Showing posts with label Expressman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Expressman. Show all posts

Saturday, September 12, 2015

52 Ancestors No. 36: “Working for a Living.”

This week's theme for Amy Crow's 52 Ancestors is "Working For A Living" and I thought that I would do a review of various occupations in my family tree.

Our ancestor's "Working For A Living"

Most of the information on our ancestor's occupations can be found through reading census reports (1825-1921) or by looking at voters lists (1935-1980).

The last Canadian census report that has been published was 1921 (and is available on ancestry.ca) (Note that all Canadian census reports prior to 1921 are available for free on the Library and Archives Canada website)

Below is a list of links to pages where I have previously spoken about our ancestor's occupation:

Auctioneer
Autoworker
Carpenter
Parke Davis Clerical
Detective
Dressmaker
Expressman
Farmer
Feather Renovators
Fire Chief
Glassblower
Ice Dealer
Ironworker
Labourer 
Lawyer
Midwife
Miner
Nun
Nurse
Olympian
Politician
Priest
Railway Worker
Sailor
Soldier
Teacher
Union Leader
Other

Friday, June 27, 2014

Jeremiah Moynahan - Veteran Detroit Expressman (1849-1905)

The following post is about Jeremiah Moynahan  a veteran Detroit Expressman who died in 1905. I was inspired to write it after receiving a comment on a previous blogpost. This Jeremiah Moynahan is buried in the same Moynahan cemetery plot as my great great great grandfather Denis Moynahan (1792-1885) (see below).






The rest of the article:

"Although he had been ailing many months, his unexpected death came as a shock to his family. Not until a few hours before he passed did he take to his bed. Then Dr. J. T. Hubel was summoned, but he merely shook his head, it was too late.

Dean James Savage, his pastor and neighbour, prepared Mr. Moynahan for death and about 3 o'clock the end came. He was born in Detroit, almost where he died, within the shadow of Most Holy Trinity church, from where the funeral will take place Wednesday morning.

He is survived by a widow and six children, Daniel, Jeremiah and Julia Marie Moynahan, Mrs. Jeremiah Murphy, Mrs. Katherine Barnes and Mrs. E.B. Howard. Mrs Carr of this city and Mrs. Julia Kelly of Milwaukee are sisters.

For several years he was a special officer stationed on Belle Isle bridge but he was best know as an expressman. His honest dealings gained for him an enviable reputation among men engaged in the same business, and it is said of him that a stranger, arriving at one of the depots, was always treated in a kindly way by "Jerry" Moynahan.

Genial, good-hearted, witty, he was a pleasant man to meet. He was one of the unique characters of the sixth ward. His time was taken up entirely with his family and work and the only organization to which he belonged was the Men's Society of S.S. Peter & Paul's Jesuit cathedral.



Jeremiah died October 28 and was  buried October 31, 1905 at Mount Elliott Cemetery. We learn from his death certificate that his father's name was also Jeremiah. Upon examining his sister's (Hannah Moynahan Carr) death certificate below, we have evidence that Jeremiah Sr. was born in Kerry, Ireland.


I also learned from his death certificate that he had ten children (with seven living in 1905 although only six were mentioned in the obituary?). I also learned from Jeremiah's obituary that in 1905 he lived at 121 Porter St Detroit.

Looking at historic Detroit City Directories (1856-1896) I found the following:

Polks Detroit City Directory 1855-56
1861 Detroit City Directory
1880 Detroit Directory Pages 618-619

Detroit City and Wayne County Directory 1886

1893 Detroit City Directory
Belle Isle Bridge Approach - Detroit
Links
Original Document
The Connection?

The Moynahan Cemetery Lot at Mount Elliot in Detroit

My great great great grandfather Denis Moynahan is buried with Jeremiah and many other Moynahans in Detroit.

Received 1988 from Mt Elliot Cemetery Detroit
The Moynahan Plot