Jeremiah MURPHY was born in Ireland around 1821. His wife Mary was born in Ireland around 1823.
Jeremiah Murphy and his wife Mary were married in Ireland sometime prior to 1843.
Jeremiah Murphy was a harnessmaker by trade, and the family immigrated
to the USA in 1849. Given the year of immigration, the famine in Ireland
was probably the cause of their flight to the USA. They first settled in
Portland, Maine. By the mid-1860's they had moved to New York City.
This family travelled from
Liverpool onboard the "Queen of the West" and arrived in New York, New
York, on 10 August 1849. Jer Murphy, age 30, a male, a Saddler from
Ireland. Travelling with him, all from Ireland, are Mary Murphy, age
26, female, Cath Murphy, age 5, female, Honor Murphy, infant, female,
Cath Manning, age 22, female, Mary Manning, age 50, female, Jas?
Manning, age 16, male and Dan? Manning, age 12, male. (Memo: Mary
Manning, age 50 is probably Mary Murphy's mother. The rest, Cath, Jas?
and Dan? are probably probably younger siblings of 26 year old
Mary.) Here is the New York arrival record.
Jeremiah and Mary MURPHY had the following known children:
Kate Louisa MURPHY, born 29 December 1843 in
Ireland per the 1850 & 1860 census records and Portland, Maine per
Portland records. (See birth record) (Memo: this birth record was obviously created at a date after her
birth. Probably it had something to do with attending school in
Portland, Maine.)
Memo: there was a Kate Murphy baptised on 7 January 1844 at Kanturk, County Cork, Ireland. See the two records here: This one is from the Cobh Heritage Research Center. This was the only Catherine Murphy born between 1842 and 1845 with a father named Jeremiah Murphy and a mother named Mary in the Catholic Parish Registers, so we thought we had the correct person. In addition, her baptism is 9 days after the known birthdate for Kate in the USA records. This is a copy of the actual recording of the baptism from the Roman Catholic parish records of Kanturk. From this record you can see that Baptism is from 1844, January and the third baptism recorded on the 7th of January you find: "Keate, Jeremiah Murphy, Mary Sheehen, Jeremiah Mullane, Brigid Mullane". From this we learn the name of the child, then the father, then the mother, then the two sponsors. We now know Mary's maiden name is SHEEHAN. Jeremiah and Brigid Mullane are probably relatives. HOWEVER, this same couple of Jeremiah Murphy and Mary Sheehan had two other children baptised in Kanturk, Ireland. A Honoria Murphy, baptised in Kanturk, Ireland, on 21 Feb 1852, and a Mary Murphy baptised on 3 Feb 1856, meaning this can not be the correct couple, since they were in the USA since 1849.
Honoria Maria MURPHY, born 8 November 1848 in Portland, Maine, and Ireland per the 1850 and 1960 USA census records. (See birth record) (Memo: this birth record was obviously created at a date after her birth. Probably it had something to do with attending school in Portland, Maine.)
Edmund Henry MURPHY, born 24 November 1850, Portland, Maine. (See birth record)
Jeremiah Francis MURPHY, born 28 November 1855, Portland, Maine.
Daniel Charles MURPHY, born 28 October 1858, Portland, Maine
Mary MURPHY, born about 1867/68 in New York. (Possibly the Mary Ellen Murphy born in Portland, Maine on 13 Sept. 1866. No parents names were listed.)
From the 1850 Census, taken 21 August 1850, we have the following information on this family:
They were living in the 4th Ward, Portland, Cumberland County, Maine:
Jeremiah MURPHY, aged 28, born Ireland, occupation: Harness Maker.
Mary MURPHY, aged 26, born in Ireland
Cath L. MURPHY, aged 6, born in Ireland
Honora MURPHY, age 1, born in Ireland (Possibly Hanna)
The 1850 census taker must not have
understood where their two daughters were born, as there is a birth
record for both of them in Portland Maine. Go here to view the 1850 census. MEMO:
It is interesting that the reco9rder of all five children born between
1843 and 1859 was an "H Edward Smith" per the birth records. But the
census records show they two oldest were born in Ireland. Were the
births of the two oldest children somehow recorded as born in Portland,
Maine, after the fact, or were thyey really born in Portland, Maine? In
1900 there is a Kate L. Murphy, age 55, listed as a widow, born in
Ireland as were her parents, a patient at the Long Island State
Hospital in Smithtown, Suffolk County, New York. This hospital must
have been huge, as there were over 400 employees on the census and over
2,500 patients!! It is the Kings Park Psychiatric Center located
on over 600 acres. It operated from 1885 to 1996.
From the 1860 Census, taken 21 June 1860, we have the following information on this family:
They were living in the 4th Ward, City of Portland, County of Cumberland, Maine:
Jeremiah MURPHY, age 41, a Harness Maker, born in Ireland. Value of Personal Estate was $200.00
Mary MURPHY, age 35, born in Ireland
Catherine MURPHY, age 16, born in Ireland, a Milliner. (a women's hat maker)
Honora MURPHY, age 11, born in Ireland
Edmund MURPHY, age 9, born in Maine
Jeremiah MURPHY, age 4, born in Maine
Daniel MURPHY, age 1, born in Maine
Again, the daughters are listed as born in Ireland, however, there are the perfectly matching birth records from the city of Portland, Maine, and neither of the daughters appear on other 1850 or 1860 censuses with parents named Jeremiah and Mary.
Jeremiah Murphy joins the Union Army as a substitute Volunteer 17 August, 1863, during the Civil War. At this link is the record.
Jeremiah is listed as 42, born in Ireland, and his occupation is a
Saddler. He is volunteering on behalf of Nehemiah Rice, for
compensation. There is a note written on the side of the document that
reads "He is a resident of Portland, ME, and is single." We don't know
whether this note refers to Jeremiah or Nehemiah.
From the 1870 Census(actual census date was January 1871) we have the following information on this family:
They were living in New York City, New York, on Essex Street, between Hester Street and Grand Street.
Jeremiah MURPHY, age 50, a Saddler, born in Ireland
Mary Murphy, age 45, born in Ireland
Edmund MURPHY, age 19, born in Maine
Jeremiah MURPHY, age 14, born in Maine
Daniel MURPHY, age 11, born in Maine
Mary MURPHY, age 3, born in New York
Kate probably did not move with the family to New York. Kate is
probably the servant living with the Little family in 1870, or less
likely she could be the Kate Muprhy living at the Bates Mills Boarding
House in Lewiston, Maine. Kate is probably the servant listed as Kate
Murphy, age 25, living with the Andrew and Ann Taylor family in 1880.
From the 1880 census(Family name recorded as MURPHEY) we have the following information on this family:
They were living in Long Island, Queens, New York City:
Mary MURPHEY, age 54, born in Ireland, parents born in Ireland.
Edmund MURPHEY, age 29, born in Maine, parents born in Ireland, occupation: Harness Maker
Jeremiah MURPHEY, age 25, born in Maine, parents born in Ireland, occupation: Harness Maker
Daniel MURPHEY, age 22, born in Maine, parents born in Ireland, occupation: Harness Maker
Mary MURPHEY, age 12, born in New York, parents born in Ireland, occupation: at school
Honoria Murphy is possibly the Honora Muprhy, age 40, who married
John Brickley, age 48, in Boston, Mass. on June 18, 1889. Her parents
are listed as Jeremiah and Mary Murphy. His parents are listed as
Patrick and Catherine. It is his 2nd marriage and Honora's first
marriage. They were both born in Ireland and he is a laborer and she is
a domestic. After further investigation, we find this family in the
1900 census and Honora is listed as born in February 1847, a year
before our Honora, and her entry year into the USA is 1868. So this
rules her out as marrying John Brickley.
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This page last updated on 19 April 2021
