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John Joseph O'Brien (1861 - 1938)

John Joseph O'Brien
Born in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusettsmap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
Brother of and [half]
Husband of — married 6 Feb 1890 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United Statesmap
Descendants descendants
Father of , , and
Died at age 77 in Brookline, Norfolk, Massachusettsmap
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Profile last modified | Created 4 Jul 2019
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Biography

John Joseph O'Brien was born in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, on 29 January 1861.[1] He was baptized at St. John the Baptist Church in Boston on 1 February 1861.[2] He died in Brookline, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, on 15 May 1938.[3] He is buried at Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Boston.[4] He married, at St. Augustine Church in Boston on 6 February 1890, Emma A. Mahony.[5][6] Emma was born in Boston on 27 September 1862 to Edward Mahony and Catherine Josephine Kenney.[7] She died in Brookline on 11 July 1950.[8]

John's father, John, died in 1863[9] and his mother Mary married Thomas Bowser in 1867.[10] Sometime between 1870 and 1876, the family moved from Hanover St. in the North End to Hudson St. in Boston's South Cove neighborhood.[11][12] The family later relocated to 45 Court St. in Medford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and remained there for many years.[13][14]

John worked as a picture frame manufacturer. He took over the business from the previous owner, B. Ferdinand Sargent, when Sargent relocated to Minnesota in 1881 or 1882.[15][16] John continued running the business until about 1917.[17] The frame shop occupied the second floor of the building at 69 Cornhill in Boston.[17][18]

Cornhill was a street located at what is now the Government Center complex. At its heyday, many booksellers and publishers located themselves on Cornhill and it became known as one of Boston's intellectual centers.[19] The street was mostly destroyed during the city's urban renewal phase in the 1960s. The only remnants of the original Cornhill are the Sears Block and Sears Crescent (location of the famous "steaming teakettle").[19]

A fire in 1904 caused major damage to John's frame shop, mostly from the water used to put out the fire. Efforts to fight the fire were complicated by an avalanche of snow falling off the roof and nearly burying the firefighters, and an intoxicated man trying to help by climbing the stairs of the building and hanging onto the firehose.[18] John was able to recover the business and continued operating out of this location until at least 1916.[17]

John, his wife Emma, and several of their children are buried in the Mahoney/Mahony plot owned by Emma's father Edward at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Boston's Roslindale neighborhood.[20]

Children of John Joseph O'Brien and Emma A. (Mahony) O'Brien:

  1. Mildred Loretta O'Brien, b. 14 Nov. 1890;[21] d. 26 May 1891.[22]
  2. Francis Joseph O'Brien, b. 2 April 1892; m. Malden, Middlesex C., Mass., 12 Sept. 1921, Mary Helena Flynn.
  3. Pauline M. O'Brien, b. 9 June 1894; m. 9 June 1930, Charles Lucius Baine.
  4. Mildred Louise O'Brien, b. 29 Sept. 1896; m. Medford, Middlesex Co., Mass., Feb. 1925, Albert Joseph French.
  5. Edward O'Brien, b. Medford, 5 July 1898;[23] d. Medford, 24 Dec. 1898.[24]
  6. Almyra Louise O'Brien, b. Medford, 27 June 1901;[25] d. Medford, 13 July 1902.[26]

Sources

  1. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records, birth records, 1861, p. 11, no. 471, John O'Brien; accessed at "Massachusetts, Birth Records, 1840-1915," database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/5062/ : viewed on 31 Mar 2020), _up through 1910 > 1861 > image 909.
  2. ↑ St. Stephen (Boston) Baptisms, 1854-1862, p. 249, John O'Breine; accessed at "Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org (https://www.americanancestors.org/DB2726/i/53641/387/1423783173 : viewed on 12 Apr 2020). Records of St. John the Baptist Church are located in the volume for St. Stephen's Church; see note on Mary3 O'Brien's baptismal citation.
  3. ↑ John J. O'Brien obituary, The Boston Globe, 16 May 1938, p. 15; accessed at Newspapers.com (https: //bostonglobe.newspapers.com/clip/34912710/obituary_for_john_j_obrien/?xid=637 : viewed on 12 Apr 2020).
  4. ↑ Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, printout of Mahoney plot (CL1-1-6D) originally given to Michael O'Brien and verified by Gavin O'Brien at the cemetery office, 28 Dec 2018.
  5. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records, marriage records, 1890, p. 44, no. 775, John J. O'Brien and Emma A. Mahony; accessed at "Massachusetts, Marriage Records, 1840-1915," database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2511/ : viewed on 12 Apr 2020), _Up Through 1910 > 1890 > image 1061.
  6. ↑ St. Augustine (South Boston) Marriages, 1868-1899, p. 103a, marriage of Jno. J. OBrien and Emma A. Mahoney; accessed at "Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org (https://www.americanancestors.org/DB2726/i/53689/103a/1423874818 : viewed on 22 Aug 2020).
  7. ↑ Holy Cross (Boston) Baptisms, v. 11, 1858-1868, p. 362, Emma Mahony; accessed at "Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org (https://www.americanancestors.org/DB2726/i/48417/362/1415467410 : viewed on 12 Apr 2020).
  8. ↑ Emma A. O'Brien obituary, Boston Traveler, 11 July 1950, p. 31.
  9. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records, death records, 1863, p. 49, no. 1270, John O'Brien; accessed at "Massachusetts, Death Records, 1841-1915," database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2101/ : viewed on 31 Mar 2020), _Pre 1903 > 1863 > image 756. Cause of death: phthisis.
  10. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records, marriage records, 1867, no. 267, Thomas Bowser and Mary O'Brien; accessed at "Massachusetts, Marriage Records, 1840-1915," database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2511/ : viewed on 31 Mar 2020), _Up Through 1910 > 1867 > image 743.
  11. ↑ Sampson, Davenport, & Co., compilers, The Boston Directory (Boston: Sampson, Davenport, & Co., 1870), p. 103; accessed at "U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995," database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/ : viewed on 13 Sep 2020), Massachusetts > Boston > 1870 > Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1870 > image 112. "Bowser Thomas, mariner, house 450 Hanover"
  12. ↑ Sampson, Davenport, & Co., compilers, The Boston Directory (Boston: Sampson, Davenport, & Co., 1876), p. 121; accessed at "U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995," database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/ : viewed on 13 Sep 2020), Massachusetts > Boston > 1876 > Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1876 > image 121. "Bowser Thomas, laborer, house 23 Hudson"
  13. ↑ 1910 U.S. census, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Middlesex County, Medford, Enumeration District (ED) no. 928, sheet 7A, dwelling no. 117, family no. 140, John J O'Brien household; accessed at "1910 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7884 : viewed on 29 Nov 2020), Massachusetts > Middlesex > Medford Ward 2 > District 0928 > image 13.
  14. ↑ 1930 U.S. census, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Middlesex County, Medford, Enumeration District (ED) no. 9-313, sheet 12A, dwelling no. 191, family no. 259, John J O'Brien household; accessed at "1930 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6224 : viewed on 29 Nov 2020), Massachusetts > Middlesex > Medford > District 0313 > image 23.
  15. ↑ "Ephemera collection," Historic New England (https://www.historicnewengland.org/explore/collections- access/gusn/265637/: accessed 13 Apr 2020), digital image, "Label for John J. O'Brien, picture frames, 69 Cornhill, Boston, Mass., undated," GUSN-265637, reference code EP001.01.091.01.01.003.
  16. ↑ Boston tax assessment records for 1881 (ward 7, pt. 2, p. 280) show a "Sargent" who lives at 4 Bolton Pl. occupying the property at 69 Cornhill. The tax assessment records for 1883 (ward 7, p. 292) show that the same property is now occupied by "O'Brien" who lives at 199 Hampden (crossed out) and 59 Hudson (written in pencil). The Boston city directory for 1881 lists a B. Ferdinand Sargent, "picture-frame manuf. 69 Cornhill, house 4 Bolton place, Chsn." The 1882 directory lists "Sargent B. Ferdinand, removed to Minnesota."
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 W. A. Greenough Co., compilers, 1916 Medford Directory (Boston: W. A. Greenough & Co., 1916), p. 219, entry for John J O'Brien; viewed at "U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995," database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/ : viewed on 13 Apr 2020), Massachusetts > Medford > 1916 > Medford, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1916 > image 217. "O'Brien John J picture frame mfr 69 Cornhill B 45 Court" John O'Brien appears in the next available Medford city directory for 1918 with no business or profession listed. In the 1920 census his occupation is listed as "none."
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "BROKE THROUGH ROOF." The Boston Globe, 6 Jan 1904, p. 8, col. 1; accessed at Newspapers.com, database with images (https://www.newspapers.com/image/430269059 : viewed on 13 Apr 2020).
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Ryan W. Owen, "Cornhill – Once Boston's Literary Center, Today Replaced by Government Center," Forgotten New England, 4 June 2012 (https://forgottennewengland.com/2012/06/04/ cornhill-once-bostons-literary-center-today-replaced-by-government-center/ : viewed on 13 Apr 2020).
  20. ↑ Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, printout of Mahoney plot (CL1-1-6D) originally given to Michael O'Brien and verified by Gavin O'Brien at the cemetery office, 28 Dec 2018.
  21. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records, birth records, 1885, p. 242, no. 10870, Mildred Loretta O'Brien; accessed at "Massachusetts, Birth Records, 1840-1915," database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/5062/ : viewed on 13 Apr 2020), _Up Through 1910 > 1890 > image 1514.
  22. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records, death records, 1891, p. 175, no. 4054, Mildred L. O'Brien; accessed at "Massachusetts, Death Records, 1841-1915," database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2101/ : viewed on 13 Apr 2020), _Pre 1903 > 1891 > image 1268. Cause of death: "Ac. Tub. Meningitis, 2 days."
  23. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records, birth records, 1898, no. 210, Edward O'Brien; accessed at "Massachusetts, Birth Records, 1840-1915," database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/5062/ : viewed on 13 Apr 2020), _Up Through 1910 > 1898 > image 1511.
  24. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records, death records, 1898, p. 329, no. 222, Edward O'Brien; accessed at "Massachusetts, Death Records, 1841-1915," database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2101/ : viewed on 13 Apr 2020), _Pre 1903 > 1898 > image 1071. Cause of death: "Pneumonia"
  25. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records, birth records, 1901, no. 246, Almyra Louise O'Brien; accessed at "Massachusetts, Birth Records, 1840-1915," database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/5062/ : viewed on 13 Apr 2020), _Up Through 1910 > 1901 > image 1016.
  26. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records, death records, 1902, p. 628, no. 145, Almira L. O'Brien; accessed at "Massachusetts, Death Records, 1841-1915," database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2101/ : viewed on 13 Apr 2020), _Pre 1903 > 1902 > image 1187. Cause of death: "Cerebro-spinal Meningitis"




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Rejected matches › John O'Brien (1862-) › John (O'brien) O'Brien (abt.1860-abt.1940) › John O'Brien (bef.1862-) › Joseph Bryant (abt.1859-1929)

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Categories: Descendants of William O'Brien and Mary Sexton