Saturday, March 1, 2014

52 Ancestors #10: "Nellie" Moynahan: Teacher

No Story Too Small has issued a New Year's Challenge: "Have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor.”

And over at Olive Tree Geneaology, there is another enticing challenge: "In honour of Women's History Month (March 2014) I want to issue a challenge to all geneabloggers to write a minimum of 10 blog posts this month about women who have made a difference."

So I am dedicating today's blog post to Ellen "Nellie" Moynahan. She was the first born child of Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan (born March 31, 1865).

Nellie pictured with parents Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan
and her younger brother John

Nellie Moynahan

Nellie had five sisters and two brothers.

Moynahan Family Tree

Nellie's own education through the 1880s indicates a high achiever finishing at the top of her class. She was also awarded "premiums of politeness and of good conduct." ! A smart young woman indeed!

4 March 1880 Essex Free Press

14 April 1881 Essex Free Press

23 June 1881 Essex Free Press

There were perils to teaching at a one-room schoolhouse, like being thrown from your carriage on your way there in 1892!

The Amherstburg Echo: 30 December, 1892

Nellie taught school in Essex county for forty-five years 1887-1932, teaching the longest according to Thomas McCloskey, of all the Essex county teachers in the late 1880s. She taught at schools in Maidstone, Rochester and Windsor:

In Byrnedale (in Woodslee parish)

a school on north rear road near McGuire's

SS. No. 7

SS. No. 5 & 8

On the first of April 1910, The Essex Free press wrote that "Miss Nellie Moynahan deserves much credit for the careful training of her pupils taking part in the program" a play that packed the town hall to capacity and many could not get in!

1 April 1910, Essex Free Press

Nellie was living at home ("Talbot St. a mile west of the Cross") in 1913 when Jeremiah and Mary celebrated their golden anniversary.

Jeremiah (who died in 1922) and Mary (who died in 1926) sold their Maidstone farm (298 South Talbot Rd) in 1921 and moved with daughter Nellie to 432 Hall Avenue, Windsor.

Nellie died the 20th of November 1940. Here is her obituary:

One of my goals is to research Nellie's retirement trip to England, Ireland and Italy in 1908 if possible. My father once told me a story that she had lost her purse filled with her money on board the ship.

Source: The Essex Free Press: 28 July 1978 "Seventy Years Ago"

Links

Source: Essex Free Press

52 Ancestors #9: Timothy Moynahan's kin?

No Story Too Small has issued a New Year's Challenge: "Have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor.”

This is the final entry based on the life and times of Timothy Moynahan as written in the 1900 Detroit Free Press article "When Windsor Was a Wilderness"

When Timothy was asked about his kin:

Excerpt "When Windsor Was A Wilderness"

"There were five brothers and three sisters" "all gone" by 1900 when the article was written.

Below is the most recent representation of Timothy's family tree that I have created at ancestry.ca

Some of the siblings for Timothy (that are blank below) have been established on other ancestry trees but I do not have the documentation that proves their ancestry and will continue to do research on this.

Early land records have been helpful in painting the picture of the Moynahans in Essex county in the 1820s -1850s as well as the will of Matthew Moynahan (Timothy's father).

According to the census records, John Cronin lived with Timothy for many years even after the death of Margaret Cronin and following Timothy's second marriage to Archange Parent. I have not determined John Cronin's death nor established his relationship to Margaret (though I assume based on age that he was her brother). This information could be a valuable link.

Margaret Cronin and Timothy's young girls (Mary, Margaret and Catherine) are all gone before 1860. I continue to search newspapers and the pre-1860 church records but have not learned of their whereabouts.

Other Moynahan siblings such as Timothy's brother James Moynahan of Colorado - have been well researched by others.

I will write in detail about one of Timothy's son's who was alive at the time of Timothy's death in 1902 (along with a daughter Mary). Enos Moynahan was a notorious character in Detroit and Windsor and much of his life has been well chronicled in the newspapers of the day.

That colourful story will have to wait for a future posting in #52Ancestors!