Patrick J. Weldon 1869 : Short Biography

Patrick Joseph Weldon’s story begins with the marriage of his parents Patrick Weldon and Mary Fagan at Newcastle Lyons, Dublin County on May 21, 1861.  Mary Fagan was born in 1842 and was 19 years old, and Patrick Weldon was born in 1835 and was 26 years old. Patrick was the fifth child born on August 15, 1869 in Brownstown, South Dublin County Ireland. The family moved from Newcastle in the Saggart Roman Catholic (RC) Parish to nearby Brownstown in the Clondalkin RC Parish around 1867. 

Patrick Joseph’s grandfather, James Weldon, died on November 13, 1888.  He lived to see many of his grandchildren born.  Patrick Joseph’s father, also named Patrick, is believed to have died in 1895 at the age of 60.  James was the name of Patrick Weldon’s father as well as Mary Weldon’s father.  

Family folklore is that Patrick Joseph’s father, who, as we stated, was also named Patrick, drowned in the River Liffey.  Mary Fagan gathered all the kids and let them know that they would have to make their own way given their father’s sudden and unexpected death.  In fact, the circumstances of his death are unknown.  We only know he had to have lived to 1880 given his last child Gerald was born in 1881.

Patrick Weldon and Mary Fagan had eleven children: Elizabeth, James (likely named after Patrick’s father, died as a baby), Thomas, Catherine, Patrick, Anne, Mary, Julia, Rachel Agnes, Margaret, and Gerald.  Six of the children eventually emigrated.  Elizabeth chose to find her future in Willaura, Victoria, Australia with three of her first cousins:  Johanna, Katie and Jane.  Thomas remained in Ireland.  Catherine emigrated to America, married a McCann and had twins, but we do not have a record of her arrival. Patrick emigrated to America and married Helena Flynn, and settled in White Plains.  They had five children: Mary, Helen, Howard, Beatrice, John, and settled with his family in White Plains.  Anne married Jacobus Newman of Castleknock on March 5, 1893 and remained in Ireland, and her daughter emigrated to Australia.  Anne passed away in 1960 at the age of 90 in Ireland.  We have no information on Mary other than her birthdate.  Julia arrived in Brooklyn on May 4, 1894 at the age of 19 and settled in Brooklyn.  We have no information on Rachel Agnes other than her birthdate. Margaret emigrated to America, married Emile Huerstel and had 4 children:  Emile Xavier, Theresa Margaret Dolores, Hortense Louis Marie, and Gerald Joseph.  Margaret died in 1977 in Spring Valley, New York.  Gerald remained in Ireland and married Bridget McLoughlin on October 27, 1909.  To the best of our knowledge they had eleven children, two of whom were twins, confirmed names of four of their kids are Mary, Catherine, Margaret, and Josephine. 

Patrick Weldon, Sr. had a brother Garret (Gerald) Weldon.  Garret fathered seven children: Thomas, Michael, Mary, Jack, Johanna, Katie, and Jane. His daughter Mary married a Moloney. The Moloneys had seven children. Mary Weldon Moloney’s sisters, Johanna, Katie, and Jane emigrated to Australia with their first cousin Elizabeth.

The names Claire, Michael and Thomas Weldon were all found in the 1929 diary of Mary R. Johnson.  Claire Weldon who died Aug 4, 1935, is the wife of Garret Weldon’s son, Jack, and Michael and Thomas Weldon are also the children of Garret Weldon, Patrick Weldon Sr.’s brother.