The Story of James O'Donnell (Daniel) / Memories ... October 18

This is the story of my maternal Great Grand Uncle, James O'Donnell (Daniel)  1867 - 1908.

Our common ancestors are:   John O'Donnell (Daniel) and Catherine (Kitty) Joy.

I'm publishing this rather brief story on the anniversary of James's passing.

In Remembrance

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page)

Photo shared by my maternal 2nd cousin Brigid McGrath

• James was born in August 1867 at the family farm in Killonerry, County Kilkenny, Ireland.  He had entered the world at a time of transition for his family.  The O'Donnells had seen their Gaelic surname "anglicized" to Daniel, reflecting the broader cultural shifts under British rule.

• James was baptised the very next day.  The record shows the family name "Daniel", though a clerical error recorded his mother's maiden name as "Fay" instead of "Joy."  Such mistakes are not uncommon, as the handwriting on the old original documents could be hard to read.

• James was the tenth of thirteen children born to John and Catherine (known as Kitty), so he grew up in a bustling household of siblings.

• He was known as 'Jim' to his family and friends throughout his lifetime. 

• James's large family experienced its share of sorrow.  Tragically, when James was only 3 years old, his younger brother Thomas died in infancy.  Then, when James was 12, his older sister Ellen also died,  at the tender age of 14.  These early experiences of grief would have shaped James's understanding of life's fragility and uncertainty.

• As the O'Donnell (Daniel) children matured, life on the family farm would have become increasingly difficult.  The farm, though providing a basic livelihood, would not have been able to support the growing household indefinitely.  Like so many families in rural Ireland during that period, emigration became a necessity rather than a choice.

• James, along with several of his siblings, left Ireland in search of better opportunities abroad. 

• I have found it very difficult to pinpoint the exact year that James left Ireland, but I do know for certain he emigrated to the U.S.A.  

• It does seem that the O'Donnell (Daniel) children who did leave Ireland, did so after the death of their mother in 1882.  James was only aged 14 at that time however, so it seems likely he left in the late 1880s, when he was in his early 20s.  

The mass exodus of Irish immigrants to the U.S. during this time makes it very difficult to trace specific individuals, particularly with the name James O'Donnell (or Daniel), which appeared frequently in emigration records.

I have spent considerable time scouring through U.S. Irish passenger lists and naturalization records but have found these sources to be scant on details other than - name, country of origin and port of departure.  These few details can in no way pinpoint the exact person you are researching, especially given the huge numbers of people who have exactly the same name.  

• There is one record however that shows my particular James O'Donnell was definitely living in New York in 1905.

• According to the 1905 New York State census, James was living as a boarder with his sister Mary (known affectionately as Minnie) and her husband James although their surname was recorded as 'Londrigan' when it should have read 'Lonergan'.  They resided at No. 59 Vandam Street in Lower Manhattan, a bustling immigrant neighbourhood.
• The census record includes information about the number of years in the U.S. and in that column it had been recorded that James had been in that states for 18 years.  That indicates (if the information is correct) that he had arrived around 1887.

• By then, James was aged 38.  His occupation was listed as "Day Labourer."  Life as a labourer in New York at that time was reputedly very tough, with meagre wages.  Day labourers often lived on the edge of poverty, relying on daily work to survive.

• Family lore tells of very different circumstances in the early years of James's life in New York, during his 20s.  He apparently did very well in the U.S. initially.  He worked as a carpenter and carpenters were in big demand.  At some point after his arrival in New York, James sent a beautiful gold watch back to his family in Ireland.  This gesture of love and connection speaks to his generosity and desire to stay linked to his roots.  Remarkably, this watch remains in the possession of a family member to this day, a treasured keepsake that represents both James's success and his sacrifices.

According to my second cousin:  "James did not just send the gold watch, but also a gold ring to the family in Killonerry.  He is also credited with paying for the erection of the Celtic Cross O'Donnell family headstone in the old Owning Cemetery, where his mother and father and other family members are buried." 

• Sadly it seems, James's fortunes did not hold steady.  By his late 30s, he was living with his sister and her family, perhaps an indication that work had become scarce or that his health had begun to decline.  Life in New York could be unforgiving, and it seems that whatever initial success James may have had was fleeting.

• Unfortunately, James's life came to an untimely end in 1908 when he passed away at the age of 41.  

• I did find a record for my James O'Donnell on the Extracted Death Index for New York, 1862-1948, (with the names of his parents John O'Donnell and Catherine Joy) which then led me to his death certificate.

• Details on James's death certificate tell that he had been ill for some time and had been a patient at Belleview (correctly spelling is Bellevue) Hospital in Manhattan for nearly a month.  His previous address was listed as 776 Greenwich Street in New York, which was different to the address listed in the 1905 census.  Perhaps he had moved out of his sister's home or had they all moved elsewhere together?   James's occupation was listed as labourer.  

• There was a section on the death certificate that recorded the length of time he had been in the U.S. and whoever completed the record listed 20 years as that period of time.  That indicates an arrival year as 1888, close to the year indicated on that 1905 census.  I think it's probably correct to say James arrived in the U.S. in either 1887 or 1888, when he would have been aged either 20 or 21. 

• A death notice for James appeared in local newspapers, but there were no details other than his name.

Photo shared by my maternal 2nd cousin Doreen Powers

• James was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, Queens, New York, where his sister Minnie, her husband and other Lonergan relatives would later be laid to rest.  Their shared burial plot is marked only by a modest headstone inscribed with the Lonergan surname, a simple and quiet tribute to their lives.

• Though much of James's life remains a mystery, his story is one of resilience.  He was part of a generation of Irish emigrants who left behind everything familiar to seek new lives in foreign lands.  His legacy, although modest, lives on through the stories passed down by family, the small headstone in Queens, and the gold watch that still holds the echoes of a life's journey from Killonerry to New York.