James Morrisey (abt. 1833 - 1879)

Born about 1833 in Camross, County Wexford, Ireland

Descendants

Died 30 Jun 1879 at about age 46 in Joliet, Will, Illinois

Biography

Birth: ABT 1833 Camross, County Wexford, Ireland ^[1]

Death: 30 JUN 1879 Joliet, Will, Illinois^[2]

Burial: JUL 1879 St. Patrick's Cemetery, Joliet, Will, Illinois^[3]

Our line comes from James Morrisey who came here from Camross, County Wexford, Ireland in approximately 1849. It is believed (but not yet verified) that the John Morrisey who is buried in the family plot was his father--this is based on several facts--the headstone says he died 1851 at age 80 which would make him old enough to be the father of James; secondly, cousin Vangie Morrisey has a letter sent to James K. Morrisey from his sister Mary who speaks of the marriage of "Mary Morrisey (cousin), dau. of the Widow Morrisey of Camross to Patrick Carroll, son of James Carroll of Camross", and it has a P.S. saying "Let Cousin James know that his mother, sisters, and brothers are all well." All this suggest that John Morrisey COULD be the father of our James. Unfortunately all the records of St. Patrick's church (except for a precious few) were destroyed in the church fire years ago, and the limited cemetery records of St. Patrick's cemetery simply list James as owner of the plot. There was no obituary in the papers of that year because at that time the only deaths being written up in the local paper were those of dignitaries, and John did not fall in this category!

1860 US census for Joliet, Will , Illinois lists: James, 38 yrs, Catharine, 38 yrs. Patrick 2 yrs, James 1 yr ^[4]

James Morrisey was made a naturalized citizen of the U.S. 2 October 1862--the certificate of same being in the possession of the compiler. The petition of Catherine Morrisey, in the estate of the said James Morrisey, requesting the sale of property to provide funds for her and the family to live on, indicates that at the time of his death James was possessed of and owned "a small sum of money, not in excess of about Fifty Dollars, and a cow, of the value of about $20 ("it was later sold to take care of the family)...." and several lots of real estate which were worth about $1100 dollars all together, according to the petition, but which were sold for much less than this upon decree of the court.

Marriage

Marriage: 26 JAN 1855

Husband: James Morrisey

Wife: Catherine Doyle

Place: Rev. B.W. Gorrisk, presiding; witnesses were Michael & Bridget Dorsey.

Child: James Francis Morrisey

Child: Patrick Morrisey

Child: Bridget Morrisey

Child: Catherine Morrisey

Sources

1. ↑ "Morrisey-Ardaugh, and allied lines", by Roberta Morrisey Drissler, periodical September 1969, Revised January 1974
2. ↑ "Morrisey-Ardaugh, and allied lines", by Roberta Morrisey Drissler, periodical September 1969, Revised January 1974
3. ↑ Ancestral file https://beta.familysearch.org/s/treeDetails/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Ftree.familysearch.org%3A8080%2Fwww-af-webservice%2Fperson%2F3508415&hash=HloWXpZgU9zB10k5M56iYku8TUc%253D
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1860," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-25166-23098-86?cc=1473181 : accessed 27 April 2016), Illinois > Will > Joliet > image 36 of 182; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

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