It appears three for sure, or maybe four, of us are cousins. So I am addressing the three of you at the same time:
Theresa, No I haven't done any DNA testing; I'm not trusting of that tree limb just yet...
Kathleen !! Mary Troy, sister to Michael/Mical? Monsignor Burns, deceased, had told my mother years back that Mary was married a HOWARD. At first, I was looking at your message, thinking it was no relation, but then a second look made me see HOWARD. We are related. How exciting is this? Are you in the US or Ireland, or AUS? I used to search for HOWARDs on Wolfe Island, etc, only slightly in Kingston... Where did Mary and Matthew HOWARD meet up, get married, and did they also go to Rochester (ROC) when Michael and (brother) Patrick did? I think John, the third brother, went to ROC also but I'm not certain about that yet. I found that Patrick was fishing in NYS for a bit before going to ROC; he was working on Lake Ontario, north of Oswego NY, which is north of Syracuse.
Did you know Michael rowed out onto Ontario so often to save souls from shipwrecks, that the Canadian govt sent him a letter telling him they were giving him a gold watch? He wrote back, thanking them but if they really wanted to do something, he'd prefer a new boat. Pretty interesting, and humorous. I'm sure he was serious, and hopeful. They gave him the watch.
Greg, I received the photo album of TROYs on Wolfe Island from my Dad. I assume he received it from his Father who was b on Wolfe Island. It is 1870s-1880s, and no one is identified. I think the house porch was where Michael TROY and Mary CROWLEY raised their children, on Long Point. I'd be happy to scan and email photos to any of you, if you would like. Patrick and John seemed to live more inland, as I recall from the old maps. I looked at them again a couple of months ago; I'm not certain who was where right now, exc that Michael was definitely on Long Point. Long Point sticks out the farthest into Lake Ontario, stretching westerly.
I was told years ago that when Michael, Mary (wife) and children went to Rochester for work, within a year or two, Mary was pregnant again with child #13 or 14 and she died in childbirth. By this time, 1892 February, some of the kids were out of school and gainfully employed in offices and the trades. Within a couple of years or more, Michael wanted to move back to Wolfe Island; he still owned his house there. The older children said no thanks, and he left, with the older kids raising the young ones, keeping them in school, etc. Back on Wolfe Island, Michael met an old acquaintance, Mary O'Reilly, whose family owned the village store in the 1900s. He married her, and they both died between 1910 and 1915.
Ever been to Wolfe Island? It is beautiful, windy, and I can imagine the snow must be wild in Winter. Today some man from Toronto owns Long Point, raises horses, and there was a bull in the field. My kids and husband surprised me on a vacation one year - instead of going home, we were on the QE Hwy, we drove to Kingston to board the ferry; I'd been asleep and was completely surprised. It was a great day. We found a rotted out shanty building with tin roof pieces laying around, where they may have kept feed for the animals.
Mary CROWLEY, Michael's wife, and most of her siblings were b on the island; her father was Hugh, b Ireland, who used to be in the Irish Constabulary (now called the Royal Constabulary or something like that, in Ireland). Mary's mother was Honora HAGERTY/HAGARTY. I haven't found Hugh in Ireland yet. I haven't found what ship he, Honora and son Charles sailed on. Chas was a baby, b in Ireland; as I said, rest of the CROWLEY children were b on the island.
Michael's brother Patrick married Jane CROWLEY, sister to Mary. I have many of their records also but not enough to really know their stories. I'm thinking of getting land records and their probate records next in Rochester, NY.
I don't know where in Ireland John TROY was from, father of Michael, John, Mary and Patrick - maybe he was from Co Cork, which wasn't that far in those days? ... a work acquaintance from Kiladysart, been in Boston for 25 years, said young men would ride or walk to dances, barn raisings, etc, miles and miles for socializing; I definitely found his wife Bridget KEANE /KANE 's christening. That was exciting. I found the christening in Ireland for Michael and Mary but not Patrick and John - yet. The parish records microfiled aren't complete, when you see the incomplete index (stops during the S surnames) so I doubt the full records of events is there also.
Last thing, for this email: Let me know if you'd like scanned copies of the photos from Wolfe Island. Maybe you have pictures with names on them? We could cross reference, who looks like who. Theresa is in Australia. My husband has a cousin who is a citizen there now, married to a local, and he gave up his US citizenship. Greg and Kathleen, are you in New York? I hope to go visit family again this Fall.
Pat