Michael Fitzgerald

Michael was born in Ireland and migrated sometime prior to 1870 when he, his wife Helen/Ellen and 3 month old son, Nicholas, are living in Troy, Rensselaer, NY. Michael had an older daughter who is not documented to have lived with the family in the US. His daughter, Mary Bridget Fitzgerald, married Charles N. Grant in Troy around 1880 when she was just 15-16 years old. During his time in Troy, Michael operated a saloon and moved around in the downtown/south troy area. His son Nicholas was not listed on the 1880 census but is found living in the same dwelling as Michael over several city directories. Michael died in July 1895 as evidenced in the 1896 Troy NY City Directory.*1 His wife Ellen then went on to marry William Conerfrey who had also lived in their home from at least 1889 through her husband's death. She died in 1911 in Troy. 

 

Family lore states that our Fitzgerald line originated in County Cork, possibly Rostellan.

 

 

"U.S. City Directories 1822-1955," digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2022), pages137- 138, entries for Ellen, Michael and Nicholas Fitzgerald; citing The Directory of Troy and Lansingburgh, West Troy and Green Island, Cohoes and Waterford, N.Y., 1896 (Sampson, Murdock & Co.)