James Shea (abt. 1855 - 1897)

Born about 1855 in County Kerry, Ireland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Husband of Margaret Cahill — married 31 Jul 1875 in Clogher, County Kerry, Ireland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Descendants

Died 4 Jan 1897 at about age 42 in South Bethlehem, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jana Shea [send private message]

Biography

James Shea was born in Ireland.

James Shea, born circa 1855, was a laborer from Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland - at least he was at the time of his 31 July 1875 marriage to wife, Margaret Cahill, according to the Ballymacelligott parish records. The marriage register also lists his father's name as James Shea.^[1]Family legend has it that the surname was originally McShea.

On 25 Jun 1883, James and Margaret, together with their first three children, arrived in New York, New York, USA on board the steamship, "Spain", which sailed from Liverpool, England after originally departing from Queensland, County Cork, Ireland.^[2]

James found work as a furnace man for the Bethlehem Iron Company (later Bethlehem Steel), where he was described as "an even tempered and worthy workman". It was brutal work and James' health suffered for it. He was only around 40 years old when he died 4 January 1897 in South Bethlehem.^[3][4]

His early death left Margaret alone to raise their nine children, the youngest of whom was not yet a year old.^[5]

Family lore gave James' cause of death as black lung disease from the years toiling in the blast furnaces. And though a transcribed copy of his death certificate lists the cause of death as consumption, it is highly probable that it indeed meant "black consumption" or "miner's consumption".

He is buried at St. Michael's Cemetery in South Bethlehem.

Research Notes

On James Shea's marriage record, he was listed as being from Tralee and his father's name was given as James Shea.

He may be the son of James Shea and Johanna Casey, born 10 Aug 1856 and baptized in Abbeydorney (just 9 km from Tralee). This couple had married in Tralee in 1844 and some of their children were also baptized there.

He may also be the son of James Shea and Mary Collis, born 8 Jul 1850 in Tralee. However, this may be the same James Shea, of Tralee parish, age 6 who was buried in Ballymacelligott 19 Feb 1857.

Possibly related to the John J Shea (wife Ellen J), listed in 1904 Bethlehem city directory as a general storekeeper LVRR, residence 743 Delaware Ave. SB

Sources

1. ↑ "Church Records of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kerry", Irish Genealogy (Online: irishgenealogy.ie, 2010), Marriage of JAMES SHEA of TRALEE and MARGARET CAHILL of BALLYMCELLIGOTT on 31 July 1875
2. ↑ "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891", digital image, FamilySearch (Online: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., 2018), [Original source: United States Immigration and Naturalization Service , "Passenger lists of vessels arriving at New York, 1820-1897 ; index to passenger lists of vessels arriving in New York, 1820-1846 : NARA publications M261 and M237", NARA microfilm publication M237, DGS 4680397, (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), Lines 12-16 ]
3. ↑ "Death Certificate for James Shea", Death Register Book 1, Page 251, Orphan’s Court of Northampton County, Easton, Pennsylvania, USA, certified transcription copy in possession of Jana Shea
4. ↑ "Death of James Shea", Bethlehem Times, 4 Jan 1897, p. 1
5. ↑ "Obituary for James Shay [sic]", The Bethlehem Globe, 4 Jan 1897, p. 1