Margaret MAHONEY & Thomas LEE

Margaret MAHONEY was born in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland, 15 September 1870. Margaret MAHONEY died at the age of 42, around 1912.
She was the daughter of William MAHONEY & Johanna DANIEL of Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland. William was born around 1838 and died December 18, 1919 at the age of 81.

Thomas LEE was baptised on 24 October 1863 in Ballylanders, County Limerick, Ireland. His parents were William LEE and Ellen ENGLISH  View Baptism record here

Family folklore says before he came to the USA Thomas travelled to Australia.
Thomas LEE arrived in the USA in 1892 and he became a citizen of the USA in 1902. Thomas LEE had a sister named Mary LEE. The 1900 census says Mary LEE BRIDE was born in January 1871 in Ireland.

Thomas LEE and Margaret MAHONEY were married around 1897. Here is their wedding day photo.

Margaret MAHONEY and Thomas LEE had two children:

Mary Ellen LEE, born December 8, 1898 in San Francisco or Colma, California

Josephine LEE, born about 1902 in San Francisco, or Colma, California

From the 1900 census they are living in San Mateo County, "First Township" Thomas is listed as born May 1867 in Ireland and M Margaret Lee is listed as born July 1873 in Ireland. Thomas arrived in the USA in 1892 and Margaret in 1893. Thomas was a Teamster. Their oldest daughter, Mary Ellen born in 1898, is not listed as being in the residence, but they list on the form that they have one child. Is one year old Mary Ellen sick and in the hospital?

She is on the 1910 census.

The 1910 census have them living in Township 1, San Mateo County at 315 Bryant Street, as of May 10, 1910. Thomas is 43, Margaret is 36, Mary is 11 and Josephine is 7. They have been married 12 years, Thomas arrived in the USA in 1895 and Margaret in 1890. Thomas works as a laborer for a paint works. (memo: the Bryant Street is probably the Bryant Street now located in Daly City, bordering Colma.)

Margaret passed away around 1912. Margaret's daughter Mary Ellen LEE says she had to leave school when she was 14 years old because of her mother's death. This would place Margaret's death as 1912 or 1913. However, there is a San Francisco Funeral home record for Margaret LEE from the H. F. Suhr & Co. Funeral Records in San Francisco as follows:  Margaret LEE (Mahoney), married, age 42, birth date 1875, place of birth Ireland, date of death 14 February 1917, father's name Wm. Mahoney and mother's name Johanna O'Donnell.

The 1920 census lists Thomas LEE's occupation as a teamster at a paint factory, and he owns his home at 28 Clara Street, next to Bryant St.
He worked for the Fuller Paint company.
Thomas is 52, Mary is 21 and Josephine is 17.

Thomas LEE had a sister named Mary, known as Aunty Bride. In 1930 Aunty Bride lived at 468 Duboce Street at the intersection with Sanchez Street. She had 3 sons, Maurice Miles, James J and William F BRIDE. This may be were the Joyce family connection is located, as referred to in the story about the chair at Holy Cross Cemetery

In 1932, just after retiring from the Fuller Paint Company, Thomas Lee and his sister, Mary Lee BRIDE, went back to Ireland to visit their brother. They were gone for 6 months.

Thomas LEE told his grandson that he was deported from Ireland for activity toward the freedom of Ireland. This info is from a descendant of Thomas LEE trying to remember items from over 70 years ago.

Thomas LEE's and Margaret MAHONEY's gravestone located at Holy Cross Cemetery  
Thomas LEE passed away on March 27, 1952, at the age of 88. From the California Death records lists his date of death as 27 March 1952 in San Francisco. His birth place as "other country", his birth date as 24 October 1864, and his mother's maiden name as ENGLISH. So the person that supplied the information for the death record probably gave the wrong year, but the day and month matches with his baptisnal record in Ireland. 

Here is a picture of the two young daughters from around 1905.

Here is a photo of their 4 grandchildren: Mary Ellen(standing) and left to right Marjean, Carol and Jim

This page last updated on March 26, 2018