John Carey : Short Biography

                                                John Carey from Franklin /Oil City Pa

                                                                     1829-1900

My GG Grandfather James and his brother Thomas Carey had a brother John Carey who was born in Murroe and Boher County Limerick Dec 5th 1829 the son of Martin Carey and Rebecca Blackwell.  He lived in Moher (Griffiths Valuation) with the other Carey’s near the village of Murroe. He was one of 10 children . He came over around 1851. I have not found him in the Ships passenger’s list. I am not exactly sure where he lived when he first came over. His oldest child was born in New York and his next  two children in Hamilton  Ontario Canada. He may have been living in Buffalo NY as the family seem to have a connection there. Hamilton is close to Buffalo. They would eventually move to Oil City/ Franklin Venango County Pa. area around 1860 , where they lived for many years. 

I could not find the family in the 1860/70 census for some reason. . They are in the directories for Venango County PA for the 1860’s/70/’s. Sometimes the census just skipped over people. The first census that I can find them in is the 1880 census on Elk st for Franklin, Venango County Pa. John was 48 born in Ireland. His wife Mary was 48 and also born in Ireland . They had children Thomas 25 b ny, Tinsmith , Kate 23 b Canada , Rebecca 18 b Pennsylvania, Jennie 16 b in Pennsylvania , Bridget 14 b in Pennsylvania  and Nellie 8 b in Pennsylvania. .Also with the family is Anne O’Brien 2 and John O Brien 8 months. Kate was married to a William J O’Brien around 1877 in St Patricks Church Franklin. William must have been away when the census was taken.

Thomas Carey the oldest shows as being married as well. He married a Luella Shannon sometime around 1878.  They had a son William born around 1879.  I assume the mother died at child birth.  William lived in a home for a while and then he lived with his mother’s side of the family ,  the Shannon’s.  He seem to break off all contact with the Carey family and eventually he moved to Michigan with the Shannon family . I will talk more about him later.  

There was also a Martin Carey that is not showing as living with the family. He is in the 1880 census but living in Dempseytown,  Venango County Pa. He was 22 and worked as a school teacher. 

The next census record the family appears in is the 1900 census. John Carey is now living in Buffalo on Enda place. He sold his house on Elk st and moved to Buffalo around 1893 with his family per a article in the local paper.  John’s wife Mary Fitzgerald died around 1891 and is buried in St Patrick’s Franklin Pa. In the 1900 census John Carey is 70 years old born in 1830 and came over in 1851. He is retired. Living with him is two daughters Delia and Nellie. Delia was born Oct 1871 in Pa. and works as a pension clerk. Nellie was born April 1876 in Pa and is not working.

In the 1900 census is another Carey  family member the oldest son Thomas Carey . Thomas also lived in Buffalo .He is a boarder born July 1857 in New York. He works as a Tinner.

Another family member in the 1900 census living in Buffalo is Martin Carey age 42 born March 1858 in Canada . Martin is now a lawyer and is living at Oxford Place.   His wife Maude Fraser is in the census. She was born April 1869 in New York. They have been married 10 years and have 1 child born Helen age 1.   

Other Carey family members are in the  1900 census but are living in Pennsylvania.  Catherine Carey now married to William O’Brien  appears in the 1900 census  living on 12th st  Franklin, Venango County Pa. William is 44 born in Ireland and worked as a railroad foreman. Catherine is 44 born in Canada . They have been married  for 23 years. They have 8 children with 7 still living.  There was Anna , John, Mayne,William, Thomas ,Katie and Martin.

In  the 1900 census for Venango County  Pa is Rebecca Carey now married to Thomas Bresnan. They are living on Front st  Cranberry/ Oil City . Thomas was born Aug 1862 in Pa. He worked as a stenographer. Rebecca was born June 1864 in New York (she was actually born in Pa) . They have been married for 15 years and have 6 children with 6 still alive. Nellie, Martin, Mary, Thomas , Walter and Joseph.

The last Carey family member  in the 1900 census is Johanna Carey . She is living in Conewango Warren Pa at a State hospital for the insane. She was 35 years old. She was a teacher before she was sent to a state hospital. She has been oin the state Hospital for a couple of years.

On Oct 9th 1903, John Carey died in Buffalo NY. He is buried in St Patrick’s Cem in Franklin. I was able to get his death cert and it does give his parents name as Martin Carey and a Blackwell , confirming  his parents as Martin Carey and Rebecca Blackwell.  The early death certificate  in this country don’t give the parents name and the death certs over in Ireland don’t have the parents name. I was lucky to get this info as John lived to be 73 years old which was old back then. In other words thank god John lived as long as he did. He was living at 238 East Utica St Buffalo. According to his death cert , he  was in the country 55 years and in Buffalo 5 years.                          

There was a obit on him in the Oil  City paper. The body was brought from Buffalo to the home of his daughter Mrs William O’Brien of 12th st by sons Martin and Thomas Carey. The service was held at St Patricks Church and  John was to be buried in St Patricks beside his wife Mary Fitzgerald Carey  who died 12 years ago.  Mr Carey was born in Ireland 71 years ago and resided in Franklin for many years. The obit says he was a good man of the old school. He was survived by several children ; Mrs Thomas Bresnan of Oil  City, Mrs William O’Brien of Franklin, Martin Carey esq the well known atty, Thomas Carey and the Misses  Delia and Nellie Carey all in Buffalo.