Alexander Gabbey (1876 - 1960)

Born 12 Dec 1876 in Ballygowan, County Down, Ireland

Husband of Agnes (Hill) Gabbey — married 24 Dec 1901 in Knockbreda, County Down, Ireland

Husband of Florence (Bain) Gabbey — married 28 Mar 1910 in Knockbreda, County Down, Ireland

Descendants

Died 3 Jul 1960 at age 83 in Manchester, Hartford, Connecticut, United States

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Biography

Alexander Gabbey was born in Ireland.

Birth
Alexander Gabbey was born on 12 December 1876 in Ravara Townland in the v of Killinchy in County Down, Ireland. His mother was Eliza Gabbey. No father is listed on his birth record. Alexander's birth was registered in the Newtownards Superintendent Registrar's District. ^[1] He may have been known as "Alec" (his son Norman too) - especially in the United States.

The 1901 Irish Census shows Alexander living with his older brother William's family and his mother in Ormeau (Belfast), County Down, Ireland. He was working as a labourer. ^[2]

Marriage
Alexander married Agnes Hill, on Christmas Eve 1901. ^[3] They had a son named Norman Alexander Gabbey in 1904 and a daughter named Agnes Gabbey in 1909. They lived at 2 Westminster Avenue, with his wife's mother from at least 1904 until 1909. Tragically, Norman’s wife died a day after giving birth to their daughter Agnes.

Second marriage
In 1910 Alexander married a fellow widower, Florence (Bain) Hill (no relation to his first wife), to form a melded family. ^[4] Florence had three children (John Hill, Erwin Hill and Florence Hill) from her previous marriage. The family moved to Belfast and lived on 12 Pearl Street, 24 Cherryville Street and 30 Barbour Street. ^[5]

In 1912 Florence and Alex have another daughter named Eleanor May Gabbey.

Tragically, Alexander's stepson John Hill died at age 12 in 1913 after an accidental injury to his right eye.

Alexander Gabbey served in the British Army in World War I
Service started: 1915
Unit(s): Royal Irish Rifles
Service ended: 20 Mar 1919

The following year, Alexander, age 38, married with five children, enlisted in the British Army for service in the First World War. He served as a rifleman with the Royal Irish Rifles (Royal Ulster Rifles). He was stationed in France from November 1915 until demobilization in March 1919. He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal at the end of the war. The 1914–15 Star was awarded to those who served against the Central European Powers in any theatre of the Great War between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915.

It appears that during the war years (1914 to 1918), Florence returned to live in her home town of Drumaness, County Down, with their five children. In 1918, Florence's son Erwin Hill died from influenza at the age of 15 (likely a victim of the "Spanish Flu" pandemic).

Alexander Gabbey migrated from Ireland to the United States.

Emigration
Alexander and his family emigrated to the United States in 1920. He travelled first with son Norman in April 1920 aboard the Kaiserin Augusta Victoria. Florence followed with their three daughters (Agnes, Eleanor and Florence) via the Kaiserin Augusta Victoria, leaving Liverpool on September 25, 1920. ^{[6] [7]}

Alexander's brother William Gabbey had emigrated to the United States in 1905 and his brother James Gabbey had followed in 1910. They both settled in Manchester, Connecticut. Florence and Alexander also settled in Manchester where Alexander found work at Cheney Brothers silk factory, a large manufacturer that employed about a quarter of the local population at the time. The factory property encompassed more than 175 acres known as Cheney Village.^[8]

Florence's half-brother Martin Bain also immigrated to Manchester, Connecticut in October 1923 and likely lived with them for a while until he established himself and married in 1924. He would eventually live in the nearby city of Hartford, Connecticut.

Manchester, Connecticut
The GABBEY family lived at various addresses in the 1920s (467 North Main Street, 207 Center Street, 171 Summit Street and 150 Center Street) before settling down at 14 Knox Street by 1935.^[9]

Florence's daughter Florence Hill married in 1924 and their daughter Eleanor Gabbey married in about 1935. Grandchildren would arrive from both marriages in the 1930s.

The Great Depression hit the silk industry particularly hard and the Cheney Brothers silk factory struggled to survive. Somehow Alexander managed to stay employed with the company, working first as a labourer and later as a janitor. ^[10]

Alexander's daughter Agnes Gabbey married in 1948.

The 1950 United States Census finds Alexander and Florence living in the upper unit of 14 Knox Street in Manchester, Connecticut. Their daughter Eleanor (Gabbey) Lord, now divorced, and her daughter Sally Lord were also living with them. They also had a boarder named William Brodeur who was a divorced accountant. He and Eleanor would marry about a month after the census. ^[11]

Death
Alexander’s wife Florence died in 1953 at age 78. ^[12] Alexander passed away in 1960. ^[13] He was buried with his late wife in East Cemetery in Manchester, Hartford County, Connecticut. ^[14]

Alexander was mentioned in the death record for his daughter Eleanor Brodeur who died in 2001 in East Haddam, Middlesex, Connecticut. ^[15]

Alexander was mentioned in the obituary of his daughter Agnes Gabbey Robinson on 13 March 2005 in Connecticut. ^[16]

Sources

1. ↑ Birth Registration: "Civil Records of Irish Births, Deaths and Marriages", database
   General Register Office, Ireland; Group Registration ID: 8697319; SR District/Reg Area: Newtownards
   IrishGenealogy.ie Image - IrishGenealogy.ie Record (accessed 21 February 2024)
   Alexander Gabbey birth 1876 in the Newtownards Superintendent Registrar's District.
2. ↑ 1901 Census: "Ireland Census, 1901", database
   citing Census, Road, Ballyburly, County Offaly, Ireland, 0000274991, Public Record Office of Ireland, Belfast
   FamilySearch Record: QPBL-VP6Z (accessed 21 February 2024)
   http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000712148/
   Alexander Gabbey (24), single brother, Labourer, in household of William J Gabbey (35) in Road, Ballyburly, County Offaly, Ireland. Born in Ballygun.
3. ↑ "Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FYCK-PYZ : 10 March 2018), MARRIAGES entry for Alexander Gabbey; citing Belfast, Oct - Dec 1901, vol. 1, p. 399, General Registry, Custom House, Dublin; External image; FHL microfilm 101,259.
4. ↑ "Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FYX9-FPK : 10 March 2018), MARRIAGES entry for Alexander Gabbey; citing Belfast, Jan - Mar 1910, vol. 1, p. 343, General Registry, Custom House, Dublin; External image; FHL microfilm 101,262.
5. ↑ 1911 Census: "Ireland Census, 1911", database
   citing Street, County Longford, Ireland, Census, National Archives of Ireland, Dublin
   FamilySearch Record: QYF3-P8MM (accessed 21 February 2024)
   Alexander Gabbey (36), married, Labourer, head of household in Street, County Longford, Ireland. Born in Co Down.
6. ↑ Immigration: "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924", database with images
   citing Page: 124; Affiliate Publication Title: Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York , NY, 1897-1957; Affiliate Line Number: 0017; Digital film/folder number: 007675403; FHL microfilm: 1571338; Image number: 693; Indexing batch: P50340-4
   FamilySearch Record: J6CG-G53 (accessed 21 February 2024)
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-C9TH-X98Z-8
   Name: Alexander Gabbey; Immigration Date: 19 Apr 1920; Immigration Place: Ellis Island, New York City, New York, United States; Residence Place: Belfast, Ireland; Birth Date: 1876; Nationality: Ireland, Irish; Marital Status: Married; Age: 44; Misc Name Dep Port: Liverpool; Source Series Nbr: T715; Ship: Kaiserin Auguste Victoria; System Of Record: SLS.
7. ↑ Passenger List for wife and daughters: "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924", database with images
   citing Page: 148; Affiliate Publication Title: Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York , NY, 1897-1957; Digital film/folder number: 007648897; FHL microfilm: 1571430; Image number: 279; Indexing batch: P00026-8
   FamilySearch Record: QGGZ-31YS (accessed 21 February 2024)
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-C9PT-29MG-G
   Name: Alex Gabbey; Role: OTHER_2; Relationship To Head: Father; Source Series Nbr: T715; Ship: Kaiserin Auguste Victoria; Misc Name Dep Port: Liverpool; System Of Record: SLS.
8. ↑ "Cheney Brothers, Manchester, Connecticut, USA" https://connecticuthistory.org/the-cheney-brothers-rise-in-the-silk-industry/
9. ↑ 1930 Census: "United States Census, 1930", database with images
   citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T626; Line: 23; Digital film/folder number: 004950329; FHL microfilm: 2340002; Image number: 828; Sheet number: 1; Sheet letter: A; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N03769-3
   FamilySearch Record: XMP5-14X (accessed 21 February 2024)
   FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9R48-9Z8
   Alexander Gabbey (54), married head of household in Manchester, Hartford, Connecticut, United States. Born in Northern Ireland.
10. ↑ 1940 Census: "United States Census, 1940", database with images
    citing Affiliate Publication Number: T627; Line: 20; Digital film/folder number: 005461393; Image number: 271; Sheet number: 9; Sheet letter: A
    FamilySearch Record: K714-CGG (accessed 21 February 2024)
    FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-89M1-X6Y6
    Alexander Gabbey (64), married head of household in Manchester, Hartford, Connecticut, United States. Born in Northern Ireland.
11. ↑ 1950 Census: "United States 1950 Census", database with images
    citing Page: 8; Line: 24; Digital film/folder number: 108940282; Image number: 9
    FamilySearch Record: 6FMD-HMYX (accessed 21 February 2024)
    FamilySearch Image: 3QHN-PQHW-J9XJ-X
    Alexander Gabbey (74), married head of household in Manchester, Hartford, Connecticut, United States. Born in Ireland.
12. ↑ Death of wife Flore Gabbey: "Connecticut Death Index, 1949-2001", database
    citing Manchester, Hartford, Connecticut, Connecticut Department of Health, Hartfort
    FamilySearch Record: V67T-TNR (accessed 21 February 2024)
    ALEX in death record for wife Flore Gabbey 1 Jun 1953 in Manchester, Hartford, Connecticut.
13. ↑ Death: "Connecticut Death Index, 1949-2001", database
    citing Manchester, Hartford, Connecticut, Connecticut Department of Health, Hartfort
    FamilySearch Record: VZLT-FVJ (accessed 21 February 2024)
    Alexa Gabbey death 3 July 1960 (age 84), husband of FLOR, in Manchester, Hartford, Connecticut.
14. ↑ Memorial: "Find a Grave", database with images
    Find A Grave: Memorial #13674225 (accessed 21 February 2024)
    Memorial page for Alexander Gabbey (12 Dec 1876-3 Jul 1960), citing East Cemetery, Manchester, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA (plot: Section: Veteran); Maintained by bealgenealogy (contributor 46772179).
15. ↑ Death of daughter Eleanor Brodeur: "Connecticut Death Index, 1949-2001", database
    citing East Haddam, Middlesex, Connecticut, Connecticut Department of Health, Hartfort
    FamilySearch Record: VZPC-7MG (accessed 21 February 2024)
    GABBEY in death record for daughter Eleanor Brodeur 2001 in East Haddam, Middlesex, Connecticut.
16. ↑ Obituary of daughter Agnes Gabbey Robinson: "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages 1980-2014", database with images
    citing Affiliate Name: GenealogyBank, Inc.; Digital film/folder number: 101972370; FHL microfilm: 101972370; Image number: 1581
    FamilySearch Record: QKT8-2JD2 (accessed 21 February 2024)
    FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CS42-37YC-7
    Name: Alexander Gabbey; Source Newspaper: Hartford Courant, The; System Of Record: SLS.

See also:

• FamilySearch Person: G4VV-KV5