Where was Patrick Whelan from?

Patrick was the brother of my great-grandfather, Timothy Whelan. They both arrived in Chicago in about 1850. I have never found a document that stated where Timothy was from, although my aunt told me he was from Kilkenny. When I began to discover information about Patrick, I hoped to find proof that they were from Kilkenny. (It’s always nice to prove the family stories are true.) Unfortunately, Patrick was not a very reliable source of information. I have 2 documents that state which county in Ireland he was from. Both are based on statements by Patrick himself, and the documents name 2 different counties—Kilkenny and Kings.

The first source which gave a location for Patrick was a database on the Illinois State Archives website. A search of the Illinois Muster and Descriptive Rolls Database produced an Illinois Civil War Detail Report for Patrick which indicated he was born in Kilkenny, Ireland.

I requested and received a copy of the document that the information in the database came from. It was a Muster and Descriptive Roll, which clearly indicates that Patrick was from Kilkenny—no error in data entry, handwriting interpretation, etc.

I used the information from the Illinois website and from Ancestry.com to request copies from the Civil War pension file of Patrick, and from his widow’s pension file.

I have already posted some material from the widow’s pension file. I have found interesting information in Patrick’s pension file, which I will begin posting as well.

The pension file for Patrick included a deposition made by him on July 1, 1899 which stated,” I am the claimant above cited and I hereby declare that I was born on or about April 14 1821 in Kings County Ireland. We had no family Bible in our House therefore no record of my birth in a Bible. I can neither read or write hence I was unable to make or keep a record of my birth, but I am over 78 years of age and totally disabled for labor of any kind.”

The pension files and the muster roll copies are definitely referring to the same Patrick Whelan. His unit, rank, and occupation are identified in the muster roll and the pension files.

I would like to find additional evidence regarding where Patrick was born. Some sources I’ve tried:
death certificate—Birthplace not stated.
cemetery record—Birthplace not stated.
headstone—None exists.
church marriage record—Birthplace not stated.
civil marriage record—None exists. Destroyed in Chicago Fire of 1871.

There are additional records which I am still looking for that may contain Patrick’s birthplace. These include obituaries, probate files, deeds, and naturalization record. Suggestions of other sources to try are most welcome. Just leave me a comment.

I’ve found clues regarding siblings of Patrick in his widow’s pension file. I hope these clues will lead to additional documentation regarding the place of origin of Patrick Whelan.

I’ve also done a brief survey of Irish sources online. At Irishtimes.com I searched on the surname Whelan in Griffith’s valuation. I found 227 Whelans in Kilkenny and 53 in Offaly (Kings) County. At the Irish Central Signposting Index website, a look at their coverage indicated that it doesn’t include Kilkenny or Kings counties. The Irish Family History Foundation had records of 8 Patrick Whelans born in Kilkenny in 1817-25. I haven’t taken the next step yet of paying to view the records. Kings County is not included in the online index.

So, where were Patrick, Timothy and their siblings from? Well, at this point I’m leaning towards Kilkenny, but the evidence is sparse and conflicting. So, for now I will continue my exhaustive (but enjoyable) research.

Source citations and additional information available upon request.

Patrick Whelan Cemetery Record

Patrick Whelan, the brother of my ancestor Timothy, was buried in Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, IL, along with several members of his family. In fact, I count 26 names listed as buried in this 3 grave plot. Many of them were children and infants. I have seen other plot cards from Calvary with 10 or more people in a 3 grave plot. But I guess 26 was the limit. The staff typed "NO ROOM FOR FUTURE INTERMENTS" on the card in 2 places.



This plot was used by the family for over 100 years. The first burial was Mary Whelan on 11/30/1861. The last burial was Mary Whalen on 11/21/1964.

Other points of interest:
1. The surname Whelan is spelled 3 ways on this card: Whalan, Whalen, and Whelan.

2. Other surnames on the card are Martin, Landy, Reardon, and Maloney. The first 3 surnames include known in-laws of Patrick Whelan.

3. There are 6 Mary Whelans buried in this plot.

I'm looking forward to finding obituaries and/or death certificates for some of those buried here.

Mary J. Whalin, Widow

This is a transcription of an affidavit from the widow's pension case file of Mary J. Whalin, the widow of Patrick Whalin.

******

Deposition E
Case of Mary J Whalin, No. 773265
On this 16th day of May, 1903 at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Ill, before me, J. H. Stibbs[?], a special examiner of the Bureau of Pensions, personally appeared Peter Lynch, who, being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this special examination of aforesaid claim for pension, deposes and says: I am 78 years of age, and reside at 540 Burling St Chicago Ill. I have known this claimant since she was a child in Ireland.
I came to this country in 1844, & was back & forth to Ireland after that. I saw claimant in Buffalo N.Y. in 1865 or 66, and when she came to Chicago. She came to live in my family. She was then a young unmarried girl.
I knew her husband, Patrick Whalin from 1857. I landed in Chicago in 1856, got acquainted with him in 1857, and knew him well from that time on. He was my wifes brother and a part of the time lived with me.
I knew positively he was not married until he married this claimant. I was at their wedding and saw them married, and I knew they lived together from that time until he died, never were divorced or legally separated. They were living together at the time of his death, and she has not remarried since. She has no property of any kind. The house in which she lives belongs to her crippled son, and she has no income, but supports herself as a scrub woman. I could not give the date of marriage, but it must have been about 1867. I knew she was here in Chicago but a short [?] when she was married. Her husband served in the 90th Ill. That was the only service he ever endured[?] in either the army or Navy that I knew or heard of. He was there[?] until he was wounded.
The affidavit B. J. [?] [?] was signed by me & the facts stated therein are correct.
I am not interested in this claim. The above has been read to me & is correct.
Peter Lynch
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 16th day of May 1903, and I certify that the contents were fully made known to deponent before signing.
[?]
Special Examiner.

*********

Patrick Whalin was my great grandfather's brother, which I discovered from documents in this pension file.

Interesting points contained in this affidavit:

The witness, Peter Lynch, was the brother-in-law of Patrick Whalin. Peter's wife (who isn't named) was the sister of Patrick.

Patrick Whalin was in Chicago by 1857.

The witness, Peter Lynch, traveled a bit. He arrived in the U.S. in 1844, arrived in Chicago in 1856, and was in Buffalo, New York in about 1865. He also indicated that he traveled back and forth between the U.S. and Ireland.

New questions based on this affidavit:

What was the name of Patrick's sister who was Peter's wife?

Why did Peter Lynch travel so much? Did he have a job that involved travel? Did he bring friends or relatives to the U.S.?

Peter Lynch knew Mary J. Whalin when she was a child in Ireland. Where in Ireland did Peter and Mary come from?

I'm hoping that other documents in this pension file will help me find the answers to these and other questions I have about Patrick Whalin and his associates.

Did Timothy Whelan have siblings in Chicago?

That has been one of my biggest questions ever since I started doing genealogy research, over 30 years ago. I asked my dad, my aunt, and others, but no one knew the answer. My aunt told me that Timothy Whelan was from County Kilkenny, but that was all she knew. Well, this week I got the answer--a great big YES!

The answer was in copies I received this week from Civil War pension files. I had requested copies of pension files and service records for two possible siblings of my ancestor that I had identified through city directories. As I mentioned here there were actually two Patrick Whelans from Kilkenny who lived in Chicago and fought in the Civil War. Well, the genealogy gods were smiling on me this week: only one of the Patricks had a pension file, and he was a sibling of my ancestor Timothy Whelan. (Time for the happy dance!)

The files I received included an invalid pension for Patrick Whelan, and a widow's pension for his wife Mary. The files are awesome! I am still busy transcribing them and looking at the additional research possibilities they open up. But a few of the highlights I have found so far include:

1. Patrick Whelan lived with Timothy at 166 Chestnut at times. This confirms that it is my Timothy, since that address is well documented in my files.

2. Timothy stood up to Patrick's wedding in 1867.

3. Timothy's widow, Catherine (Markey) Whelan gave an affidavit which was included in the widow's pension file. Catherine testified that, "I was not present at the church when they were married, but I was at the house that evening where the wedding festivities were held." It must have been a memorable party, since it was mentioned in several affidavits.

4. Not only do the files confirm that Timothy and Patrick were brothers, but they also had two sisters and THEIR MOTHER living in Chicago at one time. (Of course, no first names are given for the women. Humbug!)



So, if you haven't done it yet, I recommend that you look into the possibility of pension files for any Civil War ancestors that you may have. And don't limit yourself to direct ancestors. Go for the siblings, possible ancestors and siblings, in-laws, and the guys who served with your soldier. You never know what you may find.

The Genealogy Happy Dance

My happy dances are all about reconnecting with long lost relatives. I can think of 2 major happy dance events. The most recent was connecting to cousins in Lithuania. I've written about that here.

My best previous happy dance was about connecting with relatives on my dad's side, through the Chicago Genealogical Society's "Chicago Genealogy Finder." A long lost cousin wrote a letter to me after seeing me listed with our common ancestor, Timothy Whelan. Unfortunately, the address listed was over 10 years old, and I had moved from San Diego back to the Chicago area by then. My distant cousin is a librarian, and a very resourceful person. When her letter was returned, she found my current address in more recent membership lists, and tried again. We connected, exchanged packets of information and had some nice get-togethers including her mom and my Aunt Rita. Both sides of the family knew my great aunt Frances Whelan (also known as Sister Delphine.) I also have an autograph book that belonged to my grandmother Jennie Whelan, which was signed by Jennie's half sister Mary, the great grandmother of my long lost cousin.

Vote Early and Often!

Just kidding. It is an old Chicago joke. :-) Finding my Chicago ancestor, Timothy Whelan, in the Chicago voters lists made me think of that saying. The 1892 voters list indicated that Timothy was a naturalized citizen, but the date and court of naturalization were “not known.” It made me think that the voting clerks weren’t too picky about who they let vote that year.

One thing I’ve learned from using the Chicago Voters Lists is to check all years available. On the 1892 list, my ancestor Timothy Whelan’s naturalization details were unknown. However, the 1888 list indicated that he was naturalized in 1856 in the County Court of Cook County. Due to the record losses caused by the Chicago Fire of 1871, this voters list may be the only record that contains the location of Timothy’s naturalization.

Another lesson I’ve learned is to look for the ancestors’ siblings on the voters lists (and on all other available sources too.) I searched for a client’s ancestor (who died in 1890) in the Chicago voters lists, but did not find him. I then searched the available lists for the ancestor’s brother. I found the brother on the lists, and the fact that he was naturalized in Onondaga County, NY. This information lead to a breakthrough and helped locate the ancestor’s widowed mother and his other siblings in a previously unknown location.

The Chicago voters lists for 1888, 1890 and 1892 are available on microfilm from the Family History Library and online on Ancestry.com.

If you haven’t done it yet, don’t forget to vote today!

Whelan Headstone

Happy Halloween!

In honor of Halloween, I am posting cemetery photos this week. This is a photo of the headstone of my great-grandparents Timothy and Catherine (Markey) Whelan (or Whalen) and their son John. Like my parents, they are buried in Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, Cook County, Illinois.

I was very glad when I found out where my great-grandparents were buried, and was able to take a picture of the headstone. Even more exciting was the copy of the cemetery record that I received. (See below.) This is a 3 grave lot with 11 people buried in it. Seven of the burials were of children or infants. In fact, this cemetery record led me to discover that there were 3 sets of twins born to Timothy and Catherine. Most of the children did not survive long enough to appear in any census record. However, those born after the Chicago Fire of 1871 did appear in baptism records of Holy Name Cathedral. Who would've expected a cemetery record to lead to a baptism record? I sure didn't when I first saw this burial record, many years ago.

Margaret Whelan Considine

This is a photo of my great-aunt Margaret. She was born in Chicago in about 1866, to Timothy Whelan and Catherine Markey. Margaret married William Considine, a Chicago policeman, on 11 July 1889 at Holy Name Cathedral. Her sister Frances and a friend named John Devony were witnesses. Margaret died on 8 December 1943 and is buried at Mt. Carmel Cemetery.

One story I’ve heard is that Margaret’s brother John would sometimes visit her in the evenings, while William was working. John came in the evening in order to avoid William, who wasn’t fond of him. But apparently, Margaret had some nosy neighbors, who began to gossip about her having a gentleman visitor when her husband wasn’t home. Seeing Margaret’s photo, I have a feeling that she had no trouble setting them straight pretty quickly.

I love the car in this photograph, and Margaret’s hat. I’d like to find out what the occasion was and where the photo was taken.

Jennie Whelan Brady, 1876-1922

This is a photo of my grandmother, Jennie (Whelan) Brady. Her parents, Timothy Whelan and Catherine Markey, were survivors of the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s. Jennie, a widow with three children, died in Chicago on 14 March 1922 of bronchial pneumonia with malnutrition as a contributing factor.

The Whelan Families of Chicago

One of my family history projects is to sort out the various Whelan families of Chicago. I hope that by doing this, I’ll discover the Irish origins of my Whelans, and maybe help others find the origins of their Whelans also.

My great-grandfather, Timothy Whelan, came to Chicago from Ireland in about 1850. I’ve been told by a reliable source that he came from County Kilkenny, but I have no documentation that confirms or disproves that. The surname Whelan is common in County Kilkenny. The surname of Timothy’s first wife, Mary Sinnott, is also found throughout County Kilkenny.

When I began my family history research many, many years ago, no one knew of any relatives of Timothy’s, although it was said that he was somehow related to “the cigar store Whelans.” Since starting my research, I have found at least five possible siblings or other relatives of Timothy who lived in Chicago. (I still haven’t figured out the connection to the cigar store Whelans.)

Timothy’s possible relatives:
1. Patrick Whelan. In 1857, Patrick and Timothy both lived on Hinsdale between Franklin and North Market. Both had arrived from Ireland 7 years earlier. (city directory)
2. James Whelan. In 1860, Timothy and James lived on Hinsdale between N. Franklin and N. Market. (city directory)
3. Mary Whelan. In 1860, Mary (widow of Ross) and Timothy lived on Hinsdale between N. Franklin and N. Market. (city directory)
4. John Whelan. In 1860, John and Timothy lived on Hinsdale between N. Franklin and N. Market. (city directory)
5. William Whelan. In 1862, William and Timothy lived at 34 Hinsdale. (city directory)
6. James Whelan. In 1874, James was a baptism sponsor for Timothy’s daughter.

By putting together clues from obituaries, city directories and other sources, I have determined that the Whelan families of Chicago came from at least four different counties in Ireland: Kilkenny, Limerick, Waterford and Wexford. I’m continuing to gather information about the Whelans and to sort out the different family trees.

So, if you are related to a Whelan family of Chicago, please contact me. I’d be happy to exchange information.

Aggie Donahue

This picture is a tintype of Aggie Donahue. I received it from my aunt, in a photo envelope from the 1970s. The envelope is labeled "Aggie Donahue back pocket--Ma's friend." "Ma" was Jennie (Whelan) Brady of Chicago. I believe I have found Aggie Donahue in the 1880 census. She was most likely Agnes, age 4, daughter of Daniel Donnahue. Daniel, his wife Mary,and seven children lived at 161 Chestnut St. in Chicago, across the street from Tim Whelan's family, which included his 3 year old daughter Jane (aka Jennie.)

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871

This week is the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire.

This is a photo of my great-uncle, John Whelan, a survivor of the Chicago Fire. The family story is that as the fire was coming toward their house, they ran toward Lake Michigan for safety. But the father, Timothy Whelan, ran back to the house to lock the door against burglars, before joining the rest of the family. Their house was well within the burn district, on Chestnut near Franklin, so locking the door probably made little difference in the end.


This photo was labeled "John Whelann in his Johnny hat." As a young man, John (Jack) Whelan worked in a haberdashery as a model and then as a manager. Later he was with the steamfitters union, working off and on. He died in 1930, after being hit by an Illinois Central train at 27th street while shoveling the tracks.


Here are my favorite websites about the Chicago Fire:
The Great Chicago Fire and the Web of Memory
This is a great website containing images, eyewitness accounts and essays about the fire.

Progress of the Chicago Fire of 1871
The Encyclopedia of Chicago is a very useful reference. This link is to a map which shows which sections of the city burned in the great fire.