MCNAMARA : Genealogy Query


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Date Posted:

09-Mar-2007

Surname(s):

MCNAMARA

Query Text:

My grandfather, John McNamara, was the first of our family to be born in the US. His father, emigrated to the US from County Cork or County Clare, Ireland. John was born in 1902. I believe he was born in New York, at least NY State. John's mother's name was Nellie. We don't know what his father's name was or anything else about them. We do have some information that says that Nellie was not Irish. John married my grandmother, Mary (Koch) McNamara and they settled in Amsterdam, NY. John died in December 1967. Mary died in June 1982. Any information about my Grandfather, John McNamara's ancestors would be greatly appreciated. Update: More research has revealed that John McNamara was a "Junior" and that he was not the first born in the US. His father, John McNamara, Sr., was also born in the US according to the 1930 US Census. His (John, Sr.) parents were born in Ireland. Nellie Fero McNamara's parents were born in the US. Any information about either of these individuals is appreciated. John McNamara, Sr. would have been born about 1875 in New York State. Nellie Fero McNamara would have been born about 1881. These dates are derived from their ages listed on the 1930 US Census. Still another update! I'm getting warmer! John McNamara, Sr.'s father was John McNamara. He married an Anna Duffy. If John E. McNamara, Sr. was born in 1873 (and we know he was), you would figure that John and Anna McNamara must've been in their "child-bearing" years of 20-25 or thereabouts. Right? That means that they must have been born between 1848-1853. That's a five year spread that would make each of them 20-25 years old in 1873 when John E. McNamara, Sr was born in Amsterdam, NY. I did some research on John McNamara and Anna Duffy using Irish Emigration Research records during the Potato Famine years. By the way, there was no Anna McNamara listed on any of the ship's passenger lists during the years that they would have had to have emigrated from Ireland. This tells me that they weren't yet married and married later in America. The name Anna Duffy appears on ship passenger lists only two times between the years 1844-1866. The first Anna Duffy listed arrived in New York in 1844. She was 9 years old which means she would have been 38 in 1873 when John E. McNamara, Sr. was born. The second Anna Duffy arrived in Boston in 1866. She was 17, which makes her 29 years old in 1873. I'm thinking that this is the Anna Duffy who is my Great Great Grandmother. The first Anna Duffy was 38 in 1873. That's very old for having a child even by today's standards. Back in the 1800's, that would have been suicide. Now, for John McNamara. As you would imagine, there were quite a few John McNamara's listed. I've narrowed it down logically to about six (6) possibilities so far. Name Age Year of Arrival Port of Arrival Age in 1873 1. John McNamara 4 1847 Boston 30 2. John McNamara 12 1848 New York 37 3. John McNamara 8 1852 Boston 29 4. John McNamara 7 1854 Boston 27 5. John McNamara 15 1854 Boston 34 6. John McNamara 0 1854 Boston 19 As you can see, each of these could definitely have fathered a child in 1873. I'm theorizing that John and Anna both arrived in Boston as children. They probably lived in Boston for awhile before either they or their parents moved to Amsterdam. During that time they met, fell in love and married. They probably didn't even know each other back in Ireland or if they did, they were too young to be romantically involved. They definitely arrived on different ships in different years, but probably arrived in Boston. This also means that there is a possibility that John and Anna married in Amsterdam, so there could be a marriage license. (None found as of 3/2007). There should definitely be death certs on John and Anna in Amsterdam. (Again, none found as of 3/2007).