I recently started writing to churches in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I started with St. Cecilia's. They were able to locate a few records. The records included my grandfather's baptismal record, as well as his parent's marriage record. St. Cecilia's was extremely helpful and generous. They even sent me copies of the original cards.
The next parish I wrote to was St. Anthony/St. Alphonsus Parish. I waited. Fun mail!
Baptismal Certificates
Mary Cecilia Colahan
Child of Thomas P Colahan and Sophia Blanchard
Born 25 March 1889
Baptized 10 April 1889 at St. Anthony of Padua Church
Sponsors Stephen A Blanchard, Cecilia Colahan
Stephen John Colahan
Child of Thomas P Colahan and Sophia Blanchard
Born 15 January 1891
Baptized 4 February 1891 at St. Anthony of Padua Church
Sponsors John J McElroy, Elizabeth Colahan
Stephen Blanchard
Child of William Blanchard and Eliza Kidd
Born on 12 September 1880
Baptized on 26 September 1880 at St. Anthony of Padua Church
Sponsors Thomas Kidd, Ellen Blanchard
Prior to this record I had no knowledge of Stephen. What happened to him? This baptismal record gives Helen (Ellen) Blanchard a new documented date, the earliest found in New York.
William Blanchet
Child of William Blanchet and Elizabeth Kidd
Born 16 January 1882
Baptized 5 February 1882 at St. Anthony of Padua Church
Sponsors Stephen Blanchet, Johanna Kennedy
William is another child I had no knowledge of. This record lists Johanna Kennedy as a sponsor. Is Johanna Kennedy connected to Mary Kennedy?
Edward Blanchard
Child of William Blanchard and Elizabeth Kidd
Born 1 August 1892
Baptized 15 August 1892
Sponsors Francis Kidd, Ella Delany
Marriage Notation
To Anna Smith
Date 7 July 1937
Church St. Joan of Arc
Place Jackson Heights, New York
William Blanchard
Child of William Blanchard and Lizzie Kidd
Born 26 May 1896
Baptized 16 June 1896 at St. Anthony of Padua Church
Sponsors George Blanchard, Katie Kidd
Catherina Blanchard
Child of Stephen Blanchard and Elizabeth Briordy
Born 22 October 1896
Baptized 16 November 1896 at St. Anthony of Padua Church
Sponsors Thomas Hawkins, Sophia Colahan
Attached note
Elizabeth Briody
Born 16 March 1875
Baptized 1 April 1878 at St. Alphonsus Church
Parents John Briody, Brigid Briody
Helen Elizabeth Blanchard
Child of George Blanchard and Alice Leigh
Born 19 March 1905
Baptized 2 April 1905 at St. Anthony of Padua Church
Sponsors Stephen Blanchard, Ellen Novnan
Marriage Certificates
Thomas P Colahan, Sophia M Blanchard
25 June 1888
St. Anthony of Padua Church
Witnesses Stephen Blanchard, Mary Colahan
William Blanchard, Elizabeth Kidd
7 December 1879
St. Anthony of Padua Church
Witnesses Edward Blanchard, Joanna Kennedy
I assume this is the same Joanna Kennedy that sponsored their son William at his baptism.
Robert H McDermott, Eileen Corrigan
18 May 1946
St. Anthony of Padua Church
Witnesses Thomas A Kavanagh, Mary Kavanagh
Attached note
Robert H McDermott
Baptized 7 March 1920
Immaculate Conception of BVM
Brooklyn
Eileen Corrigan
Baptized 17 September 1922
St. Cecilia's
Brooklyn
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteWe are descendents from the same Colahan family. If you haven't found my online database yet, please visit http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=bradhurley&id=I01027 for information about Thomas P. Colahan. Thomas's father was Patrick G. Colahan from Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland. I'm painstakingly trying to work backwards. It looks like Patrick arrived in NYC as a teenager, between 1835 and 1840, probably with his cousin John Hughes Colahan. It looks like he lived in lower Manhattan until 1852, then moved to New Orleans in 1853 where Thomas' brother James was born, and then to Brooklyn in 1854. I believe that Thomas' baptism will be found in Sts Peter and Paul Church in Brooklyn -- I've recently written to that church to see if his sister Cecile (my gggrandmother) was baptized there. I'd love to collaborate to see if we can help each other figure out more about this family. My goal at the moment is to find the baptism records of Thomas and his siblings, and the marriage of his parents.