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Kilbride and McAndrew Clues From Ireland

I'm still riding high from a two-week trip to Ireland the Hubs and I just took! We took one morning off from our drive along the Wild Atlantic Way to conduct what the Hubs calls the "Nancy's dead relatives" portion of the trip. We visited County Mayo, the reputed place of origin for many of my Irish ancestors who made their way to the United States after the Famine and settled in Pennsylvania. We had a wonderful guide there, got some valuable clues, and set eyes on places that my ancestors probably saw in their time.    The family background My immigrant Kilbride (the name became Gilbride over time) ancestors were my 4th great-grandparents James Kilbride and Mary Hart . James and many of the couple's children immigrated to America in April 1850. They followed their two eldest sons, Martin, who immigrated in 1846 and Michael, who arrived in 1847. 1 Another of my Irish immigrant couples were my great-great-grandparents Patrick McAndrew and Ann Kelly , wh...
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Chas. Cassidy is Stricken

This blog post is part of the "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" writing challenge by genealogist, blogger and podcast host Amy Johnson Crow. Week 4 prompt: "At the Library"


Libraries hold many riveting books, popular DVDs, and and are infinite sources of knowledge, where one can step out into a wider world or delve deep into the past. Or both. Family history could be tucked away in a library waiting to be discovered.

Even though I live in Texas, I was able to search in faraway St. Catharines, Ontario to find an obituary for one of my great, great grandfathers: Charles Francis Cassidy, the grandfather of Mary Josephine Baker, my paternal grandmother. The St. Catharines Public Library in Ontario offers a archive search on its website, where I located the issue, and the friendly staff there provided a copy of the item for a small fee.

CHAS. CASSIDY IS STRICKEN the headline shouts from the page of the St. Catharines Standard, on 5 Apr 1926. It painted a very vivid picture of his life and his death.1

Charles Francis Cassidy was "the well known blacksmith" who owned his own shop. The obituary tells about how hard-working he was: He had helped "shoe 11 horses" on the day he died. It talks about his "wide circle of friends," and his affiliation with St. Catharines Roman Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus and the Holy Name Society, among others. All small details of his life, which helped me understand him more.

The obituary goes on to give a sensational accounting of his death on the street - how he was "suddenly stricken," in front of an armory, and "died instantly, falling to the ground with his hands still at his sides." It names the two doctors who came to his aid, "endeavoring to stimulate life," but who were unsuccessful. 

Importantly for any family historian, it also details his surviving family, including "Mrs. Edward Baker of Cleveland," one of my paternal great grandmothers. I also learned for the first time the names of of his brothers: Matthew, Phillip and a "Rev. Bro. Mondolf," who I assume was a Christian Brother--all subjects for future research.

The attention shown to Charles Cassidy through this detailed article, shows he held a position of some prominence in his community, and he merited more than a simple obituary or death notice. I hope to flesh out more of his life more in future blog posts.

NOTES

1 "Charles Cassidy is Stricken," St. Catharines Standard, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, 5 Apr 1926, p. 1; image supplied by St. Catharines Public Library, Ontario, 2017.
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