Connecting the Clues: Martin Gilbride's Immigration

I've had some great finds lately while refreshing my Gilbride line. I've located not only when Martin and Michael Gilbride—who are older brothers of my direct-line ancestor James Gilbride—became U.S. citizens, but also the dates of their immigration, the names of the ships they travelled on, and the ship manifests where they appear. Score!

I began by estimating when each individual immigrated, as the family did not all arrive in the U.S. together. James Gilbride (senior) and some of his children—James, Mary, Owen, Rose, and Francis—all arrived in April 1850. Missing were his wife Mary Catherine, and sons Martin, Michael, and Patrick, suggesting that they arrived earlier or later.¹

Here's how I tracked down eldest son Martin Gilbride. His immigration date could be estimated from several documents; I used each clue to narrow my focus:

• Clue: Martin first appears in the 1850 U.S. census. Immigration must have been pre-1850.²
• Clue: The 1850 census lists two children in the household, Martin, age 4, was born in Ireland, while James, age 11 months, was born in Pennsylvania. Immigration is further narrowed to between about 1846 when son Martin was born, and 1849 when son James was born.³
• Clue: In an unpublished, unsourced manuscript, Martin's granddaughter Mary Dorothy Gilbride Fitzgerald reminiscences about her family. She wrote that Martin immigrated in 1846, with his family following later. Immigration year of 1846 looking more possible, and Martin may have traveled alone.⁴
  
• Clue: In the 1875 Minnesota state census, Martin indicated that he was a "Male Citizen of U.S. of 21 years of age an up." Martin naturalized before 1875.⁵
• Shifting gears, I looked first for Martin's naturalization papers, as they might provide additional clues to his arrival, particularly if his declaration of intention was available.
• Clue: Knowing that the Gilbride family was initially in Wayne and Luzerne Counties in Pennsylvania, I first tried the Wayne County naturalization records, and found Martin "Gilbright"'s declaration. Martin's arrival date was noted as May 1846, his age was 23, native country was Ireland, and he declared his intention to become a citizen on 10 May 1848. It looked like that manuscript was not far off!⁶

 

Martin Gilbright's declaration stated his 1823 birth year and his May 1846 arrival...

• Not finding his naturalization in Wayne County, next I checked Luzerne's records. Bingo! Martin "Gilbright" made his petition to naturalize on 28 September 1852. Clues in this record were even better. Martin stated that he arrived in the U.S. into the port of New York "...on the 13th day of May A.D. 1846." Now I had an arrival port and a more exact date.⁷

Cover of Martin's naturalization packet.

 

Martin's petition to naturalize included important immigration facts.

Martin's original declaration of intention was included in his Luzerne County naturalization packet.

• Off to the "United States Famine Irish Passenger Index, 1846-1851." Success again! Martin Kilbride, age 22, immigrated on 1 June 1846 from Ireland into the port of New York on the ship Espindola. Though there is a discrepancy in Martin's arrival dates between the ship manifest and Martin's naturalization papers—one states 13 May 1846, the other 1 June 1846—it can be explained: The ship likely took weeks to travel from Ireland to the U.S., so Martin set sail in April or May 1846. In addition, Martin was not literate; he signed his documents by mark. He was unlikely to have had—or been able to read—a calendar, or know his exact dates of travel.⁸
  
• Finally, in the FamilySearch database, "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891," I located the Espindola ship manifest where Martin "Kilbride" sailed as a 22-year old laborer from Ireland, arriving from Liverpool into the Port of New York on 1 June 1846.⁹

Martin Kilbride is recorded as age 22, white, male, and born in Ireland in this manifest snippet.

Next week I'll share what I found on Michael Gilbride's journey from immigrant to U.S. citizen.

Until next time...

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© Nancy Gilbride Casey, 2024. All rights reserved.

IMAGE: "Emigration vessel -- between decks ; Departure of the "Nimrod" and "Athlone" steamers, with emigrants on board, for Liverpool," 1851; image, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library, accessed at The New York Public Library Digital Collections (https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e1-3797-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99 : accessed 23 July 2024).

NOTES

¹ Capt. John Eldridge, Ship Manifest, Liverpool, arriving 3 April 1850, New York, New York, James Kilbride family; image, "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891," FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-559C-54 : accessed 23 July 2024), citing citing National Archives and Records Administration, microfilm publication M237, roll 86, image 607, Washington, D.C.  

² 1850 U.S. Census, Wayne, Pennsylvania, population schedule, line 12, Martin KillBride household; database and images, "United States Census, 1850," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6SGQ-Z6 : 22 May 2024).

³ Ibid.

⁴  Mary D. Fitzpatrick, "Rambles Through Our Family History," typescript, undated; citing Mary Dorothy Gilbride profile, LDRR-3K1, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LDRR-3K1 : accessed 23 July 2024). Document was contributed by David Shoptaw, 10 February 2021. According to the relationship tool on FamilySearch, David is descended through Martin Gilbride and we are fourth cousins.

⁵ 1875 Minnesota State census, population schedule, Le Sueur, p. 263, line 9, family 156, Martin Gilbride; imaged in "Minnesota, U.S., Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905," Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/4006915:1058 : accessed 23 July 2024); citing "Minnesota State Population Census Schedules, 1865-1905," Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul.

⁶ Court of Common Pleas, Wayne County, Pennsylvania, Declarations p. 79, #124, Martin Gilbright, 10 May 1948; imaged in "Pennsylvania, Wayne County, Court of Common Pleas, Naturalization Records, 1799-1906," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WT-ZX2Y : accessed 13 July 2024); citing Prothonotary, Honesdale.

⁷ Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Petition for Naturalization, No. 50, Martin Gilbright, declaration 10 May 1848, admitted 28 September 1852; images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS9C-9WNB-Q : accessed 20 July 2024); citing Prothonotory Office, Wilkes-Barre; FHL film 007795910, images 1077-1079.

⁸ "United States Famine Irish Passenger Index, 1846-1851," entry for Martin Kilbride, 22, arrival New York from Liverpool, 1 June 1846, ship Espindola; database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDX8-8Z7 : accessed 23 July 2024); citing "Famine Irish Passenger Record Data File (FIPAS), 1/12/1846 - 12/31/1851," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (http://aad.archives.gov); citing Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies. Center for Immigration Research 1976-2002.

⁹ Capt. Geo Barstow, Ship Manifest, Espindola, arriving 1 June 1846, New York, New York, Martin Kilbride, age 22; images, "New York Passenger Lists, 1829-1891," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-R99W-NK : accessed 20 July 2024); citing National Archives and Records Administration, microfilm publication M237, roll 62, image 101, Washington, D.C.