According to his Alien’s Declaration of Intention sworn in court at age 30 in the Justice Court in Troy, New York dated 11 December 1855, he was born in County Sligo, emigrated from the Port of Sligo, and arrived in the USA on 30 June 1847.
His death certificate lists his parents as Michael Cawley and Mary Grayham (sic) [most likely Greahan]. Although I haven’t found proof of his birth, I found a 1830 baptismal record in Kilrusheighter, Templeboy, Co. Sligo for a Bridget Cawley (whom I assume to be his sister) as her parents have the same names. I also found a Michael Cawley living in “Kilrasheghter” in 1833 in the Tithe Applotment Books. Searching for Cawleys in Griffiths Valuation the only ones I found located in Templeboy lived in Ballinphull south of Kilrusheighter.
Following Patrick chronologically via federal and New York State census records, 1850 finds him living in Troy, New York as a “Laborer” in the household of John Marlow, another Irish immigrant, who worked as a “Morocco Dresser.” It is uncertain whether they were known to each other previously [his sister, Bridget’s, stepfather was John Marley]. In 1860, he was living north of Troy in the hamlet of Johnsonville, Pittstown, Rensselaer County on the farm of Edward Akin as a “farm laborer.” Patrick married Bridget Murray of County Cavan, 19 years his junior, in 1863 and is listed as “farmer” living with her and their first child in the 1865 New York State Census. In 1866, he bought his first acre of land from Edward Akin for $900. By 1870, he was living in Johnsonville with his wife and 3 children:– occupation “works in a flax mill.” The 1875 NY State Census lists him as a “laborer” and the father of five children including the newborn, Agnes, my grandmother. He is shown as a naturalized citizen, a land owner and neither he, nor his wife, can read or write English. In 1879, the Registry of Deeds shows he purchased two more acres of land for $300. In the 1880 Federal Census, Schedule 2 “Production of Agriculture” for his town, it is recorded that his land is valued at $1625 has one acre of grasslands mown and one acre for hay; one milk cow, one calf, 2 pigs and 15 chickens.
In 1898, he bought an additional acre of land. By 1900, all of his children have moved from the farm to the city of Hartford, Connecticut which apparently held better job opportunities. He is listed in the New York State Census of 1905 as 86 years old. He died in Johnsonville three months later and is buried in St. Mary’s Catholic cemetery in Schaghticoke, New York. His widow sold their property the following year and moved to Connecticut.
Instead of a “family bible”, Collier’s Cyclopedia of Commercial and Social Information… (1886) was used to record events, births and deaths in the family. The first entry was “The Night of the Big Wind in Ireland took place on 12th night in 1840.” The only other non-family entry was “Blizzard snow storm March 11, 1888.”
I have no record of him having any siblings or additional relations in the USA.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Pat Cawley Alien Declaration.jpg (5.34 MB) | 5.34 MB |
| Pat Cawley death cert..jpg (4.56 MB) | 4.56 MB |
| Bridget Cawley bapt.jpg (2.81 MB) | 2.81 MB |
| Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1st Jan 1825 (circa) | |
| Date of Death | 30th Sep 1905 | |
