Our Flaherty Family History

Our Flaherty Family History

What do we know of our Flaherty family history? That they came from Ireland? That they were Catholic? And that our forefather's landed in Boston? Yes, yes, and yes. 

In this blog, I hope to collect information about what I currently know of our Flaherty's ancestry and their connection to Ireland, to Massachusetts, and maybe even the DNA lineage to current descendants.

Ireland History

Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic Sea and comprises some 32,000 square miles, and has been occupied since about 8,000 BC. Gaelic Ireland had emerged by the 1st century AD. The island was Christianized from the 5th century onwards. During this period Ireland was divided into many petty kingships under provincial kingships. In the late 8th century to early 11th century AD Viking raids and settlement took place. This was followed by the 12th century Anglo-Norman invasion, which lasted until the 16th–17th century Tudor conquest, which led to colonization by settlers from Britain.

Geopolitically, the island of Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially named Ireland), an independent state covering five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. As of 2022, the population of the entire island is just over 7 million, with 5.1 million living in the Republic of Ireland and 1.9 million in Northern Ireland, ranking it the second-most populous island in Europe after Great Britain.

Ferocious Flaherty's

Much has been told about the ferocity of the Ferocious Flahery's, both in tale, and in story. Their reign in Ireland loomed for some 300 years beginning around the 1200's. They ruled supreme as Gaelic warrior lords and depended on the sea for trade, food and transport while the green fields and mountain pastures provided grazing for their herds. Variants of the name Flaherty include O'Flaherty and Laverty. These names derive from the Gaelic O'Flaithbheartaigh sept that possessed the territory on the east side of Lough Corrib in County Galway.

Around 1490, the O'Flahery's built Aughnanure Castle, near Oughterard on Lough Corrib based on old Norman custom of building defensive castles. It is perhaps their most impressive. If you ever have a chance to go, you should.

County Waterford

Recent discoveries have shown that our Flaherty linage doesn't include Galway, but instead points to the another corner of Ireland, more specifically, County Waterford. Record keeping during these early times was rough, most were either destroyed during fires, rotted by mildew from wet weather, or lost altogether. Those records that do still exist include Tithe Applotment, Griffith's Valuation, and more recently, census data. With advancement in online services, these records have made their way to Internet websites for easier access, and search capabilities. Other more recent records available online include birth, marriage and death records provided by a huge effort of the National Archives of Ireland.

The Famine

The Irish Famine of 1845 - 1852 (or in Irish "Gorta Mór", translated as "Great Hunger") resulted in mass starvation and emigration. The primary cause of the famine - amongst numerous other issues - was the Potato Blight of 1845. The limited diet of the majority of the population meant that the country was ill-prepared for the failure of the potato crop. Whether our Flaherty ancestors left Ireland because of the famine we will never know. What we do know if that one of them would eventually make his was to America.

Richard Flaherty

Of those records that are online, there is mention of a Richard Flaherty who lived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1870. His marriage to Catherine McCarty lists his parents as William Flaherty and Mary Ryan. Careful research over the past two decades has resulted in the finding of a record for a Richard Flaherty who was baptized in 1848, the son of William Flaherty and Mary Ryan, in County Waterford, Ireland. Richard Flaherty became an American citizen, naturalizing in 1876. This government document lists his place of origin as County Waterford, Ireland. 

Sadly, Catherine died in 1879, but Richard remarried that same year, to Mary McGreal. Once again, Richard lists his parents as William Flaherty and Mary Ryan. Researching through all of the William Flaherty's that were listed in the Griffith's Valuation from County Waterford, shows that there were only four, and of those four, only one lived in the townland of Dungarvan, the same townland listed on Richard's baptism record. I have also found a marriage record of a William Flaherty in 1813 in Dungarvan, but I can’t make for certain he is related to our Dungarvan Flaherty’s.

Boston Irish

Boston in known for its Irish ancestry, primarily from its immigrants who arrived during the famine, but also in the following decades. By 1850, about 35,000 Irish Immigrants lived in Boston. Five years later that number reached to more than 50,000, establishing the newly arrived Irish as the largest immigrant group in the city. Many Irish women became domestic servants; by 1860, two-thirds of the servants in Boston were Irish. Mary of the Irish men who arrived served as soldiers in the Civil War, or helps in the shipyards of or on the rail lines. Some became political powerhouses like the Kennedy's. 

Brighton History

Sitting on the shores of the Charles River, Brighton’s multi-family homes and condos give it a welcoming vibe. Washington Street runs through the center and is home to many small businesses. But things weren't always this way. 

The first stockyard in Brighton was at the site of 201 Washington Street, about a quarter of a mile east of Brighton Center. The slaughterhouse stood at the southeast corner of Chestnut Hill Avenue and Academy Hill Road. By 1790, Jonathan Winship II was the largest meat packer in Massachusetts, putting up some 5,000 barrels of beef a year for foreign markets alone.

By the 1820s the Brighton Cattle Market was receiving between two and eight thousand head of cattle every Monday.  The average sale of cattle at the Brighton Cattle Market in the 1835 to 1845 period exceeded $2 million a year. Brighton was the chief market for livestock in New England and it was a common sight to see herds of cattle, and occasionally of sheep, driven through Brookline Village and up Washington Street to Brighton. Check out this map from 1866, and note the location of Lincoln Street. This map and location will become more relevant later.

Getting to America

So where are we at? We know from Richard's naturalization record that he came to the United States in 1865. Here was a 17 year old kid, who having been born in a small fishing village on the far side of Ireland, collects whatever funds he can pull together, leaves his family behind, travels most likely to Cohb, Ireland, the major port where many Irish immigrants left for America. He spends many weeks on a ship, lands in New York City, and for some reason, makes his way to Brighton, Massachusetts where he gets married in 1870. What is comforting is that he was able to sign his name on the Naturalization Record, a feat that many immigrants didn't possess.

Housing

Over the course of the next 30 years, Richard and his growing family would move around from house to house throughout the Brighton area. While the housing situation in major cities like New York City and Boston were a bit crowded, living conditions were not that bad in Brighton. No records have been found that prove that Richard ever owned his own home. Below is a brief chart that displays his occupation, his residence, and the year associated with the records. Historically, the term “teamsters” referred to commercial road transportation workers. Cousens Brothers were know as dealers in coal, hard and soft wood, hay and straw. 

Family

The marriage between Richard Flaherty and Catherine McCarthy would produce four children, three of them not reaching adulthood, and a Mary Jane Flaherty who would marry a Thomas Murphy and move to Chicago, though we are not exactly sure of this relationship.

 

The marriage of Richard Flaherty and Mary McGreal would produce eight children, ranging from the first born in 1880 and the last in 1896. All these children would remain in the Boston/Brighton area all of their lives. These children include Bridget Agnes (b.1880-d.1946), Richard Dennis (b.1882-d.1953), Thomas Francis (b.1883-d.1910), John William (b.1885-d.1924), Helen Gertrude (b.1887-d.1967), Charles J. (b.1890-d.1931), Josephine M. (1893-d.1975), and Raymond Edward (b.1896-d.1899).

Death

In a weird twist of fate, Richard had a successful life as a citizen of the United States, was married, and from the sounds of it, had a successful career as a teamster. The following news story tells of the horrible accident that eventually would take his life 1900. The news article appeared in 1896.

The McGreal Family

Mary McGreal was born in September 1855, the daughter of Thomas and Mary McGreal. Records indicate that Thomas originated from County Mayo, Ireland. We have not been able to find his immigration records, but he and his wife Mary are listed on the 1860 federal census of Boston, MA. We're also not sure what happened to Thomas and Mary, but that same year, and living nearby, we can find Thomas McGreal's brother Timothy, who was born in 1837. While Timothy would die in 1864 of pneumonia, his wife Bridget Lowry would follow the Flaherty family to Brighton and live just doors away from Richard Flaherty and his family on Lyman Street. But unlike Richard who died in 1900, Mary would live until 1946 at the age of 91. 

Richard Dennis Flaherty

Richard Flaherty was born at 3 Market Street, Brighton in 1882. Over the course of the next 71 years he and his family would live at nine different locations in the greater Brighton area. Richard married Mary Elizabeth McGlynn. The McGlynn family were neighbors in the Newton area. Richard and Mary would have the following six children: Henry Raymond (b.1904-d.1959), Richard William (b.1905-d.1985), Charles Francis (b.1908-d.1980), John Joseph (b.1910-d.1980), Edward Thomas (b.1911-d.1968), and Paul Leo (b.1914-d.1999). Again, all offspring would stay local to the Boston/Brighton area and raise families.

In a series of interesting news article, Richard made news in 1904 and again in 1912, the first being involved in an accident where an electric car hit a milk wagon, and the second where he was injured in a fight that left a cut in his right arm. Richard's occupation was listed as working for the rail lines from 1910 to 1940.

Yes, this is my great-grandfather, an Irishman, a father, and conductor, and a real person having real events happen in his everyday life. Well, hopefully not every day.

Sadly, Richard passed away on August 17, 1953 at his home. He is buried in the St. Vincent section of St. Joseph's Cemetery in Roxbury, MA. Below is an image from the Allston/Brighton Historical Society of an image from 1935 when Richard would have been employed as a conductor on this rail line. I like to think of him being behind that engine, and his wife and family sending him off to work.

DNA

Henry Raymond Flaherty, the first born of the marriage of Richard and Mary Flaherty, was my grandfather. Henry was married to Josephine Frances Connors. From this relationship, they would have nine children. During the life of one of his sons, Richard, my uncle, took part in an Ancestry DNA test, which resulted in him proving that he was 85% Irish, and 14% Scottish. I too have taken the DNA test, and as would be expected, and an generation removed, am 47% Irish, and 42% English, the later part coming from my father's Welsh heritage.

Conclusion

The point of this blog is multifaceted. The first was to share information that I have collected regarding my Flaherty family history. The second is to get more experiencing writing blogs. And the last is to explore more options for obtaining information about these families, and, in the writing of this blog, we have learned that Richard Flaherty (b.1848-d.1900) actually had siblings; Patrick, Bridget and William, all confirmed to be from the same parents of Richard, in Dungarvan, County Waterford. 

And just today I received the death record for Richard's father William Flaherty (b.1813-d.1864), which confirms that our Flaherty's are from Dungarvan, County Waterford, Ireland. 

Coincidentally, we just happen to be traveling to Ireland at the end of July 2024, and are making plans to visit the area of Waterford County to gather any and all information we can on our Flaherty ancestors, and pass these details in the updated version of this blog, or in a future and more elaborate Flaherty blog.

Sláinte