William P. Lahy

Sources for birthdate: Genealogybank.com; Irish American Weekly (New York, NY), Page 5; Saturday, April 17, 1880.  Birthdate for William Lahy written on the back of the book of Malachai, Lahey-Stiff Family Bible. Pages copied from the bible that were given to Donna Sturla, by her mother, Lillian Stiff, granddaughter of George F. Lahey (son of William P. Lahey).

Sources for death date: https://www.green-wood.com/burial_results/index.php. Search on Lahy, 1887.  William was first buried at Greenwood on 9 Apr 1880 in lot #17263, grave 2339. However, he was moved to Lot #20442 in 1887. He died in Jersey City, New Jersey (after a 5 month illness) where he lived with his son, Richard and family.  After his death, his children began spelling their surname as Lahey not Lahy.

Married to Elizabeth (Eliza) Porter (b: 1799, d: 4 Sep 1849) in Ballymachugh, Cavan, Ireland on 25 Feb 1819. Was a tenant farmer of 14 acres on land leased from Lord Farnham. In the 1821 census he appeared in Mullughboy in Ballymachugh. His parents names were: William Lahy (b: abt 1781 & d: 1852) and Fanny Wood (b: abt 1781 & d: 1826).

He had the following children in Ireland with Eliza: Fany (b: 1819); Mary (b: 18 May 1821); Hugh (b: 28 Sep 1824); William (b: 1825); James (b: 31 Mar 1826); May (b: 1827); John (b: 18 Mar 1830-presumed died young); Elizabeth (b: 30 Apr 1832); Anna Jane (b: 17 Mar 1835, possibly died young); John (b: 29 Jul 1836). 

He and Eliza immigrated on the Patrick Henry leaving from Liverpool on 23 Mar 1846 and landing in New York City on 25 Apr 1846 along with the following children: William (21), Mary (24), James (19), John (9), Elizabeth (11) and Mary (19) - probably name May or Marie.

Eliza Porter died on 4 Sep 1849 in Manhattan, New York, New York, and she was buried in Greenwood Cemetery.  William was remarried on 10 Jun 1850 to Fanny Kilroy (b: 1822 or 1827, d: 8 May 1888) in New York City where they lived until 1851 and their first living child, Richard L. Lahy was born there in 1851.  They then moved to Granby, Massachusetts about 1851-1855, and then settled in Chicopee, Massachusetts until 5 months before he died in 1880, when he and Fanny had relocated to Jersey City, N,J.

He owned land in Massachusetts, and was listed on the censuses as a farmer and vet surgeon. He and Fanny had the following children: Leticia Ann Lahy was born sometime between 1850-1854 when she died young on 19 July 1854; Richard L. Lahey (B: 21 Aug 1851, d: 26 Mar 1918); Eliza Lahey (b: 1854 in Granby, MA, d: ?); George F. Lahey (b: 21 Aug 1855 in Granby, MA, d: 29 Jan 1947); Annie (Anne) (possibly named Julia Ann) Lahey (b: 8 Jun 1857 in Chicopee, MA, d: 31 Jan 1879); Julia Lahey (b: 1859, d: 1870 or 1879- may be the same person as Annie previously listed); Hannah A. Lahey (b: 1861, d: 17 May 1935); Letitia F. Lahey (b: 1863, d: 7 Jan 1887); Joseph R. Lahey (b: 1865, d: 22 Oct 1915); Margaret May Lahey (b: 25 Jul 1868, d: 1952). 

I have a lot more information on this family and their descendents as William Lahy is my 2x great grandfather.