Hugh Joseph O'Donnell (1831 - 1918)

Born 18 Mar 1831 in Ireland

Descendants

Died 21 Jun 1918 at age 87 in 1120 Main Street, Darby, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

Hugh O'Donnell was born in Ireland.

According to his death certificate, Hugh J. O'Donnell was born on 18 March 1831 in Ireland to Irish-born parents.^[1] Other sources give a later birthdate of March 1840. His father was Arthur O'Donnell, but the informant Miss[?] O'Donnell of 1120 Main Street, Darby, "could not get" the maiden name of his mother. The death certificate confirms that he was a watchman on the Penna R.R.

Hugh married Rebecca O'Neill (1835 - 1920).

Hugh Donnell was a labourer when he registered the birth of his daughter Rebecca in Castlefin registrar's district in County Donegal on 9 September 1865. The birth entry is remarkable in giving neither a place of birth nor a dwelling place of the father nor a residence of the informant (who happened to be the same person).^[2]

However, the baptism records of James on 10 October 1861^[3][4] and of Rebecca jr. on 7 July 1865^[5][6] in Lifford parish both give the address of the O'Donnell family as Killindarragh.

Killindarragh is a big house in the townland of Wood, with the demesne originally extending into the adjoining townland of Haw. Some time between the historic 6inch Ordnance Survey map of the mid-19th century and the historic 25inch Ordnance Survey map of the late 19th century, the name of the big house was changed from Nassau Hall to Killindarragh and the townland boundary appears to have been adjusted to coincide with the associated demesne.^[7] In Griffith's Valuation (22 March 1858), the house had a rateable annual valuation of 20 pounds and the estate was occupied by Mrs. Angel [sic] I. Stewart. Mrs. Engel Isabella Stewart^[8] and her son James^[9] both died at Killindarragh within eight months of each other in 1882 and 1883.^[10]

The most likely explanation is that the O'Donnells may have been (live-in) employees of the Stewart family before their emigration to Philadelphia.

The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage had no permission to photograph the house, but lists the gardens at Killindarragh and mentions that Nassau Hall was a pre-1835 house. The entrance can be seen on Google Street View with a banner in July 2021 advertising Aurivo, a local agricultural co-operative. The connection between the house and the co-operative is unclear.

Their known children were as listed below. Both the 1900 and 1910 censuses list Rebecca as having borne 11 children with 6 currently living:

1. Hannah O'Donnell (1859 - ) Ireland^[11]
2. Anna Rebecca (O'Donnell) Gibson (1860 - 1934) Ireland^[11]
3. James O'Donnell (bef.1861-bef.1880) bp. 15 Oct 1861 Ireland,^[12] d. bef 1880
4. Rose A O'Donnell (1863 - 1949) Ireland^[11][13][14]
5. Rebecca O'Donnell (1865-bef.1880) b. 1 Jul 1865,^[15] d. bef 1880
6. Arthur O'Donnell (1867 - ) Pennsylvania, US^[11]
7. John O'Donnell (1870 - 1870)^[16]
8. Kate O'Donnell (1871 - 1873)^[17][18] Pennsylvania, US
9. Grace O'Donnell (1872 - 1872)^[19][20] Pennsylvania, US
10. Joseph Ignatius Stanislaus O'Donnell Sr. (1873 - 1948)^[11][21]
11. Gracie (O'Donnell) Lomasney (1875 - 1957) Pennsylvania, US^[11]

When the 1880 census was taken, Hugh (40), was living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The census taker noted that Hugh was working as a laborer and that he could not read or write. His wife, who was also 40, was a housekeeper, and she stayed home with their daughter, Gracie (4). It was noted that she could not write. Their daughters, Hannah (21), Annie (20) and Rose (16), were all employed as bread makers. Their two sons, Arthur (13) and Joseph (6) were both attending school. ^[11]

In 1900, Hugh (60) was living at 736 38th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was employed as a R R Watchman, and owned their home free of mortgage. Hugh immigrated to the US in 1866 and was naturalized. His wife, Rebecca (64) stayed home. She had given birth to eleven children, and there were six living when this census was taken. Rose (31) was single and stayed at home with her mom. Grace (25), also single was employed as a milliner. ^[13]

In 1910, Hugh (78) was living at 3922 Wallace Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The O'Donnell's owned their home free of mortgage. His wife, Rebecca (73) stayed at home. Their daughter Rose (41) was employed as a Professional Nurse. ^[22]

Hugh was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery on 25 June 1918.^[1]

Research notes

Many online trees show a date of death of August 14, 1904 for Hugh. That date does not appear to belong to this Hugh. Hugh is still listed in the 1910 census with his wife and daughter in 1910 and the Hugh that died in 1904 was listed as single.

There are several immigration records for men named Hugh O'Donnell. One migrated in 1858, another arrived with a Rebecca (and his parents?) but both were 22 with no children. This Hugh is said to have migrated in 1866 per his census records, and would have had at least three children with him. There was a Hugh O'Donnell that arrived in Philadelphia in 1866 but the ship manifest isn't with it.^[23]

A baptism was found for his daughter Rosa in Derry, Clonleigh. (Ancestry Record) and also Hannah. The only other child found for that Hugh O'Donnell and Rebecca O'Neil (looking before Rosa's baptism) was for a Mariann O'Donnell baptized on the 10th of June 1860^[24], which conflicts with Anna Rebecca's May 1860 birth. Was "Anna" a Mariann? The difference could be the birth and baptism. (Silva-1055 12:10, 24 January 2022 (UTC))

Another child has now been found. James O'Donnell baptized 15 Oct 1861, with parents Hugh O'Donnell & Rebecca O'Neil.(Ancestry Image)

There was an 1857 baptism for a Sarah O'Donnell in the same location (Clonleigh, Tyrone and Donegal) with parents Hugh O'Donnell & Sarah Nelson. Is the name common? This Hugh would have only been 17. (Ancestry Image)

I don't see a marriage for them 1855-1862 in Clonleigh (Lifford). (Ancestry Image) or (Ancestry Image) I also don't see a marriage for them on https://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/.(Silva-1055 17:55, 24 January 2022 (UTC))

The Clonleigh parish registers (free site) are for baptism and marriage. I don't see a death register yet.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, PA; Pennsylvania (State). Death Certificates, 1906-1968; Certificate 66983.
2. ↑ Birth index entry:
   Name REBECCA DONNELL
   Date of Birth 1865
   Group Registration ID 8292738
   SR District/Reg Area Strabane
   Sex N/R
   Mother's Birth Surname N/R
   Birth certificate.
3. ↑ Clonleigh | Microfilm 05766 / 02, National Library of Ireland.]
4. ↑ Church Baptism Record Name: James O'Donnell Date of Birth:
   Date of Baptism: 10-Oct-1861
   Address: Killendenagh Parish/District: LIFFORD
   Gender: Male County Co. Donegal
   Denomination: Roman Catholic
   Father: Hugh O'Donnell Mother: Rebecca O'Neil
   Occupation:
   Sponsor 1 / Informant 1: James O'Neil
   Sponsor 2 / Informant 2: Biddy Roony.
5. ↑ [ Clonleigh | Microfilm 05766 / 02], National Library of Ireland.
6. ↑ Church Baptism Record
   Name: Rebecca O'Donnell Date of Birth:
   Date of Baptism: 07-Jul-1865
   Address: Killendaragh Parish/District: LIFFORD
   Gender: Female County Co. Donegal
   Denomination: Roman Catholic
   Father: Hugh O'Donnell Mother: Rebecca O'Neil
   Occupation:
   Sponsor 1 / Informant 1: James Gill
   Sponsor 2 / Informant 2: Bridget Conaghan.
7. ↑ https://maps.archaeology.ie/HistoricEnvironment/
8. ↑ Death index entry:
   Name ENGEL STEWART
   Date of Death 1883
   Group Registration ID 6666530
   SR District/Reg Area Strabane
   Deceased Age at Death 83
   Death certificate.
9. ↑ Death index entry:
   Name JAMES STEWART
   Date of Death 1883
   Group Registration ID 6631091
   SR District/Reg Area Strabane
   Deceased Age at Death 43
   Death certificate.
10. ↑ Two newspaper notices of Mrs. Stewart's 1833 marriage and a birth notice for her first child are transcribed at https://www.cotyroneireland.com/surnames/stewart.html
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6} "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWJR-6X1 : 14 January 2022), Hugh O'Donnell, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district ED 501, sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm
12. ↑ Baptism 1861: "Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915". National Library of Ireland; Dublin, Ireland; Microfilm Number: Microfilm 05766 / 02. Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 61039 #7177076 (accessed 24 January 2022). James Donnell baptism on 15 Oct 1861 (born 1861), child of Hugh Donnell & Rebecca O'Neil, in Tyrone and Donegal, Clonleigh (Lifford), Ireland.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3W4-2GX : 13 January 2022), Hugh O Donnell, 1900.
14. ↑ Baptism 1863: "Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915". National Library of Ireland; Dublin, Ireland; Microfilm Number: Microfilm 05766 / 03. Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 61039 #7178732 (accessed 24 January 2022). Rose O'Donnel baptism on 19 Oct 1863 (born 1863), child of Hugh O'Donnel & Rebecca O'Neil, in Tyrone and Donegal, Clonleigh (Lifford), Ireland.
15. ↑ Birth 1865; "Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP2C-CK42 : 18 May 2021), Hugh Donnell in entry for Rebecca Donnell, 1 Jul 1865; Birth; Ireland; citing General Register Office; FHL microfilm .
16. ↑ Death 1870; "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J6MW-HH7 : 18 February 2021), John O'Donnell, 02 Oct 1870; citing item 1, Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; FHL microfilm 2,020,276. Pennsylvania, US
17. ↑ Birth 1871; "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births, 1860-1906," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBTW-KQT : 8 March 2021), O'Donnell, 12 Apr 1871; citing Birth, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, City of Philadelphia, Department of Records, Pennsylvania.
18. ↑ Death 1873; "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JKQZ-QNP : 18 February 2021), Kate O'Donnell, 15 Jul 1873; citing , Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; FHL microfilm 2,021,856.
19. ↑ Birth 1872; "Pennsylvania Births and Christenings, 1709-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2J3-C6N : 14 February 2020), Grace O Donnell, 1872.
20. ↑ Death 1872; "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J6VC-C54 : 18 February 2021), Grace O'Donnell, 25 Aug 1872; citing , Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; FHL microfilm 2,021,565.
21. ↑ Birth 1873; "Pennsylvania Births and Christenings, 1709-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2NQ-R7Y : 14 February 2020), Hugh O'Donnell in entry for Joseph O'Donnell, 1873.
22. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGWV-W3R : accessed 22 January 2022), Hugh O'Donnel, Philadelphia Ward 24, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 509, sheet 11A, family 201, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1397; FHL microfilm 1,375,410.
23. ↑ Passenger List 1866: "U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s". Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Year: 1866; Page Number: 208. Ancestry Record 7486 #3174928 (accessed 24 January 2022). Name: Hugh O'Donnell; Arrival Year: 1866; Arrival Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Primary Immigrant: O'Donnell, Hugh; Source Publication Code: 5704.8; Annotation: Date of departure and intended destination. Place of origin and name of ship are also provided.; Source Bibliography: MITCHELL, BRIAN. Irish Passenger Lists, 1847-1871. Lists of passengers sailing from Londonderry to America on ships of the J. & J. Cooke line and the McCorkell line. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1992. 333p.;
    Household Members:
    Hugh O'Donnell.
24. ↑ Catholic Parish Registers Clonleigh | Microfilm 05766 / 03