As of August 2003, I have very little information about my Irish ancestors. This is what I do know:
My maternal great-grandfather, JOHN H. MAHON(E)Y, was born on 18 February 1847 somewhere in County Kerry, Ireland. According to his death certificate, his parents were THOMAS MAHON(E)Y and JOHANNA NASH. To this date, however, I've been unable to determine the exact town in which he was born.
At some time before 1873 he emigrated to the United States. His marriage to Anna Hart may have occurred on 3 December 1872 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Sources for this tentative conclusion are the facts that:
- their eldest child, Thomas, was noted in censuses as having been born in Ohio in 1873
- the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) International Genealogical Index (IGI) has a record of a John Mahony and Anna Hart marrying in Hamilton County, Ohio on that date
- there is a listing in the Original Marriage Records, vol. 59 (1872-1873), p. 84, record #168 for the marriage of John Mahony and Anna Hart (LDS microfilm #344482); however, since there's nothing recorded on the "Marriage Return" section (which indicates exactly where and when they were married), I haven't been able to locate any church records yet which might provide more information.
He worked for railroads as a blacksmith, at least as early as 1880. The census of that year locates the young family of John, Anna, and 7 year old Thomas in Center Township, City of Cochran, Dearborn County, Indiana--just over the border from Hamilton County. Since the Ohio & Mississippi railroad shops were in Cochran, it's likely that he worked for them. (To date, a search of 1870 censuses has resulted in no John Mahon(e)ys that would match him.) It was in this county that two of their other sons were born: John and my grandfather, Daniel Emmett.
By 1900 the family was living at 901 West Main Street, Washington, Daviess County, Indiana, where he lived until the end of his life. Prior to that, they may have been in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, because there's a record of the birth of a daughter, Anna, to John and Anna Mahoney on 12 April 1892. However, in 1889 they were definitely in Daviess County, because the birth and baptism of their youngest son, Leo Raphael, are noted there.
My great-grandfather died on 3 May 1912 in a gruesome railroad crossing accident just a few blocks from his home.
My maternal great-grandmother, ANNA A. HART, was born on 17 March 1852 in an unknown town of County Mayo. At some point before 1873 she emigrated to the United States and most likely married my great-grandfather in 1872 in Cincinnati. She died on 28 August 1918.
She had four children of whom I have definite knowledge; Anna, born in 1892 to a John and Anna Mahoney in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, may be one of the children who my mother said died in infancy. The four for whom I have certain documentation were:
- THOMAS E. MAHONEY was born in October 1873 in Ohio--most likely Cincinnati or somewhere in Hamilton County. According to the 1910 census, he was a blacksmith in the railroad shop, but wasn't working at the time; he was back at work, though, at the time of his father's death. He probably died on 1 September 1920: the Index to Daviess County Death Records lists a Thomas E. Mahoney as dying on that date, and the age matches his birthdate. I've found no other census or other reference to him after he acted as the informant on his mother's death certificate in 1918.
- JOHN FRANCIS MAHONEY was born on 23 September 1882, and baptized in St. Mary's Church in Aurora, Dearborn County, Indiana on 1 October. His godparents were William and Catharine Fahey. After his brother's 1915 obituary, in which he was referred to as living in Washington (Indiana), he dropped off the radar. Although he was obviously still living in 1918, since his mother's obituary referred to three surviving sons, there was no mention of his name or address at that time.
- DANIEL EMMET MAHONEY--my grandfather--was probably more frequently referred to as "Emmet(t) Daniel." Born on 18 February 1887 in Aurora, Dearborn County, Indiana, he was baptized on 27 February in St. Mary's Church in that city; his godparents were John Bowler and Margaret Ferrin.
On 16 April 1914, he married Bertha Lloyd Potts of Daviess County (IN) in Little Rock, Arkansas; they had 11 children, 10 of whom survived beyond childhood. Because of his occupation as a boilermaker, the family resettled frequently: they were living in Washington (Daviess County) in 1916; in Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana, by 1919; back in Washington by 1921; in Huntington, West Virginia at least from 1925-1930, where he worked for Huntington Boiler; in Hornell, New York, from at least 1938 until 1944, where he worked for the Erie Railroad; and finally in Schenectady, New York, where he worked for American Locomotive (ALCO) for 10 years until his retirement. He died on 31 January 1957.
- RAPHAEL LEO MAHONEY was born on 13 October 1889 in Washington, Indiana, and baptized on 20 October in St. Simon's Church. His godparents were Patrick Nevin and Nora Langly, with a proxy being Mrs. B. Buffington. He died in his mother's home on 4 April 1915, having worked as a boilermaker in the Navy and in Sedalia, Missouri, where he lived until becoming ill with cancer.
Daniel Emmet around 1910 |
Daniel & brother,
identity & date unknown |
Daniel,
date unknown |
Daniel,
1940s |
Daniel,
1951 |
