Cannot find any record of my Grandfather's birth in Phila. in Oct. 1859

Question

Neil P.McCafferty b. 30 Oct. 1859 in Phila. Pa. Mother Winifred Doherty or Dougherty. Father Neil or Cornelius McCafferty.Died Allentown, PA. 1945

Comments

Have tried looking for baptismal records?

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Baptismal likely in Phila., PA. but what parish? I'll check but I don't know where my GF Neil lived since several Neal McCaffertys found. I thought of selecting the wealthiest one with the prestigious title and address but that would be cheating since my GF was a poor laborer. ("shanty Irish")

Answer 1

Dear Vince,

   This could be him:  

"United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M33R-P37 : 2 December 2021), Neil McCafferty, 1900.

Check it out - do you know his siblings? When did the family move to Allentown? Does his death record name his parents? Hope this helps! -NGP

Comments

No known siblings but I suspect he had several in that Irish Catholic family.I am unaware that his family moved with him to Allentown but there were other McCaffertys in that town. I"ll check it out. Both his parents named but I cannot trace. You have it correct in the 1900 census.Where can I find Baptism records if I don't know the Church/? Thanks for response Nanette !!

Answer 2

There may not be any birth record.  Your best bet may be to get the birth information from his death certificate.  Then, of course, you can probably find him on census and other records.  I believe he has a FindAGrave memorial.

Comments

you are correct and I do have all that info AFTER 1870's when he married in Allentown and became a father. No clue of his family before but I found a Philadelphia death certificate of Neil McCafferty, in his 40's who was killed in the Union Army in 1864 at Gettysburg but was he my GGFather? Alas, my ancestors had several generations of "Neils, Neals, and a Cornelius so I don't know. First born sons then often were named after the father with only a different middle name as seen in my Irish family of origin.

I need more info to connect the dots between me and the civil war and(hopefully) the Guiness Brewery fortune. (wishful thinking!)

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Vince, I think the best thing you can do if you want help from WikiTree members is to become a full member (it's easy and free) and put your family on WikiTree.  When you add sources, people will see what you already have, and be better able to help.  (I know it's hard to get started.  But it would be useful if you just describe your sources in some manner, and I think someone will come along to help if you need it.)

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Thanks Julie. I will join WikiTree. I wrote for the parent site Wikipedia and I do support sharing knowledge.

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The Neil McCafferty who died in Gettysburg died on 3 July 1863, right? (I assume 1864 was a typo) That Neil was married to Catherine (not Winifred--at least Catherine got the pension), and had a granddaughter Catherine who was pensioned in 1907 as a helpless child. Does that match your greatgrandfather?

The pension index card is available on Ancestry here. The pension file would have a lot more information about that Neil and his spouse(s) and children. Order forms are available here, in case you haven't done it before.

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Many thanks Harry. You have helped me exclude this Neil who fell at Gettysburg. Wrong wife. 1864 is also correct.

Answer 3

His Death Certificate No. 52086 dated June 15, 1945, is available on ancestry.com:

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/5164/images/42410_2321306652_0813-00056?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=4502d3a39e774e4c2972c2353ee290ef&usePUB=true&_phsrc=qcN42790&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.34450657.1526639542.1639700660-1426102163.1556485196&pId=6956106

It does indeed show his birthday as October 30, 1859, and it shows his death date as June 13, 1945.

If you don't have access to ancestry, PM me an email address and I will email it to you.

P.S. The likeliest source of a contemporaneous evidence of birth would likely be a baptism if you could figure out his home church.

Comments

Thanks Roger. I have all the info you note plus access to ANCESTRY and the baptism record is next. There are several Neil and Neal McCafferty's living in Phila. then so I must do detective work to hook up his parents.

I missed my big chance to ask him these questions during WW II when he tried to teach me Gaelic !

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Vince, they may or may not be related.  I have many examples in my own family's history where there were cousins with the same name, born at about the same time.  It takes some work to sort them out.

And I do sympathize with your regret at not asking your relatives everything you could while they were alive.

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Vince:

     I have a list of things that I should have asked my grandparents and great, grandparents when I had the chance.

                               Roger

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"We get too soon old and too late smart."

                 Old Pennsylvania Dutch saying in German