Remembering Dad

Jared M. Kearney

29 March 1932 - 27 September 2002

Washington Crossing National Cemetery

Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Kin-nections in the Genealogy World

This blog is for and about my family so I debated whether to include my adventures in this format. As I thought more about that, I decided that this post really would conform to scope of my blog. So here goes.

This month, I participated in a new opportunity for professional genealogists. GenStock, a genealogical retreat, was created by Billie Fogarty and Matt McCormack to promote a dialogue within the professional genealogy world without the distractions of a conference or repository. Yes, genealogists love a good repository and tend to focus on records and not necessarily on conversation. Conversations tend to occur late in the day and are not particularly focused.

On September 10, about twenty professional genealogists from across the country and Canada gathered in Herron, Michigan. Matt’s efforts in preparing his farm and ensuring a truly magical experience complete with magnificent fall weather were outstanding. Billie’s ability to facilitate a fluid experience was superb. Great thoughts, ideas and friendships were formed. It was an experience none of us will ever forget! Communication within the genealogical community has been forever changed and the responsibility lies with us.

So how does this connected to my family?

First, I arrived at this retreat knowing several of the attendees but not all of them. By the end of the weekend, we had become more than a group of genealogists; we were a family. We laughed. We cried. We worked through difficult scenarios. In the end, we want what is best for the larger community and feel a responsibility for that community.

Second, through DNA testing, I have discovered that some of my friends in the genealogical world (not necessarily in attendance) actually are family! We are still working on finding the connections but we are related! How cool is that!

The McDermott Family

Just as with her husband, Thomas Fay, I didn’t know much about Bridget McDermott. The information was out there. I just needed to focus!

Bridget McDermott is my 2x great grandmother. She was born on 28 February 1844 to James McDermott and Bridget Clark, both born in Ireland.[1] 

Bridget Fay appears in the obituary of her sister, Mrs. Annie Monaghan, along with two other sisters, Mrs. Alice Newell and Mrs. Peter McMullen.[2] With this information, I began my search for marriage and other records for these sisters.

Thomas Fay and Bridget McDermott married on 1 January 1869 in Trenton, New Jersey. They were both 22 years old (b. abt. 1847). Her parents are not named in the record.[3] While it is not unusual to find conflicting age information in records, this conflict will be addressed at a later time.

Maria McDermott married Peter McMullen on 30 July 1871 (b. abt. 1850) in Trenton. They were both 21 years old. Her parents are Jas and Bridget McDermott.[4] 

Anne McDermott married Michael Monahan on 7 March 1872 (b. abt. 1847) in Trenton. He was 35 and she was 25. Her parents are Jas. and Bridget McDermott.[5] 

No marriage was found for Alice McDermott Newell in Trenton. However, census records reveal that David Newell and Alice McDermott were likely married in Ireland and had at least three children before they came to the United States. This record also reveals that sisters, Alice Newell and Maria McMullen’s families lived at the same address in 1880. Their mother, Bridget [Clark] McDermott, a widow, is recorded with Maria’s family.[6] 

By researching the siblings of Bridget McDermott, her mother, Bridget Clark, my 3x great grandmother, has been found!

---

[1] Mercer County, New Jersey State Archives, State Department of Health, Trenton, Bureau of Vital Statistics, death of Bridget Fay, date of 3 March 1930; microfilm.

[2] Mortuary Notice, Trenton Evening Times (Trenton, New Jersey), Friday, 14 August 1914, p. 10; digital image online (www.genealogybank.com : 26 April 2015).

[3] New Jersey State Archives, State of New Jersey, Department of State, Marriage Records, May 1848 - May 1878, BH:462, marriage of Thomas Fay and Bridget McDermott, date of marriage 1 January 1869; searchable database online (http://www.nj.gov/state/archives/searchdatabases.html : 13 March 2015).

[4] Mercer County, New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, Marriages 1871, BK:571, marriage of Peter McMullen and Maria McDermott, date of marriage 30 July 1871; microfilm.

[5] Mercer County, New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, Marriages 1872, BK:570, marriage of Michael Monahan and Anne McDermott, date of marriage 7 March 1872; microfilm.

[6] 1880 US census, Mercer, New Jersey, population schedule, Trenton, ED 105, p. 339C, house 326, dwelling 259, family 280, household of David Newell; digital images online (www.ancestry.com : 3 August 2015), citing NARA publication T9, roll 788.