https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/11/world/europe/silent-film-ireland-discovery.html
Saturday, December 11, 2021
Friday, December 3, 2021
Russell Jennings
No, not a relative! This is Russell Jennings Manufacturing, who made a set of tools that Henry O'Grady used for years.
I've borrowed these from John for a house project.
What is amazing to me is that I can recall how quickly Dad could drill through ANYTHING! And certainly quicker than the time it takes now to get the drill, get an extension, etc OR, in the case of battery/cordless drills, wait for the battery to charge!
The first true 'cordless' drills:
Close up:
Text:
ONE SET 32 1/2 QUARTERS
RUSSELL JENNINGS
EXTENSION LIP AUGER BITS
WITH STANDARD DOUBLE THREAD
THE RUSSELL JENNINGS MFG.CO
The drill / auger itself is not a Russell Jennings original (is the correct term brace?):
I think the bit set must be from 1940 or so, but possibly earlier. Need more research.
Links with more history:
http://www.sydnassloot.com/brace.htm#index
http://www.sydnassloot.com/Brace/RJennings.htm
https://www.georgesbasement.com/braces/RussellJennings/RussellJenningsAugerBits.htm
12/4/21 update: with help from John, I had to use the auger/brace to drill 6 holes through the pilings that hold up part of the rear of the house (Thanks John for the wood and the tools and all the help and of course all the advice!).
While my forearms were burning, I thought how my father and his father could have done this without a sweat, which reminded me of this:
Link to "Digging" by Seamus Heaney
Specifically, the lines:
"By God, the old man could handle a spade.
Just like his old man.
...
But I’ve no spade to follow men like them."
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
John Grady & Ellen Page, Keyfield
Thomas's older brother James of Keyfield has a son, John, who married Ellen Page:
Included the Michael Waldron/Winifred Grady marriage above it too, as that is John's first cousin.
They have a son, James, in 1915:
Note: included Waldron birth from Keyfield too ... chances are, they are related.
James moves to Salford in the UK, and marries Janet McApline in 1940.
He also joins the army in 1940, serves in North Africa with the Durham Light Infantry, 6th Battalion, and takes part in the invasion of Normandy, June 6th, 1944:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56498522/james-grady
It is interesting that this branch of the family sticks with just 'Grady' without the 'O' prefix.
Monday, November 22, 2021
Rotherham
One can only imagine the shock it must have been to go here from rural Roscommon in 1900:
https://www.nmrs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/rotherhammain.jpg
Rotherham Main Colliery
https://www.on-magazine.co.uk/yorkshire/history/rotherham-old-photos-postcards/
The steel works and much of the worker's housing were removed for highway construction.
It looks like a nice town. Note however that the colliery and where John and Martin lived were in an area called Canklow:
The colliery itself was replaced by the roundabout. Atlas Street (from the pic above), is to the lower left, just above the 'A631' label. Canklow Road still exists, but much of the original is replaced by A630, going northeast in the pic. Apparently some of the last remaining houses for the pit workers were replaced by the McDonalds.
Sunday, November 21, 2021
Kate Grady
I was searching for Grand-Aunt Kitty's US entry, and found this instead:
Rather ironic that she is traveling to the US likely about the same time as Kitty.
Her intended address is "Aunt Bridget Connolly (?). 50 West 39th Str. New York"
Need to find out more ... !
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Registration District map
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/img_auth.php/1/16/Ireland_Civil_Registration_Districts.jpg
This is a handy map of the registration districts. Note that they do not correspond to parishes, whether civil or religious (which also do not correspond to each other).
For most O'Grady/Dempsey research, which is for Cloonreliagh/Derreenteige, the district is Castlerea.
For Castlefield (Galway) and Moorfield research, district is Glenamaddy, just to the south.
The map shows that Carrick-on-Shannon is not that far away, just northeast of Castlereagh. So perhaps my theory on Mariah's brother Thomas is not to far off ... ?
Sunday, November 14, 2021
Patrick Grady 1846-1878
(Sorry if I've posted this already!)
Patrick is brother to great-grandfather Thomas, another son of Michael Grady and Mary Ganly.
He marries Catherine Kenny from neighboring Trien in 1869 (note father is Michael Grady, deceased):
He dies 1878:
Catherine, 1901 census, living with her brother in Trien:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Roscommon/Coolougher/Trien/1665080/
1911 census:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Roscommon/Coolougher/Trien/761148/
Monday, November 1, 2021
Michael Reynolds and Anne Dempsey
So, still going with the idea that Anne Dempsey of Moorfield is somehow related via her father Thomas to the Dempseys of Cloonreliagh.
1900 US census, before Martin arrives:
Anne says she born 1864/1865, but the only child listed for her parents that year is Winifred, perhaps Anne is a middle name:
Note there is ALSO an Anne Dempsey born to Bernard and Catherine in neighboring Cloonreliagh in 1864 ... what happens to her?
Also, this rings a bell, not sure why yet ... birth of Catherine Dempsey to William Dempsey and Mary Hevican ...
Another Anne, born 1870, to William Dempsey and Mary Hevican:
More from Wendy on Anne: it appears her birth year was 1856, not 1865 as reported in census. Here's her baptism:
Also from Wendy: "William Dempsey married to Mary Hevican is related to Thomas Dempsey married Mary Finnerty. Possibly a much younger brother? They lived in the same townland. "
Michael Reynold's family tree:
Anne is buried in Holy Cross cemetery in Brooklyn, haven't found her plot yet.
So is her husband Michael, but in his family's plot:
Monday, October 25, 2021
Dempsey gravesite in Brooklyn
10/4/2021 Update after talking with folks at Holy Cross: the gravesite was purchased in 1896 by Thomas Dempsey of Brooklyn. This fits with the 1892 census that lists Thomas as living with the family in Brooklyn, and also the later obituaries for his siblings that Thomas moves back to Ireland.
Last payment made on the site was in 1963. Holy Cross may have more info, still waiting to hear ...
10/25/2021 update from Holy Cross:
3334.25 is owed in arrears.
1507.50 is the endowment to pay forever. Note this is a double grave.
So, 4841.75 is due to enable a stone to be put in place.
Price of a new upright stone starts about 3500.
A flat/footstone will be a lot cheaper.
Last payment made in 1963 was for $12 ! No record who made it
more to come ...
This is at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn, St Mary's section, grave #938 (no stone):
Buried here are:
Catherine Jennings Dempsey (1831-1896)- Mariah's mother, she comes to the US after Mariah's father Bernard dies in 1871
John Dempsey (1867-1929) - Mariah's brother
Martin Dempsey (1869-1939) - Mariah's brother, father to Annie Nash
Catherine Dempsey Costello (1870-1932) - Mariah's sister, and mother of:
James Costello - (1896-1896) - Mariah's nephew
Mary Dempsey (1874-1898) - not sure, grandpa Martin's cousin?
Holy Cross cemetery map. St Mary's is in center right. This may be the most peaceful spot in Brooklyn:
https://www.ccbklyn.org/our-cemeteries/holy-cross-cemetery/holy-cross-cemetery-map/
(thanks John for all the driving!)
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Memorial service for Mary Grady
Mary Grady, 1928-2017, was the missing link between the family of Martin O'Grady and Thomas, his youngest brother. If you are reading this, you should be thankful that Mary was able to connect the two branches of the family at her death, and fill in so much family history!
Thanks to Katherine for the pics:
Grandchildren of Thomas O’Grady and offspring of Mary Grady and Patrick Raftery: Finola Sear, Colm Raftery and Martina Garlick at the Gready/Grady/ O’Grady graveside in Moore Cemetery, Trien, Co. Roscommon on the occasion of their mother Mary’s 4th anniversary mass.
Colm in the graveyard (above)
Probably a small bedroom in Derreentighe.
Finola points to bullet holes in the gable end of the O’Grady homestead.
Martina at the gravesite
Finola sits at the fireside of the homestead of our shared ancestors in Derreentighe.
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Friday, September 24, 2021
Sullivan St, Brooklyn
#138 and #139 Sullivan Street played a big part in the O'Grady & Dempsey migration to the U.S. While Martin only stays a few years, Anne Dempsey Reynolds lives there until her death in 1938.
Those two houses are gone, replaced by a bus depot, but this image of neighboring houses (#151 - 155), likely shows what the area looked like back then:
Image from google maps, driving by John! You can see the start of the bus area to the left.
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Catherine Jennings Dempsey
Catherine is Mariah's mother, and her husband Bernard dies 1871. We know she comes to the U.S., and dies 1896, and is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn.
Both Ellis Island immigration records and U.S. census records at that time did not gather a lot of information.
This could be her, with her remaining family in the NY State census, 1892:
No street address provided, nor any of the info we see in later census (censii?).
Thomas ends up returning to Ireland. We know Katie (Catherine Dempsey Costello) returns briefly as well after she gets married.
John, Martin, and Katie are also buried with her at Holy Cross.
Monday, September 20, 2021
Martin Dempsey (Brooklyn Dempseys) - Mariah's brother
Martin dies 1939 (this is Mariah's brother):
1910 US census, 23rd Street, Brooklyn. Immigration year is 1887 for both Martin and Rose. Did they immigrate together? Were they already married?
1920 US census. Here, Rose is listed as immigrating 1880, Martin in 1885:
1930 US census, Brooklyn. Martin, his wife Rose, his daughter Anna and husband Jerome Nash and their son Jerome:
Jerome (son), WW2 draft card:
1940 US census, 7th Ave Brooklyn. 
Obituary for Jerome Nash (son):
Obituary for Anna (Annie) Nash Dempsey, Oct 21, 1976, NY Daily News:
Thursday, September 16, 2021
Moorfield part #2
So, trying to find relationship between the Dempseys of Moorfield and the Dempseys of Cloonreliagh.
Noticed that Anne Dempsey Reynolds of Moorfield goes to the US, and brings her nieces with her in 1921. See:
Her address? 139 Sullivan St! So, Anne goes to live near Martin O'Grady, who lived at 138 Sullivan St? They must be related?
Well, not quite. 1910 US census:
It is Martin who goes to Sullivan Street because his cousin Anne lives there! She emigrated early, 1890 or so!
Is he a boarder, or a distant cousin? We think his mother's grandfather Brian and Anne's grandfather are siblings ... not sure what that means, distant but likely cousins enough!
Monday, September 13, 2021
more on the Moorfield Dempseys
Wendy Deriancho had mentioned she found more links between the Cloonreliagh and the Moorfield Dempseys, I meant to post what she had found.
Here, death of Thomas Dempsey of Coarsefield (sub-townland of Moorfield) age 21 in 1908, attended to by Michael Dempsey:
Is this the same Michael who is brother to Thomas/Bernard/etc, and lives in neighboring Foxboro? If so, 'uncle' is a stretch, since Thomas's father Thomas is not a brother to Bernard/Thomas. Perhaps their father Brian had a brother Thomas? That is what we are trying to find out.
The same Michael?
https://family-ogrady.blogspot.com/2021/03/more-research.html
This is our tree with this bit of conjecture. Thomas/Moorfield on the far right:
Related note:
Thomas's granddaughter Agnes emigrates in 1929:
Her father John Dempsey listed as her contact in Ireland, and she is going to her sister, Mrs A Reynolds, 139 Sullivan St, Brooklyn! While Martin O'Grady has moved by then, how strange that he once lived next door!
Actually, 'sister' is crossed off, and 'aunt' written in. This corresponds to her two sisters who arrived earlier in 1921:
So, is Annie Reynolds their father John's sister? Daughter of his father Thomas?
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1870/03342/2225347.pdf
Interesting how Coarsefield and Farm are used almost interchangeably.
But her parents are William and Mary, not Thomas.
Here's their Michael, born 1875:
Their daughter Bridget, 1878:
Thomas and Mary's son Martin, born 1872:
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