Families in DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA & DC

1670s : Pierce Noland : Charles Co., Maryland

[356] Pierce Noland (c1655 – ????) – from Co. Mayo, IE
[357] Katherine (???? – ????) – from Unknown 
Children: Stephen (1682), Philip (1684), Pierce (1696), Thomas (1698) and William (1703)

Pierce Noland, son of Pierce Nowland, was born in Co. Mayo, Ireland, most likely in the Barony of Tirawley, sometime around 1655 after his father had resettled there from Fethard, Co. Tipperary, pursuant to the Cromwellian confiscations of the mid 1650s.

His father, born in Dublin around 1628 and also called Pierce, seems to have gone as a young man to Fethard, a town with a royal charter in south Tipperary where he likely assisted in its defence against the Cromwellian forces in the late 1640s. The Governor of Fethard at the time was also a presumed distant cousin, Piers Butler, whose ancestor, in the mid 1400s, had married the widow of the O’Nolan, i.e. the Nolan chief. (Click on the “View Comments” link at the end of the family story to learn more about the early Butler-Nolan family link)

After the death of Cromwell in 1659 and the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Pierce Nowland, the defeated royalist rebel, seems to have returned with his family to Fethard in South Tipperary. Pierce Jr., born around 1655 in Co. Mayo, named his land in Maryland “Fethard” and it can be reasoned that he would not have had such a strong attachment to the name unless he had grown up in the area.

By the mid 1670s, probably feeling the urge to establish himself and, seeing the potential for owning land of his own in America, Pierce emigrated. His brothers, Henry, Darby, Philip (1656), William (1658) and Thomas did likelwise, settling respectively in: Kent Co., Maryland; Cecil Co., Maryland; Loudoun Co., Virginia; St. Mary’s Co., Maryland, and; Anne Arundel Co., Maryland.

Pierce initially settled in Cecil Co., Maryland, and, after a short time, moved on to Charles Co., Maryland, where he spent most of his life. He died in Stafford Co., Virginia in 1714.

Around 1680 in Maryland, Pierce married someone named Katherine and they had at least 5 children.

Children of PIERCE NOLAND and KATHERINE:

• Stephen (1682) who remained in Charles Co., MD
• Philip (1684) who relocated to Stafford Co., VA
• Pierce (1696) who relocated to Cecil Co., MD
• Thomas (1698) who remained in Charles Co., MD
• William (1703) who remained in Charles Co., MD

Given the early arrival in America of this Nolan line, descendants are now found in many US states, especially in the South Atlantic states. The table below, listing the residence information down the years for the direct-line ancestors of Doyce Hamilton Nolan of Anniston, Alabama, a modern-day descendant, illustrates this point particularly well.

RESIDENCE	FATHER	MOTHER	CHILDREN
Dublin, IE >> Fethard, Co. Tip., IE >> Co. Mayo, IE >> Fethard, Co. Tip., IE	Pierce Nowland (c1628-????)	unknown	Henry, Darby, Pierce (1655), Philip, William, Thomas
Co.Mayo, IE >> Fethard, Co. Tip., IE >> Charles Co., MD	Pierce Nowland/Noland (c1655-1714)	Katherine	Stephen (1682), Philip, Pierce, Thomas, William
Charles Co., MD	Stephen Noland (1682-1733)	Mary O’Bryan-Connell	James (1708), Daniel (1712), Stephen (1718)
Charles Co., MD >> Loudoun Co., VA & Frederick Co., MD linked by Noland’s Ferry >> Fairfield Dist., SC	Stephen Noland (1718-1780)	Susannah Smallwood	Mordicai, Susannah, Mary, Nancy, George, James, Shadrach, Stephen (1753), David, William
Frederick Co., MD, >> Fairfield Dist., SC >> Monroe (Butts) Co., GA >> Chambers, AL	Stephen Noland/Nolen (1753-1846)	Mary Smythe	Stephen, James, George (1786), Isaac, Mary
Fairfield Dist., SC >> Monroe (Butts) Co., GA >> Chambers Co., AL	George Nolen (1786-1857)	Elizabeth Addison	Harriett (1809), William (1824)
Monroe (Butts) Co., GA >> Chambers Co., AL >> Carroll Co., GA >> Randolph Co., AL	William Nolen (1824-1880)	Elizabeth A. Smith	Richard, Susan, Edward (1850), George Ransom, Harriett, Susan, Reuben, Christopher, Joseph, Mary Jane, Isaac
Carroll Co., GA? >> Cullman Co., AL >> Carroll Co., GA	Edward Nolen (1850-1939)	Mary E. Riesby	William, Reuben E. (1873), Richard, Thomas F. (1881), Stephen
Carroll Co., GA	Thomas F. Nolen (1881-1964)	Tonie Huckabe(?)	Claude Hamilton (1909)
Carroll Co., GA	Claude Hamilton Nolen/Nolan (1909-1962)	Irene Tululah McCalmon	Doyce Hamilton
Carroll Co., GA >> Tuscaloosa, AL >> Anniston, AL	Doyce Hamilton Nolan	Ada Frances Hess	Glenda Frances, Lerena Joan,  Sandra Kay, Phillip Hamilton

Here also is a link to some of Doyce’s old family photos.

NOTE: It is interesting to note that Loudoun Co., Virginia, is just across the Potomac river from Frederick Co., Maryland, and that a nephew of Pierce, son of his brother Philip, also named Philip, initiated the Noland’s Ferry service across the Potomac in the mid 1700s.

1790s : Michael Nowland : Nothumberland County, PA

[517] Michael Nowland (c1750-1813) – from Ireland
[518] Mary Elizabeth Unknown (???? – bef. 1825) – from Unknown
Children: Andrew (1774), Daniel (died young), Elizabeth, William (1787), Thomas, John, James and David H.

Michael Nowland was born in Ireland sometime between 1745 and 1755 and immigrated to the US before 1776. He was a member of the Warrior Run Scottish Presbyterian Church, leading some to speculate that he was “Scots-Irish”. Whatever the case may be, we know that he fought in the American Revolutionary War, mainly in New Jersey, and that, at that by the end of the war, he was a widower living with his 3 children, Andrew, Daniel and Elizabeth. Only Andrew and Elizabeth are known to have survived to adulthood.

After the war Michael remarried, marrying a woman named Mary Elizabeth with whom he had four sons. She is known to have had two children from a previous marriage to a man who died in the war but it is not known what became of them after her marriage to Michael. They did not live with Michael and he did not mention them in his will (though Mary split her belongings equally among her stepchildren and children).

As recorded by Michael’s grandson, Moses R. Nowland, in his family Bible, according to family tradition, Michael and Mary were from the same town in Ireland but did not meet each other until they met after the war in Pennsylvania.

1815 : James Nowland : Hogansburg, NY

[98] James Nowland (???? – ????) – from Co. Carlow, IE
[99] Bridget Butler (???? – ????) – from Ireland
Children: Charles (1807), Margaret (1815), Bridget (c1816), Mary (1817) and Julie (1819)

According to family tradition, James and Bridget were married before emigrating to America and their first few children were born in county Carlow, Ireland. As was the practice at the time, James and his young family would have come to the US via Canada booking passage (at half the price) on one of the many British lumber ships that crossed the ocean at the time, arriving in Quebec city. From there, James and his family would have made their way to Montreal then on up to the Cornwall area and from there up the St. Regis river to Hogansburg, NY (township of Bombay, Franklin county) where French Canadians had earlier built a sawmill and where larger rafts of timber and lumber were being assembled for floating down to Montreal.

It is not known if James and Bridget came together or separately but, by 1815, they appear to have been together when their daughter Margaret was baptized at the St. Regis mission, the only Catholic church in upper-state New York at the time. In 1833, when their son eldest son, Charles, was married in the St. Regis mission, James and Bridget gave their address as Bombay, NY.

A “John Nowland”, assumed to have been a brother of James, bought land in the area of Brasher Falls, NY, in 1820. His wife is assumed to have been the “Agnes Nowland”, aged 70, who, in 1850, was living in Brasher Falls with Anne “Nancy” (c1812) and Felix SCULLIN in Brasher, NY, Anne presumably being her daughter. In 1880, John’s daughter, Anne, by then widowed, was still living in the area, next door to a Barnard Scullin, presumably her son, his wife and children: William Henry (1837), Barnard (c1840) and James (1842) Scullin.

The passing (leaving?) of “John Nowland”, seemingly without male issue, sometime before 1850, seems to have created opportunities to settle in the Brasher Falls area for two presumed nephews, Charles, son of “James Nowland” of Hogansburg, NY, and Peter, son of “Thomas Nowland” of Co. Antrim, Ireland, who, according to the 1850 census, were both living in the area with their families at the time. Charles likely settled in the area after his marriage in 1833 and Peter after his marriage in 1837. Both familes seem to have lived in the area of Brasher Falls, NY, until around 1860 when Peter moved on with his family to Helena, NY, where he had purchased a piece of Government land.

Children of JAMES NOWLAND and BRIDGET BUTLER:

• Charles (1807-1862) m. Jane Marshall; in 1850, they were living in Brasher Falls, NY; Children: Thomas (1837), Francis (1842), Mary (1845), Peter (1848)

• Margaret (1815) …

• Bridget (c1816) m. John RILEY; they lived in Bangor, NY Children: James (c1838), Margaret (c1840), Mary (c1841), Rose (c1842), Barney (c1856), William (c1859) and Julia (c1862), the last 3 being possibly adopted or listed in error (see entry for “1837:Peter Nowland” on this page)

• Mary (1817) m. Patrick CROAK; in 1850, they lived in Hogansburg (Bombay township), NY, and are buried there in the Kavanagh cemetery Children: Michael (1840), Eliza (1848), James (1850), Patrick (1855)

• Julie (1819-1820) died as an infant

1826 : John Nolan : New York city, NY

[371] John Nolan (???? – ????) – from Unknown
[372] Ann Mathews (???? – ????) – from Unknown
Children: James (1826), …

John and Ann were in New York city in 1826 when their son James was born on December 18, 1826. Around 1831, the family moved to Sullivan county, NY, and resided there until about 1845 before returning to New York city.

Children of JOHN NOLAN and ANN MATHEWS:

• James (1826-????) m. Susan Mulheran in June 1853; the following January, perhaps wanting to earn money to establish himself, James left for California and by June 1854 he had found a good paying job with the Mendocino Lumber Company. He worked at Big River until the Fall of 1857, when his first child was born. Over the winter months James found work at a saw-mill in Humboldt Bay and, by the Spring, he had enough money to purchase and settle down on 186 acres in Mendocino county. The family moved into their new residence sometime in June 1858. James and Susan had altogether
  7 children: John (1857), Anna (1859), Arthur (1861), James (1862), Nicholas (1865), Agnes (1867) and Florence (1869).

1830s : Ellen Nolan : Ausable, NY

[421] Ellen Nolan (???? – ????) – from Co. Longford, IE
[422] John Kane (???? – ????) – from Co. Longford, IE
Children: Elizabeth (1801), Ellen (1804), Catherine (1810)

Ellen Nolan and John Kane of Co. Longford, Ireland, had at least three children, three daughters who emigrated to the US after first having married in Ireland. They all settled in the area of Ausable, Clinton County in upstate NY, and their families lived in the area for many generations thereafter.

In reaching their destination, the daughters are believed to have traveled via Canada and may have been accompanied by their parents, Ellen and/or John. The daughters Ellen and Catherine were the first to settle in Ausable appearing with their families (Boice and Mccarty families respectively) in the 1840 Federal census. Elizabeth followed and appears as a widow (Casey) with her two daughters in the 1850 census for Ausable. It is not known when or where Elizabeth’s husband died.

Children of ELLEN NOLAN and JOHN KANE:

A descendant would like to know more about this family.

1837 : Peter Nowland : Brasher Falls, NY

[226] Peter Nowland (1809-1861) – from Co. Antrim, IE
[227] Catherine Keenan (1819-1905) – from Co. Antrim, IE
Children: James (1839), John (1840), Agnes (1842), Charles (1845), Charlotte (1845), Elizabeth (1848), Charles (1850), Nancy (c1852), Bernard (c1856), Ellen (c1856), Catherine (c1858), William A. (c1860) and Julia (c1862)

Peter Nowland’s parents were a Thomas Peter Nowland (c1770) and a Catherine Hamill of Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland.

As a young man, Peter’s father, Thomas had studied for the priesthood in Northern Ireland. However, one summer, while on vacation, as he and another novitiate worked in the fields, they were seized for military service and forced to work on a British fighting ship (Man of War). Only after 12 years was Thomas released from service. Given that Thomas served “12 years” in the British Navy, the same number of years as for the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815), that the seizure men for military service was usually only done in time of war and that Peter was born in 1809, it would appear that Peter’s parents were married while Thomas was still in military service.

Despite the fact that Peter’s parents lived in Co. Antrim, in Northern Ireland, it is believed that Peter’s father, Thomas, was originally from Co. Carlow. Circumstantial evidence supporting this is the fact that, according to family tradition, around 1860, Peter, who had emigrated to America sometime before 1837, was helped in the building of his homestead in Helena, NY, by a Charles Nowland of Brasher Falls, son of James Nowland of Hogansburg (Bombay township), NY, and formerly of Co. Carlow. Prior to 1860, Peter and his family had also been living in Brasher Falls, presumably with the family of Charles Nowland.

Peter seems to have emigrated from Ireland in the early 1830s when pre-famine emigration was at a peak. He seems to have been recently married with a set of twins as the young couple made their way across the Atlantic bound for northern New York state via Canada and the St. Lawrence river. During the crossing, the twins died and sometime thereafter the mother too. Peter had probably intended to settle in the area of Brasher Falls where his presumed uncle, John Nowland, had acquired land in 1820. Peter likely met Catherine Keenan in Hogansburg, NY, where her family was one of the pioneer families of the area, having settled there around 1822. They were married on August 21, 1837, in St. Patrick’s church, Hogansburg, NY, and settled in the Brasher Falls area where Charles Nowland, a presumed cousin, was already living.

In 1860, as their older children were beginning to reach maturity, Peter purchased Government land in the area of Helena, NY. Peter’s presumed cousin, Charles, went along with the family to help them build a sturdy log cabin and to put in a garden. However, as fate would have it, the following winter (c1860-61) was bitterly cold and Peter, his children and Charles all became ill with smallpox. Catherine, better known as “Cass”, nursed them all back to health except for Peter and Charles who, unfortunately, succumbed to the illness.

Despite having lost her husband, Catherine remained a pillar of strength, putting in the crops herself and working like a man to support her large family. Loving to read, she would also read in the middle of the night, her only spare time. She was a very brave wonderful woman, much respected by all who knew her. In later years she made men’s tailored suits and did hand-stitching on men’s vests. By 1880, of her children, only Catherine and William still remained at home in Helena, NY.

Children of PETER NOWLAND and CATHERINE KEENAN:

• James Henry (1839-1913) m1. Mary Ann ???? who died prior to 1879, m2. Elizabeth Veronica Byrnes (1860-1933); James was a house builder and, after his first wife died, he remarried in 1879 and moved to Michigan living in Harrisville, MI, and various other places; in 1905, when his mother died, he was living in Millersburg, MI, where he died in 1913.
  Children: Horace Elmer and Aldebert Leo who both died young; Charles Peter (1889), Catherine Mary “Cassie May” (1890), Albert Franklin (1892?), Helena Elizabeth (1894), Royal “Roy” (1893), Violet Rose (1897), Milton Prescott (1899), William James (1900), Elizabeth Grace (1902)

• John S. (1840-1899) m. Mary A. Brennan (????-1902); they lived in Cornwall, Ontario, and had 8 children altogether; known ones are: “Aggie”, the eldest m. George Foy in 1896; Peter (1872) and Anna Maria (c1882)

• Agnes (c1842) m. James GEEHAN (GEEHERN?, Gehan?)(c1838); in 1880, they lived in Brasher, NY Children: Mary (1861), Lizzie (1863), Horace (1865), Agnes (1867), Susan (1869) and John (1873)

• Charles (1845) died young

• Charlotte (1845) … ; in 1870, aged 24, she was still living at home in Helena, NY

• Elizabeth (1848)”Sib” m. Daniel DONOVAN (c1843); in 1880, they were living in Brasher, NY and, in 1905, in Helena, NY Children: Margaret (1868), Agnes (1869), Catherine (1871), James? (1873), Richard (1875), Lizzie (1877) and Annie (1878)

• Charles (1850) m. (Jennie Matthews?), living in Harrisville, NY (sic MI?), in 1905

• Nancy (c1852) m. Neal McINTYRE (c1850); in 1880, they were living in Brasher, next door to where her mother Catherine worked as a tailoress and lived with two younger siblings, Catherine and William; at the time, Nancy and Neal had 4 children: Peter (1874), William (1876), Elmer (1878) and Alice (1880)

• Bernard “Barney” (c1855) m. ????, a blacksmith, living in Chase Mills, NY, in 1905

• Ellen (c1855)”Nell” m. John HUGHES, living in Phoenix, AZ, in 1905

• Catherine (c 1858) m. Peter George CURRY of Watertown, NY, around 1880; in the years preceding 1880, Catherine and her brother Will lived with their mother in Brasher, NY; however, in 1880, they seem to have both decided to get married and, after the weddings, the two couples spent some time together in Sarnia, Ontario.

• William A. “Will” (1859-1939) m. Sarah A. Butler (1859-1929) around 1880; he took care of his mother Catherine all her life; after growing up in Helena, NY, he moved with her to Brasher where, in 1880, she was working as a tailoress; sometime after his marriage, William moved back to Helena, NY; his mother, Catherine, died in Helena in 1905 and was buried in Brasher, NY; William and his wife Sarah had many more years together and were buried side-by-side in St. Patrick’s cemetery, Helena, NY.

• Julia (c1862); presumed to have been Catherine’s last child based upon circumstantial evidence (click on the “View” Comments link below for more details)

According to her obituary written in 1905, “[Catherine’s] husband Peter Nowland died in 1861 with smallpox and she was left with 11 children, many of them were young at the time. She was the mother of 14 children, only 6 surviv[ing in 1905]”. Including Julia, still a tentative child, there are only 13 children listed above so that there is at least one other child remaining to be identified who would have died most likely in the mid 1850s.

1840 : John Nolan : Jersey City, NJ

[173] John Nolan (????- ????) – from Co. Carlow, IE
[174] Rose (???? – ????) – from Ireland
Children: Andrew (1830), ?James

John and Rose emigrated to the US in 1840 and, according to family tradition, came from Co. Carlow, Ireland. They settled in Jersey city, NJ, and used to receive mail from Ireland and England with the “Knowland” spelling for the family name.

Children of JOHN NOLAN and ROSE:

• Andrew (1830) m. Ellen Connor (1831), a native of Co. Westmeath, in 1852, in St. Peter’s church, Jersey city and had 8 daughters. Andrew died in 1907 and Ellen in 1913. Both are buried in St. Peter’s cemetery, Jersey City, NJ.

• James (c1837), assumed to have been another son, died in 1864 and is buried in the same plot as that of his assumed brother, Andrew, and his wife.

• John and Rose may also have had a nephew by the name of James who lived in the same area and who married someone by the name of Catherine. A baby infant named Josephine Nolan, daughter of a James and Catherine Nolan, died in 1871 and is buried in the same burial plot as that of Andrew and Ellen Nolan.

1840s : Michael Nolan : Schuylkill County, PA

[527] Michael Nolan (c1815-1871?) – from Ireland
[528] Sarah (c1820-????) – from Ireland
Children: Mary (1843), Patrick (1849)

In the 1850 census (October 2nd), Michael (35) is identified as a miner, living in Schuylkill County, PA (East Norwegian district), married to Sarah (30) with two children Mary (7) and Patrick (1). Both MIchael and Sarah are listed as being born in Ireland and their children born in Pennsylvania. A Mathew Nolan (40), possibly an older brother to Michael, was also living with them and working as a labourer.

Another possible brother, Patrick Nolan (33) lived close by with his family, his wife Bridget (27), his children Sarah (2) and Bridget (7 months), and possibly in-laws Susannah Lynch (55) and Michael Lynch (33).

Michael does not appear in census records beyond 1870 and it is believed that he died in a mining accident in 1871.

Jackie Neider knew her great grand-mother Ella Agnes (a grand-daughter of Michael) very well and is interested in tracing her Nolan roots back in Ireland.

1841-1861 : Edmund Nolan : Auburn, NY

[242] Edmund Nolan (c1794-1887) – from Ireland
[243] Honora Walsh (???? – ????) – from Ireland
Children: Elizabeth, James and Ellen

Sometime between 1841 and 1861, Edmund and Honora Walsh emigrated to the US with their 3 children, Elizabeth, James and Ellen. It is possible that they were part of the wave of emigration associated with the Great Famine.

Children of EDMUND NOLAN and HONORA WALSH:

• James (1825-1905)
  m1: Elizabeth Sullivan (1843 IE) and settled in Auburn, NY; according to family tradition, this was around 1858; Children1: Honora (1861) m. 1886 to Thomas Welch, Edmund(b1863), Michael(1865-1891), James(1868-1887), Maurice(1870- 1887) and
  Margaret (1872-1951) m. a TOOLE
  m2: Nora Gurnett (c1850 IE-1896) Children2: Mary (1876-1936) m. a BELLNIER, Alice (1883) m. a McDONALD, Nicholas (1885-1921) and Hanora (1889) m. a KEATING.

• Elizabeth who married a BRESNAHAN

• Ellen (c1841 IE – 1880 US) who married a CAMPION

1843 : Patrick Francis Nolan : New York, NY

[248] Patrick Francis Nolan (1827 – ???) – from Co. Mayo, IE
[249] Elizabeth Armstrong (1833 – ????) – from Ireland
Children: Bridget, William (1855), Catherine (1857), James (1859), Francis (1861), Alice (1863), Thomas (1865), Stephen (1869), Mariah (1871) and Peter (1873)

Patrick Francis Nolan was born in County Mayo, Ireland, in 1827, the eldest son of a William and Bridget Nolan. In 1843, then aged 16, he left Ireland and went to America entering the US via Quebec. During his early years he worked at the trade of founder and moulder, residing at various locations in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont.

In his mid-20s, while still working at the trade of founder and moulder, Patrick married Elizabeth Armstrong, a native of Ireland. They were married in 1851 in Fort Edward, NY, and, in 1859, the family increasing in number or perhaps drawn by the rush westward of many immigrants like themselves, they and their children, moved west to Iowa where Patrick obtained land and became a farmer.

The family initially lived in Stapleton township, Chickasaw County, IA, and, in 1882, relocated to Fredericksburg, IA.

In his adopted homeland of Iowa, Patrick Francis, the farmer, also held various positions of influence such as school director, road supervisor and town treasurer.

Patrick and his family were members of the Roman Catholic Church.

1845 : Patrick Nolan : Chateauguay, NY

[228] Patrick Nolan (1805-????) – from Ireland
[229] Catherine (1800-????) – from Ireland
Children: Michael (1837)

Patrick and Catherine seem to have emigrated to upper New York state around the time of the Great Famine. Their son Michael was born in Ireland in 1837 and, seemingly in the late 1860s, married a girl named Catherine, a native of New York state.

In the 1880 census for Chateauguay, Franklin Co., NY, we find Patrick (1805), his wife Catherine (1800), their son Michael (1837), his wife Catherine (1849)and several grandchildren: Patrick (1869), Thomas (1872), John (1874), Michael (1877) and Mary (1879).

1848-1852 : Ellen Nolan : Schuylkill Co., PA

[345] Ellen Nolan (???? – ????) – from Co. Tipperary, IE
[346] John Kelley (???? – ????) – from Killarney, Co. Kerry, IE
Children:

Sometime between 1848 and 1852, Ellen Nolan emigrated to the US. According to family tradition, while still onboard, during the crossing of the Atlantic, Ellen, a native of Tipperary, met her future husband, John KELLEY, a native of Killarney. The couple was soon thereafter married and, once in the US, they settled in Schuylkill county, PA, where John became a miner. Also according to family tradition, Ellen and John had a rather large family.

1849 : Patrick Nolan : West Hoboken, NJ

[32] Patrick Nolan (1822-1900) – from Co. Galway, IE
[33] Catherine Naughton (1825 – 1893) – from Ireland
Children: Hanora (1846-1913), Bridget (1848-1931), Thomas (1850-1920), John (1852-1918), William (1854), Andrew (1856-1923), James S. (1858-1933), Owen E. (1860-1925), Patrick A. (1862-1900), George J. (1866-1929)

Patrick was born in County Galway, Ireland. His parents were Thomas & Hanora and may have been involved in raising Patrick’s two older children Hanora and Bridget who initially remained in Ireland, only rejoining their father and mother as young adults in 1866.

In 1849, a few short years after the terrible famine years in Ireland, Patrick Nolan (1822-1900) and his young wife Catherine Naughton left Galway bound for America, leaving behind their two young children, Hanora and Bridget, most likely intending to send for them later. In any case, after their arrival in New York City (NYC) on July 31, 1849, Patrick and Catherine went on to Philadelphia for about two years before returning to NYC where their next 8 children were born. Their last child, George, was born in 1866, the same year that Hanora and Bridget, the two oldest children, rejoined the family in America.

In 1868, the family moved on to Hudson county, New Jersey, settling in the area of West Hoboken where they remained until their death.

Patrick and Catherine’s children also had many children, for example, John alone had 16, such that the family quickly grew in number. Also noteworthy is the fact that Thomas, John and Owen were very active in politics during the early 1900s and that Thomas eventually became mayor of West Hoboken, NJ.

1849 : Maryu Nolan : Maryland, USA

[453] Mary Nolan (c1826-????) – from Ireland
[454] John Ryan (???? – ????) – from Ireland
Children: James A. (1851), John F.X. (1853), Margaret C. (1855), Daniel Aloysius (1857), Bridget Mary (1860), Francis Patrick (1862), Thomas Joseph (1865) and Michael Augustine (1868)

Mary Nolan was born around 1826 in Ireland, the daughter of a Daniel and Ann Nolan. It is not known if she hd any siblings. However, it is known that her father Daniel was born sometime around 1795.

On June 2, 1849, Mary married a John Ryan in Maryland. It believed that he too was a recent immigrant to Maryland.

Children of MARY NOLAN and JOHN RYAN:

1850 : Margaret Anne Nolan : Oswego, NY

[470] Margaret Anne Nolan (1824-1909) – from County Carlow
[471] Charles Biernatzki (1819-1896) – from Poland
Children: Eda (1851), Charles A. (1852), William J. (1856), Henry (1858) and Albert (c1860)

According to the family bible, Margaret Annie Nolan was born December 24, 1824, in Co. Carlow, Ireland.

Around 1847, in her early 20s, she emigrated to the U.S. and may have been accompanied by other family members. However, no entry on a ship’s manifest or any other record has been found to confirm this.

In 1850, again according to the family bible, in Oswego, NY, she married Charles L. A. Biernatzki, a native of Poland in Oswego, NY.

After a few years and two children, sometime around 1854, the family moved to Canada where Charles operated a shipping business and where their next child, William J. (1856) was born.

By 1857, the family was back in the U.S., in Hamilton county, Iowa, where Charles had bought a farm and where their next two children, Henry (1858) and Albert (c1860), were born.

Margaret and Charles operated a successful farm and lived there well into their old age. Charles died in 1896 and when Margaret died in 1909 she was living in Webster city, Iowa.

NOTE: The submitter of this information is a descendant of Albert (c1860) and is interested in learning more about the circumstances which led to Margaret’s emigration from Ireland and any family who accompanied her or stayed behind in Ireland. Perhaps someone will recognize her as the long lost sister/daughter/niece of someone in their family tree.

1850 : John Nolan : Philadelphia, PA

[38] John Nolan (???? – ????) – from Philadelphia, PA
[39] Margaret Dalton (???? – ????) – from Ireland
Children: James, John, Didi, Maime and Eleanor (all born in Philadelphia, PA)

John Nolan was born in Philadelphia, PA, the son of an Irish emigrant from County Mayo, Ireland. His identity and that of the mother are as yet unknown.

John married Margaret Dalton in Philadelphia and together they raised 5 children, James, John, Didi, Maime and Eleanor. Their son James went to business school and, after graduating, founded a successful ice cream company in Philadelphia.

James (c1879-1955) married Ann Fogarty (1879-1946). One son, John Joseph, attended the University of Pennsylvania becoming a surgeon, and eventually assuming the post of Chief of Surgery at the Arlington Hospital in Virginia. Another son, Richard Nolan, distinguished himself during the 1944 D-day landing in northern France, earning the purple heart for bravery.

1850 : James Nolan : Middletown, NY

[302] James Nolan (c1821 – 1869) – from Ireland
[303] Bridget Keegan (???? – 1858?) – from Unknown
Children: Mary (1852), William (1853), Michael(1854) and Julia (1858)
[304] Catherine Guinan (c1822 – 1872) – from Ireland
Children: James (1860) and John J. (1862)

James was born in Ireland around 1821 and emigrated to the US around 1850. Based upon a search of immigration records for the timeperiod of interest, it is believed that he arrived in New York city on the Ship “Guy Mannering” on May 28, 1850, accompanied by a Charles, a John and a Nicholas Nolan, possibly brothers.

James and Bridget married around 1851 and settled in the town of Mount Hope in Orange county, NY. By 1858, they had 4 children but the last birth seems to have proven fatal for Bridget.

In 1860 census, a Catherine Guinan is listed with James and his family leading one to believe that they likely married n the late 1850s settling in Crawford, NY, where we find them in 1860 census. However, they soon thereafter they seemingly relocated to Middletown (then Dolsontown), NY, since this is reportedly where their first son James was born around 1860. Their second son, John J. was born April 8, 1862, definitely in Middletown. The family resided there at least until shortly after James’ accidental death in 1869. In the 1870 census, Catherine and the children are still listed as living in Middletown. Catherine survived her husband by less than 3 years dying on April 25, 1872.

After the birth of his last child in 1862, James did not live many more years, reportedly dying on October 16, 1869, as a result of a fall from a train (of the Erie Lackawana Railroad) on which he had been working. After having become involved in a scuffle while the train was en route near Port Jervis, NY, he apparently fell off the train and was hit by it.

There is no family recollection or known record of what exactly happened to Bridget and it is surmised that she died in childbirth around 1858 and that James remarried soon thereafter.

Children of JAMES NOLAN and BRIDGET KEEGAN:

• Mary Ann was born August 12, 1852, and never married; she died on September 5, 1920.

• William was born in 1853 but nothing further is known of his whereabouts and ultimate fate.

• Michael married a Mary McCarthy and resided in Middletown, NY; they had 4 children: Anna (FELLOWS), Mary, Francis and William.

• Julia married a J. Decatur HORTON in Middletown, NY; they had 8 children: Lucinda (RUMSEY), Benton, Florine, E. Stanley, Hope, Mary, Jonathon and Kathleen.

Children of JAMES NOLAN and CATHERINE GUINAN:

• James (c1860- 1948) never married.

• John J. (1862-1909) married an Ellen Kennedy (1858-1922) and they resided in Middletown, NY; both are buried in the local St Joseph’s cemetery.

1851 : Walter Nolan : Allegany, NY

[42] Walter Nolan (1814-1857) – from Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford
[43] Catherine Barry (1814-1900) – from Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford
Children: Moses (1846), Margaret (1848), James J. (1849), and Mary (1851) born in Ireland; Nicholas Francis (1852), Mary Theresa (1855) and Catherine Alice (1856) born in the US

Walter was born around 1814 in the area of Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, the son of Moses “Mogue” Nowlan and Margaret Rossiter of the Davidstown parish.

Walter’s brothers and sisters, also born in Enniscorthy, were Anne (1808), Mary (1810), Margaret (1812), Catherine (1816), Catherine (1818), James (1820), and Ellen (1822). It is further known that Margaret married Thomas Cloney in St. Aidan’s cathedral, Enniscorthy, on February 16, 1833, and that Ellen married Miles Rossiter at St. David’s, Davidstown, on February 14, 1843.

Catherine Barry, the daughter of Nicholas Barry and Mary Cullen, married Walter Nolan in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, on February 22, 1846. Their first son, Moses, was born in December of the same year. By January 1851, the family had grown to 4 children and was still living in the Enniscorthy area. However, by May 1852, when, Nicholas, the 5th child, was born, the family was in Utica, NY, having, in the interim, emigrated to America. The family eventually settled in the village of Allegany, NY, where 2 further children were born, one in 1855 and one in 1856. By then Walter and Catherine had 6 children living, Mary having died as an infant in 1851, either prior or during the family’s transit to America. That would be the final tally for the family since Walter died in 1857. Catherine, his wife, would eventually move away from Allegany, NY, dying in Bradford, PA, in 1900.

Children of WALTER NOLAN and CATHERINE BARRY:

• Moses Nolan (1846-1903) never married
  and died in Rockford, IL

• Margaret Nolan (1848-1915) married Matthew Quinn
  and died in Rockford, IL

• James J. Nolan (1849-1939) married a Ryan

• Mary Nolan (1851-1851)

• Nicholas Francis Nolan (1852-1935) married an Allen
  and died in Rockford, IL

• Mary Theresa Nolan (1855-1924) married a Sheehan
  and died in Tulsa, OK

• Catherine Alice (1856-1937) married a Wheeler

1853 : Mathew Nolan, New Jersey

[183] Mathew Nolan (c1835- ????) – from Tullow, Co. Carlow, IE
[184] Mary Ann Norris (???? – ????) – from Unknown
Children: Daniel, Thomas Martin and Mary Catharine born between 1853 and 1861 in New Jersey; John Peter, Julia Mary, Mary Elizabeth (Mamie), and Mathew Martin born after 1861 in New Orleans

Mathew was born in Tullow, Co. Carlow, in the 1830s and emigrated to the US in 1853 initially settling down somewhere in New Jersey. He also had a sister Julia Mary born in 1841 who either accompanied him to the US or came later. In 1861, when Mathew moved with his family to New Orleans, she also followed him there, marrying a Michael SPELLMAN in 1866.

Mathew married Mary Ann in New Jersey sometime before 1853. Their first 3 children were born there and sometime before 1861 the family moved to New Orleans where the next 4 children were born.

Mathew and Mary Ann, perhaps because of their young age, seem to have had a troubled marriage and by 1870, based upon the census of that year, seem to have lost their first 3 children. Mary Ann died in 1871 after, according to family tradition, having been “deserted” by Mathew the year before.

Upon Mary Ann’s death, the 4 remaining children were put into an orphanage, but, by 1880, Mathew’s sister, Julia, and her husband, Michael Spellman, had taken in the two older children, John Peter and Julia. According to descendants, John “worked” for his uncle Michael Spellman and learned “math” from him.

It is not known what happened to Mathew after 1870 but it is believed that he went to Ohio or Alabama as papers for these areas were copied for his sister Julia’s obituary.

Children of MATHEW NOLAN and MARY ANN NORRIS:

• John Peter (aft 1861) married and did have children who survived to adulthood.

• Julia Mary (aft 1861) married but her 3 children all died as infants; she herself died young at age 37.

• Mary Elizabeth “Mamie” (aft 1861) married but remained childless.

• Mathew Martin (aft 1861) never married.

• John Peter, Julia, Mathew Jr. and Mary all lived and died in Algiers, Orleans parish, an area close to New Orleans, LA.

1853 : Phil James Nolan : Philadelphia, PA

[276] James Nolan (???? – 1893) – from Ireland
[277] Ellen Canavan (1845-1873) – from Philadelphia, PA
Children: Daniel (1867), Mary (1869) and Ellen (1872)
[516] Sarah Jane Brady (1800s – ????) – from Pennsylvania?, USA Children: Catherine (1875)

In 1866 he married Ellen Canavan and they had 3 children : Daniel (1867), Mary (1869) and Ellen (1872). Ellen however died in 1873, shortly after giving birth to her last child. Shortly after her death, in 1873, James remarried, marrying Sarah Jane Brady, and had with her his last child, Catherine. Only Daniel and Catherine survived childhood.

In 1874 James purchased Star Mills in Kensington, which he ran until 1882. He died of a staph infection in 1893 in Kensington.

In 1866 he married Ellen Canavan and they had 3 children: After her death in 1873 James remarried, marrying Sarah Jane Brady, and had with her his last child, Catherine. Only Daniel and Catherine survived childhood.

In 1874 he purchased Star Mills in Kensington, which he ran until 1882. He died of a staph infection in 1893 in Kensington.

1860 : Troy, NY

[44] James Nolan (1840 – ????) – from Thurles, Co. Tipperary
[45] Honora Carroll (???? – ????) – from Ireland
Children: Katherine (1870), Daniel J. (1871), Mary (1872) and Dennis J. (1875) born in NY; Margaret Marie (1877), James Patrick (1878), Beatrice Ann (1879), Delia (1880), Joseph Daniel (1883), Tom (1884), Michael J. (1884) and Nora Margaret (1887) born in California.

James Nolan was born in 1840, the son of Daniel Nolan (1815-1903) and Catherine Morrissey of the parish of Thurles, Co. Tipperary. In 1860, as a young man he emigrated to New York, NY.

James (1840-1927) also had 6 brothers and sisters: John (1837-1915), Mary Bridget (1843-1910), Thomas (1845-1853), Catherine (1848-1920), Daniel (1851-1930) and Thomas (1854-1935). James’ father Daniel (1815-1903) is buried in Borris, Parish of Twomileborris, Co. Tipperary.

Of James’ brothers and sisters, Mary Bridget is known to also have emigrated, settling down with her husband, John Corcoran, in the area of Syracuse, NY, where they raised 11 children.

James’ wife, Honora Carroll (1848-1910), emigrated to New York sometime prior to 1870 when they married. Initially, James and Honora lived in the area of Troy, NY where they had their first 4 children. However, around 1875, perhaps drawn by the promise of a better life in California, the family moved on to the area of San Francisco where their next 8 children were born.

Children of James Nolan and Honora Carroll

1860 : Bridget Nolan : Syracuse, NY

[260] Bridget Nolan (1843-1910) – from Co. Tipperary, IE
[261] John Corcoran (???? – ????) – from Unknown
Children: Johanna (1873), Katherine (1874), Delia Agnes (1876), John “Jack” (1876), James T. (1877), Nellie (1881), Annie Beatrice (1885), Daniel (1886), Margaret (1889) and two others who died young

“Mary Bridget” was born in 1843, the daughter of Daniel Nolan (1815-1903) and Catherine Morrissey of the parish of Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Her siblings were John (1837-1915), James (1840-1927), Thomas (1845-1853), Catherine (1848-1920), Daniel (1851-1930) and Thomas (1854-1935).

It is assumed that Bridget followed her brother James when he emigrated to New York in 1860. After James’ marriage to Honora Carroll in 1870, Bridget seems to have gone her separate way marrying John Corcoran sometime in the early 1870s and moving to Syracuse, NY. Around 1875, James moved with his family to the San Francisco area in California.

Bridget lived her married life in Syracuse where she died on March 4, 1910. She was buried in the St. Agnes cemetery in Syracuse but her husband John Corcoran seems to have moved on from the area after her death since he is not buried with her.

1865 : John Nolan : Philipsburg, PA

[234] John Nolan (1851-1900) – from Dublin, IE
[235] Annie Condron (????-1908) – from Unknown
Children: Edward Paul, Dennis, John, Martin, Patrick, William, and Margaret

John Nolan was born in Dublin in 1851, the son of Jacob Nolan and Margaret Flanagan. In 1865, he emigrated to the US and soon thereafter married Annie Condron of Philipsburg, PA. They initially lived in Shamokin, PA, but later moved to Philipsburg, PA.

1865 : Michael Nolan : Brooklyn, NY

[126] Michael Nolan (1825/1830-1898) – from Co. Roscommon, IE
[127] Jane O’Brien (1825-1908) – from Co. Roscommon, IE
Children: Patrick (1854), Thomas F. (1857), Mariah “Mary” (1856/1862), Catherine “Katie” (1861) all born in Ireland; Michael (1867) born in Brooklyn, NY

Given that Katie, the 4th child of Michael and Jane, was born in Co. Roscommon in 1861, it is assumed, for now, that the parents were born in that county and emigrated from there.

Sometime around 1865, Michael and Jane emigrated from Ireland with their four children and, by 1867, when their 5th and last child, Michael, was born, had settled in Brooklyn, NY.

Michael and Jane lived out the rest of their days in Brooklyn and were buried in Holy Cross cemetery alongside their daughters, Katie and Mary, and Katie’s infant son, Willie H. Wulf. Other family members are buried in Greenwood cemetery, Brooklyn, NY, where John Wulf, Katie’s husband is buried.

Children of MICHAEL NOLAN and JANE O’BRIEN:

• Patrick Nolan (1854-????)
• Thomas F. Nolan (1857-????)
• Mariah “Mary” Nolan (1856/1862-1919)
• Catherine “Katie” Nolan (1861-1892) m. Diedrich “John” Wulf; after Katie’s premature death at the age of 31, John remarried; his second wife, a Matilda Payntar , took over raising the children; Children: Willie H. (1883-84), Freidrick Arthur (1885), Jane Marie (1887), Walter (1889)
• Michael Nolan (1867-????)

1866 : John M. Nolan : Albany, NY

[128] John M. Nolan (1832-1907) – from Co. Carlow, IE
[129] Catherine Doran (1840-1901) – from Co. Carlow, IE
Children: James M. (1865) and John (1866) born in Ireland; Catherine (1868), Ellen (1870), Dennis (1877) and Helen (1878), all born in Albany, NY

John M. was born in Co. Carlow in 1832, the son of John Nolan and Mary Byrne. He had at least two brothers, Morris (1835) and Denis (1837).

John M. and Catherine were married in Ireland, most likely in Co. Carlow sometime around 1864. After two children, James M. (1865) and John (1866), John M. seems to have looked to America to improve the family’s lot, emigrating there in 1866. A year later, in 1867, Catherine and the children followed him and the family then resettled to Albany, NY, where 4 more children would be born.

John and Catherine remained in Albany, NY, for the rest of their lives and are buried there.

Children of JOHN M. NOLAN and CATHERINE DORAN:

• James M. (Nov 1864 in IE – Oct. 1927 in Albany)
• John M. Jr. (May 1865 in IE – Apr. 1903 in Albany)
• Catherine (1868)…
• Ellen (1870)…
• Denis (1877)…
• Helen (1878)…

1867 : John Nowlan : Media, PA

[207] John Nowlan (1829- ????) – from Montreal, QC
[208] Sarah Granville (1837 – ????) – from Newfoundland
Children:

John was born in the Montreal area in 1829 after his parents, William Nowlan and Valinda Webster, emigrated there from County Carlow, Ireland, sometime around 1828. John’s older brother, Edward, born in 1827, in Co. Carlow, also accompanied them.

John married Sarah in Montreal in 1855. A few years later, around 1860, after the birth of their first few children, they emigrated to the United States. By 1865, they were living somewhere in Maine or Massachussetts and, by 1867, they had moved again, this time to Pennsylvania where John worked as a shoemaker. By 1871, the family had settled in Media, Pennsylvania.

Children of JOHN NOWLAN and SARA GRANVILLE:

• Sarah A. (1857) …
• William Joseph and ?Richard (twins) …
• Valinda (1859)…
• Edward P. (1863)…
• Catherine E. (1867)…
• John Jr.(b. 1870)…
• Dora M. (1873-1952)…
• Francis P. (b. 1877)…

1870 : John Nolan : Pennsylvania

[270] John Nolan (1822 – ????) – from Ireland
[271] Ellen (???? – ????) – from Ireland
Children: Martin and Thomas

John Nolan, born in Ireland in 1822, seems to have married his first wife sometime prior to 1848 when his son, James, was born in London, England, while the family was supposedly in transit.

On January 6, 1870, John remarried but in America, in Pennsylvania. His second wife, called Ellen, was a native of Ireland born in 1830 and with her John had two more children, one named Martin and another named Thomas.

1876 : John Nolan : Herkimer County, NY

[130] John Nolan (1858-1924) – from Co. Carlow, IE
[131] Anna Donahoe (???? – ????) – from Unknown
Children: John (1879), Merton, Dennis, Michael, Thomas, Edward, Mary and 5 other girls

John, the son of a John Nolan Sr. and Mary Connor, was born in County Carlow in April 1858. His mother, Mary, died around 1867 when he was still very young and, at age of 18, he emigrated to the US leaving behind his father John Sr. and three brothers, James, William and Michael. John also had two sisters Mary and Julia who followed/preceded him to the US or perhaps even accompanied him.

John found work in Herkimer county, NY, working as a farm hand and began saving money to pay the passage to America for his father John Sr. and brothers, James, William and Michael. It is not known when his brothers came but we do know that the father (John Sr. born August 1822 in Co. Carlow) came in 1885.

Within a year or two of his arrival, around 1877-78, John married Anna Donahoe, in Herkimer or Oneida county, and in 1879 they had their first child, naming him John after John’s father who, at that point, was still in Ireland.

After having saved to pay for his father and brothers’ passage to America, John continued to save but this time for his own farm which he finally obtained in 1901-1902. This was a dairy farm in Litchfield, NY, where John lived out the remainder of his life, dying in 1924. John and Anna had altogether 12 children.

John’s brother James is known to have married moving twice within Herkimer county, NY, first to the area of German Flats then to the area of Ilion where he is buried.

His brother William moved to Brooklyn but is buried in St Joseph’s Cemetery, West Winfield, Herkimer County, alongside his father John Sr. and his brother John.

His brother Michael never married and spent a lot of time traveling – first to the Gold Rush in Alaska and then back and forth from NY to Seattle, WA.

His sister Mary married a McLaughlin and lived in Clinton and Clark Mills, NY, dying in Rome, NY, in 1937 at age 92.

His sister Julia first worked as a domestic and sometime after 1880 married a Richard Kavanagh, settling down in the area of Utica, NY.

1880 : Michael James Nolan : New York, NY

[282] Michael James Nolan (1861-1948) – from Co. Tipperary, IE
[283] Mary Ann Minogue (???? – ????) – from Unknown
Children:

Michael James Nolan was born in 1861 in Co. Tipperary, possibly around Nenagh. Around 1880, being one of 12 or 13 children, he decided to seek his fortune in America settling in New York city. He later married Mary Ann Minogue, a native of Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, who came over after him. Michael James died in San Diego, CA, in 1948.

1880 : John Nolan : Albany, NY

[377] John Nolan (c1822 – ????) – from Canada
[378] Isabella (c1818 – ????) – from Canada
Children: Margaret (c1858), Robert (c1859)

In 1880, John and Isabella were living with their 2 children, Margaret and Robert in Albany, NY. John was a butcher by trade and his parents had been born Canada, presumably emigrating there sometime before 1822 since he was born around that time in Canada.

1887 : Andrew Nolan : Troy, Rensselaer Co, NY

[286] Andrew Nolan (1860 – ????) – from Ireland
[287] Mary Krause (1861 – ????) – from New York, NY
Children: Charles E. (1888), Agnes T. (1889), George H./F.(1891), Clarence P. (1894), Joseph H. (1897), James A. (1899), William D. (1902) and Frederick J. (1904)

In the 1900 census for Troy, Andrew is recorded as having been born at sea around 1860, suggesting that this may have been when he came to America, presumably accompanied by his parents.

In 1900 Andrew was working at repairing electric lights, a relative novelty at the time, and, in 1910, he was recorded as working as an iron moulder.

Based upon the 1910 census for Troy, Mary was born in 1861 in New York of immigrant parents both born in Germany.

Based upon the 1900 census, Andrew and Mary were married sometime around 1887 and lived in Troy, NY. At the time, they had 6 children still living, 2 having died young.

By 1920, Andrew seems to have died. At the time, Charles, the eldest was listed as the head of the household and his younger siblings, Agnes, Fred and James were living with him.

By 1930, Agnes had married a William Burke and her older brother Charles was living with them.

Children of ANDREW NOLAN and MARY KRAUSE:

• Charles E. (1888-????)
• Agnes T. (1889-????) married William J. BURKE;
  he was a Postmaster at one time and
  is known to have died in a drowning accident.
• George H./F.(1891-????)
• Clarence P. (1894-????) married ????? and lived in Troy, NY.
• Joseph H. (1897-????) left home at a very young age and moved to Rochester, NY; he, nonetheless, kept in touch with two of his siblings, his brother James and his sister Agnes in Troy, NY.
• James A. (1899-????)
• William D. (1902-????)
• Frederick J. (1904-????) moved to California.

1900s : John Joseph Nolan : Philadelphia, PA

[40] John Joseph Nolan (1921-1991) – from Philadelphia, PA
[41] Mary Jane Donnelly (1921-1998) – from Philadelphia, PA
Children: David Brian Nolan, Sr. (1951)

Dr. John Joseph Nolan was a third generation American who rose from a humble Philadelphia, Pennsylvania background to become a board certified Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon, an Associate Clinical Professor at Georgetown University Medical School, and Chief of Surgery at Arlington Hospital (Virginia). He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, vice president of his graduating class, and a running back on the 6th nationally ranked Penn football team of 1942. Upon graduation from the Univeristy of Pennsylvia Medical School, he served in the U.S. Navy and was the undefeated football coach of the Marine Football Team from Camp LeJeunne, N.C. He was elected president of the Arlington County Medical Society.

Marie Rita “Mary Jane” Donnelly, John Joseph’s wife of 46 years be fore he passed away, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 29, 1921 and was the first child of Dr. Francis Edward Donnelly (1890-1966) and Sophie Marie Marley (1896-1974. Her brothers were Francis Edward Donnelly, DDS (1923-1984) and Joseph Edward Donnelly, DDS (1925 2003). She graduated as an English major from Immaculata College, Pennsylvania, and taught English in Philadelphia high schools and Latin and modern languages in junior high school in Bethesda, Maryland and Arlington, Virginia. She resided for forty years at 2310 S. Fort Scott Drive, Arlington, Virginia.

Children of JOHN JOSEPH NOLAN and MARY JANE DONNELLY:

• David Brian Nolan Sr. m. Cheryl C.
  Children: John Joseph Nolan II, David Brian Nolan, II, and Christopher Dalton Nolan.

1904 : Patrick Nolan : Bronx, NY

[232] Patrick Nolan (1877 – ????) – from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, IE
[233] Bridget O’Brien (???? – ????) – from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, IE
Children: Daniel (1906), Helen, John, James and Gerard

According to church records for the Silvermines parish, Diocese of Killalue, in northwestern Co. Tipperary, Patrick Nolan was born August 15, 1877. His parents were Daniel Nolan and Anne Quinlisk of Nenagh.

In the late 1800s or early 1900s, Patrick emigrated to the US and settled in New York city where he married Bridget O’Brien on April 23, 1904, at St. Jerome’s RC Church in the Bronx, NY. She was from the same parish as Patrick in Ireland. Their first child, Daniel, was born on February 18, 1906. NOTE: The family is trying to find descendants of Patrick’s son Daniel born in 1906 in New York or descendants of any siblings Patrick may have had in Ireland.

1910 : Margaret Nolan : New York, NY

[230] Margaret Nolan (???? – ????) – from ?Nenagh, Co. Tipperary
[231] Jeremiah Flannery (???? – ????) – from ?Nenagh, Co. Tipperary
Children:

In April of 1910, Jeremiah Flannery, son of William Flannery and Margaret Nolan, arrived in New York to stay with a Nolan uncle, a brother of his mother, and a cousin by the name of Nolan, also related to his mother. Jeremiah had a sister named Dilly, married to a Morrissey, who remained in Ireland and had a large family. They lived around Nenagh in Co. Tipperary.

1917 : Jeremiah J. Nolan : Bronx, NY

[379] Jeremiah J. Nolan (1896-1967) – from Aghabeg, Corries Cross, Co. Carlow
[380] Ellen (Nelli) O’Sullivan (1898-1963) – from Waterville, Co. Kerry
Children: Patrick Timothy (1922), Eleanor (1924), Jeremiah (1927), Dothery (1930) and Robert Emmett (1938)

Jeremiah Joseph was born in Co. Carlow, Ireland, on February 11, 1896, the youngest of three boys born to Patrick Nolan and a Mary McAvoy of Aghabeg, a townland near Corries Cross, Co. Carlow.

Living on a farm and being the youngest, Jeremiah likely felt early the urge to emigrate. Be it as it may, in 1914, aged only 17, we find him boarding the SS Laconia, in Cork, Ireland, bound for Boston and a new life in America.

After arrival, he seems to have worked in the Boston area and then, sometime in 1917, moved on to New York city where he joined the Army and served in a Military Police corp until 1919.

Jeremiah’s parents and brothers and did not emigrate and are buried in the Roman Catholic cemetery in Ballinkillen, Co. Carlow, Ireland. Although Jeremiah is buried in New York city, his name and year of death are also recorded on his parents’ tombstone in Ireland along with those of his siblings. Jeremiah’s older brother Edmond also seems to have become better known as Edward in his later years as two versions of his name appear on the tombstone i.e. Edmond and Edward.

After his discharge in 1919, Jeremiah returned to civilian life. This is when he met and married Ellen (Nelli) O’ Sullivan, also an immigrant from Ireland, hailing from Waterville, Co. Kerry. In October 1921, Jeremiah and Nelli were wed in the Bronx and settled there, raising five children of their own and a nephew, orphaned while still an infant.

For a short time, during the early 1930’s, Jeremiah owned and operated two “speakeasies” in the Bronx. However, for the major portion of his life, he was employed as a Union Steamfitter (local 638) in New York City, retiring in 1963.

1930 : Elizabeth Mary Nolan : Brooklyn, NY

[219] Elizabeth Mary Nolan (1909-2000) – from Bagenalstown, Co. Carlow
[220] William O’Connor (1873?-1975) – from Guelph, ON
Children: William James (1939), Rosemary (1941)
[221] George Lillie (???? – 1990) – from Unknown
Children:

Elizabeth Nolan was born in Bagenalstown, Co. Carlow, Ireland, in December 1909, the youngest of 9 children. Her parents were James Nolan Jr. (????-1909) and Mary McGrath (1885-1958). James Jr. was the son of James Nolan and Elizabeth King of Bagenalstown and, in turn, James was the son of William Nolan (1810-1891) and Mary O’Neill (1808-1880). Known siblings of Elizabeth are: Mary (1905-1964), Patrick (????-1945) and Michael (1907-????).

According to family tradition, she was feisty and a handful with her fiery red hair and freckles. She left home at age 17 and was sponsored for emigration to America by an aunt already living there. Elizabeth arrived in Brooklyn, NY, on May 9, 1930, and soon afterward started work as a domestic at the Golden Gate Motel in Brooklyn, NY. Despite marrying twice, raising 2 children of her own and caring for numerous foster children, Elizabeth continued to work as a domestic throughout her adult life.

Elizabeth married a first time in the 1930s, marrying William O’Connor with which she had her 2 children. After he died in 1975, she married George Lillie, a widower who made good on his promise of bringing her to Ireland to see her home town of Bagenalstown one more time.

After the death of her second husband in 1990 Elizabeth lived her remaining years in Florida with her daughter Rosemary and family, dying of “old age” in 2000 just one month after turning 90.

Barbara, the submitter of this family story, has fond memories of her grandmother, Elizabeth, trying to teach her how to knit. Elizabeth, an avid knitter, knit till the day she died but Barbara, despite her efforts, never did pick it up. She did however learn how to put up preserves and remembers going into the tiny backyard of the brownstone where Elizabeth and William lived and helping pick grapes for jelly. With her thick Irish, Elizabeth was very special to Barbara and passed on to her her love for Irish music.

William O’Connor was born in Canada the youngest of 13 children. The O’Connors lived in the area of Guelph, Ontario, and, at some point William, like many in his day, emigrated to the US, most likely in search of work. By the time Elizabeth arrived in the US, William was living in Brooklyn and this is where they met and married.

Elizabeth and William made their home in the Sheep’s Head Bay area of Brooklyn and, despite the fact that William was many years her senior, they seem to have been a happy couple, raising 2 children of their own not to mention numerous foster children.

• Rosemary m. Donald Lillie; they had 2 children, Donald and Allison, and currently live in Florida.

Children of ELIZABETH NOLAN and WILLIAM O’CONNOR:

• William James m. Bonita Lambruschi; they had 4 children, Barbara Jo, Debrah Lynn, William Joseph and Donna Marie, and eventually moved to Farmingville, Long Island, NY.
  
  As a young boy, William was sent to a boarding prep school for boys wanting to enter the priesthood. The family had hoped that he would become a priest but that was not to be the case. One day a call came from the boarding school in New Jersey to the effect that William had too much of the Irish in him and was too self-willed and witty to be happy as a priest.
  
  William eventually married Bonita Lambruschi an Italian girl he had met. However, neither set of parents were happy about the marriage as it was deemed a mixed marriage they being of different ethnic origins, he of Irish origin, and she of Italian origin. The couple eventually divorced in 1970.

Rosemary m. Donald Lillie; they had 2 children, Donald and Allison, and currently live in Florida.

Elizabeth’s second husband was George Lillie, a widower who made good on his promise of bringing Elizabeth back to Ireland to see once again her home town of Bagenalstown. She had not been back there since leaving in 1930 and, in the meantime, according to family tradition, Elizabeth found out that all of her immediate family had emigrated to England.

Elizabeth Nolan was born in Bagenalstown, Co. Carlow, Ireland, in December 1909, the youngest of 9 children. Her parents were James Nolan Jr. (????-1909) and Mary McGrath (1885-1958). James Jr. was the son of James Nolan and Elizabeth King of Bagenalstown and, in turn, James was the son of William Nolan (1810-1891) and Mary O’Neill (1808-1880). Known siblings of Elizabeth are: Mary (1905-1964), Patrick (????-1945) and Michael (1907-????).

According to family tradition, she was feisty and a handful with her fiery red hair and freckles. She left home at age 17 and was sponsored for emigration to America by an aunt already living there. Elizabeth arrived in Brooklyn, NY, on May 9, 1930, and soon afterward started work as a domestic at the Golden Gate Motel in Brooklyn, NY. Despite marrying twice, raising 2 children of her own and caring for numerous foster children, Elizabeth continued to work as a domestic throughout her adult life.

Elizabeth married a first time in the 1930s, marrying William O’Connor with which she had her 2 children. After he died in 1975, she married George Lillie, a widower who made good on his promise of bringing her to Ireland to see her home town of Bagenalstown one more time.

After the death of her second husband in 1990 Elizabeth lived her remaining years in Florida with her daughter Rosemary and family, dying of “old age” in 2000 just one month after turning 90.

Barbara, the submitter of this family story, has fond memories of her grandmother, Elizabeth, trying to teach her how to knit. Elizabeth, an avid knitter, knit till the day she died but Barbara, despite her efforts, never did pick it up. She did however learn how to put up preserves and remembers going into the tiny backyard of the brownstone where Elizabeth and William lived and helping pick grapes for jelly. With her thick Irish, Elizabeth was very special to Barbara and passed on to her her love for Irish music.

William O’Connor was born in Canada the youngest of 13 children. The O’Connors lived in the area of Guelph, Ontario, and, at some point William, like many in his day, emigrated to the US, most likely in search of work. By the time Elizabeth arrived in the US, William was living in Brooklyn and this is where they met and married.

Elizabeth and William made their home in the Sheep’s Head Bay area of Brooklyn and, despite the fact that William was many years her senior, they seem to have been a happy couple, raising 2 children of their own not to mention numerous foster children.

Children of ELIZABETH NOLAN and WILLIAM O’CONNOR:

• William James m. Bonita Lambruschi; they had 4 children, Barbara Jo, Debrah Lynn, William Joseph and Donna Marie, and eventually moved to Farmingville, Long Island, NY. As a young boy, William was sent to a boarding prep school for boys wanting to enter the priesthood. The family had hoped that he would become a priest but that was not to be the case. One day a call came from the boarding school in New Jersey to the effect that William had too much of the Irish in him and was too self-willed and witty to be happy as a priest. William eventually married Bonita Lambruschi an Italian girl he had met. However, neither set of parents were happy about the marriage as it was deemed a mixed marriage they being of different ethnic origins, he of Irish origin, and she of Italian origin. The couple eventually divorced in 1970.

• Rosemary m. Donald Lillie; they had 2 children, Donald and Allison, and currently live in Florida.

After the death of her first husband William O’Connor, Elizabeth married a widower, George Lillie who made good on his promise of bringing her back to Ireland to see once again her home town of Bagenalstown. She had not been back there since leaving in 1930 and, in the meantime, according to family tradition, Elizabeth found out that all of her immediate family had emigrated to England.

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