Daniel L Fitzpatrick
- Born
- 1822-01-01 12:00:00
- Gender
- Male
- Place of migration
- Migrated to/Born in USA
I'm hoping that someone can provide me with more information about Daniel Fitzpatrick, my 2nd great grandfather, and the extended Fitzpatrick family he came from.
Daniel L Fitzpatrick was born about 1822, I think somewhere in the vicinity of Lough Gowna, County Cavan. He emigrated around 1840 to New York City, where I have been able to find him in several city directories, listed as a marble cutter and a carpenter. On Oct 18, 1844, he married Catherine Fagan (also born about 1822) at the Church of the Nativity (see attachment), which still stands in lower Manhattan. Their first child, Elizabeth 'Lizzie' 'Libby' was born in NYC the following year, Oct. 17, 1845.
By 1849 they had moved out to Mount Pleasant Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania, where in the 1850 federal census they are listed living adjacent to two other houses containing Fitzpatrick families. Indeed, Fitzpatricks are present at this location from 1840, when Mathew Fitzpatrick and his wife first appear, through 1880. I presume that they were all part of one large extended family that emigrated in successive waves, the early ones helping the later ones.
Their second child, James, was born Feb. 1849, John W June 13, 1850, and finally Mary Ann, May 17, 1853. They cannot be found in the 1860 census, and by the 1870 census they had moved about ten miles north to Buckingham Township. Oral histories from the family describe how they ran lumberjack camps, and worked on the canals in the area. Lumbering was a big industry at this time in the NE corner of Pennsylvania: rafts of logs would be sent down the Delaware River to Philadelphia, for use in ship building. Daniel, James and John would manage the camps, and Elizabeth and Mary would cook for the lumberjacks.
Catherine died before 1880, when Daniel is staying as a widower with his son John's family. After this, he disappears. A Daniel Fitzpatrick dies at an almshouse in Ulster County, New York in 1886, which might be him.
When he first arrived in New York, Daniel stayed for a year with a Charles Fitzpatrick, physician (they are listed at the same address in the 1846 city directory). Family legend has it that Daniel stayed with an uncle when he first came to the city. Dr. Charles (profiled separately on this site) also appears in the 1860 Mount Pleasant Census, at the same location that Daniel occupied ten years ealier. Dr. Charles (who has his own profile on this site) was born in Aghaveans Township, Scrabby Parish, County Cavan, and I presume that the larger Fitzpatrick family, including Daniel, came from the area aroung Lough Gowna, in both the Cavan and Longford sides of the border.
Possible other Fitzpatrick relatives based on proximity in New York City and Mount Pleasant, PA (all born in Ireland):
1) Elizabeth (b. abt. 1790)- aunt or mother
2) John (b. abt. 1810) and James- cousins or brothers
3) Ellen (b. abt. 1815)- cousin or sister
