It has not been much of a Genealogical Summer...

There hasn't been much genealogical activity on my part this summer.  There was an occasional flurry of activity on Ancestry, but not much other research getting done.

Moses Murphy

On the DNA front, I upgraded the O'Connell DNA and there were more mismatches with Daniel O'Connell that makes us now unrelated.  Not sure how that works.  I'm going to have to talk to somebody who knows more about it. The other fun in the DNA word is that I upgraded the Burns DNA to Family Finder and there have been a few hits.  Family Finder looks at both sides-maternal and paternal.  So far, only one hit seems to go anywhere in terms knowing how we may be related.  A woman in Australia is a Murphy descendant from County Wexford and it is possible that her ancestor is a relative of Moses Murphy! Another woman, Patricia Lindkvist, is a 2nd-3rd cousin possibility. I emailed this woman, but no response.  Doing a little digging, there is a possible Patricia Lindkvist, who died last year, that is a possible distant relative. In fact this was interesting, because I traced her back to the Haydens.  In our family, there has always been the "we are related to" Monsignor Ambrose Hayden.  It is known that Hanorah Reardon married Michael Hayden. For a while, there was a working theory that Mary Riordan/Reardon, mother of Hanorah may have been a sister of  Ellen Sullivan Shea, who was the mother of Mary Shea, wife of Moses. Since this post was originally written, contact with Patricia's family has clarified that Mary Riordan's maiden name was Shea. (correction, 8 Nov 2014--also see this blog on 23 Feb 2012)  Anyway, Patricia shares a lot of DNA with Tom--more than I would expect from this distant of a relationship.  More avenues to follow!

Moses Murphy was born about 1831 in County Wexford according to his gravestone.  He was in New York State by approximately 1856 or '57 because it is presumed that he married Mary Shea about that time.  He does appear in the 1860 NY Federal Census in Easton Township, Washington County.  At that time, Mary his wife, Mary Ellen and Hannah (daughters) also appear.  Ellen "Shoo" as it was spelled on the census was living with them--Ellen Shea--Mary's mother.

By the 1865 Minnesota Census, the Moses Murphy family was living in Derrynane. Their children were Mary Ellen (Kilduff), Hannah (Burns), Elizabeth (Green), Catherine (Cullen), Bridget (Hickey), John & Thomas (never married),Agnes (O'Neill) and Cecelia (Weldon).

Moses died in 1887.

Moses also had 2 brothers who lived in Le Sueur County.  Michael Murphy married Mary Ellen Thornton. Their children were John, Thomas, Moses, James and Mary Ann.  Michael died fairly young in 1878 and his wife married Michael Lavery.  Only Thomas had a biological child that I can find.  James adopted the daughter of Christopher Shea after Christopher's wife died.

His other brother was Martin Murphy.  When he died, he was described as Moses Murphy's youngest brother.  Martin was born about 1845, so I'm sure there must have been more children in between besides Michael.  Martin married Mary McCourtney in 1870.  Mary died in 1875.  Martin died in 1889.

Patrick T. Burns and Hannah Murphy's Family

     Our ancestor coming out of the Eliza Barry and Timothy Burns family is Patrick T. Burns.  In the newspaper he is often referred to as P. T. Burns. He was born in Stoughton, Massachusetts on 7 March 1854 and if the marriage certificate is correct, was named for his paternal grandfather.
     He married Hannah Murphy, daughter of Mary Shea and Moses Murphy on 12 October 1880 at the Church of St. Thomas. There were 13 children born to this marriage: Patrick Leo, Mary Elizabeth, Ellen "Nellie", Ambrose Timothy, Mary Ellen "Mae" (Foldesi), Cecelia (Olstad), Moses, Baby Boy, Thomas, Frances, John Joseph, Agnes and George F.
     Patrick T. farmed most of his life on a farm in Tyrone Township.  A few bits reveal little details of his life:  in 1886 a news item said he was "experienced in surgery" and had dressed the foot of his brother Jerry who had injured his foot while chopping wood.  In 1905, Patrick himself lost the end of one of his fingers in a harvester. In 1906, he had a phone!  The number was: 186 J-4.  I'm not sure what these little news bits tell us. It certainly isn't a full measure of a man!!
    When he died, the news bit got it wrong!  In his obituary headline, he was referred to as Herbert. Where that came from I have no idea!!!!

Died at his home on the 9th, after a short illness, Patrick T. Burns, aged about fifty-two years. He leaves a wife and eleven children, three brothers and a sister to mourn his untimely death, beside a hot of friends and neighbors who respected and admired his high character and manly life. The funeral was held on Saturday and was very largely attended. He was a member of the A. O. H., which attended in a body. Le Sueur and Belle Plaine and the Center were all well represented at the funeral. We extend our deepest sympathy to the wife and the children in their great loss.

Belle Plaine Herald, 16 Jul 1908

 On July 23rd, the Le Sueur News reported that Mrs. P. T. Burns received $1,000 from the AOH (Ancient Order of Hibernians. 
     Truth be told, I don't know a lot about George's siblings.  His brother Thomas was killed in October 1918 

Hannah Murphy Burns &
grandson, Dick Burns

 while a soldier during WWI in France.  I recently came across a record on Ancestry that gave his burial place.  His grave is in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Romagne, France.  Newspapers at the time implied that his death date was not really known but this record gave his death date as 25 October 1918.  According to the newspaper, his sister Cecelia served as an Army nurse briefly from October 1918-May 1919.  Moses may have enlisted in the army as well according to the newspaper, though no record surfaces on Ancestry. 
     Patrick Leo--more often referred to as Leo--may have played the violin.  According to a newspaper bit, his aunt Katie Cullen gave it to him. 
     No pictures of Patrick T. exist that I know of.  We do have a photo of Hannah Murphy Burns. 

     There is a better picture of her, but this is one with Dad.