James Lawless (1848 - 1925)

Born 24 Sep 1848 in Carlanstown, Kells, Co. Meath, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Catherine (Kelly) Lawless — married 23 Nov 1875 in Morristown, Morris, New Jersey, United States

Descendants

Died 4 Apr 1925 at age 76 in Morristown, Morris, New Jersey, United States

Biography

Birth Information Came From Kilbeg Church records from a Search Conducted By Meath Heritage & Genealogy Centre. Emigrated to Morristown, New Jersey on May 11 1869 on the ship “The Queen”, probably from Queenstown, and his future wife Catharine Kelly was also aboard, maybe. So too was a Jane Masterson but no idea if they were connected. He later erected a gravestone to his parents in Kilbeg to replace an earlier one.

It appears he went into the grocery trade( a gourmet grocery according to Woodie) and later the liquor trade, perhaps maintaining the trading tradition of his family in Ireland and some of his children seem to have followed him into this as well. Naturalisation papers place him in America in 1880 living on South Street and he was buried from 174 South St, in Morristown tho’ Rose Hluska has him in 168 1n 1920. He is shown in various records to have a business at 154 South St and also to own 3 separate plots of land near Abbott Avenue in Morristown. In 1886 James Lawless contributed to the new Bayley School for Assumption Parish in Morristown. He also owned property on Elm Street, north of Green St. There are McDermotts and Kellys next door and across the street. Three years later he contributed to the new Rectory for Assumption Church in Morristown. He also owned 50 and 52 Madison, where he operated a Grocery and Liquor Store. There is a Patrick Lawless living on Madison St from which James made the application for a liquor licence(if it is the same James Lawless & it appears to be) so this is possibly the son of his older brother as his dates would fit in. He too is a grocer. However this is somewhat uncertain as naturalisation information shows a Patrick Lawless from Madison St arriving in US in 1879 when he would be 12 according to our info. So the dates make it all very confusing but there would seem to be some sort of connection between them all! It seems obvious to me that they are connected perhaps uncle & nephew, as Boyds Directory 1900 shows Patrick J Lawless apparently working as a clerk for James Lawless. In the 1895 NJ census the Lawlesses are shown living beside Mastersons. His son Christopher’s birth record has his age as 45 but this is out by 6 years or so.

Source: #S23

Source: #S20

Birth

Birth:

Date: c.24 Sep 1848

Place: Carlanstown, Kells, Co. Meath

Note: This is date of Baptism

Source: #S4

Death

Death:

Date: 4 APR 1925

Place: Morristown, New Jersey

Source: #S22

Burial

Burial:

Date: 7 APR 1925

Place: Holy Rood Cemetery

Note: There is a big Lawless plot here with other Lawless plots and a Masterson plot

Occupation

Occupation: Grocer

Religion

Religion: Roman Catholic

Marriage

Husband: James Lawless

Wife: Catherine Kelly

Marriage: 23 November 1875 Church of the Assumption Morristown

Child: Nicholas W. Lawless

Child: James R. Lawless

Child: Mary C. Lawless

Child: Dennis T. Lawless

Child: Rose M. Lawless

Child: John A. Lawless

Child: Christopher A. Lawless

Child: Elizabeth A. Lawless

Child: Thomas Lawless

Sources

See also:

Source S22

Type: Death Cert

Text: Death Cert

Source S4

Type: Birth Cert

Text: Birth Cert

Acknowledgements

This person was created through the import of Bennett Family 9.ged on 21 May 2011.