Helen = Storyteller

Family members that change their name, place of birth, and age with great frequency are the hardest to track down.  In one census they might list their age as 41; twenty years later they say they are 50.  This leads to a lot of frustration and uncertainty.  In my family tree, "lying" people all seem to share a common trait, the name Helen, or Ellen, or Nellie, etc.  For a name that means light, they turn it off.

Helen Blanchard (1849-1927)

Helen was born in May 1849.  She was baptized Roman Catholic, 3 June 1849, St. Simon and St. Jude Church, Tignish, Prince Edward Island.  Her baptismal certificate lists her parents as Stephen Blanchard and Catharine Ferris.  Helen, or Ellen as she commonly referred to herself, lived in Tignish, Prince Edward Island, along with her family in the 1861 Canadian Census.

The next time Ellen was documented was 16 May 1891.  She was listed as the mother of Michael Joseph (abt 1884-1891), on his death certificate from that date. At the time of his death Ellen and her family were living at 81 Avenue C, Manhattan, New York.  She was still living there 9 November 1891, when her husband, Michael Lyons (abt 1850-1891), was admitted to the New York City Asylum for Insane, Wards Island, New York.

In the 1900 United States Census Ellen was living on Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, New York, with her daughter Helen (abt 1880-1893) and her niece Catherine Blanchard (1896-1965).  In the 1910 United States Census she was living at 83 Third Street in Queens, New York.  She was living with her daughter Helen and Helen's family, as well as Catherine Blanchard.  In 1918 Ellen was listed as Daniel Joseph's (1876- ) mother on his World War I Draft Card.  Her address was 26-84 12th Street.

In 1920 Ellen was living at 912 Crescent Street, Queens, New York.  She was living with her husband, John Ryan.  Ellen died on 30 November 1927 in Wyckoff Heights Hospital from appendicitis.  At the time of her death she was living at 76 McComb Place, Queens, New York.  Ellen was buried in St. John's Cemetery, Queens, New York.

There are so many things I need to do to complete my research on Helen.  My first to do is figure what Ellen was doing between the years 1861-1891.  Obviously she immigrated, married, and had children, but I do not have records on any of these events.

National Genealogical Society

I just became a member of the National Genealogical Society.  According to their website the NGS is the "premier national society for everyone from the beginner to the most advanced family historian."

We shall see...

Daniel Blanchard

Daniel Blanchard was born 7 September 1847 to Stephen Blanchard and Catharine Ferris.  He was baptized Roman Catholic at St. Simon and St. Jude Church, Tignish, Prince Edward Island, 17 September 1847.  Daniel was living with his family in Tignish, Prince Edward Island in the 1861 Canadian Census.

These are the only facts that I have on Daniel.  I don't know if Daniel came to New York with Catharine, or stayed in Canada with Stephen and John.  I have searched the Prince Edward Island Public Archives and Records Office.  I have also searched New Brunswick Vital Records and Nova Scotia Vital Records.  The name Daniel Blanchard doesn't appear in any of these databases.

The clues I have to help me find Daniel are...

A Daniel Blanchard appears as a sponsor on a baptismal record from Tignish, Prince Edward Island, dated 5 December 1863.  The record is for a Stephen Blanchard whose parents are listed as Stephen Blanchard and Catharine Tennessy.  Unfortunately there is no way to tell if this is my Daniel.

The name Daniel does not appear in the Blanchard family.  Therefore I am assuming the name Daniel comes from the Ferris side.

Elizabeth and the Delaneys

Elizabeth Blanchard was born circa 1846.  She was living with her family in Tignish, Prince Edward Island, in the 1861 Canadian Census.  Elizabeth married William Delaney, 10 December 1871, at the Church of St. Michael, Manhattan, New York.  Her marriage certificate lists her parents as Stephen Blanchard and Catharine Ferris.  After her marriage, Elizabeth lived at 444 West 37 Street.  She was listed at this address in both the 1880 and 1900 United States Censuses.  Elizabeth and William had eight children.

William Joseph Delaney (abt 1872-1908)
Thomas Delaney (abt 1874-1878)
Mary Ellen Delaney (1876-1897)
Catherine Delaney (1879- )
Joseph Delaney (1881 - )
Anne Delaney (1883-1907)
Elizabeth Delaney (1888- )

Elizabeth Blanchard Delaney died 18 January 1901, from pulmonary phthisis.  Elizabeth is buried with family members in Calvary Cemetery.

To complete my research on Elizabeth and her family I need to find, and/or follow up on quite a few things

• Elizabeth's baptismal record.
• Immigration records for Elizabeth.
• William Joseph Delaney and Thomas Delaney's birth records. The Church of St. Michael's searched their records for 1872, 73, 74 and 1874, 75, 76 respectively, but couldn't find anything. updated Tuesday, March 30, 2010
• Joseph Delaney's baptismal sponsors were George Blanchard and Mary Kennedy. The Kennedy name appears on numerous Blanchard family documents.
• Elizabeth Delaney's baptismal sponsors were William J Delaney and Ellen Ferris.
• I do not have any records on Catherine, Joseph, and Elizabeth Delaney after 1900.
• I only have records for seven Delaney children.  updated Tuesday, August 17, 2010
• William Joseph Delaney had at least two living children when he died in 1908, William Delaney (abt 1901- ) and Edward Delaney (abt 1906- ).

John Blanchard

John Blanchard (1843-1867) was Stephen and Catharine's eldest son.  He was born 14 August 1843.  John was baptized Roman Catholic, 27 August 1843, in St. John the Baptist, Miscouche, Prince Edward Island.  His sponsors were Donald Ferris and Catherine McNeil.  In the 1861 Canadian Census, an 18 year old John was living with his family in Tignish, Prince Edward Island.  John married Ann Cook, 27 June 1867, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  They were married in an Episcopal Church.  John died 26 November 1867.  He died in Halifax, Nova Scotia, from disease of the heart.

Due to John's short life, I think I am finished researching him.  The one name I would like to follow up on is Donald Ferris.

Catharine Ferris Blanchard

Catharine Ferris Blanchard is one of the more interesting stories in my family tree.  She married very young and had quite a large family.  She appeared to be living a rather normal life; however things changed.  For reasons yet unknown Catharine left her husband, her home, and everything she knew in Canada,  to start life over in the United States.  Here, with most of her children by her side, she lived to become a very "old lady."

Here is Catharine's story...

On 29 September 1839 Catharine Ferris (abt 1825-1915) married Stephen S Blanchard in Bathurst, New Brunswick.  On 27 August 1843 her son John (1843-1867) was baptized in St. John Baptist Church, Miscouche, Prince Edward Island.  In September of 1847, Catharine gave birth to her son Daniel (1847- ).  He was baptized at St. Simon and St. Jude Church, Tignish, Prince Edward Island.  Catharine's children Helen (1849-1927), Edward (1851-1915), Anne (1853- ), Sophia (1856-1948), and William (1858-1932) were also baptized in this Church.  In 1861 Catharine was still living with her family, in Tignish, Prince Edward Island.  She was listed with them in the 1861 Canadian Census.  In 1877 Catharine was living at 140 Huron Street, Brooklyn, New York.  From here she moved to 179 Java Street, and in the 1880 United States Census she was living with Edward, Sophia, Stephen (abt 1861-1936), and George (abt 1864-1940) at 595 Lorimer Street.  During the next twenty years some of her addresses included 692 Leonard Street and 148 Meserole Avenue.  In the 1900 United States Census, Catharine was living with Sophia's family at 105 India Street.  Catharine died 3 January 1915.  Her cause of death was listed as bronchial asthma and pleura-pneumonia.  At the time of her death Catharine was living at 147 Twelfth Avenue, Queens, New York.  Catharine was buried 5 January 1915 in Calvary Cemetery.  

Those are the facts, but there is plenty I still need to learn.

When was Catharine born?
Her year of birth ranges from 1825 in the 1900 United States Census to 1832 in the 1880 United States Census.  In the 1861 Canadian Census she was listed as 21 to 45, which puts her birth between 1816 and 1840.  Considering she was married in 1839 and John was born in 1843, Catharine was probably born closer to the 1825 date.

Where was Catharine born?
Catharine states she was born in Ireland in the 1861 Canadian Census and the 1900 United States Census.  In the 1880 United States Census she states she was born in Massachusetts.  Her children list her birthplace as Ireland, Nova Scotia, England, or Canada depending on the child and the year of the census.

How did Catharine wind up in New York?
Catharine was living in Canada in 1861.  She was probably living there when Stephen and George were born as well, but right now I do not have those records.  In 1877 Catharine is living in Brooklyn, New York.  She is actually living in New York earlier; however I need to double check my source.  Last time I went to NYC Department of Records  I found Catharine in an earlier directory.  She was living at 204 Freeman; however I did not write down the exact year.  I wrote Freeman Street, 1872/1873.  I am going to have to verify what directory this is from next time I go.  updated Tuesday, March 30, 2010  I have yet to find immigration records for Catharine or her family.

As to why Catharine left Canada we may never know; however we can speculate...My speculations will be in another post.

Grandpa

About two months ago I found out you could order photocopies of the the actual application for a Social Security card.  I was curious to see what new information the application might supply, so I ordered my grandfather's, George Christopher Blanchard (1910-2007).  Unfortunately the only new fact was the address he was living at when he filled out the application, 627 Morgan Avenue.

I don't know if I will order any more, but it is definitely something to keep in mind.

Three + One = Four

I have been searching for four baptismal records from Prince Edward Island.  Without civil records, baptismal records are the only way to establish birth, and links to parents.

I have no records for Elizabeth (abt 1846-1901) and George (abt 1864-1940).

I have two records for Stephen (abt 1861-1936); however I am not sure if either is correct.

That is three.  My fourth record is for a girl listed in the 1861 Canadian Census.  The 1861 Canadian Census isn't nominal; however it does list the ages of people in the household.  According to the census there should be a girl, aged 16-21.  Assuming this girl isn't a servant, and based on her age and where her immediate siblings were baptized, I should find her record  at St. John the Baptist.

So to figure all this out, I ordered microfilm from my local Family History Center.  I ordered two different films.  One from St. John Baptist and one from St. Simon and St. Jude.

Dad and Michael Joseph

I have been doing genealogy since 25 May 2007.  What started out as a few names and dates, has quickly turned into extraordinary lives and stories, some of which, I couldn't make up if I tried.  I have two people who are responsible for my journey to the past.

Dad (1949- )
It was a few months after my Grandfather died, when my Dad decided to take another shot at figuring out who Hiram Blanchard and Elizabeth Ferris were.  As I watched him click around ancestry.com, I became more and more frustrated with how slow he was working.  I also realized some of his research techniques were a little "shady."  For example he would just open a directory and look for the name Blanchard.  It wasn't long before I took over the whole project.  I quickly found out Hiram and Elizabeth were not my family, and all the Blanchard's listed in the 1851 New York directory weren't either.

Michael Joseph Lyons (1884-1891)
The name Michael Joseph Lyons was on one of the first interment lists I ordered from Calvary Cemetery.  I had  to figure out who he was, so I visited the Italian Genealogical Group.  Armed with the certificate number, my next stop was the  NYC Department of Records.  How excited I was to find out his death certificate stated his Mom was born in Prince Edward Island.  Maybe I was related to Lucy Maud Montgomery!  

So why am I writing a blog about all this.  First I would like to capture my feelings and emotions, as I continue my journey to the past.  Second, and more importantly, I need to record what I am doing, and what I have done.  I have found I have been forgetting my reaseach, and in some cases doing research I have already done.  Hopefully this blog will help prevent me from doing this in the future.