July 25th 2000

" ....... if you should find any information I would be a very happy woman.

I'll start here in the States and work backwards:

I am the youngest daughter of Patrick John Finnerty. He was born May 29,1908, here in Lowell, Massachusetts. His Father was Hugh Finnerty.

Hugh came here in June of 1881. I believe he lied about his age at the time, for various reasons.  His marriage record states that he was 28 in 1894 making his year of birth 1866 and his death record states that he was 64 at time of death in 1934 making his year of birth 1870.

My brother, Frederick, met an old man while visiting in Sligo back in 1967 who claimed he remembered the day Hugh and his brother Frank left for the States. He claimed Hugh was only 15 years old at the time.  This piece of information may prove that 1866 is the true Y.O.B. Hugh and his brother Frank were the sons of Frank Finnerty and Mary May.

I know very little about Frank and Mary.  I very recently uncovered the fact that Mary came here to the States to live with her children.  In my search for answers I went to the cemetery office and got a list of who was buried in the plot with my grand parents.  It turned out that there are 17 souls in there.  Mary May is one of them.  I got a copy of her death certificate from city hall to prove it was her.   She died in December of 1925 at the age of eighty.  This was long before my parents were married in 1933 so I guess no one ever mentioned her. No one in my family ever knew she was here.

Anyway, Frank is not in the family plot so I assume he died in Ireland.  If he did, and she was alone, this could be the reason the children brought her here.  The trail ends with Frank. This is all I have.  I believe they lived in Carrowmorris, but I don't know if the town still exists.  He could possibly have been born around 1845 (give or take a year or two).  It sure would be a thrill to know more......"

If you can help please Email:  SHAROWI@aol.com

July 29th 2000

" ......I have your name through Albert T. Finnerty in California, and am a cousin of his through Bridget Finnerty who was born in Hedford (Headford?) Ireland in 1835, who was said to be the daughter of Mary Logan, wife of Patrick Finnerty, but not necessarily of Patrick.

She may have been the daughter out of wedlock of Mary Logan Finnerty and Michael Finnerty.  I have not been able to find birth records in Hedford (Headford?).

I am also anxious to find a birth record for Patrick Finnerty b.c. 1810-1811, who died on March 9, 1876 in Keokuk IA, and for his wife Mary Logan b. 1812 or 1816, who died 26 jan 1890 also in Keokuk.

Their children were all born in Ireland, Bridget in Hedford (Headford?) on  9 November 1835 (the "Night of the Big Wind"), Mary in 1838, John F. in1841 and Patrick Henry on 14 March 1844 in "Co.Galway".

The immigration records, which might have shown the parish where they came from, were destroyed when someone decided to clean up the court house (anathema!), but we are all eager to find out where they came from. 

They left Ireland in 1847, late summer, and their ship was blown north to Halifax, we think possibly by a hurricane. If in your Finnerty files there is any information about this family, we would be delighted to know about it.

Coole Park, County Galway (October 27th 2000).

If you can help please Email: mthacher@snet.net