This is story of tragedy, love and persevearance.
Bridget Coffey was born in 1831 in Aughrim Parish, County Galway, Ireland. She died in Milton, Massachusetts on February 17, 1897.
Bridget's parents were John Coffey and Bridget Jennings, both of Aughrim. They had five children, and chose to immigrate to the U.S. in 1847. They sailed on the Barque Amizon, which has been described as one of those "coffin ships", with their five children Bridget age 16, Anne age 12, Joseph age 11, James age 9, and Catherine age 3.
During the voyage, as was often the case, sickness swept over the ship, perhaps cholera, and it was diverted to a quarantine station in St. John, to the Emigrant Hospital Brunswick, Canada. The sick and the dead were disembarked on Partridge Island in St. John Harbor. Apparantly Bridget was not sick, and made her way to Boston. The other four children were admitted to the hospital, and from what I read "hospital" was a great exaggeration. Their parents, John & Bridget, had died during the journey and are buried in a common grave on Partridge Island marked by a Celtic cross.
Apparantly a month or two later Bridget returned and picked up James, Anne & Catherine and brought them to Boston. Joseph had been taken in by one of the Doctors, but she did not know that and could not find him. She persisted, however. I have a copy of an ad she placed dated December 21, 1850, and it was probably one of many. She finally did locate him and brought him to Boston as well.
Much of this information comes from a book called "Poor & Ignorant Children" by Peter Murphy, and it can be found at the New England Historic Genealogy Society, 99-101 Newbury Street in Boston. James married Mary Bannon, they had nine children, he died in Boston age 54, and had served in the Civil War. Joeeph married Catherine Conway and they had three children, after Catherine died he married Mary Brigham and they had two more children.
At this time I have no further information on Anne or Catherine.
Bridget married John Shea on July 24, 1853, they had four sons and Joseph Alfred Shea was my great grandfather, I have pictures of him holding me when I was a baby. Bridget is burried in Milton Cemetery.
| Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1st Jan 1831 | |
| Date of Death | 1st Feb 1897 | |
I am a descendant of John and Bridget Coffey, through their son Joseph Coffey and his second wife Mary Brigham.
The name Joseph Coffey has carried on down through many generations mostly in Boston, MA and later Minnesota.
My mother Anne's father is one of the descendants, also Joseph Coffey for his father, and father before him.
Thank you.
