John Rowan and the Battle of Gettysburg

Knowing so little about my Ancestors’ lives can be frustrating.  I am always looking to learn more, so, when small bits of information become available, I am very excited.

My paternal great great grandfather, John Rowan, fought in the Civil War. (see blog post The Civil War Record of John W. Rowan) After learning John was in the Civil War I wanted to learn more about his military service.  I learned John was a member of the 145^th NY Infantry and fought at the Battle of Gettysburg from July 1^st-3^rd in 1863.  John survived this horrific battle and was not reported injured during the battle.  How amazing!

While I have been to Gettysburg several times in the past, I wondered how the experience would change for me knowing that my Ancestor was there and part of the action?  This Summer, as part of a cross country road trip, I decided it was time to go back and see what else I could learn while there.

The first thing I wanted to do was find the stone marker for John’s 145^th NY Regiment.  I had been able to find a picture of it on the internet but the Battle of Gettysburg covered a large area.  Where was John physically during the 3 days of fighting?

Searching on the internet for the monument under The Battle of Gettysburg I learned the monument was located “southeast of Gettysburg on Culp’s Hill, on the east side of Slocum Avenue about 150 yards north of the intersection with Geary Avenue”. 

There it is!

"The granite monument is twelve and a half feet tall.  A circular bronze relief of the Seal of the State of New York and a bronze star symbol of the Twelfth Corps are on the front.  The monument was dedicated in 1890 by the State of New York."

Looking from several directions I can now see what the terrain was like:

From the account given by Col. E. Livingston Price, 14th New York Infantry, I have excerpted these pieces of his report to better understand how the battle progressed:

• "On the morning of July 1, my command moved from Littletown, PA., and halted about 2 miles from Gettysburg.

• About 4 o'clock on the morning of the 2nd instant, I received orders to be in readiness to move farther to the front, in order to take up a new line.

• At 6 o'clock I accordingly moved my command to the front by the way of the Gettysburg turnpike.

• About 12 m. I received orders to detach a company of my command as skirmishers.  ...a volley was fired directly in front of my command (probably by the enemy's skirmishers), wounding 2 of my men and causing some confusion; order was, however, quickly restored.  It was now 10.30 o'clock.  In this position my men rested on their arms during the night; nothing occurred.

• About 4 o'clock on the morning of the 3d, some twelve guns belonging to artillery, posted some 500 paces in rear of my regiment, opened upon the woods in front of my command, and skirmishers became briskly engaged.  The artillery opened upon the woods in my front, the shells of which barely cleared, the men of my command, who at that time were lying down.  Subsequently several of my men were wounded by the fire of our artillery, and, deeming it advisable and proper to report the facts to my commanding officer...  On the delivery of this message, the said Sergeant-Major Shanly was instructed by the commanding officer of the brigade to tell Colonel Price "not to fret."  Shortly after the arrival of this message, 3 more of my command were wounded, including a commissioned officer.

• My command was afterward moved forward to occupy the position of the day before, the enemy having been driven beyond the stone wall and breastworks before alluded to.  My command remained in this position, under a severe fire from the enemy's artillery, until 4.30 o'clock, when it was moved to the support of the center, but had hardly reached there before receiving orders to return to my former position on the right.  My regiment was afterward thrown forward into the first line, behind the breastworks, where it engaged the enemy's sharpshooters until darkness put an end to further operations. 

• Nothing unusual occurred during the night save teh alarm in the first line which caused it to fire.

• Thus for four days and three nights were the men of my command subjected to the severest hardships, besides trials and dangers of almost every description; yet throughout all I cannot speak int he highest terms of both the officers and men of my command.  All behaved with a nobleness of spirit well worthy of record; each and every one seemed aware of the great issues involved, and the importance of the struggle in which they were engaged."

       (Price's entire report can be found at The Battle of Gettysburg Official Report.)

John had already served for 11 months prior to this and fought in battles at Charlestown, Berryville and Chancellorsville.  John would go on to fight in additional battles before being wounded a little over a year later in Georgia.

Now I feel like by having walked in the area and read this document I have a much better idea of what these few days of battle were like for John.  At the time I also remembered that John was a young, unmarried man of merely 17 years.  I can only imagine the horror he felt.  I wonder if he questioned his decision to lie about his age and enlist so young?

While staying in Gettysburg I was able to take about a two hour horseback trail ride given by a park historian of some of the battlefields.  This was not the battlefield where John fought but somehow being on horseback and being on the grounds where men had fought and died also helped add to my understanding of what the experience must have been like for John.

There is so much to be gained by walking in my ancestors’ steps!  Whenever you can experience the areas where your ancestors lived and worked please do it.  Yes, I can learn a lot about the experiences of their lives from my computer but I assure you, even 158 years later, I can learn so much more by being there.

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.

Enjoy the journey,
Debby

 

Verifying the Birth and Baptismal Dates for Sarah Hughes Rowan

As genealogist we always want to be able to ‘prove’ a piece of data we have on an ancestor. We like to have multiple sources that prove a vital fact. In our current times this is much easier but as we go back in time records are scare or nonexistent.

For years I have gone to the New York Municipal Archives in Manhattan and one of the records I have searched for is the birth certificate for my paternal great great- grandmother Sarah Hughes Rowan. I knew Sarah was born about 1850 in Manhattan but I had no proof. The birth records in New York City are very spotty during this time period. I searched for a few years before and a few years after. I searched name variations, etc. to no avail. I just didn’t want to except the fact that I would never have verification of her birth date and year.

Recently, while I was working on baptismal information about the missing Rowan children, Sarah’s children, (see post The Missing Rowan Children-Who Were They) I decided to look yet again for Sarah Hughes Rowan’s baptismal record. Find My Past has Roman Catholic Church records for Manhattan. Amazingly, much to my surprise, there it was in the Roman Catholic records for Manhattan churches. WOW!!!

At first, I wasn’t even sure this was the right one. After all the searching, could this be the right one? I looked for the parent’s names-father, Patrick Hughes…yes, mother Susana McCana…hmm… I know her as Susan McKenna, ok, that is close enough with handwriting and all but I’d never seen her referred to as Susana (Hmm, maybe that’s why I can’t find her death record?). Then I saw the parish name…St. Columba…wait a minute…I’ve been in that church! I have stood in that church! That is the church where, 18 years later,  Sarah Hughes would marry John Rowan! (see post and photos Wedding Wednesday-John and Sarah Hughes Rowan ) Happy dance time! This is the right baptismal record for my great great grandmother Sarah Hughes Rowan! Finally!!

This gives me the date of Sarah’s baptism and birth. From the marriage certificate, census records, death certificate, etc. I believed Sarah was born in 1850 and her birth date is listed as 2 December 1851. OK, so I was a year off but in the ballpark.  I also have her baptismal date 4 December 1851, church and can update my records:

The next thing I need to do is to write to St. Columba to see if I can determine who Sarah’s sponsors/Godparents were. This will either help me find family in the area or friends of the family. This was a great find to help me verify Sarah’s date of birth in the early 1850s with scarce records, as well as, her Baptismal information.

I just find it so amazing that I stood in that Church and thought of Sarah and John marrying there and now I know she was also Baptized there. That also tells me that Sarah and her family were part of that church for many years. How exciting!

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby

The Missing Rowan Children–Who Were They

Several years ago I was trying to determine where one of my paternal great-great grandmother’s, Sarah Hughes Rowan, was buried. There was a lead that she was buried in a Roman Catholic Cemetery on Long Island. I knew, after finding Sarah’s death certificate at the New York City Municipal Archives, that she died on 17 August 1885 at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City and her address was listed as 2007-2^nd Avenue in New York City. The deed holder for the grave is listed as John W. Rowan (Sarah’s husband). In 2009 I was able to obtain a copy of the grave register for Calvary Cemetery, grave #13 that proved Sarah was indeed buried there as I had guessed.

One puzzle solved. What I did not expect to find was six other children buried there with Sarah. Wait, I only knew of the four children who lived to adulthood- Joseph, William, Mary (Mamie), and Sarah (Sadie), my great-grandmother. Who were these children and were they all related? I began to search death records for New York City and found some more pieces of the puzzle. Then recently while searching Roman Catholic Church records in New York City on Find My Past I was able to put several more of the pieces together and determine who five of the other children were. I started with the children, surname Rowan, thinking they might be children of John and Sarah Rowan.

Hiram Rowan:
In searching Death Records for New York City, I was able to find a death certificate for Hiram A. Rowan:

      (click on images to enlarge)

• Hiram was the son of John W. Rowan and Sarah A. Rowan. He was 1 year, 7 months and 12 days old when he died on 31 August 1885. He was living at 42 Samuel Street, 7^th Ward, 2nd floor. His cause of death was listed as Gastro=Entero=Colitis- [inflammation of the stomach, small intestine and colon] and Exhaustion. He had been ill for 16 days. His birth date would be calculated to be 19 January 1884. Hiram died a mere 14 days after his mother.
• A Roman Catholic Baptismal record shows that Hiram was Baptized at St. Paul’s in Manhattan on 10 February 1884.

Susan Rowan:

• No death certificate was found.  She was buried on 4 February 1875 at three months of age.
• Susan Ann was Baptized on 18 October 1874 at St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church in Manhattan. Her birth date was reported to be 14 October 1874. I wonder if Susan was named after her mother Sarah’s mother-Susan McKenna Hughes?

John Rowan:

• No death certificate was found.  He was buried on 7 May 1882.
• I was unable to find a Baptismal record for John which is not surprising since he died at 4 days old. His birth date would be 3 May 1882. I am guessing that he was named after his father John W. Rowan.

Elizabeth Rowan:

• No death certificate was found.  She was buried on 30 July 1882 at age one year.
• Elizabeth was baptized on 16 January 1881 at Nativity Church in Manhattan. Her birth is listed as 7 January 1881.

These four children are now known as children of John W. and Sarah Rowan. So, now I have a revised list of Sarah and John’s children:

Joseph (1870-1940)

William (1872-1901)

Susan (1874-1875)

Mary (1878-?)

Sarah (1879-1957)

Elizabeth (1881-1882)

John (1882-1882)

Hiram (1884-1885)

That tells me about the four Rowan children on the list at Grave #13. I know they were John and Sarah’s children. That doesn’t answer the question of who are the other two children: Mary Duggan and Sarah Meehan. John’s mother was a Meehan so was she a relative? John’s only known brother died as an infant. Definitely more research to do on these two girls.

I am also curious about the different locations of the baptisms of the children. Did the family move around New York City a lot? Are these still functioning parishes? Who were their sponsors and what were their relations to John and Sarah.

Always remember to get cemetery records and search to find the connections of others buried in the same grave.  If I hadn't gotten a copy of the grave record I would never have known about these children.

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby

Arrival of Anne Meenan Rowan

Sailing vessel in the 19^th century

182 years ago today my paternal 3x great-grandmother Anne Meenan (Rowan) arrived in the Port of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!  

What was that like for her?

print by John Casper Wild

This print was done about the same time period and I wonder if this is what it looked like when Anne’s ship first came in to the harbor?

92 ships reportedly arrived in Philadelphia that year

6 ships arrived on Aug 4^th

 Anne arrived, listed as a Spinster at the age of 25, in Philadelphia on the 4^th of August 1837 onboard the British Ship Emmanuel. The Master of the ship was John Dearness. She left from Londonderry, Ireland (Northern Ireland today) and the trip took 45 long days (leaving on 21 June 1837).

What was happening at the time:

·        In 1837 an oratory by Daniel O’Connell to the British Parliament helped focus Europeans’ attention on Ireland stating, “The Irish poor-a third of the population-had no food except the potatoes they grew, and not enough clothing to cover themselves.  They went hungry for two months of the year, and half-naked for all the year.”  Yet this would be their last “good” decade before more than a million of them would vanish into unmarked graves in the 1840s.

·        4 March 1837 Martin Van Buren became the 8^th President of the United States

·        10 May 1837 (Panic of 1837)  NY Banks fail and unemployment reaches record levels

·        20 June 1837 -Queen Victoria gained the British throne

How did this affect Anne’s decision to leave Ireland and how would this affect Anne’s new life in America?

Originally an Emigrant Savings Bank Record (See post- SUCCESS!! Emigrant Savings Bank-Ann Meenan Rowan) stated that Anne had arrived in 1837 from County Monaghan, Ireland.  An Immigration card for Anne documented her arrival in Philadelphia, not New York as I had believed:

Eventually the ship’s passenger was discovered:

Transcription from the top of the Passenger List:

Transcription from the top of the Passenger List:
Report or Manifest of all the Passengers taken on board the Ship Emmanuel whereof John Dearness, is master, from Londonderry, Ireland, burthen 430 tons and owned by ____________ of _____________ and bound to Philadelphia.

• Further investigation showed that the ship was from the port of North Shields, England and the owner of the ship was E. Taylor.

Columns represent: Names, age, occupation, the country to which they severally belong, the country of which they intend to become inhabitants, and baggage

• All passengers came from Ireland and intended to reside in the United States.
• Passenger List contained 172 names

On an earlier manifest from July 1837 for the Emmanuel I found the following statement by the Master of the ship. I assume he would have declared the same for the arrival on the 4^th of August:

*I, John Dearness, do solemnly, sincerely, and truly swear, that the within REPORT and LIST, subscribed with my name and now delivered by me to the Collector of the District of Philadelphia contains, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the Names, Age, Sex, and Occupation of all Passengers, together with the name of the Country to which they severally belong, and that of which they intend to become Inhabitants, which were on board the Ship Emmanuel whereof I am at present Master, at the time of her sailing from the Port of Londonderry or which have at any time since been taken on board said vessel. And I do likewise swear, that all matters whatsoever in said Report and List expressed are, to the best of my knowledge and belief, just and true.

From book Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Shipping. From 1^st July 1837 to the 30^th June 1838. Established 1834. Published London 1837 Page- 128
From Key to the Register:
Ship Master: John Dearness

Tons: 424
Build: Where - Timber of ship-S nd rld- S-Spruce, nd-new deck, rld-?
           When - September 1835
Owner: E. Taylor
Port belonging to: North Shields

Destined Voyage: Sld.N.Brns
                               Sld (Sunderland) N. Brns.-?

Character for Hulls & Stores: vessel last surveyed 1 (Jan) 35 (1835)

Lingering questions:

• Still no idea of the connection of Biddy, Patrick and Michael to Anne, if any? (See post Who were Biddy, Patrick and Michael Meenan?)
• What town/village in Ireland is Anne from?
• Who were her parents?

Learning about the ship and what was happening at the time Anne arrived in America gave me so much more of a feel for what it must have been like for her.  Oh, how I wish there was a diary or letters to tell of her daily experience on the ship.  I know she made it safely from great poverty in Ireland to a fresh beginning in America 182 years ago today.

If you have any corrections, additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby

Who Were Biddy, Patrick and Michael Meenan

When my paternal 3x great-grandmother Ann Meenan Rowan (see posts A Lot More Questions than Answers-the Life of Ann Rowan and Success!!  Emigrant Savings Bank-Ann Meenan Rowan) immigrated from County Monaghan, Ireland in August 1837 she arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Ann was listed as a Spinster, 25 years of age (1812) but there were 2 children named Meenan that appeared to have been traveling with her.  Biddy Meenan was listed as 2 years old (1835) and Patrick was listed as 4 years old (1833).  Several lines below them I found a Michael Meenan age 20 (1817) who was listed as a Weaver by occupation. 

I wondered if perhaps Ann and Michael were siblings?  Were the two small children another brother’s children?

• I know ‘Biddy’ may have been the nickname for Bridget.

Here’s what I have been able to find:

Patrick

• Patrick Meenan with a birth year of 1833 Ireland dying in Flint, Michigan in 1893, ironically with a mother Ann Meenan and father Francis Meenan.
• Patrick Meenan living in Philadelphia in 1870 with a birth about 1833 Ireland.   He was living with his wife Ann and children Michael, A. Rose, Mary and Emma. 
• Patrick Meenan serving in the Civil War enlisting in Philadelphia February 1864.
• Patrick Meenan death notice in Philadelphia on 6 May 1897

My guess is that the Patrick that lived in Philadelphia may be the Patrick that was on the ship’s manifest with Ann but there is no confirmation of this.  If I obtain the Civil War record for the Patrick who served from Philadelphia, perhaps I would find a connection.

Biddy

• Bridget Meenan listed in the Philadelphia City Directory in 1890, 1893
• Bridget Meenan dying at the age of 34 in August 1897

Is this the Bridget I am looking for or did she die shortly after arriving in America?  I am unable to find Biddy and Patrick on a census record together after arriving.  Perhaps they were cousins and not siblings?

Michael

There are many ‘Michael Meenan’ that could possibly be the one who was on the ship manifest with Ann and the children but no definitive connection to Ann, Biddy or Patrick.

Was ‘Meenan’ Ann’s married name?  Was she really a ‘widow’ and came with Biddy and Patrick, her children?  There is no reference to them being with Ann after she married William Rowan in the 1840s.  Were these children even ‘Meenan’ children or someone else’s children that Ann brought to America for them?  I still have no idea if these 4 people are related.  I believe they are but I have been unable to prove it…so far.  I believe the children came over with Ann and she probably delivered them to one of her brothers but who they were and where they were, I don’t know yet. 

Sometimes the search just doesn’t resolve anything but leave you with even more questions.  Perhaps one day I will find the answers to my many questions and know who Biddy, Patrick and Michael are.

If you have any corrections, additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby

Celebrating the Marriage of Sarah Rowan and George Washington King

My paternal Great-Grandparents were married on this date 121 years ago in 1897.  While not a wedding photo, this is the earliest photo I was able to find:

Certificate of Marriage, Brooklyn,

I hereby Certify, that George Washington King and Sarah A. Rowan were joined in Marriage by me, in accordance with the Laws of the State of New York, in the City of Brooklyn, this twenty eighth day of November 1897.

                                                                                             Attest- W. N. Ackley, Rector, St. Andrew’s P. E. Church
                                                                                           Residence- 291-47th St

Witnesses: George Macbeth and Lillie Sullivan

                               Of the Groom:                                                  Of the Bride:                   
                              George Washington King                                  Sarah A. Rowan
Residence:            32-1st Ave., Brooklyn                                        61-57th St.
Age-                      19                                                                      18    
Color-                    White                                                                 White
No. of Marriage-    first                                                                    first
Occupation-          Machinist
Place of birth-       Brooklyn, New York                                          New York City
Father’s Name-     Louis A. King                                                    John W. Rowan
Mother’s Maiden-   Sarah Barry                                                     Sarah A. Hughes
    name
We, the Groom and Bride named in the above certificate, hereby certify that the information given is correct to the best of our knowledge and belief.

At the time of their marriage, George’s father and both of Sarah’s parents were no longer alive.  Sarah’s father had died just 9 months earlier.  George’s mother, Sarah Barry King, was the only parent alive.  Was she at the wedding of George and Sarah?  I looked at the names of the witnesses and don’t recognize the names as family members. I wonder if they were friends of the bride and groom or distant family members? 

When I reviewed the blog post What can you find in Grandma’s Scrapbook? about George & Sarah’s 50th wedding anniversary, I do see in one of the newspaper accounts, the name Mrs. Mamie MacBeth.  Is this the wife of witness George MacBeth? 

Searching and searching for information on St. Andrew’s yielded no results. I was only able to find several references to the Rector listed on the marriage license, in The Churchman, a Weekly News-Magazine in 1897:

In the article about George and Sarah’s 50th anniversary I can see that they were remarried by Rev. Robert B. Hall of St. Andrew’s Church. So, I know that the church was still around in 1947 when they celebrated their anniversary.  I decided to go to Google Maps to see if the church is currently there and found:

I wonder if the church was torn down to make way for Interstate 278- the Gowanus Expressway? The Gowanus was originally started in 1939 and widened from 4 to 6 lanes between 1958 and 1964. Unfortunately, there is no church for me to visit.  I wonder if I will one day be able to find a photo of the church?

If you have any corrections, additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby

3rd Blogiversary-Debby’s Family Genealogy Blog

Saturday, November 24, 2018

A look back at the last year-

• Over the past year I have created and published 50 blog posts.  This was one of my goals and I accomplished this despite working full time.  YEA!!
• All time History Page Views- 79, 284  (about 25,000 more than last year)
• Subscribed Followers – 17

A review of my posts for this past year shows:

• most viewed blog post this past year was DNA Chromosome Mapping with 2531 page views!  Wow!
• second most viewed post was entitled Riverhead, New York Soldiers in the War of 1812 with 920 page views.
• third most viewed was a post entitled A Lot More Questions Than Answers-The Life of Ann Meenan Rowan with 760 page views.

Research Accomplishments:

• One of my goals for last year was to publish a book of my blog posts and I was able to accomplish that. How exciting to see all the research for a year published in to one place in a book format I think my greatest research find this year was a series of posts I did about my paternal 2x great-grandfather John W. Rowan and locating his Civil War Records.  I started with a family story in Who Was the Civil War Veteran? then Is It the Right John W. Rowan, Civil War Veteran? and concluded with Civil War Records of John W. Rowan. To be able to start with a handed down story and find the truth in it was amazing!  More to come on this subject.
• A major accomplishment for me this year was to be able to find the information and prove to the Society of Mayflower Descendants that I am indeed a descendant of John & Priscilla Alden of the Mayflower. My perseverance and research skills were validated!  I received word this week, a few days before Thanksgiving.  The official certificate hasn’t arrived yet.  This was one of my goals for the past year.

Honors:

• After attending the Celtic Connections Conference 2018 in Boston I wrote a blog post entitled Celtic Connections Conference-Pathways to Our Past.  A link to my post was published on the Celtic Connections Conference website.
• I presented, for the first time outside of San Diego County, Carrie’s Letters: Brining Ancestral letters to Life at the Sacramento German Genealogy Society and made some wonderful new friends I hope to see at the International German Genealogy Conference in June.  Be sure to register.  I have.
• I wrote my first piece, a speaker review on Kitty Munson Cooper who presented in October, for the San Diego Genealogical Society Quarterly newsletter.

What I’ve learned:

• Develop a research plan when you have a specific question you want an answer to.
• Citing my sources definitely helps me remember how and where I learned information about an ancestor.
• Look for county or town ‘Centennial Books’.  I keep finding interesting tidbits on my ancestors since many of my lines go back to the 1600 & 1700s in America.

My goals for this next year:

• To publish at least 50 posts while continuing to work full time. 
• Obtain a military headstone for my paternal 2x great-grandfather John W. Rowan.
• Make the stories of my ancestors’ lives be more than just dry facts. Being able to research the time period or location where an ancestor lived helps me understand their lives.
• My Dad continues to give me ideas for researching.  He is challenging me to see how far back I can go and determine the previous land owners for our family duck farm.   I think this research might make for an interesting presentation one day.

My frustration continues to be that there never seems to be enough time and money to do as much research as I want.

A VERY SPECIAL THANK-YOU TO ALL MY READERS!  I enjoy the comments you make and/or questions you ask.  I’m always looking for new directions to search or information that is questionable and needs verification. 

My updated Surname word cloud:



Another great year for me as a blogger.  Looking back shows me I have accomplished more than I thought I did.  On to new discoveries and new cousin connections while also enjoying the great ones I have already made :)

If you have any corrections, additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby

Wedding Wednesday-John and Sarah Hughes Rowan

Sarah Hughes and John Rowan (see post Civil War Record of John W. Rowan) are my paternal great-great grandparents. 

I found this record of their marriage about 8-9 years ago and from this marriage certificate I learned the names of their parents which were previously unknown, their birthplaces and addresses at the time of their marriage. 

I learned they were married on 1 August 1869.  Their witnesses were Charles A. Colwell and Ellen Cavanagh.  John lived at 239 10th Avenue, NYC and Sarah lived at 306 10th Avenue, NYC.  Sarah’s parents are Patrick Hughes and Susan McKeena.  John’s parents are Ann Meenan and William Rowan.  John was 23 years old and born in Troy.  Sarah was 18 years old and born in New York City.  John’s occupation was Carman.
 


About a year ago when I was reviewing this document I looked again at the church name.  It was difficult to read but it looked like St. Cl...?  I decided to search on-line for churches in New York City in 1869 and found a long list.  Then I looked to see if there was one that was on 25th Street and I found it:  St. Columba’s Roman Catholic Church at 343 West 25th Street in New York City.  When I searched the name of the church on-line I found out the church is still in existence!  A few weeks ago I was actually able to go and see the church for myself. 

Here are a few of the photos I took (click on images to enlarge):

I was told the inside of the church is the same as it would have been 149 years ago when they were married with the exception of a mural above the altar, the finish on the altar and some of the ‘modern’ conveniences like the fans, lights. etc.  The beautiful heavy wood, the intricate carvings and the wooden beams were so interesting to see and really took me back in time. 

WOW!! What an amazing experience to actually stand in the church where Sarah and John were married all those many years ago and imagine them standing there in front of the altar.  The church back then had a predominately Irish congregation and I know Sarah and John each lived within a few blocks of the church.

Next, I need to figure out who the witnesses were (friends or family) and where John was born.  Sarah had an Aunt named Ellen McKeena.  Could Ellen Cavanagh be her married aunt?  John’s birthplace is listed as ‘Troy’.  Is that possibly Troy, NY?

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby