My Poughkeepsie Coughlin Breakthrough

Coughlin Photographs from my grandmother Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan's photo collection

For over thirty years I have been unable to break through my Poughkeepsie-Coughlin "brick wall" and the only proof that I had of my 2nd great grandparents Michael and Margaret (Duffy) Coughlin was a Poughkeepsie baptismal certificate

My great grandfather's parents: Michael Coughlin and Margaret Duffy

My great grandfather William Henry Coughlin's Poughkeepsie baptismal certificate

A "brick wall" for genealogists is a barrier in their genealogical research that seems impossible to work around.

I tried for so long to locate the parents of my great grandfather William Henry Coughlin without any success that I began thinking that the whole Coughlin family must have moved from Poughkeepsie in the late 1800s just like William Henry Coughlin had when he moved to Wallaceburg, Ontario

An 1891 Map of Poughkeepsie, New York

Scrolling Family Search 1875 Census Records

This past week I had some time to kill so I decided to review some of the information that is now online for Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York at Family Search

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Dutchess_County,_New_York_Genealogy

I saw that there was an 1875 census available at Family Search, so I decided to see if I could browse the Poughkeepsie records while I killed the time that I needed to.

Rather than putting "Coughlin" into the search fields (this has never achieved results for me previously), I decided that I would browse the 55,032 images instead.

I chose Dutchess county records and saw that I had eight record sets to browse:

1. Poughkeepsie; E.D. 01
2. Poughkeepsie; E.D. 02
3. Poughkeepsie; Ward 01
4. Poughkeepsie; Ward 02
5. Poughkeepsie; Ward 03
6. Poughkeepsie; Ward 04
7. Poughkeepsie; Ward 05
8. Poughkeepsie; Ward 06

I could not believe it when I located Michael and Margaret (Duffy) Coughlin in Ward 1. Poughkeepsie (on the 14th page of 53) and clearly the reason why they never showed up in search engines was because the Census enumerator recorded them as "Cochlin".

Poughkeepsie; Ward 01; The Cochlin family

This 1875 New York State Census shows that:

• My 2nd great grandparents were living the Mulligan family. (James Mulligan was a saloon keeper in Poughkeepsie).
• My great grandfather William H. Coughlin is 2 years and 9 months
• My great grandfather has two siblings: John J. (8 years old) and Daniel (8 months)
• My 2nd great grandfather was working as a "furnaceman" and my 2nd great grandmother was "keeping house" (furnacemen were needed on steam boats, railways, iron works and glass works which were all nearby in Poughkeepsie)
• It confirms that both 2nd great grandparents were born in Ireland and all three of their children were born in Dutchess County, New York.

Poughkeepsie; Ward 01; The Cochlin family

 John J. Coughlin 
Born 1867

This small piece of information from the 1875 New York State Census confirms a postcard that I had (from my grandmother Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan) picturing "Uncle John" as my great grandfather's oldest brother born in 1867.

(In the 1920 Poughkeepsie census, John J. Coughlin is widowed and living with his brother Daniel's family and his widowed father Michael. John J. is employed as an Inspector at the Horse Shoe Works)

"Uncle John" of Poughkeepsie now known

Back of postcard

Daniel Coughlin 
Born 1875

This small piece of information from the 1875 New York State Census also confirms a photograph  given to my grandmother Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan that I had picturing "Uncle Danny, Danny boy, Feb 14, 1948" as my great grandfather's youngest brother born in 1875.

(In the 1920 census, Daniel is living at 168 Mill St., Poughkeepsie with his wife Lillian and their three sons. His widowed father and brother are also living with them. They have three sons at home. They also have a daughter. Of their six children, only four were living in 1920)

Daniel was a fireman for the Gas and Electric Company in Poughkeepsie.

"Uncle Danny" now known

Back of photo

 The Story Continues To Unfold

I have continued to research the online records for Poughkeepsie, New York to locate the rest of my great grandfather William Henry Coughlin's family story

I know now that the family of my great grandfather Coughlin remained in Poughkeepsie all of their lives. 

In fact, the Poughkeepsie Coughlins lived in many different houses but always in the same area from the 1870s to the 1940s. The location is close to the Poughkeepsie Glass Works and the Poughkeepsie Iron Works that were situated on the Hudson River.

Poughkeepsie Coughlin Addresses

The Coughlin family addresses (based on the historic directories and censuses) are marked in red on the 1891 Poughkeepsie map below. They seemed to always stay close to the Hudson River.

• 1889/90 Directory - Michael Coughlin - 46 Dutchess Ave.,
• 1890/91 Directory - Michael Coughlin - 46 Dutchess Ave.,
• 1894/95 Directory - Michael Coughlin - 9 Dock St.,
• 1895/96 Directory - Michael Coughlin - 9 Dock St.,
• 1896/97 Directory - Michael Coughlin - 9 Dock St.,  
• 1900 Census - Michael Coughlin living with Daniel Coughlin and family - 21 Dutchess Ave.,
• 1910 Census - Michael Coughlin living with Daniel Coughlin and family - 107 Delafield St., 
• 1920 Census - Widower Michael Coughlin and Widower John Coughlin living with Daniel Coughlin and family - 168 Mill St., 
• 1930 Census - Daniel living with his son Daniel Jr and wife - 213 Main St.,

Next Steps

I am incredibly excited to have broken through this thirty-year-old brick wall but there is still SO much left to research, such as:

• Locate Emigration information about Michael Coughlin - 1855
• Locate Naturalization Papers of Michael Coughlin
• Locate death and burial for Margaret (Duffy) Coughlin
• Locate death and burial for Michael Coughlin (Believed to be December 16, 1921; Cert 64342)
• Locate death and burial for John J. Coughlin and spouses, etc
• Locate death and burial for Daniel Coughlin and spouses, etc

Daniel and Lillian Coughlin's two sons headstones are there at St. Peter's Cemetery in Poughkeepsie

John J. Coughlin
1904-1925
Son of Daniel and Lillian Coughlin

William H. Coughlin
1901-?
Son of Daniel and Lillian Coughlin

But there are two more children of Daniel and Lillian:

• Margaret R. (born 1899) (She was a garment maker on the 1915 census, the last record found of her so far)
• Daniel Jr. (born 1907) (He was a "dop forger" (sp) on the 1930 census and married to Ruth)

Unknown Photographs 

Taken In Poughkeepsie

Could Margaret or Daniel be the unknown persons in Rhea's photo album? Hopefully, we will figure that out!

Photo Album belonging to Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan - Poughkeepsie photos

Photo Album belonging to Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan - Poughkeepsie photos

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Photo Album belonging to Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan - Poughkeepsie photos

Previous Coughlin Posts

• DUFFY - COUGHLIN: Poughkeepsie Brick Wall (Coughlin and Duffy)
• COUGHLIN: Glassblowers in the 1800s
• COUGHLIN: Wallaceburg Schools 
• COUGHLIN: Holy Name of Mary Society, Wallaceburg, Ontario; and Updated post 
• COUGHLIN: Rhea Coughlin & Parke Davis 
• COUGHLIN:  Coughlin Golden Anniversary 1949
• COUGHLIN: Trick or Treating
• COUGHLIN: The Photographic Camera and a Photograph Album
• COUGHLIN: Ice Boating in Windsor, Ontario
• COUGHLIN: The Naturalization Papers of William Henry Coughlin  
• MOYNAHAN - COUGHLIN: Favourite Photo: My Grandparent's 1929 Wedding
• DEMARSE - COUGHLIN: Sister Madeline Demarse (G.S.I.C) (1928-2010)
• SCHOFIELD-COUGHLIN: Arthur and Margaret Schofield 
• COUGHLIN: The Art of Colorizing Photos 
• COUGHLIN: The Coughlin's 1940s Sing-Along! Part 1 
• COUGHLIN-ANNAL: Coughlin Anniversary Folio Pak Snaps
• COUGHLIN: The Coughlin's 1940s Sing-Along! Part 2
• COUGHLIN: Gretta Marie (Coughlin) Langlois

52 Ancestors: Week 8: Heirloom

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks was created by Amy Johnson Crow and is a series of weekly blogging prompts to inspire genealogists and family historians to write about an ancestor and then share it online. The theme for Week 8 is "Heirloom".

Model ship built by James Henry Allan Annal (1849-1930)

The heirloom that I have chosen to write about is a model ship built by my 2nd great-grandfather  James Henry Allan Annal (1849-1930) who was a sailor all of his life and "as a boy was on a whaling expedition for three years in the Arctic."

James Henry Allan Annal 's obituary said that he "sailed every windjammer on the Great lakes a hardy and fearless sailor, and very expert in the construction of ship models."

My 2nd great-grandparents Mary (Hess) and James Henry Allan Annal celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1922

My great-great grandparents lived in Wallaceburg, Ontario near the St. Clair River:  

"During the heyday of water transportation along the St. Clair River, from 1840 to approximately 1931, thousands of schooners, ferries, steamers and flat-bottomed freighters known as scows congested the waterway, hauling goods and passengers up and down the strait, making the river one of the most important arteries in the Great Lakes." (Source: Wallaceburg Courier)

 My 2nd great-grandfather John Henry Allan Annal sailed until he was seventy-three years old!

James Henry Allan Annal had emigrated from his birthplace in the Orkney Islands in 1870 sailing to New York with his sister and the Sutherland family on the steam ship Columbia that left Glasgow, Scotland on November 5, 1870 and arrived in New York on November 5, 1870.

The details of this voyage can be read at http://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.ca/2018/02/william-sutherlands1870-passenger-list.html

This Currier and Ives print is available for sale at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/140283.html

Model Ship Building 

There is a very long tradition of sailors and merchant seaman crafting model ships to pass the time on long voyages. (See PBS Antique Road Show http://www.pbs.org/video/antiques-roadshow-appraisal-folk-art-model-ship-ca-1900/ )

The boat that my grandfather crafted had three masts and it is encased in glass and, based on the handy chart below, I believe it to be a schooner.

Screen capture from Ancestry magazine July/August 2005

We have heard many cousins speak of  model ships built by our great-great grandfather (and his son John Annal) that they remember seeing in their youth but this is the only one that I know of that is still in existence. This treasured family heirloom is in the care of my brother for safekeeping.

William Sutherland's 1870 Emigration From Scotland

Calendar created with Family Tree Maker 2017; Edited to exclude living relatives

My daily genealogy practice since 2017 has been to create monthly calendars using my Family Tree Maker 2017 program that lists all of the births, marriages and deaths for the 1700 ancestors in my family tree.

Each day, I look at the ancestors listed on that particular day and I:

1. honour them by saying their name and then looking them up on my Ancestry Family Tree
2. review all of the information that I have for that ancestor on ancestry.ca
3. search for any new information on that ancestor (shaking "green leaves") that may have become available since the last time I checked
4. create an OTD ("On This Day") social media post on that ancestor to share with my extended family (see a recent example below)
5. create a blog post about an exciting new piece of information that I have found after doing number 1 and 2 above (like I am doing now for William Sutherland)

My 2nd great-uncle James Moynahan who was born in Maidstone, Ontario on Feb. 6, 1879

Above is an example of an "OTD"  that I recently created on February 6, 2018 for my 2nd great-uncle James Moynahan who was born in Maidstone, Ontario on Feb. 6, 1879. He married Miriam Bondy in 1903 and had three sons (Albert of Detroit and Norman & Lawrence of California)
http://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.ca/2016/02/52-ancestors-no-48-moynahan-bondy.html

William Sutherland

I had no idea when I began my "OTD" research for William Sutherland that I would uncover such a tragic story and, at the same time, find NEW information about my 2nd great-grandfather James Henry Allan Annal's emigration to Canada!

William Sutherland (born February 7, 1781 in Aberdeen, Scotland) is the father-in-law of my 3rd great-aunt Jemima Almina Annal (1846-1920) and, when I reviewed recent ancestry.ca hints for William, the 1870 New York City (NYC) passenger list (below) caught my attention!

The 1870 NYC Passenger List

Source:Ancestry.ca; Year: 1870; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 336; Line: 34; List Number: 1031

I found William Sutherland on the passenger list of the ship Columbia that arrived at the port of New York, New York from Glasgow, Scotland on November 5, 1870. On this New York Passenger list I also found more Sutherlands and one Annal! The names on the Passenger List were a bit confused and I have clarified them (in the order listed) below:

• William Sutherland (1781-1870)
• Mrs Sutherland; Barbara (Barron) Sutherland (1804-1898)
• James Sutherland (1850-1933) the son of William and Barbara Sutherland.
• James Annal (1849-1930) This is my 2nd great-grandfather James Henry Allan Annal
• Mrs Annal; Jemima Almina (Annal) Sutherland (1846-1920)
• Barbara Annal; (1870-1929) baby Barbara Sutherland only 8 months old when she made the crossing

 My 2x Great-Grandfather Annal Found 
On The S.S. Columbia

I had always wondered under what circumstances my 2nd great-grandfather James Henry Allan Annal made his way to Canada. I knew that he was a sailor all of his life and so I imagined that, on one of his many trips across the Atlantic, he had simply disembarked and made a new life for himself in Ontario, Canada but now I know he traveled (at twenty-two years of age) in steerage aboard the ship Columbia with his sister Jemima's in-laws the Sutherlands.

The Sutherland Family 

of Chatham, Ontario

The family of James and Jemima (Annal) Sutherland; Chatham, Ontario

The story of James Sutherland (1850-1933) found in The Commemorative biographical record of the county of Kent, Ontario (p 513)

For William's son James, the trip across the Atlantic was worthwhile because he went on to become a "prosperous farmer and leading citizen of Gore of Chatham, Lot 7, Concession 1".

Unfortunately, the crossing over the Atlantic proved fatal for his ninety-year-old father William Sutherland.

November 1870: William Sutherland's Ship

Arrived in New York City Nov. 5th and He Died Nov. 9th

The ship Columbia left Scotland on October 15, 1870  and arrived at the port of New York, New York on November 5, 1870 with six family members from the Sutherland and Annal families. On Wednesday morning, November 9, 1870, the Rochester Daily Democrat Newspaper, (Vol. 38 #2054) reported:

SUDDEN DEATH --- This morning about two o'clock, Wm. Sutherland, who was with his wife and son on the emigrant train from the east, was found dead in his seat in the car on the arrival of the train at the depot. He was ninety years of age, Coroner Harder was called, but the holding of the inquest was postponed until today at 8 o'clock.

Then on Thursday morning, November 10, 1870, the Rochester Daily Democrat Newspaper, (Vol. 38 #2055) reported:

THE DEATH AT THE DEPOT --- William Sutherland, who died at the Depot in this city on Tuesday night, as mentioned in Wednesday's paper, was a Scotchman, on his way to Canada. With his wife and son and one or two other members of his family, he left Scotland on the 15th of October, and landed in New York on Monday last. Before arriving in Rochester, for an hour or two, Sutherland became quite sleepy and had to have assistance in getting on board the Falls train. Soon afterward he was found dead. He was ninety years old, and became much exhausted during the voyage to New York.
Coroner Harder investigated the case, but did not deem it necessary to hold an inquest. The deceased was buried yesterday, and the family left last evening for Canada, where they have relatives residing. 

 William Sutherland Buried at

Mount Hope Cemetery Rochester, Monroe County,  

New York, USA

According to Mt. Hope internment records (http://www.lib.rochester.edu/IN/RBSCP/Databases/IMAGES/MtHope/disc1/00000722.pdf ) William Sutherland was buried in the Public Grounds in Row 16 / Grave #35. 

Joel Shore (who takes headstone photographs for Find A Grave) has done extensive research on this area of the Mt. Hope cemetery in Rochester and the many changes made there since 1870. There is no marker for William Sutherland and it is estimated that his final resting place is captured in the area of these surviving markers in the photograph below taken by Joel Shore.

The Mt. Hope cemetery map is here: http://mcnygenealogy.com/cem/mh-intro.htm
 

Mt. Hope Cemetery, Rochester, New York; Photo taken by Joel Shore (used here with his permission); Find A Grave

Mt. Hope internment records (http://www.lib.rochester.edu/IN/RBSCP/Databases/IMAGES/MtHope/disc1/00000722.pdf

Barbara (Barron) Sutherland Died 1898

William's wife Barbara (Barron) Sutherland died on November 15, 1898 twenty-eight years  after arriving in the port of New York, New York and losing her husband. She is buried in Plot 1011 at the Riverview Cemetery Wallaceburg, Ontario.

 The OTD Review Yields NEW Information

I had no idea that my 2nd great-grandfather James Henry Allan Annal's emigration story was filled with such tragedy and loss and yet I knew that this was common occurrence for so many Scottish and Irish emigrants who took a chance crossing the great Atlantic to make a new life in Canada.
 
These new facts about my Sutherland and Annal ancestors came to me by way of my regular practice to honour my ancestors through my daily OTD (On This Day) review. It is a really helpful practice that I highly recommend for other genealogists and as you can see from William Sutherland's example, you never know what you might find!

The S.S. Columbia
My 2nd Great-grandfather 
James Henry Annal's Emigration Ship
 

This Currier and Ives print is available for sale at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/140283.html

 1870 Anchor Line announcement for Routes on the Norway - Scotland service (Norwegian newspaper)

The S.S. Columbia was built in 1866 at Glasgow by Alexander Stephen & Sons and she was a : "Clipper stem, one funnel, three masts (ship-rigged for sail), iron construction, single screw and a speed of 10 knots. There was accommodation for 80-cabin and 540-3rd class passengers.(Source: http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=colun)

Her maiden voyage was from Glasgow to New York October 27, 1866 and the time needed to cross the Atlantic was fifteen days.

More S.S. Columbia Links

• A Souvenir of the Anchor Line Agents Excursion on the Steamer California ... By Anchor Line
• Ships of Our Ancestors By Michael J. Anuta

Previous Blog Posts About the Annal, Sutherland(and Hess) Families

• 52 Ancestors No.31 Meeting Distant Cousins from the Annal-Hess Clan
• Distant Cousins from the Annal-Hess Clan Part II 
  
• 52 Ancestors # 33: Orkney Sailor James Annal (1849-1930) 
• ANNAL: Family Photograph Mysteries 
• ANNAL: Fire Chief and Ice Dealer James Annal  
• ANNAL: Great Grandmother Elizabeth's Brother John  Annal 
• HESS - ANNAL: Hess & Annal : Feather Renovators (1906) 
• HESS - ANNAL Historical Ontario Vital Statistics Records Available Online for FREE 
• HESS - ANNAL: Annal-Hess
   

52 Ancestors: Week 7: Valentine

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks was created by Amy Johnson Crow and is a series of weekly blogging prompts to inspire genealogists and family historians to write about an ancestor and then share it online. The theme for Week 7 is "Valentine".

While researching the members of the First Sandwich South Council (1893), I came across something interesting about the son of one of the Councillors who was born on Valentine's day 1890.


In 1890, A young boy was born on Valentine's day to Edward J. and Alice Ann (Holden) O'Neil in Essex County and he was named Roy Valentine O'Neil.

52 Ancestors: Week 6: Names

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks was created by Amy Johnson Crow and is a series of weekly blogging prompts to inspire genealogists and family historians to write about an ancestor and then share it online. The theme for Week 6 is "Names".

Today's blog post is about the old Irish name "Honora" which was the name of my 4th great-grandmother Honora (O'Leary) Moynahan.

 

The Old Irish Name: Honora

The name "Honora" was once common in Ireland.

Source: Photocopy of Irish Names

Source: Photocopy of Irish Names

Gaelic Names and Their Anglicized Versions

Census records, passenger lists, and parish records were either written in English or Latin (or in the case of Detroit and Essex county, Ontario, parish records were written in french). Never in Irish. The surname ALWAYS retains the English/French/Latin spelling. And so you see Honora written as Nora, Norah, Hannah, Anna ( even Jane, Jean, Joan!)

My 4th great-grandmother Honora (O'Leary) Moynahan on the 1851 census for Sandwich, Ontario (C-11720)

 Honora (O'Leary) Moynahan is found on the following records with many variations for her name:

• 1833: Detroit marriage record for her son Denis Moynahan she is recorded as "Nory Lery" "Nancy Leary"
• 1851: On the census for Sandwich Township (C-11720) she is recorded as "Honora"
• 1860:  Matthew Moynahan's 1860 Will #915 she is recorded as "Honora"
• 1861:On the census with her son Timothy she is recorded as a "Widow" named "Ann"

Name Variations and Nicknames:

From Old Irish Names: Varieties and synonymes of surnames and christian names in Ireland

From Irelandxo, here are some additional name variants for Honora:

• Hannah, Hanna  =  Honora, Johanna, Anna
• Honor, Honny, Onny, Noey, Norah  =  Honora, Honoria
• Noey, Norah, Onny  =  Honora, Honoria

An Irish ancestor’s first name might be the magic key to unlock the family’s story: their religion, economic status, place of origin in Ireland.

My 4th great-grandmother is my only ancestor with the name "Honora". It is a beautiful name and I hope to learn more about her life in Ireland at some point in the future.

 More LINKS About Irish Names

• Old Irish Names: Varieties and synonymes of surnames and christian names in Ireland. For the guidance of registration officers and the public in searching the indexes of births, deaths, and marriages by Matheson, Robert E. (Robert Edwin), Sir, 1845-1926 
• Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary M-Z  by Harrison, Henry, d. 1921; Harrison, Gyda Pulling, d. 1917
• http://www.irishgenealogical.org/sites/irishgenealogical.org/files/memsepts/2006274.pdf
• Hanora Moynihan - A poem by Francis Duggan https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/hanora-moynihan/

52 Ancestors: Week 5: A Census Surprise!

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks was created by Amy Johnson Crow and is a series of weekly blogging prompts to inspire genealogists and family historians to write about an ancestor and then share it online. The theme for Week 5 is "Census".

Sept. 2017 Statistics Canada Speakers Series entitled,
"A glimpse into the past:
Using historical censuses to research Canadian families".

Back in September 2017, I attended a Statistics Canada Speakers Series entitled, "A glimpse into the past: Using historical censuses to research Canadian families". I learned a lot at this session and I reported my findings on my blog post Statistics Canada - Speaker Series - Historical Censuses .

My 2nd great-grandparents Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan

Inspired by the speakers, I decided to revisit the historic censuses of some of my Essex County, Ontario ancestors and I started with the family of Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan who were my great great grandparents.

My 2nd Great-Grandmother

Mary (Brennan) Moynahan 

Learned How To Read!

One of the most exciting discoveries that I made following my census review was learning that my 2nd great-grandmother had managed to learn how to read!

This would have been something for Mary! She fled the famine in Kerry Ireland when she was twelve years old with her parents. They emigrated to Canada in 1853 and the ability to attend school was not available to her.

My 2nd great-grandmother Mary (Brennan) Moynahan and her daughter Nellie

On the 1871 census Mary (and Jeremiah) were unable to read in 1871 and then on the 1891 census, at fifty years of age, Mary CAN read and write! This is confirmed on the later censuses where Jeremiah her husband is recorded as "unable to read or write" and Mary CAN read and write!

Mary (Brennan) and Jeremiah Moynahan's daughter (Nellie) and son (John) were well-known teachers in Essex county for many years (Nellie taught for thirty-five years and John taught for twelve years before pursuing a municipal career)

It's conceivable that Mary learned reading and writing from her children Nellie and/or John in the evenings or in the summer when school was closed and this is something about our 2nd great-grandmother Mary (Brennan) Moynahan that we would have never known if it weren't for the census records!

As I said in the comment section below, "Pioneer life being what it was (with so much work to do from dawn until dusk) I picture Mary with her handmade slate chalkboard practicing the alphabet by candlelight. That image in my mind makes me smile."

Mary's Son
Teacher: John Moynahan (1866-1933)

Essex Free Press: 25 April, 1975

Mary's Daughter

Teacher: Nellie Moynahan (1865-1940)

Source: St Mary's Church, Maidstone Ontario Centennial Book 1874-1974