Thomas John Poole (1914 - 1964)

Ancestors

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Biography

Thomas John Poole was born on August 20, 1914, the youngest child of William Poole and Mary Head. ^[1] He was named after a previous child Thomas, who died at the age of two months in 1907.

At the time of his birth, the family was living in Brooklyn, most likely at 174 Hull Street. In any case, we do know they were at that address 10 months later when the 1915 New York State Census was taken. It was an apartment building, with four other families living there at the same address. ^[2]

His father William died in 1918. Thomas was then three and a half years old so he probably had only vague memories of him. Shortly thereafter, his mother moved the family to 29 Euclid Street in Cyprus Hills, close to the border between Brooklyn and Queens. ^[3]

By January 1920, when the US Census was taken, they had moved again, this time a bit farther: to Holy Child Jesus parish in Queens.^[4]

Tom seems to have been a very bright child. According to the 1920 census, he was able to read but not yet write at age five. His mother or siblings must have taught him, since he didn't actually enter school until 1922, when he had just turned eight.

That school was the Holy Child Jesus School, which had been constructed just a few years before, opening its doors in September 1917. Coincidentally, the 111th Street station of the BMT elevated line along Jamaica Avenue had just opened a few months earlier.

Thomas appears on the published Honor Roll in second grade, the only record of him I have been able to find. ^[5]

He would have graduated from eighth grade in 1926. He attended high school at Cathedral College, which was actually a minor seminary, so he may have thought about the priesthood. Cathedral had a four year high school and two year college program. Census data tells us that was he completed high school, which was pretty much normal for the period and for most Poole family members who did not enter religious orders.

At some point during the period from 1925 to 1930, Thomas' mother Mary managed to purchase a home at 8782 115th Street, the first house owned by the family. The location was much more central in the parish, only a few minutes walk from the church and school. ^[6]

In August 1932, when he was 17 years old, Tom's sister Agnes died. She was 31 and we know her death made a big impression on the family.

At the time of the 1940 census, Tom was 26 and working for the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Marine inspection as a stenographer. ^[7] He was also active in the church and in January 1942 was elected Secretary of the Holy Child Jesus Men's club.^[8] The cited article describes the focus of the meeting, related to religious and racial hatred, and makes interesting reading for its time.

A month later Thomas was drafted and entered the army. He served in Fort Dix, New Jersey, rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant. ^[9]

He wrote home regularly and his granddaughter Christine has managed to safeguard the letters. They are interesting reading and give a picture of everyday life at the time.

Tom was discharged from the army in October 1943. A few months later, in January 1944, his mother Mary died. Brothers Jim and Jack, both priests, officiated at the requiem mass in Holy Child Jesus church.

Thomas became active again in the parish. In October 1944 he represented the Holy Child Jesus men's club in a debate against a team from another parish. The topic was raising the subway fare to five cents. His team drew the affirmative position, arguing that the fare should be raised. They lost.^[10]

On May 5, 1945, Thomas and Eileen Jane Byrnes were married in Holy Child Jesus church in a Solemn High Nuptial Mass sung by Father John Poole, Tom's brother. He was assisted by two other priests, one a friend of the Byrnes family and the other a classmate of Tom's from Cathedral College. Tom's brother Charlie was best man.^[11]

Eileen was the proverbial "girl next door" - her parents lived a few houses along the street from the Pooles. The couple honeymooned in the Poconos. It's not clear where they lived immediately after the marriage, but according to newspaper reports they intended to live in Richmond Hill. It could even have been with either family.

Shortly afterwards, newspaper records show Tom continuing to be very active in the Catholic Debating League, but associated with a different parish. In October of 1945 he chaired a debate at Our Lady of Perpetual Help church in South Ozone Park. In December,the Holy Name Society at the same church named him chairman of their debating team. One article refers to him as a former member of the Holy Child Jesus team.^{[12] [13] [14]}

In July of 1946, Thomas was elected Secretary of the Catholic Debating League of the Diocese of Brooklyn. ^[15] This was a pretty big deal. Today the diocese covers Brooklyn and Queens but before 1957 it included all of Long Island. Tom's experience as a stenographer probably made him a natural choice as secretary, but it clearly would not have happened unless he was seen as a strong and steady member of the community.

We don't know why Tom changed parishes around 1945-46. The most likely explanation is that he moved into the new parish but we don't yet have that information.

On March 8 1947 Tom and Eileen's daughter was born. She was named Eileen Jane, following the Irish tradition of naming the first-born daughter after the mother. In the 1950 census, Tom, his wife and his daughter are living at 107-21 121st Street in Richmond Hill. ^[16]

There is very little information about Thomas' life through the 1950's. He died on November 19, 1964 and is buried at Long Island National Cemetery in Suffolk County.

Sources

1. ↑ Birth: "New York, New York, U.S., Birth Index, 1910-1965"
   Original data: New York City Department of Health, courtesy of www.vitalsearch-worldwide.com. Digital Images; Certificate Number: 32608
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 61457 #488121 (accessed 31 January 2024)
   Thomas Poole born on 20 Aug 1914 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA.
2. ↑ "New York State Census, 1915", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9JY-CTQ : 27 November 2020), Thomas Poole in entry for William Poole, 1915.
3. ↑ Military: "U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918"
   Registration State: New York; Registration County: Kings
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6482 #11990671 (accessed 31 January 2024)
   Name: William B Poole; Birth Date: 20 Aug 1897; Birth Place: New York, USA; Residence Date: 1917-1918; Street Address: 29 Eucled Ave; Residence Place: Brooklyn, Kings, New York, USA; Draft Board: 78; Physical Build: Medium; Height: Medium; Hair Color: Light Brown; Eye Color: Grey; Relative: Mary E Poole.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVM7-QVH : 2 February 2021), Thomas Poole in entry for Mary Poole, 1920.
5. ↑ 1924 Newspaper: "Newspapers.com"
   The Tablet (Brooklyn, New York) Sat, Feb 23, 1924, page 14
   Newspapers Clip: 63167386 (accessed 31 January 2024)
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X45J-XLW : accessed 11 May 2021), Thomas Poole in household of Mary E Poole, Queens (Districts 0501-0750), Queens, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 553, sheet 8B, line 66, family 180, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1609; FHL microfilm 2,341,343.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K79D-NKD : 7 January 2021), Thomas Poole in household of Mary K Poole, Queens, New York City, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 41-1660, sheet 12A, line 12, family 272, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2750.
8. ↑ 1942 Newspaper: "Newspapers.com"
   The Tablet (Brooklyn, New York) Sat, Jan 17, 1942, page 3
   Newspapers Clip: 63169219 (accessed 31 January 2024)
9. ↑ Military: "World War II Army Enlistment Records, 6/1/2002 - 9/30/2002", database, The National Archives (https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=6&cat=all&tf=F&q=Thomas+J+Poole&bc=&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=2852614&rlst=5062990,7040187,2852614,4882687,5081291,8328846 : accessed 1 February 2024)
10. ↑ 1944 Newspaper: "Newspapers.com"
    The Tablet (Brooklyn, New York) Sat, Oct 14, 1944, page 6
    Newspapers Clip: 63171047 (accessed 31 January 2024)
11. ↑ Marriage: "New York, New York, U.S., Marriage License Indexes, 1907-2018"
    New York City Municipal Archives; New York, New York; Borough: Queens
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 61406 #2060389 (accessed 31 January 2024)
    Thomas J Poole marriage to Eileen J Byrnes on 3 May 1945 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA.
12. ↑ 1945 Newspaper: "Newspapers.com"
    The Tablet (Brooklyn, New York) Sat, Oct 20, 1945, page 3
    Newspapers Clip: 63172155 (accessed 31 January 2024)
13. ↑ 1945 Newspaper: "Newspapers.com"
    The Tablet (Brooklyn, New York) Sat, Dec 1, 1945, page 18
    Newspapers Clip: 63172320 (accessed 31 January 2024)
14. ↑ 1945 Newspaper: "Newspapers.com"
    The Tablet (Brooklyn, New York) Sat, Dec 8, 1945, page 17
    Newspapers Clip: 63171525 (accessed 1 February 2024)
15. ↑ 1946 Newspaper: "Newspapers.com"
    The Tablet (Brooklyn, New York) Sat, Jul 6, 1946, page 2
    Newspapers Clip: 63173906 (accessed 1 February 2024)
16. ↑ 1950 Census: "1950 United States Federal Census"
    National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: New York, Queens, New York; Roll: 2345; Page: 2; Enumeration District: 41-1923
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 62308 #285113232 (accessed 1 February 2024)
    Thomas Poole (35), married, Stenograperter, head of household in New York, Queens, New York, USA. Born in New York.

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