Julia (Oliveira) O'Neil

Ancestors

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: David T Robertson [send private message]

Biography

Julia Joanna was born 15 April 1910 in Monte, Funchal, Madeira.. She was the daughter of Joseph Oliveira aka de Oliveira and Maria Gloria Fernandes. She passed away in 1978. Lots of people thought she was Irish because she appeared as the woman behind the Irish Family but she was actually born in Madeira.^[1]She came to America with her parents aboard the U.S.S. St. Paul which docked at New York 24 August 1911, when Julia was aged 11 months old. The family settled in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts. We might ask why the Oliveira family would leave Madeira and settle in the United States. This was another stormy period in that nation's history. Serious financial and social problems finally culminated in the assassination of King Carlos I and the overthrow of the Portuguese monarchy and the establishment of the Republic of Portugal in 1910. However, internal dissension would continue until 1926, when a military dictatorship gained control.

Despite the frugal efforts of the farmers, in utilizing every square inch of land that could be farmed, Madeira always had a problem of supporting its growing population. This had resulted in earlier days of great migrations of hundreds of settlers to Brazil and America.

At this time the merchants and manufactures in the United States were looking for hundreds of workers who were easily trained to perform the often tedious and strenuous work which Americans often avoided. The low wages were high by the standards of the island and many thought that in a few years they would make enough to return to the Island and live like millionaires. Some knew they would never return. Already the storm clouds of war were beginning to grow in Europe.

For any or all these reasons, Julia's parents packed up their family and began the long voyage to the "New World". Maria's brother Joao Lourence Fernandes had already been living in the States for some time. With Josė and Maria, their children Manuel, João and Julia and two other children who would die at a young age, were joined by Maria's brother Albino Raimunda Fernandes, left their small but pleasant home on a narrow street, with its second floor balcony bedecked with flowers and boarded a boat to Madagascar on the first leg of their journey. From there they boarded another boat for Southampton, England and there they boarded the St. Paul to America. ^[2]

In America, after going though the difficulties posed by Elis Island they met Maria's brother, John Lawrence Fernandes, and settled first in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts at 33 Lambert Street. By 1914, they had moved to 93 Second Street, still in Cambridge and two years later in 1916 they were living at 33 Merriam Street in Somerville, Middlesex,Massachusetts. Five years later, in 1921, the famil 122y moved a few doors down on Merriam St.^[3]

On 14 April 1924, Maria G. Oliver bought two houses on Walker Street in the Charlestown section of Boston, assuming the $2700 mortgage. They moved into number 48 and rented out the other.^[4]On 26 February 1926, Joseph and Maria bought a vacant house-lot at 122 Sparkhill St., in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts.^[5] One would think that the Oliver family was doing alright. But tragedy struck the family their finances collapsed forcing them to sell the Walker Street Properties to Maria's brother's wife Maria Fernandes The Fernandes' took no time in moving into the Oliver home and the Oliver family was forced to move into a rented apartment.<Suffolk County, Mass. Deeds - 4884:81/4973:363/ 4971:361.</ref>

Julia left the family and went to work as an au pair girl in a home in Revere, Suffolk, Massachusetts. She often used the birthday 15 May 1909 so she could work before the age of sixteen. Julia was a "Flapper". She dressed in that style was almost gitte but she was smart and very pretty. It was in Revere that she met the man she fell in love with. Daniel Murdock O'Neil. . Dan was born 15 May 1889 in Gloucester, Essex Co., Massachusetts, the son of Lawrence Murdock O'Neil and Jane McNeil.^[6]

He had served his country in World War I and served as a Mounted Policeman and as a Police Detective for the Boston Police. In 1920, even though he was a detective, he joined the striking patrolmen and joined them on strike. He was fired by then Governor Calvin Cooledge, later President. Afterwards, he worked as an insurance salesman for Boston Mutual. In 1927, he was a resident of 299 Forest Hills St., Jamaica Plain (Boston). At the time of his marriage Dan was living at 107 Rosmore Road, Jamaica Plain. Julia was living at 124 Washburn Ave., Revere, Massachusetts. They were married 1 January 1931 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Chelsea, Suffolk, Massachusetts.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Montė, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal,Igreja Católica - Nossa Senhora do Montó Registro paroquial, Baptismos, LDS File 1,159,676/1904-1910, 15 May 1910, pg. 30, no. 60
2. ↑ New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957; Name: Julia Doliveira; Arrival Date: 24 Aug 1911; Birth Date: abt 1910; Birth Location: Madagascar; Birth Location Other: Monte; Age: 11 Months; Gender: Female; Ethnicity/Nationality: Portuguese; Port of Departure: Southampton, England; Port of Arrival; New York, New York; Ship Name: St Paul.
3. ↑ 1920 United States Federal Census; Name: Julia Oliver; Age 10; Birth Year: abt 1910; Birthplace: Portugal; Home in 1920: Somerville Ward 2, Middlesex, Massachusetts; Street: Merriam St; Race: White; Gender: Female; Immigration Year: 1911; Relation to Head of House: Daughter; Marital Status: Single: Father's Name: Jose J Oliver; Father's Birthplace: Portugal; Mother's Name: Mary G Oliver; Mother's Birthplace; Portugal; Native Tongue; Portuguese; Able to Speak English: Yes; Naturalization Status: Alien; Attended School: Yes; Able to read: Yes; Able to Write: Yes; Household Members: Jose J Oliver; 41; Mary G Oliver; 42; Manuel C Oliver: 15; John Oliver: 13; Julia Oliver: 10;. Lucy Oliver: 8; Evelyn Oliver: 6; Joseph Oliver: 5; Mary A Oliver: 2;
4. ↑ Suffolk County, Massachusetts Deeds: - 4559:461/ 4562:478
5. ↑ Middlesex South Registry of Deeds Vol. 4945 pp. 123-124
6. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records - Births - 1889, Vol. 394, pg. 257, line 181 in Gloucester: Name:O'Neil, Daniel M.
7. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records - Marriage - 1931, Vol. 55, pg. 392, Revere, Daniel Murdock O'Neil and Julia Oliveira.</ref. <ref>Daniel O'Neil; United States Census, 1940; Name: Daniel O'Neil; Event Type: Census; Event Date: 1940; Event Place: Ward 7, Boston, Boston City, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States; Gender: Male; Age: 50; Marital Status: Married; Race (Original): White; Race: White; Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Head; Relationship to Head of Household; Head; Birthplace: Massachusetts; Birth Year (Estimated): 1890; Last Place of Residence; Same Place; HOUSEHOLD: Daniel O'Neil; Head; M; 50; Massachusetts; Julia O'Neil; Wife; F; 29; Portugal; Lawrence O'Neil; Son; M; 8; Massachusetts; Jane O'Neil; Daughter; F; 7; Massachusetts; Barbara O'Neil; Daughter: F; 6; Massachusetts; Diane O'Neil; Daughter; F; 4; Maurene O'Neil: Daughter; F; 2; Massachusetts; Evelyn O'Neil; Daughter; F; 0; Massachusetts; "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4JP-NW5 : accessed 13 May 2016), Daniel O'Neil, Ward 7, Boston, Boston City, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 15-770, sheet 2A, family 33, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 1665.</li></ol></ref>