Mary E McNamara
- Born
- 1837-08-15 12:00:00
- Died
- 1900-02-25 12:00:00
- Gender
- Female
According to her March 1900 newspaper obituary, "Mary E. McNamara was born at New Castle, Ireland, and was brought to this country (the United States) when only six months old." Her age as stated in the obituary was 62 years, six months and 10 days. She died 25 Feb., 1900.
Sometime after her 1855 marriage, Mary (apparently semi-literate) entered her own birth in her husband's family Bible: "Mary E. Gick Dottor Andru (&) Alce Mcnamara born August 15, 1837." This is the birth date she used throughout her life. However, my preliminary attempts at Irish research suggest that it may be wrong.
An 1889 newspaper article allowed me to identify Mary's niece and, subsequently, her sister, Eliza McNamara McMahon (1826-1899).
I don't know where the McNamaras spent the first decade or so of their U.S. residence. However, Andrew, Eliza and Mary appear in the same household on the 1850 U.S. census for Fulton County, in western Illinois. Alice, the mother, was not present, and had presumably died.
The McNamaras were Catholic. Both Andrew and Eliza -- who married Irish immigrant Michael McMahon -- are buried at Catholic cemeteries in Fulton County. Mary left the faith and, according to family stories, her relationship with future husband Henry Gick -- a Protestant born in Liverpool -- was the cause. Henry and Mary eloped to Peoria, Ill., on the Fourth of July, 1855. This photograph of Mary was probably taken about that time.
Here's the puzzlement:
A helpful Irish researcher checked the parish register for the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Newcastle West, and found a baptism for a Maria McNamara, daughter of Andrew and Alice (Coyle) McNamara on 5 Aug., 1834. Note the date: This is three years before Mary was even born by her own account.
The researcher also found other baptisms for Alice (1824), Michael (1825), Maria (1828) and John (1831) -- all the children of Andrew and Alice McNamara. He did not find a baptism for Eliza.
Could someone be 3+ years off on her own birthday? If so, then these folks in Newcastle West -- Andrew McNamara (1788-1862) and Alice Coyle -- are my people. But where do I go from here?
