Catherine (Rothwell) Hand (1887 - 1968)

Born 6 Mar 1887 in Skryne, County Meath, Ireland

Ancestors

Wife of James Hand — married 14 May 1914 in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States

Died 4 Dec 1968 at age 81 in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States

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Biography

Kate (Rothwell) Hand was born in Ireland.

Kate (Rothwell) Hand migrated from Ireland to USA.

Kate (Rothwell) Hand was married and died in Massachusetts.

Catherine Rothwell was born in the village of Skryne (or Skreen) Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath on 6th March 1887. Skryne is a village situated on and around a hill between the N2 and N3 national primary roads in County Meath, Ireland.^[1] Her parents were Christopher Rothwell (a shepherd) andMary Fox. ^[2][3][4]She had two older brothers, James and William.

In 1901, Catherine (now called Kate) was a 14 year old scholar living with her parents and two brothers at Platin, Co Meath. Her father was still working as a shepherd and her two brothers were also recorded as shepherds. The rural area where the family lived is just to the south-west of the town of Drogheda. ^[5][6][7]

On 21st September 1910, Kate emigrated to Boston, United States of America from Queenstown, Co. Cork on the SS Cymric (White Star Line) and the ship arrived in Boston on 29th September 1910. ^[8][9][10] Her occupation on the ship manifest was given as a dressmaker. Her last residence in Ireland was given as Drogheda and her destination in the US as Lowell, MA. ^[11]

She married James Hand in Lowell on 14th May 1914.^[12][13]

Kate and James had three sons. The eldest - John - died as an infant of just six months from enteritis. While Kate was pregnant with their third son, her husband James became ill with the "Spanish Flu" and sadly died on 4th April 1918, aged 28 years. They had been married only four years. Kate's baby was born the August after her husband's death and she lived the remainder of her life as a widow, caring for her two sons.

• US Census of 1920 she is living in Lowell, Massachuchets and widowed with two sons - James aged 3 and Edward aged 1.^[14]

• US Census of 1930 she is living in Lowell, Massachuchets and widowed with two sons - James aged 13 and Edward aged 11.^[15]

• US Census of 1940 she is living in Lowell, Massachuchets and widowed with two sons - James aged 23 and Edward aged 21.^[16]

• US Census of 1950 she is living in Lowell, Massachuchets and widowed with two sons - James aged 33 and Edward aged 31.^[17]

Kate died in Lowell, Massachusetts on 4th Dec 1968 at the age of 81 years. She is buried with her husband in St Patrick's cemetery, Lowell, Massachusetts.^[18]

Research Notes

Baptism record:
A baptism record for Catherine has not been located in online searches at the parish of Skryne or the surrounding parishes. On examination of the available baptism record images for Skryne parish on the National Library of Ireland website (https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0957), it was noticed that some years are missing from the register, including the year of Catherine's birth 1887.

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia page about Skyrne: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skryne Accessed 5th August 2023.
2. ↑ "Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FBZH-826 : 10 March 2018), BIRTHS entry for Catherine Rothwell; citing Dunshaughlin, Apr - Jun 1887, vol. 2, p. 765, General Registry, Custom House, Dublin; FHL microfilm 101,061.
3. ↑ Civil birth record image: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1887/02562/1947497.pdf Accessed 5th August 2023.
4. ↑ Irish Births 1864-1958 Dunshaughlin, Dublin & Meath, Ireland First name(s) Catherine Last name Rothwell Registration year 1887 Registration quarter & year Apr - Jun 1887 District Dunshaughlin County Dublin, Meath Country Ireland Volume 2 Page 765 Record set Irish Births 1864-1958 Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records Subcategory Civil Births Collections from Ireland
5. ↑ Ireland Census 1901 St. Mary's, Meath, Ireland First name(s) Kate Last name Rothwell Relationship to head Daughter Marital status Single Sex Female Age 14 Birth year 1887 Birth place Meath Occupation Scholar Townland/Street Platin District electoral division St. Mary's County Meath Country Ireland Religion Catholic Literacy Read and write Irish language English Image link http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Meath/St__Mary_s/Platin/1609818/ Family member first name(s) Christopher, Mary, James, William Family member last name Rothwell Record set Ireland Census 1901 Category Census, land & surveys Subcategory Census Collections from Ireland
6. ↑ 1901 census transcript: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Meath/St__Mary_s/Platin/1609818/
7. ↑ "Ireland Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QRM9-Q5ZM : 11 April 2022), Kate Rothwell in household of Christopher Rothwell, St. Mary's, County Meath, Ireland; citing Census, St. Mary's, County Meath, Ireland, 0000763153, Public Record Office of Ireland, Belfast.
8. ↑ "United Kingdom, Outgoing Passenger Lists, 1890-1960", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68GK-G5ZG : 27 October 2021), Katie Rothwell, 1910.
9. ↑ "Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists Index, 1899-1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKQ6-PRL4 : 20 February 2021), Kate Rothwell, 1910; citing T790, "Book Indexes, Boston Passenger Lists, 1899-1940.", NARA microfilm publications T790, T617, and T521 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, publication year); FHL microfilm 1,724,659.
10. ↑ "Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists Index, 1899-1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2WX-TSXF : 20 February 2021), Kate Rothwell, 1910; citing T617, Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, July 1, 1906-Dec. 31, 1920., NARA microfilm publications T790, T617, and T521 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, publication year); FHL microfilm 1,324,993.
11. ↑ "Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists, 1891-1943", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:23F5-8L2 : 21 January 2022), Kate Rothwell, 1910.
12. ↑ "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1925", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4X9-ZBM : 4 November 2022), James Hand and Katherine Rothwell, 1914.
13. ↑ United States Marriages Lowell, Massachusetts, United States First name(s) Katherine Last name Rothwell Sex Female Age 23 Birth year 1891 Birth date 1891 Birth state Ireland Father's first name(s) Christopher Father's last name Rothwell Mother's first name(s) Mary Mother's last name Fox Event Marriage Year 1914 Event date 14 May 1914 Location Lowell Place Lowell, , Massachusetts, United States County - State Massachusetts Country United States Spouse's first name(s) James Spouse's last name Hand Spouse's sex Male Spouse's age 24 Spouse's birth year 1890 Spouse's birth date 1890 Spouse's birth state Ireland Spouse's father's first name(s) John Spouse's father's last name Hand Spouse's mother's first name(s) Elizabeth Spouse's mother's last name Craahl FamilySearch film number 002409948 Record set United States Marriages Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records Subcategory Civil Marriage & Divorce Collections from Americas, United States
14. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MX19-VZH : Tue Jul 25 20:39:16 UTC 2023), Entry for Catherine Hand and James F Hand, 1920.
15. ↑ "United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQPS-9JH : Thu Aug 03 12:01:00 UTC 2023), Entry for Catherine Hand and James Hand, 1930.
16. ↑ "United States Census, 1940", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4VY-N91 : Sat Jul 29 17:57:59 UTC 2023), Entry for Katherine F Hand and James F Hand, 1940.
17. ↑ "United States 1950 Census", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6F3K-2K11 : Fri Jul 21 19:10:48 UTC 2023), Entry for Catherine Hand and James Hand, 1 April 1950.
18. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VSDW-KTP : 7 January 2021), Catherine Hand, Dec 1968; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Sallie Hand, Kate's granddaughter, for the lovely photo of Kate used on this profile, and her help with the initial research for this biography.

Thanks to Gary Walls, FindAGrave member, for the photos of the Hand gravestone in St Patrick Cemetery, Lowell.