The next time you engage in small-talk with someone from Ireland, you can speak with some authority on which county in Ireland you "come from." I found the grave marker for our first Irish ancestor in America, Patrick Macken, and fortunately it identified his origin as "Longford." Unfortunately, Longford is both a county and a city in Ireland. Fortunately again, on a trip to Ireland, I stopped in at the library in Longford City and found a book of transcribed baptism records from St. Mary's church in the town of Granard. The Macken family was listed in the book. That was the start of my research, which is far from complete.
Patrick Macken, was born in Ireland about 1837, the son of John and Julia (Heary) Macken. By 1840, the Macken family made their home with other Mackens in the townland of Ballygilchrist, near the town of Granard in County Longford, Ireland. (Location is circled on the Co. Longford map above.) Beginning in 1845, Ireland suffered from “An Gorta Mor” (The Great Hunger), which was caused by a potato blight, with the potato being the sole crop for the poor tenant farmers. One and a half million people died of starvation between 1845 and 1851, and the country lost a third of its population to emigration. From County Longford, 29% of its people, including the Macken family, emigrated to other countries.
John Macken likely died before 1855, and his widow Julia settled in Hinsdale (Berkshire County), Massachusetts, with her five children and with Mary Macken. The oldest sons, Patrick and Luke, ages 17 and 15, supported the family as laborers.[i] Hinsdale is a small town about 140 miles west of Boston. The closest city is Pittsfield. The town’s chief manufacture in the mid-19th century was woolen mills.
By 1860, Patrick (age 22) had established himself as a blacksmith
and owned $200 in personal property. His
brother Luke (age 21) and his sister Bridget (age 16) worked in a local woolen
mill. Ann (age 12) was attending school.[i] On September 8, 1860, Ann died of
Consumption.[ii]
By 1865, Patrick had married Bridget Keleher, also of
Hinsdale, the daughter of Thomas and Catherine (Fenton) Keleher. Bridget and her family had emigrated from
Toorala, Kilronan, near the city of Clonmel, County Waterford, Ireland, in
1852. In 1865, newlyweds Patrick and
Bridget livied in the house next door to his mother, brothers and sisters. Patrick continued in his trade as a
blacksmith in Hinsdale, while his siblings
performed factory labor.[i] Patrick did some work for the town of
Hinsdale. For example, annual reports itemize
payments: in 1872, $49.46 for “smith work;” in 1873, $80 for “smithing;” and in
1875, $40 for “Water Pitcher for Lock-up” and $40 for “axe helve.”[ii]
Roman Catholics in
Hinsdale had suffered for many years the hardship of walking over Tully
Mountain to Pittsfield to attend Mass at St. Joseph's Church. Masses were also occasionally said in private
homes, including in the Macken home. Throughout her life, Bridget (Keleher) Macken was delighted to tell
how she along with other men and women would walk over the mountain to attend
Mass in Pittsfield, a distance of 8 miles.[ii] In 1852, St. Patrick's parish began to erect a
wooden building in Hinsdale, and finally dedicated it on September 19, 1869. The building was replaced in 1936 and the
rectory burned down in 1953.
The year 1866 was one of joy and tragedy for the Macken
family. The first daughter for Patrick and Bridget, Ann, was born on March 1,
1866. A short time later, the family
celebrated the marriage of Patrick’s brother, Luke Macken, to Hannah Dwyer on
June 21, 1866. Luke was a cloth finisher
at the local woolen mill. Unfortunately,
Luke contracted typhoid fever and died in December of 1866 at the age of 28. Hannah (Dwyer) Macken never remarried.
Patrick and Bridget’s first son, Luke John was born almost a year later on October 27, 1867 and was given his uncle’s
name.
In 1870, Patrick owned $3,500 in real estate. On August 18, 1870, he sold one of his double
tenement houses to F.W. Hinsdale for $1,300. In November 1871, the Superior Court Justice
Brigham decided for Adm’r P.L. Page v. Patrick Macken et al., verdict for the
plaintiff of $59.48.
By 1870, Patrick’s
aunt Mary Macken was living with Patrick and Bridget. The Hinsdale Annual Reports for 1881 and
1882, itemize payments under Town Poor
to Patrick for “care of Mary Macken,” and to P.J. Corcoran for “supplies for
Mary Macken.” Upon her death in January
1882, payments were made by the town for a “coffin and box,” and “extra funeral
expenses.”[i]
Patrick Macken died
of pneumonia on December 4, 1881, after falling ill 3 days before. The Pittsfield Sun noted that he was “a
kindly man and successful in business… he will be greatly missed. He leaves a
widow and several children, who will have the sympathy of many friends.”[i] Family folklore differs in its account of the
death of Patrick. According to oral
family history, Patrick was kicked by his horse one night while inebriated, and
he died. Perhaps the injury developed
into pneumonia. We will never know for sure.
Patrick Macken was buried in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in
Hinsdale/Dalton. At his death, Patrick
left real estate valued at $1,800, including a house, barn, shop and lot,
valued at $300. He also left 2 cows, 2 pigs, 10 hams, hay and coal, blacksmith
tools, 7 beds, carpets, dishes and crockery, and miscellaneous furniture, all
valued at $319. Bridget Macken was
appointed guardian of her 6 minor children (Annie, Luke, Kate, Thomas, Patrick
and Julia).[ii]
[i] Pittsfield Sun. December 7, 1881 (Wednesday), pg 1.
[i] Pittsfield Sun. December 7, 1881 (Wednesday), pg 1.
[ii]
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. No
14020. Annie Mackin et als. Guardian’s
Petition: Minor, Recorded March 7, 1882, in Book No 100, pg 16x. Guardian’s Inventory, Recorded in Book 79, pg
90. (In 2005 dollars, the value of real and personal estate would be $11,500.)
[i]
Annual Reports of the Selectmen, Treasurer, Assessors, and School Committee of
the Town of Hinsdale for the Years ending 1881 (pgs 3-5) and 1882 (pgs 3-5).
[i]
Hinsdale Sesquicentennial Booklet of Aug 7-15, 1954. <http://hinsdale-mass.org/code/html/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=22>
[ii]
Berkshire Eagle: “Walked Miles to Attend
Mass; First Catholic Services at Hinsdale Held in Home of Mrs. Bridget Macken”
February15, 1929, pg 2, col 1.
[i]
Massachusetts State Census of 1865: Berkshire County, Hinsdale. House 168, 169.
[ii]
Annual Reports of the Selectmen of the Town of Hinsdale for the years ending
1872 (pg 9), 1873 (Treasurer’s Report), and 1875 (pg 8).
[iii]
Pittsfield Sun: “The Eagle says:”
January 12, 1865, pg 2.
[i]
Naturalization Petitions and Declarations. Massachusetts Superior Court
(Berkshire County). Vol 3, pg 111 [LDS:
1,435,836].
[i]
U.S. Census for 1860: Massachusetts, Berkshire County, Hinsdale. Pg 137, House
1064, NARA MF #487.
[ii]
Hinsdale (Berkshire) Massachusetts Vital Records for the year 1860.
[i]
U.S. Census for 1855: Massachusetts, Berkshire County, Hinsdale, House 218,
Family 250.
