Catherine McDonnell McCormack : Short Biography

Catherine was born in the Strokestown area about 1819 to Michael McDonnell and Honora Jane Nolan. I have been unable to find any baptismal records for Catherine or her siblings. She may have had brothers names James, Michael, Francis, George, and Patrick. I have not been able to document that and I don’t have any information on sisters.

Catherine married John McCormack on January 23,1845 at the Strokestown Roman Catholic Church and the witnesses were James McDonnell and Jane Conniff. Their first son John was baptized in Strokestown on April 5, 1846 and Patt McCormick and Catherine Donelly were godparents. Perhaps Patt was John’s brother. I have not located any records on John’s parents or siblings. Baby John died at an unknown age. We know of the following children.

Michael 1851-1872

James 1853-about 1900

Patrick 1855-1902

Thomas 1859-1864

John 1860-1900

William 1861-1864

Francis 1864-unknown

Francis was born at the Strokestown Workhouse and Thomas and William died within the month at home in Corboghil, Cloonfinlough. The only other baptismal record is for second son John was was baptized on November 9, 1860 and godparents were Michael Carlos and Bridget Conlon.

A Michael McDonnell died on April 2, 1866 and his approximate date of birth was 1786. He died in Cloonslanor and Patt McDonnell was present.

Sometime between 1864 and 1871, the McCormick family moved to Bolton, Lancashire County, England and lived in a neighborhood called Irish Newtown. It was a terrible slum district where many other Roscommon families lived. Please note that the spelling of the surname changes back and forth. Their son Michael died on March 11, 1872 from what appears to be the small pox vaccine. He had been employed as an iron founders laborer. John McCormick Sr. died of pneumonia on January 9, 1879 and was a laborer in a paper mill.

Son James emigrated to New York City in June 1880 and he married Mary McGowan the following year. Son Patrick married Catherine Finneran in Bolton in October 1877 and emigrated to Albany, NY in April 1881 where three Finneran in laws resided. Wife Catherine and their first two children arrived in Albany in August 1882. Son John emigrated in June 1883 and lived in Albany for a short while before moving to New York City. He later returned to Bolton and died there in July 1900. Son Francis emigrated to New York City in 1886, but I have no further information on him.

Catherine McDonnell McCormack emigrated to New York City in December 1881 and lived near son James and family in Hell’s Kitchen. She entered the almshouse in New York in December, 1897 stating that she was destitute. Her application says that she was from Strokestown and her father had been a laborer and her mother a domestic. She had three sons in the United States and one in England, so John had returned to Bolton by then. At the time, she had one living brother in Ireland. Catherine died in the hospital on Blackwell’s Island in Manhattan on February 19, 1908 and her age was given as 89. The names of her parents were listed on the death certificate.