Andrew Ignatius Clarke 1894 : Short Biography

Andrew on left of Image

Andrew Ignatius Clarke, born in Nolagh, Shercock, Co. Cavan was baptised on 31 July 1894

His parents were Terence Clarke and Kate Farrelly and his sponsors were Patrick Treanor and Julia Clarke.  Noted on this record, was his marriage to Susan Clarke.

In 1901, he was living with his parents and siblings Mary 16, Ellen 14, and Patrick 13.  In 1911, his parents Terence 55 and Catherine 50 were living in Nolagh with Andrew 16 and his siblings Julia 27, Terence 21, Catherine 19, Bridget 13, Peter Thomas 11, Francis 7 and his grandfather Peter aged 78.  His parents were married for 39 years and had thirteen children and ten had survived.  His father was a country shopkeeper and a farmer.

On 28th December 1922, he married Susan Clarke, from the townland of Crossmakeelan, just a couple of miles from where Andrew lived.  She was born on 27th September, 1904 and baptised on 28th September 1904.  Her parents were Pat Clarke and Susan Trainor, her sponsors were John McCaul and Mary Freeman.  They were farmers.  In 1911, she was living with her parents and her sisters Maggie 10 and Mary 9, they were married for twelve years and had three children at that time.  On 1st August 1923, he left Londonderry on the Camaronia and his gave his wife’s name and address as his relative, the address was Crossmanolan, Bailieborough (a mix of Crossamakeelan and Nolagh!)  He sailed on the Cameronia for New York, he arrived on 8th August 1923.  He was a farm labourer and heading for New York, with $22.  He was going to his brother Patrick at 274, West 117^th Street New York.  He was described as 5’8” with dark complexion, black hair and grey eyes.

On 30th August, 1928, Susan and their son Patrick left Cobh on bord the Republic and arrived in New York on the 8th September 1928.  She gave her father’s name and address from whence they came, and had over $50 with them, she was described as 5’ tall with a fresh complexion and brown hair and blue eyes, Patrick was 2’6” tall.  They traveled on immigration visas issued in Dublin.  They were going to Andrew who was living at 282, west 117^th Street New York.  In 1930, he was living in East 138^th Street and working as a chauffeur for the 5^th Bus Company, they are renting.  With him was his wife Susan, Patrick 6 and Terence 2, who was born in New York.  They had Charles McIntyre living with them, who may have been a neighbour from home. 

In 1933 the US Dept of Labour sealed Andrew’s Declaration to be naturalised, which he had completed seven year previously, Susan was included on his form and his photo was attached, he gave his date of birth as 13th August 1894.  In May 1933, when Andrew filed his petition to be naturalised, he was still working as a chauffeur and they had two more children Kathleen born 17th September 1930 and Susan born in August 1932, at this stage they were living at 577 East 137 Street, Bronx, New York.  In 1940 they were living in E135 Street, he was still working as a chauffeur for a bus company, they now had six children, the latest being Andrew 5, and Thomas age 1.

Several of Andrew’s siblings also went to America.  Peter Thomas was baptised on 25th February 1900.  When he filed his naturalisation papers, he said that he had traveled from Liverpool on the Celtic and arrived in America on 24th September, 1920. On this shipping manifest, his previous place of residence was Glasgow, Scotland and he was going to his brother Terence.  His wife Catherine was born on 23 October 1896, she was a close neighbour from Glasleck and her parents were Michael Brady and Margaret Farrelly.  She had emigrated to aunts in California.  Peter like Andrew was also working as a chauffeur, on his naturalization declaration, his brother Patrick who was working as a cashier was one of his witnesses.  In 1930, Peter and his family had Thomas Farley, a cousin from Scotland, living with them. In 1940, Peter was living with his wife and children Margaret 11, Katharine 9, Agnes 7 and Eileen 5, he was still working as a chauffeur for a trucking company and they were living in McDougal Street, Kings, New York.  According to his nephew Terry, Uncle Peter had joined the merchant marines in Glasgow and had traveled around the tip of South America and visited some cities there.  He died on 30th July 1973.

His brother Terence was baptised on 1 December 1889.  On 15th March 1912, he emigrated on the Celtic.  In 1920, he was living in New Jersey with Ellie his wife and child Terence.  They were renting and he was working as a foreman (?) in the fire Department.  In 1930, he was working as an engineer in a steel mill and living in W Clifford Street with his family.  In 1940, he was living at 658, West Johnson Street, Philadelphia, with Ellie and their five children Terence 21, Marie, a nurse, 19, James 17, Kevin 14, Thomas 12 and his sister Mary (42) and his sister-in-law Catherine Clarke.  He was working as an engineer and owned his own home worth $6300.  In 1942, he completed his US WWII Draft registration and he stated that he had lived in Philadelphia and worked in Warburton Hotel and his wife's name was Ellie.  When he died on 23rd November, 1958, he was a widower and lived at he same address.

Patrick, completed his US Draft Registration in 1917, he gave his address as Nolagh, Bailieborough and was living in 125 West 98 Street, New York.  He was born on 29th January, 1888, he was working as a bartender for S & J Duffy and had a wife and three children.  In 1923, he was living in 274, West 117^th Street New York, when Andrew arrived.  He could not be reliably located after this, his nephew Terry Clarke remarked that he had died by the time he had emigrated to America on 22nd November 1964.

Bridget left on 13th February 1927, and arrived on 22 February 1927 on board the Alaumia from Cobh, she was going to her sister Mary Clarke, who lived at 2426 Clifford Street, Philadelphia she had $25 with her.  According to Terry, their nephew, Mary (Molly) never married, but she always sent parcels back to Ireland.  Bridget and Mary’s baptismal records could not be reliably located.

Of this family, Julia, Catherine and Frank remained in Ireland.  Frank married and raised his family in the same house as his parents did and it was his son Terry that helped complete his uncles and aunts stories.