellen Radford:
1. James Furlong — B. before 24 Apr 1819, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland;¹³ D. 31 Aug 1875, Minnesota;¹⁴ M. Catherine (1835-1909)¹⁰

2. Mary Furlong — B. before 3 Aug 1820, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland¹⁵

3. Ann Furlong — B. before 17 Feb 1822, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland¹⁶

4. Anthony Furlong — B. before 13 Nov 1823, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland¹⁷

5. Patrick Furlong — B. 1 Jul 1825, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland;¹⁸ D. 16 Mar 1917, Rosemount, Minnesota;¹⁸ M. Catherine Fox (1837-1902), 14 Jan 1862, Ramsey County, Minnesota¹⁹

Children by Mary Butler:
1. Margaret Furlong — B. before 26 May 1829, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland;²⁰ D. 24 Nov 1889, Dakota County, Minnesota¹¹

2. Eliza Furlong — B. 18 Sep 1830, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland;²¹ D. 3 Feb 1912, Maple Lake, Minnesota;²² M. Francis Labree (1828-1909), 23 Jan 1854, St. Paul, Minnesota²³

3. Frances Furlong – B. before 30 Aug 1832, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland;²⁴ D. (probably) young²⁵

4. Mary Furlong – B. before 21 Sep 1834, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland²⁶

5. Ellen Furlong – B. before 14 Jul 1836, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland;²⁷ D. 24 Apr 1921, St. Paul, Minnesota;²⁸ M. Michael Kennedy (~1830-1895)²⁸

6. John Furlong – B. about 18398, (probably) County Wexford, Ireland;⁴ D. before 13 Dec 1851, at sea²⁹

7. Catherine Furlong – B. 26 Jul 1841, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland;³⁰ D. 21 Jun 1923, Le Sueur County, Minnesota;³¹ M. Thomas Furlong (1828-1908), 21 Jan 1869, St. Paul, Minnesota³²

8. Alice Furlong – B. before 19 Dec 1843, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland;³³ D. (probably) young³⁴

9. Bridget Furlong – B. about 1848, Ireland;³⁵ M. William Maher, 2 Jan 1873, Ramsey County, Minnesota³⁶

10. Jennie Furlong – B. 10 Jan 1849, County Wexford, Ireland;³⁷ D. 30 May 1935, Kilkenny, Minnesota³⁷

Sources:
1    Find-a-Grave listing of Martin Furlong
2    Marriage record of Martin Furlong and Ellen Radford, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
3    Marriage record of Martin Furlong and Mary Butler, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
4    Passenger list of ship Essex, Liverpool to New Orleans, December 1851
5    Review of an Active Life,” Juvenile Instructor, 17:4, George Goddard, 15 Feb 1882
6    The History of the City of Saint Paul, and the County of Ramsey, Minnesota, J. Fletcher Williams, 1876
7    History of Dakota County and the City of Hastings, Rev. Edward D. Neill and Fletcher Williams, 1881
8    Letter from Hazel Swenson to Laura Mitchell, 28 Sep 1977
9    1860 U.S. Census, West St. Paul, Minnesota
10  1870 U.S. Census, West St. Paul, Minnesota
11  Margaret Furlong obituary, Hastings Gazette, 30 Nov 1889
12  Obituary of Martin Furlong reprinted 50 years later in the Hastings Gazette, Hastings, Minnesota, 10 Aug 1939
13  Baptismal record of James Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
14  Find-a-Grave listing of James Furlong
15  Baptismal record of Mary Furlong (older), Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
16  Baptismal record of Ann Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
17  Baptismal record of Anthony Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
18  Find-a-Grave listing of Patrick Furlong
19  Marriage record of Patrick Furlong and Catherine Fox, Minnesota County Marriages, 1849-1950, FamilySearch.org
20  Baptismal record of Margaret Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
21  Baptismal record of Eliza Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
22  Death record of Eliza (Furlong) Labree, Minnesota Deaths, 1887-2001, FamilySearch.org
23  Marriage record of Francis Labree and Eliza Furlong, M.C.M.
24  Baptismal record of Frances Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
25  There are no further records of Frances Furlong
26  Baptismal record of Mary Furlong (younger), Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
27  Baptismal record of Ellen Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
28  Death record of Ellen (Furlong) Kennedy, M.D.
29  John Furlong was listed on the passenger list of the Essex, and there is no further mention of him
30  Baptismal record of Catherine Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
31  Death record of Catherine (Furlong) Furlong, M.D.
32  Marriage record of Thomas Furlong and Catherine Furlong, M.C.M.
33  Baptismal record of Alice Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
34  There are no further records of Alice Furlong
35  Marriage record of William Maher and Bridget Furlong, M.C.M.
36  Baptismal record of Alice Furlong, Rathangan Parish, County Wexford, Ireland
37  Death certificate of Jennie Furlong, 31 May 1935, Kilkenny, Minnesota