Mary Jane Robinson Houghton. Maybe

 My great-great-grandmother is Julia Kinney Hancock. We have a lot of documentation about her mother, Mary Elizabeth Houghton Hancock. Mary Elizabeth's parents have always been difficult to securely document. There are a number of family trees out there on the intertubes that make various claims for her parents, but actual proof is sparse. 

Here's what we know for certain:

• There is a marriage recorded for Mary Elizabeth Houghton, age 26, and Thomas F Kenney (we spell it Kinney), age 28, in Boston, MA, for March 20, 1858. This records her parents' names as William and Mary J. Houghton. Hopefully, this is true. I only express doubt because some of the information on the record is clearly false. Both Thomas and Mary Elizabeth claimed to be born in Boston and to be the children of parents born in Boston. In fact, both were born in Nova Scotia and all of their later census records list English Canada as the birthplace of their parents. [Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC6Q-MCX : accessed 15 February 2016), Thomas F. Kenney and Mary E. Houghton, 20 Mar 1858; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 818,099.]

These are the transcribed marriage records for the city of Boston in 1858. Thomas Kenney/Kinney and Mary Elizabeth Houghton are second from the bottom. I really wish she had included her mother's maiden name and/or that we had the original documents

• The obituary of Julia Kinney Hancock, daughter of Thomas Kinney and Mary Elizabeth Houghton, states that she was born in Hall's Harbor, Nova Scotia, in 1859. Since Thomas Kinney was a mariner, he was away from home frequently. He had grown up in Yarmouth, 150 miles away from Hall's Harbor. If Mary Elizabeth was in Hall's Harbor when her daughter was born, it suggests that her family may have been from the area. Also, Hall's Harbor is small. It's not likely she was there because it was a major hub. The 1861 Canada Census has Thomas and Mary Elizabeth Kinney in Kings County (where Hall's Harbor is located). ["Nova Scotia Census, 1861," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQQD-MY2 : 8 November 2014), Thos F Kenny, Kings, Nova Scotia, Canada; citing line 17; Library and Archives Canada film number M-881, Public Archives, Halifax; FHL microfilm 865,126.]

My Great-Aunt Lilian, who is always proven right in the end, has Mary Elizabeth Houghton's mother's maiden name as Robinson. I don't know if that information was handed down in the family or if she found documentation. 

Finding a William and Mary J Houghton living in Kings County, Nova Scotia around the time of Mary Elizabeth's birth in 1831 has been a challenge. The names are quite common. I may have finally come up with a breakthrough, though, and it leads to an unexpected reason why we may know less about Mary Elizabeth's family than we do about the Kinney side, as well as why she and Thomas lied about their birthplaces: it looks like Mary Elizabeth was Catholic. Perhaps the couple eloped in order to avoid familial or religious barriers?

I base this on the most likely records I can find of her parents, a William and Mary Houghton living in Hall's Harbor around the time that Mary Elizabeth would have been living there with her newborn daughter:

• There is a William Howton in the Canadian census in Kings County, Nova Scotia, in 1861. ["Nova Scotia Census, 1861," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQQD-9K4 : accessed 18 November 2015), William Howton, Kings, Nova Scotia, Canada; citing line 10; Library and Archives Canada film number M-881, Public Archives, Halifax; FHL microfilm 865,126.]
• William Howton and his wife Mary J. are recorded in Kings County, Nova Scotia in the 1871 census, along with two daughters, Teressa and Louisa, ages 19 and 17. [http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/1871/pdf/4396663_00061.pdf]. William is listed as 63, Roman Catholic, a farmer, and born in Ireland. Mary J is 60, Roman Catholic, and also listed as born in Ireland. However, when her daughter, Louisa Frances Murphy, died in 1934, her death certificate states that her mother was born in Canada. 
• In the 1891 census, William is recorded in Woodville, Kings, Nova Scotia, as an 87 year old widower. Woodville is about 10 miles from Halls Harbor. ["Canada Census, 1891," database, FamilySearch [https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW23-4FX : accessed 18 November 2015), Wm Houghton, Woodville, Kings, Nova Scotia, Canada; Public Archives, Ottawa, Ontario; Library and Archives Canada film number 30953_148119.] 

Unfortunately, it's hard to tie this William Houghton and Mary J. to Mary Elizabeth Houghton Kinney. There are indications, however, that Mary J.'s maiden name was Robinson, which is the name in Aunt Lil's records. 

In the records of the Catholic church, St. John the Evangelist, in Windsor, Nova Scotia, I found the baptism of Patrick Houghton, son of William Houghton and Jane Houghton nee Robinson. It would not be at all surprising if Mary J went by her middle name. That's incredibly common in Catholic communities where every other woman is named Mary. Patrick's baptism was sponsored by Michael Donahue and Bridget Houghton. Patrick was baptized September 29, 1835. This would make him a perfect age to be the brother of Mary Elizabeth. Windsor, however, is about 30 miles from Hall's Harbor. ["Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DQJQ-D4MM : 27 May 2021), Patrick Houghton, 1835.]

The baptismal record of Patrick Houghton from the 1835 records of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Windsor, Nova Scotia. The relevant record is in the upper right corner

The same church records have evidence for a likely sibling of Patrick's, Jane. Again, the parents names are listed as William Houghton and Jane Robinson. She was baptized August 27, 1837. Her sponsors were Patrick Lyons and Elizabeth Doye (or Dolyle?) ["Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DXMX-4SMM : 27 May 2021), William Hauton in entry for Jane or Janne Hauton, 1837.]

The record of Jane Houghton's baptism at St. John the Evangelist in Windsor, Nova Scotia, in 1837. Her record is on the bottom right of the page.

OK, but if these are siblings of Mary Elizabeth's, this begs two questions: 1) why isn't Mary Elizabeth's baptism in the records?; and 2) why are these records from a church so far from Hall's Harbor?

The answer to the first question is just depressing: the records don't go back far enough to catch Mary Elizabeth's birth. The answer to the second question, though, may be that Kings County didn't have a church of its own and relied on an itinerant priest. Another possible sibling of Mary Elizabeth's is listed in the baptismal records of the same church, St. John the Evangelist in Windsor, in 1840. This record book, however, actually lists the locations in which the weddings, funerals, and baptisms took place. They are from a variety of areas around Windsor, such as Kentville and Horton. The record for the baptism of Lavinia Houton [sic], daughter of William Houghton and Jane Robinson, specifically states it took place in Cornwallis. Cornwallis was one of the original townships of Kings County. She was sponsored by James Houghton and Mary Porter ["Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DWHV-8JMM : 27 May 2021), William Houton in entry for Lavinia Houton, 1840.]

Baptismal record of Lavinia Houghton, March 24, 1840, in Kings County, Nova Scotia. Her record is on the right near the center.

Other children baptized at the same church to William Houghton and Jane Robinson include:

• Henry, on July 1, 1849, at 10(?) months old, sponsored by James Lyons and Mary Sullivan ["Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DWHG-V6N2 : 27 May 2021), Wm Houghton in entry for Henry Houghton, 1849.] 
• Agnes (baptized at 5 months old on May 30, 1850), sponsored by Joseph Henderson and Bridget Thompson ["Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:D7BM-YY2M : 27 May 2021), William Haughton in entry for Agnes Haughton, 30 May.]
• Theresa, on October 17, 1851, sponsored by . In this record, the mother's name is listed as Mary Jane Robinson and the location is Cornwallis. Her sponsors names are hard to read, but I think it says Patt Sarsfield and Johanna Sulivan. ["Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DW2P-9DMM : 27 May 2021), William Haughton in entry for Teresa Haughton, 1850.] 

Are Henry, Agnes, and Theresa from the same family? Are they all (or any of them) siblings of Mary Elizabeth? It's hard to tell. I suspect not, though, since they do not show up in the census with our "target" William and Mary J. Houghton in 1861. With such common last names, though, it's hard to tell. 

One last record that might be relevant:

The baptism of Anne Houghton, lawful daughter of William Houghton and Janet Robinson, on Oct 22, 1833. She was sponsored by Neil Kelly and Bridget Lyons. Note that Patrick had been sponsored by a Bridget Houghton and Jane Houghton was sponsored by a Patrick Lyons. Could these be relatives? Or just frustratingly common Irish names? Anne was not baptized in the same church as the others. She was baptized in St. Gregory, Liverpool, Nova Scotia, which is on the opposite side of the peninsula from Kings County. ["Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DH6S-SPMM : 27 May 2021), Wiliam Houton in entry for Anne Houton, 1833.]

Here's what I'd really like for Christmas: a baptismal record for Mary Elizabeth Houghton herself. Short of that, I'd at least like the baptismal records for the daughters listed in the 1861 census (Theresa and Louisa) so I can directly connect them to the same family. 

How Irish Are We?

Lá ‘le Pádraig sona dhaoibh!

That, according to this webpage, at least, means "Happy St. Patrick's Day". My apologies to all Irish Gaelic speakers if it actually says something profane.

In honor of the patron saint of Ireland, today's post will focus on "How Irish Are We?" This is a surprising difficult question because the answer depends on what you mean by "Irish". Does this term refer to everyone born or raised on the island? Does it require a particular ancestry, such as native or gaelic Irish (as opposed to, say, Scotch-Irish)? Does it require a particular religion?

The Feast of St. Patrick is an acknowledged holy day for the Catholic church, but also for the Anglican Church of Ireland, the Lutherans, and some other protestant sects. It is an official holiday both in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland (still part of Great Britain). Therefore, one could argue that it is a holiday that belongs to all Irish.

That one would not be me, however. The celebration of St. Patrick developed among the (particularly American) diaspora as a celebration of native or Gaelic Irish culture and the Irish Catholic religious traditions. St. Patrick's day was a nationalist holiday, mostly celebrated, for obvious political reasons, by those who no longer lived in the nation in question.

The majority of Irish Catholic, or Gaelic Irish, to immigrate to this country came during or after the Potato Famine, an Gorta Mór (the Great Hunger), during which at least one million people died (many estimates put it closer to two million) and another million found their way to the Americas on the famine ships. My mother, who is 1/4 Gaelic Irish, has one line that exemplifies this history. Her great-great-grandparents, Joseph and Elizabeth Rooney, sailed into New York, in steerage, on a dangerously over-crowded ship, in 1848. Their eldest (surviving) child was born at sea.

The Rooneys spent relatively little time in New York. They soon moved to Wisconsin where they farmed and their eldest daughter, Elizabeth, married Robert Cunningham. Robert and Elizabeth (Rooney) Cunningham were my mother's great-grandparents.

The Cunninghams represent a different path of Irish immigration. Maurice and Elizabeth Cunningham were born and raised in County Cork, but came to this country in 1828, well before the Great Hunger forced so many Irish from their homes. I don't know why they chose to come to this country, but unlike most Irish immigrants of the Famine period, Maurice Cunningham was a skilled worker. He gave his occupation as carpenter at immigration, and he was soon head gardener on a very large and successful estate in New York. I assume, like many immigrants before and after, Maurice and Elizabeth Cunningham came to the United States for new opportunities they were denied back home.

Those two families are the only immigrants from Ireland on my mother's side, making her, as I said, 1/4 Gaelic Irish. My brother and I are, then, 1/8 Gaelic Irish.

On my father's side, the question is harder to answer because most of his Irish ancestry is more remote, and we don't always know their ethnic or religious affiliations. In most cases, however, his Irish ancestry is clearly Scotch-Irish. The Deans, for example, were Ulster Scots who immigrated to the mid-Atlantic region in the early 1700s. In fact, the only possible exception is the Houghton family, whose origins might be in County Cork and who might have been Catholic. That line, however, is not well researched. If we expand the definition of Irish to include all those who immigrated from the island (which I don't necessary advocate, as I said above), then my father is between 11 and 15% Irish, mostly through his mother's Manary line.

How did I calculate that? If we go back to his 6th great-grandparents, then we have (mostly) gone back to or past the first immigrants to the U.S. I can't actually trace every one of his lines back that far, but I assume that an immigrant 5th great-grandparent born in Ireland had parents from Ireland. That might not be true (in particular, they my have been Scots), but it's a reasonable assumption. Unfortunately, I can't trace every one of his lines back to the country of origin. Some of his family lines I know for certain came from Ireland (such as the Deans and the Manarys), but others, like the Dooleys, I'm guessing based on their last name. My father has 28 6xgreat-grandparents who were certainly from Ireland, and another 11 who were probably from Ireland. Since he has 256 6xgreat-grandparents, that makes him 11-15% Irish.

My brother and I, then, are 18-20% Irish.

Tabhair póg dom, táim Éireannach! (supposedly, "Kiss me, I'm Irish". Again with the apologies.)