Catherine McCarville Lyons, daughter of Bridget Greenan and Hugh McCarville
Irish John’s Cousins - The Lyons
Several weeks ago Paul Willrodt gave us a suitcase full of old documents and photographs. Great Uncle Frank Smith carried this suitcase with him to the retirement home in Chamberlain. After Frank’s death this suitcase fell into the Willrodt hands as no one knew what to do with it. Thank God for that! Frank thought it important to keep old land and horse documents plus an assortment of old photographs. In the weeks ahead we will add scanned copies of these old items to our website. One letter in that suitcase from Mary McNulty intrigued us. Mary’s letter sadly described her mother’s death. See below.
Mary McNulty Letter
505 Chestnut St
Richmond Hill
Dear Cousin
It is with great sorrow and deep grief that I have to write and say my dear good good
Mother passed away on Jan. 28 - 1915. She had been ill since Sept - but was confined
to her bed since Oct. 28th - She died a most beautiful death surrounded by her family
of whom she was so fond and I am very positive that she went straight to heaven for she
was loved by every one - and was known everywhere for her great goodness. I
received your letter but at the time Mother was so sick that I did not have time and I
have made many attempts since to write but I have been so lonesome & upset that I
don't know what to do with myself. Never have I been away from her - only the short
time while my husband was alive & then I was with her every day - My two daughters
& their husbands are living with me. Kittie has two beautiful children a boy & girl &
Anna a letter for you will say I should not be lonesome but they have their husbands & I
am alone. It just sets me crazy when I think of Ma but Gods Holy Will be done. I am
sending you some papers about her death. Fr. McCluskey said the Mass - write me and
I will answer with more news. I can't write tonight
Yours sincerely
Mary E. McNulty
February 20, 1915
The surname ‘McNullty’ looked familiar. Several years ago we received a copy of ‘Irish’ John Smith’s travelogue to Ireland and Scotland. In it we found the following entries:
August 13 1908, Landed in New York at 8 am. It was very warm went to Cousins Lyons.
August 14 Page 38...And Saw my Cousins in 20th St. NY August 15th. August 16th Page
39, Went to mass in St Bridgets. Father Kelley celebrated mass Mrs McNulty Kitty went
with us. Frank Lyons took Cony Iland and we had the time of our life.
Although we had seen John’s travel information before, we were never able to link to the correct family. That is because we were never quite sure of Mrs. McNulty’s relationship to the Lyons clan, or if her first name was Kitty. Mary McNulty’s letter resolved these issues. By mentioning her own family’s names (Mary McNulty and her two daughters, Anna and Kittie), we were able to find the find their names in a 1910 US Census for Queens County, New York. Incidentally, her letter mentions her cousin, Father Thomas McCluskey, who officiated the funeral mass.
Lyons and McNulty Census Record
1910 US Census; Queens Ward 2, Queens, New York
Relation |
Household |
Sex |
Age |
Birthplace |
self |
F |
65y |
Ireland |
|
daughter |
Mary E McNulty |
F |
50y |
New York |
gdaughter |
F |
20y |
New York |
|
gdaughter |
F |
18y |
New York |
|
boarder |
F |
20y |
Russia |
From this census record we now know the mother’s name - Catherine Lyons. Mary’s letter indicates her mother died on January 28, 1915. The following news article details funeral arrangements for Catherine Lyons.
Catherine Lyons’ Obituary
January 30, 1915; Daily Star; Richmond Hill, NY
Catherine Lyons' obituary provided further family details. Her deceased husband was named James Lyons. This obituary only lists one child - Frank Lyons. (Frank Lyons took “Irish” John Smith to Coney Island.) From this article we discovered husband James owned a lampblack factory in New York. Their home was described as a 'mansion' along Cypress Avenue in the Evergreen section of Queens County.
Further research uncovered a second obituary for Catherine Lyons.
Catherine Lyons Obituary - 2nd Version
Brooklyn New York Daily Eagle; Brooklyn, NY; January 30, 1915
1900 US Census; Queens Ward 2; New York
The 1900 US census does show some interesting details. James and Catherine Lyons lived in Queens. Mary McNulty and her daughters, Catherine and Anne, lived with the Lyons’ family. Mary McNulty's husband was named Michael and he died in 1897. James Lyons was a self-made millionaire. Three servants lived with them (Catherine Wilson, Bridget Laughlin and Mary Laughlin). The following were listed as boarders: William Schmidt, Patrick Gilhooly, Henry Schmidt, Thomas McDonnell and John Schneider. Next door lived their son, James Lyons, his wife Mary, and their two daughters - Laura and Florence. .
Lone Rock, Wisconsin, Cousins
Catherine Lyons and her daughter, Mary, visited relatives in Wisconsin. This is not the only time they visited relatives in Wisconsin. We found other articles; however, this news article specifically mentioned Lone Rock, Wisconsin. Catherine‘s brother, James McCarville, farmed in Wisconsin next door to our own ancestors and “Irish” John Smith’s cousins.
Newtown Register, Queens County; Newtown, NY; November 3, 1910
James Lyons Sr. Life and Death
James Lyons Sr. died on December 7, 1907, in Queens, New York. James was an inventor and made his fortune manufacturing a product called ‘lampblack’. The dictionary defines lampblack as “a finely divided form of almost pure carbon produced by the incomplete combustion of organic compounds, such as natural gas, used in making carbon electrodes and dynamo brushes and as a pigment.” In 1898 James Lyons’ company supplied New York City with all its paving cement. It was described as very lucrative. In 1898 the Lyons family spent their summer in Rockaway and stayed at the United States Hotel where they celebrated their good fortune. Rockaway was a popular summer resort area in Queens.
The following snippet appeared in the April 11, 2002, edition of the Ridgewood Times; Ridgewood, New York:
In the mid-1860’s, the James Lyons Family settled there on 33.1 acres. Eventually he
started a paper mill and a lamp black works. There were two ponds on his property.
Mr. Lyons collected garbage from restaurants and burned it to make lamp black. It
was a messy operation as was the paper mill. Once Mr. Lyons was accused by a
neighbor of dumping waste into the Ridgewood Reservoir. Actually he had dumped
waste into one of the ponds on his property.
Mr. Lyons died in the early 1900’s. Their daughter, Catherine, had married James
O’Brien, who was a New York State Senator. In 1909, he introduced a Special Bill
which was approved to permit the Lyons Family to convert their 33.1 acres into a
cemetery. In March 1913, work was begun on the conversion of the Lyons property
into a cemetery. The land was graded and filled in. The paper mill and lamp black
works were torn down. The Lyons Homestead was retained to be used as the office
of the superintendent of the cemetery. A 1909 real estate map of the Lyons property
appears to be identical with current day Mount Judah Cemetery.
Below is a picture of present day Mount Judah Cemetery. The Lyons house shown below is used by the cemetery superintendent. In the late Nineteenth century and early Twentieth century the Lyons’ family suffered through fires in home and business. James believed it bad luck or that someone was deliberately setting fires. He had no insurance but could afford it. After this string of fires, James decided to insure his assets against fire damage. The manufacturing plant’s loss was estimated at $100,000 - a tidy sum at the time.
The following was found in the 1919 edition of R.L. Polk & Co.'s 'New York Co-partnership and Corporation Directory':
Mt Judah Cemetery (NY) Frank Lyons Pres. Saml Goldberg V-Pres. Mary McNulty
Sec. Directors: Frank Lyons, Saml Goldberg Mary McNulty 89 Delancey125
James Lyons’ obituary appears below:
James Lyons’ Obituary
January 8, 1908, edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle; Brooklyn, NY
The following obituary was found in the Newtown Register; January 2, 1908. From this obituary we learn the names of James Lyons’ parents - Patrick and Mary Lyons.
From James Lyons’ obituary we learned he married Catherine McCorville (sic McCarville) in 1861. McCarville is a surname we see in Bear Creek, Wisconsin. James Lyons was born in County Meath, Ireland; however, Catherine McCarville was born in County Monaghan, Ireland. Further research uncovered an obituary for Catherine’s mother, Bridget McCarville. Bridget died in 1897.
Bridget McCarville’s Obituary
The New York Herald; New York, New York; June 7, 1897
This was a sad period for the Lyons family. Mary McNulty’s husband, Michael, died a few weeks before Bridget’s death.
Michael McNulty Death
New York Herald; New York, New York; May 25, 1897
Selected Lyons’ Marriage Notices
The Lyons household saw many wedding celebrations.
Frank Lyons Marriage; December 3, 1896; Newtown Register; Newtown, New York
Catherine Lyons Marriage; November 14, 1898; Brooklyn Daily Eagle; Brooklyn, New York
Delie Lyons wedding
The Newtown Register; Newtown, NY; October 18, 1888
Delie’s wedding article describes an opulent affair attended by Brooklyn’s elite society. Her siblings were heavily involved in her wedding and it was a joyous affair. Alas, within a few years Delie would meet an early death perhaps dying during childbirth. From this article we learn Delie’s cousin, Father Thomas McCluskey of St. Patrick‘s Cathedral, performed the wedding ceremony. Delie’s sister, Katie Lyons, was her bridesmaid. Brothers Frank and Henry Lyons served as ushers. After the wedding Delie received a diamond brooch from her new husband, a music box from her mother, and diamond earrings from her father. An orchestra performed at her wedding.
Delie Finley-Lyons Obituary
The New York Herald; New York City, NY; August 10, 1895
Latter 19th Century
Except for 1870, we do not know where Bridget or Hugh McCarville lived prior to 1900. They may have lived in the New York City metro area; however, we have not found proof of it thus far. The 1880 US Census shows James Lyons’ occupation as ‘Fat Cooker’. The lampblack manufacturing plant did include rendering dead animals, so it is probably an accurate job description. James already made his fortune by this time.
1880 US Census; Newtown, Queens, New York
Relation |
Name |
Sex |
Age |
Birthplace |
self |
James Lyons |
M |
44 |
Ireland |
wife |
F |
35 |
Ireland |
|
daughter |
F |
18 |
New York, United States |
|
son |
M |
17 |
New York, United States |
|
daughter |
F |
15 |
New York, United States |
|
daughter |
F |
12 |
New York, United States |
|
son |
M |
11 |
New York, United States |
|
other |
F |
50 |
Ireland |
|
other |
M |
45 |
Ireland |
|
other |
M |
38 |
Ireland |
|
other |
M |
32 |
Ireland |
|
other |
M |
19 |
Ireland |
|
other |
M |
23 |
Ireland |
|
other |
M |
21 |
Ireland |
|
other |
M |
34 |
Ireland |
1870 US Census; Newtown, Queens County, New York
James Lyons and his family were living in Queens County by 1870 at least.
Hugh and Bridget McCarville in Brooklyn
US Census; 16th Ward for City of Brooklyn; New York; Post Office: Williamsburg
This is the only census record where we find both Hugh and Bridget McCarville listed. Williamsburg is an interesting location. Williamsburg was next door to Walworth St. in Brooklyn. Today there is an east-west road that splits Williamsburg from Bedford Stuyvesant (Walworth is at the very northern end of Bed-Sty). Across the road is Williamsburg. Why is that important? Our ancestor, “Irish” John Smith, his mother and siblings lived on Walworth Street in Brooklyn. Very likely the McCarville family knew and interacted with our ancestors during the Eighteen Fifties.
McCarville Family Immigrates to America - 1852
It is not clear when Bridget’s husband, Hugh McCarville, died. New York City records show a Hugh McCarville aged 69 years died in Kings County on November 28, 1875. The McCarville family (sans father Hugh) arrived in New York City aboard the Antarctic on April 1, 1852. The Antarctic departed from Liverpool. The manifest below shows which McCarvilles made the journey. Besides mother Bridget the following children are indicated - Catherine, Hugh and Terrence. The other name (female?) is undecipherable.
Three McCarville Brothers In Sauk County, Wisconsin
Three names do not appear on this immigration manifest - Hugh Sr., James and Frank McCarville. Hugh was the father, James and Frank were siblings. James and Frank eventually moved west with other relatives and settled in Bear Creek Township, Sauk County, Wisconsin. Their younger brother, Hugh Jr., eventually joined them in Bear Creek. Frank McCarville served his country and enlisted in the 49th Wisconsin Regiment during the Civil War. Also enlisting in the 49th was “Irish” John Smith’s father-in-law, William Rooney. A number of Bear Creek men joined up at the same time, possibly to watch over each other’s back. Three McCarville brothers (Hugh Jr., Frank and James) are buried in St. Patrick’s cemetery in Bear Creek, Sauk County, Wisconsin.
Mary McNulty Obituary
Finally, the following news articles show Mary McNulty’s obituary as it appeared in the Long Island Daily Press; Long Island, New York, dated May 13, 1929. The second obituary appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle; Brooklyn, New York, dated May 12, 1929.
James H. Lyons (Son) Obituary
Brooklyn Eagle; Brooklyn, NY; November 23, 1940
The youngest son of James and Catherine Lyons died in 1940. From this obituary we discover James and his wife, Mary, had 6 daughters.
Frank Lyons Obituary
Brooklyn Daily Star; Brooklyn, NY; August 18, 1921
Frank Lyons was the oldest boy in thee family.
How are We Related?
Earlier in this document we included a news article where Catherine Lyons and her daughter, Mary McNulty, visited relatives in Lone Rock, Wisconsin. The following news article indicates who they visited in Wisconsin - James McCarville. James McCarville and Catherine McCarville Lyons were siblings.
The following facts are known.
1) The McCarville family maintains their genealogy record on-line and it includes the following comment about James McCarville.
James McCarville
M, b. August 1833, d. 12 October 1908
“James McCarville was born in August 1833 at Ireland. He married Anna Phelan, daughter of John Phelan and Catherine Slevin, circa 1852. James McCarville married Julia (?) on 12 February 1877 at Crawford, Wisconsin. James McCarville died on 12 October 1908 at age 75. He was buried after 12 October 1908 at Our Lady of the Fields, Loreto, Old Chapel, Old St. Patrick's, Bear Creek, Sauk, Wisconsin.1 He immigrated in 1848. He purchased land on 15 May 1857 at Bear Creek, Sauk, Wisconsin.”
(2) wisconsinhistory.org', a Wisconsin genealogy website, shows this early marriage record. The groom's name is incorrect but look at the parent's names. The marriage date in the above family genealogy and on the Wisconsin genealogy site are the same, so I believe they are a match.
groom's name: James Mccarvillie
bride's name: Juliana Sullivan
marriage date: 12 Feb 1877
groom's father's name: Hugh Mccarville
groom's mother's name: Bridget Mccarville
bride's father's name: John Hurley
bride's mother's name: Mary Hurley
(3) The following details comes from a family history maintained by the McCarville/McCarbel Family Association.
The McCarville/McCarbel family genealogy, 900 AD to 2002 AD - Volume 2 - Page 1069
James W. McCarville, McCarville Family Association - 2002
“Hugh McCarville-Mary Greenan of IRE => James McCarville of Bear Valley WI Generation No. 1 1. Hugh1 McCarville was born in Co. Monaghan IRE. He married Bridget Greenan Abt. 1828 in Co. Monaghan. She was born in Co. Monaghan IRE.”
Is Mary Greenan and Bridget Greenan the same person? Does this record suggest Hugh married two different Greenan women? ‘Mary’ may be a misprint.
“Irish” John Smith’s mother was born Catherine Greenan. The Irish generally moved west with other family members. The McCarville family moved to Bear Valley about the same time as our ancestor, Catherine Greenan Smith and her brother, Terry Greenan. Catherine (nee McCarville) Lyons‘ mother was Bridget (nee Greenan) McCarville. Bridget was in the same age group as our ancestor, Catherine Greenan Smith, and her brother, Terry Greenan. It is possible all three were siblings. However, this is just one hypothesis but it seems reasonable.
Finally…
OK, so this is an unusual news article. After Catherine and James Lyons died there was a dustup regarding inheritance. So what else is new? Everyone loves dirty details; however, this article was added because it includes information about family dynamics and family relationships, especially those still living in 1916.
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
September 26, 1916
HEIR SPURNS $40,000; DEMANDS $200,00
James H. Lyons, Truck Driver, Declines Small Share of Mother's Estate.
Clashes with Executors
Claiming Fifth of $1,000,000. He engages Lawyer, but Can't Reach Agreement.
James H. Lyons of 147 Foxhall street does not believe the adage that half a loaf is better than none. Because he cannot get all of an inheritance that he believes is due him he refuses to take any of it. He refuses to take $40,000 and, drives a truck and loads stones for a living. When found at Mount Lebanon Cemetery yesterday loading the truck that he drives Lyons said that he was the rightful heir to $200,000 due him from the estate left by his mother who died in 1915, A few years ago, he said, he was spending his time looking after his mother's interests in the estate which was worth more than $1,000,000. After her death the executors of the estate refused to give him the share he believed was his and consequently he refused to take any of it.
Lyons is characterized by some of his neighbors as being "too independent". He lives with his wife and six children in a trim little cottage on Foxhall street and does any work that he can get rather than take advantage of the settlement that has been offered him. The house, he said, was given him as part of his share in the estate and he had accepted it believing that its title was clear. He found that it was mortgaged in time to prevent a foreclosure and now is out of debt, he said.
According to Lyons' story, when his mother, Mrs. Frank Lyons, died, in 1916, she left the estate bequeathed her by her late husband in several shares. Two shares were to go to Francis J. Lyons, and two to Mrs. Mary McNulty; a daughter. One share was left to Mrs. James H. O'Brien, wife of former Senator O'Brien, and one to the ex-Senator himself. The remaining share, James Lyons said, was to be his own. The executors, of the estate are his brother Francis J. Lyons and Mrs. McNulty, his sister.
In 1898 the old Lyons farm, comprising thirty-seven acres, became officially known as a burial ground through legislation that Senator O'Brien secured in Albany. From time to time the property, which lies just outside of Evergreen Cemetery, had been placed on the market for development without success, Lyons said yesterday. When it became a burial place, however, plots sold readily and a good portion of the ground has been sold. The late Frank Lyons, who owned the property, had used part of it as a lampblack works, and another part was occupied by a paper mill, where roofing paper, was manufactured. Soon after the incorporation of the Mount Judah Cemetery, James H. Lyons said he was made vice president and his brother Frank become president. James yesterday said that he still retains his office in the corporation but that he never attended a meeting of the body. Besides being president of the corporation, his brother Francis is also its treasurer, he said.
James H. Lyons placed his case in the hands of Martin T. Manton, a few months ago, but Manton has since become a Federal Judge, and Lyons has been unable to arrive at any satisfactory agreement with his family through his counsel, he said. The old Lyons estate is on Cypress avenue, and is bordered by Evergreen Cemetery and Highland Park. It is now a Jewish burial ground, and consists of about thirty-seven acres. The property Is considered very valuable. Besides controlling this cemetery property, Lyons said his father's estate had consisted of a number of other parcels of property in Brooklyn. At the death of his father, his mother took control and for many years she had depended upon him, he said, to look after some of her interests.