For my Irish immigrant ancestors, on their holiday. While I've been able to document their lives following their arrival in the States, the place of origin is not yet known for several of them, so the research continues on.

One Irish branch settled in the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. They were: 
My 2nd Great-Grandparents,
JOHN CONDON (b. abt March 1833 Cappoqiun, Waterford - d. 30 June 1884, Portsmouth, NH)
ELLEN GRIFFIN (abt 1834 IRE - 17 July 1894, Portsmouth, NH)

​My 3rd Great-Grandmother,
ELLEN (BOWLES) GRIFFIN (abt 1800 - 17 Dec 1889, Portsmouth, NH)

There is a stoneless plot at Calvary Cemetery in Portsmouth that bears the name of Condon and Mulligan on its concrete border, the latter being the married name of my 2nd Great-Aunt Margaret. Cemetery records do not show who lies in the other graves, but it is probably John and Ellen, and possibly her mother Ellen.

Gloucester, Massachusetts was where another line of my Irish families settled.
My 3rd Great-Grandparents,
DENNIS HESSIAN (11 Aug 1827  Bruff, Limerick - 17 Mar 1882, lost at sea, George's Bank)
MARY WALDRON (abt 1825 Killham, IRE (unk location) - 14 Sep 1857 Gloucester, MA)

The results from my autosomal DNA tests varied greatly when it came to calculating my Irish ethnicity. Some of the companies even combined Ireland and United Kingdom into a single percentage value. The highest return came from AncestryDNA, at 31%.
Note: these test numbers have changed over the years [see blog entry from Nov 2016: It's in my DNA]

St. Patrick's Day
It was Friday, the 17th of March, 1882, and my Irish-born 3rd Great-Grandfather Dennis Hessian was on board the Schooner Victor, anchored out on Georges Bank in the Atlantic. They were part of the Gloucester, Massachusetts fishing fleet, a community whose losses since January of that year were 9 vessels and 102 men. By night's end, two more ships and 24 names would be added to the tally of dead and lost.

I have no available numbers on how many fishing vessels were out on the Bank when the gale arrived, or the time that the storm began, though it did last until Saturday, as later reports would indicate. The majority of ships would have their decks swept of everything, lose their anchors when the lines snapped, and have their dories smashed and damaged, or have the rigging torn or ripped away. For the crews of the FV Northerner and Victor, all would be lost to them.  

"The cries of drowning men were heartrending"
Captain Naels of the schooner Pioneer entered Halifax, Nova Scotia on the 21st, and gave reports of the gale that had stricken the fleet. His vessel had lost two men overboard, but another wave had come along and washed them back onto the deck. He was witness to "two other fishing vessels lying near go down with all hands". With his own crew attempting to save their ship, they were unable to give assistance to the drowning men of the sinking boats. 

Given Up as Lost
Though there were witnesses to the two ships going down, their names would not be known until all the other vessels were accounted for. Even then, they would not be given up as lost until April, when four weeks had passed since the gale (the usual round trip fishing time to the Bank being three weeks). The 14 April 1882 edition of the Cape Ann Weekly Advertiser announced the losses of the ships, as well as the names of the twenty-four men who perished during the storm. 

​The following is a list of those men lost on that day, with notes or corrections in [ ].

Schooner Victor
Patrick Fanning (aka Charles Whaley), master, of Gloucester, left a widow and 6 children
John Welch, of Gloucester, left a widow and two children
Martin Simmons, of Gloucester, left a widow
Dennis Hessian, of Gloucester left a widow and three children [he also had 2 adult dau's from 1st wife]
John Ryan, left a family at the Strait of Canso
Michael Tohey, left a family back at Strait of Canso
John Murphy, of Newburyport
Frank Dixon, of Nova Scotia
George Powers, of Nova Scotia
John Callinan [Callihan], of Nova Scotia
William Perrill, of Nova Scotia
Thomas Eylward, of Nova Scotia

Schooner Northerner
Isaac H. Goodwin, master, of Pubnico, Nova Scotia, left a widow and three children
Israel Goodwin, of Pubnico, left a widow and four children
Amos Goodwin, of Argyle, Nova Scotia, left a widow and family
​Robert Lennox, of Pubnico, N.S.
Foster Gaylon [Gayton], of Pubnico, N.S.
George Larkin, of Nova Scotia
Daniel McComiskey, of Nova Scotia
Thomas J Morris, of Nova Scotia
Addison M Larkin, of Nova Scotia
James Malone, of Nova Scotia
Thomas Wilson, of Nova Scotia
Edward A. Gilson, steward, of Belfast, Maine, left a widow and seven children (4 of them adults)

By year's end (reported on Dec 15th in the Boston Evening Transcript), Gloucester's losses for the year 1882 was 13 fishing ships and 115 men. The following year would only be worse for the town...

See also:
my blog page on: Hessian - Gloucester, Massachusetts
Town of Gloucester's Lost at Sea page on their website
​https://www.downtosea.com/list.htm
​Boston Herald (3/21/1882; 3/23/82), Boston Journal (4/8/82)

My third great grandfather Dennis Hessian was married to Mary Waldron on 25 Nov 1852 in Boston, Massachusetts. She was living there at the time, and he was already a resident of Gloucester, where they would make their home. The marriage record did not list her parents. 

From the 1855 Massachusetts state census, the Hessian family is seen in Gloucester, with a Waldron family living with them. After looking into Thomas' background, it is now known that this is Mary's brother.

I have checked numerous entries on passenger lists of Irish immigrants coming into Boston and New York, but have yet to find anything to give me a date of entry into this country. I was hoping they all arrived here at the same time, and would find them together on a ship's manifest, but that would have been too easy!

[3/23/14 UPDATE: Looking at the actual naturalization applications, I found that Matthew Waldron arrived in Boston on 10 June 1851, and Thomas did so on 6 Aug 1850. Neither date exactly matched that of a passenger list, but dates are close. It looks like they didn't come over with any family members.]

Below is what I have gathered so far on the four siblings who made their home in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

                                     FAMILY OF MATTHEW AND ELLEN (MAHONEY) WALDRON

i. MARY WALDRON (also seen as WALDEN/WALDON), born ca 1825 in Killham, Lanby, or Limerick Ireland; died 14 Sept 1857 in Gloucester, MA. Married DENNIS HESSIAN on 25 Nov 1852 in Boston, MA They had the following children, all born in Gloucester, MA:
   1. Catherine Hessian, b. 8 Sept 1853
   2. Ellen Hessian, b. 24 Apr 1855
   3. John Hessian, b. abt Aug 1856; d. 4 Oct 1857 in Gloucester
   4. stillborn male (twin), 10 Sept 1857
   5. Mary Hessian (twin), b. 10 Sept 1857; d. bef Mar 1861.

ii. THOMAS WALDRON, born in Limerick, IRE [Naturalization App; son Michael's birth rec; dau Ellen's death rec] or "Kanny" [John's birth rec] or even "Hannez" [Mary's birth rec] on 5 Dec 1830 [Naturalization Index] or 2 Feb 1829 (based on age at death) in Ireland; died 9 July 1897 in Gloucester, MA, aged 68 yrs, 5 mos, 6 das. Married abt Jan 1854 [intents filed on 30 Jan 1854 in Gloucester, MA] to ANN M DAVIT (or McDAVETT), dau of John and Rose (McLaughlin) McDevett. She was born in Donegal, IRE [son Michael's birth rec] or Killkanny [Mary and John's birth recs]. She died 9 Oct 1900 in Gloucester. He became a US citizen on 15 Oct 1869. He was a laborer, and lived his life in Gloucester, MA. Known children, born in Gloucester:
   1. Thomas J Waldron, b. 25 May 1854; d. 4 June 1864 from drowning, aged 10 yrs, 11 das
   2. Mary E Waldron, b. 30 June 1856; Marr Charles M Harty.
   3. John Waldron, b. 24 Sept 1857; d. 6 Mar 1864, aged 6 yrs, 5 mos, 12 das, from scarlet fever 
   4. Michael J Waldron, . b 12 Oct 1859
   5. Ellen Waldron, b. 15 June 1863; d. 31 Oct 1864 in Glouc, aged 1 yr, 4 mos, 14 das, from diphtheria.
   6. Thomas J Waldron, b. 29 Dec 1866

iii. CATHERINE (KATE) WALDRON, born in Limerick, Ireland ca 1831 [marr rec]; died unkn. Married on 13 May 1858 in Gloucester, MA to CHRISTOPHER GINNY (aka GINNEY, GUINEY, GUINIE). He ws born in Cork, IRE, the son of John and Ellen Ginny. He died on 15 Jan 1864, aged 40, from an "accidental falling of derrick". He was a stone cutter. The article on his death (in the Cape Ann Light and Gloucester Telegraph, dated 1/16/1864) mentions he had a wife and four children. Catherine may have remarried to DENNIS MURPHY in 1866, but no parents were listed for her, and I have yet to find a death record for her.
   [1. John Ginney, b. 10 June 1854 in Gloucester - child of Christopher by 1st wife Ellen]  
   2. Mary Ginney, b. 1 Sept 1859 in Gloucester, MA
   3. Margaret Ginney/Ginnie, b. 11 May 1861; d. 14 Mar 1864, aged 2 yrs 10 das, from scarlet fever
   4. Ellen Guinea, b. 4 Oct 1863 in Gloucester
   5. (male) Ginney, b. ca 1 Feb 1864 (based on age at death); d. 5 Mar 1864 in Gloucester, aged 1 mo 5 das.

iv. MATTHEW WALDRON, born Oct 1834 [from Naturalization Index] in Limerick, Ireland [Naturalization App; from son Edward's death rec]; died 7 Mar 1895 in Gloucester, MA. He married, on 14 June 1856 in Salem, MA, to MARY O'CONNELL (also seen as O'CONNOR). He was a stone cutter. Became a citizen of the US on 15 Aug 1868. 1860 census indexed name as "Woldren". Lived on Mt Vernon in 1870, Washington St in 1880. Known children:
   1. Patrick Waldron, b. ca 1857 (age 3 in 1860); d. 20 Mar 1864 in Rockport, MA, age 6 yrs, 11 mos, 20 das, from scarlet fever.
   2. Matthew Waldron, b. Oct 1859 [1900 census]. Single in 1900, liv w/ bro John in Lynn.
   3. John E Waldron, b. 26 July 1863 in Rockport, MA; Marr Catherine McDonald. Moved to Lynn, MA prior to 1900. 
   4. Edward Waldron, b. 6 Aug 1866 in Gloucester; d. 14 Mar 1868 in Glouc. from measles and pneumonia.   
   5. Emma Waldron, b. ca 1872 (age 8 in 1880). Did not find birth record for her.

Numerous variations of the Hessian surname are found in the town records, including Hassen, Hessan, Heshan, Hasen, Hisoun, Hushin, Hushing, Huson, etc.

Dennis "Hushin" is first seen in the US in the 1850 Gloucester, MA census, a fisherman aged 22. He married in 1852, and on 24 Oct 1856, had completed the process of becoming a naturalized citizen. In Sept of 1857, his first wife died only four days after giving birth to twins, one of them stillborn. He would remarry a year and a half later, his second wife having four children. 

                       Genealogical Summary of the Dennis Hessian Family of Gloucester, Massachusetts

DENNIS HESSIAN was born 11 Aug 1827 in Bruff, County Limerick, Ireland, the son of Daniel Hessian. He died on 17 March 1882, lost in a gale while fishing at George's Bank. He was twice married: first to MARY WALDRON (or WALDEN/WALDON), on 25 Nov 1852 in Boston, MA. The daughter of Matthew and Ellen Waldron, she was born ca 1825 in "Killham" or Lanby/Sanby, Ireland, and died 14 Sept 1857 in Gloucester, MA. He married second, on 21 May 1859 in Gloucester, to HANNAH WALDRON, the daughter of John Waldron.

Dennis had the following children, all born in Gloucester, MA:
i. CATHERINE HESSIAN, b. 8 Sept 1853; d. 5 Aug 1908 in Portsmouth, NH. Married 17 Mar 1871 in Gloucester, MA to ISAAC C H PRIDHAM.

ii. ELLEN HESSIAN, b. 24 Apr 1855

iii. JOHN HESSIAN, b. abt Aug 1856; d. 4 Oct 1857 in Gloucester

iv. stillborn male (twin), 10 Sept 1857

v. MARY HESSIAN (twin), b. 10 Sept 1857; d. bef Mar 1861.
by his 2nd wife:
vi. MARY HESSIAN, b. 26 Mar 1861; d. 20 Apr 1865 Gloucester, MA

vii. MARY HESSIAN, b. 25 Feb 1866; d. bef 1920. Married ca 1895 to ALEXANDER JOHNSON. They had one daughter, Honora "Nora" Isabelle Johnson, b. 1900 in Gloucester. 

viii. MICHAEL HESSIAN, b. 2 June 1868; d. 24 Feb 1912 in Gloucester. Buried Oak Hill Cemetery

ix. HONORA "NORA" MARGARET HESSIAN, b. 5 Nov 1869; d. 28 Mar 1943 in Middleton, MA. Married on 23 Jan 1900 in Gloucester to FREDERICK K MARTIN. They had two children, 1. Helen Lucy Martin, b. 27 Sept 1901 in Glouc., 2. Frank, d. 12 Apr 1903, aged 2 mos, 21 das.

[3/23/14 UPDATE: Below are the Naturalization papers of Dennis Hessian (aka Huson). He arrived in Boston in April 1844 at age 17. The passenger lists for this month seem to be missing, unfortunately]

Isaac Charles Haven Pridham was born in New Castle, New Hampshire in 1847. He was a fisherman, and veteran of the Civil War (having served three years in the US Navy). He moved for a short time to Gloucester, MA, where he was married in 1871 to Catherine Hessian, the daughter of Dennis and Mary Hessian. They soon returned to the seacoast, and rented a home at 17 Jefferson St (near the eastern corner of Jefferson and Liberty). By 1888, he moved his family across the street to 4 Liberty St (u-shaped bldg on left of map below). 

The 1920 census shows William H Pridham residing at 47 Jefferson (I did not find this on any map or street dir), but he moved down the road to 61 Washington by 1928, which was at the intersection with Jefferson. He died there in the house in 1934.

Widow Louise remained at 61 Washington until around 1935, when she moved to 187 Marcy St. William H Jr, who had been renting at 91 Washington, bought the house at 28 Hancock. Thomas C and Anna Pridham lived at 90 Atkinson for over a dozen years before buying a house and moving across town to Morning St in 1944. Louise, her sons Sherman and Joseph (and their wives), lived in the house at 65 Charles St during the 1940's and '50's, until urban renewal forced everyone out of their houses in the former Puddle Dock area. Historic preservation and the creation of Strawbery Banke saved many of the buildings in the area, including some of those lived in by the Pridham family.  

                                      Genealogical Summary for the Family of Isaac C H Pridham
ISAAC CHARLES HAVEN PRIDHAM (John R, Nathaniel, Isaac, John) was born 11 Sept 1847 in New Castle, NH , the son of John Randall and Ruth Ann (Fish) Pridham. He died at the hospital in Brighton, MA on 9 Apr 1924, and was buried in Riverside Cemetery, New Castle. He had married in Gloucester, MA on 17 Mar 1871 to CATHERINE HESSIAN, the daughter of Dennis and Mary (Waldron) Hessian. She was born in Gloucester on 8 Sept 1853, and died in Portsmouth on 5 Aug 1908. She was buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Portsmouth.

Isaac and Catherine (ie. Katherine, Kate) had the following children, all born in Portsmouth, NH:

i. MARY PAULINE PRIDHAM (called Paulina E on birth record), b. 12 Nov 1872; d. 1962. She married JAMES HENRY RANDALL, the son of Judson P and Melinda Randall, on 3 June 1895 in Portsmouth. They later divorced. She is buried with mother in Calvary Cemetery, Portsmouth.

ii. JOHN D PRIDHAM, b. abt 5 Aug 1875; d. 13 Sept 1875 (in Gloucester?)

iii. ISAAC H PRIDHAM, b. 1 July 1876; d. 14 Nov 1879.

iv. CATHERINE PRIDHAM, b. 23 Mar 1878, d. aft 1934. Married 16 Feb 1904 to HUGH McCANN, son of Hugh and Ellen (Welch) McCann. They had two sons, Hugh G and John W.

v. WILLIAM HOWELL PRIDHAM, born 19 Apr 1881 in Portsmouth, NH. He died there on 15 Mar 1934, and is buried in Calvary Cemetery. He married, on 29 Nov 1899 in Portsmouth, NH to LOUISE E (or J) CONDON, the daughter of John and Ellen (Griffin) Condon. She was born 2 Jan 1879 in Portsmouth, NH and died in East Derry, NH on 26 Jan 1962.
   Their children, all born in Portsmouth:
   1. Catherine Pauline Pridham, b. 12 May 1900. Married 3 Aug 1920 to James Leon Richards.
   2. John H Pridham, b. 16 Nov 1901; d. 9 Nov 1950 in Portsmouth, NH. Marr Dorothy E Stickles, b.25 Oct 1911 Portsmouth; d. 21 Nov 1994 Brentwood, NH.
   3.. Thomas Condon Pridham, b. 28 Aug 1903. Marr Anna Driscoll
   4. Alice Louise Pridham, b. 29 Aug 1905; d. 3 Feb 1980 in Exeter, NH. Marr 29 Apr 1928 in Portsmouth, NH to Reginald L Dow.
   5. Herbert Pridham, b. ca 1908
   6. William Howell Pridham Jr, b. ca 1910. Marr on 22 July 1933 in Gonic, NH to Eleanor P Moore. 
   7. Sherman Charles Pridham, b. 19 May 1919; d. 19 Sept 1983. Marr 24 Oct 1941 in Portsmouth to Blanche Louise Jones, dau of Ralph and Etta, and sister of Hazel, wife of Joseph. 
   8. male (stillborn) 9 Feb 1912; bur Cotton Cemetery, Portsmouth
   9. Joseph Clayton Pridham, b. 15 Mar 1913; d. 10 July 1969 in Portsmouth. Marr in Eliot, Maine on 2 Sept 1939 to Hazel Mae Jones.
   10. Anastasia Pridham, b. 10 Nov 1916; d. 27 Apr 1918 in Portsmouth, NH

vi. ALICE M PRIDHAM, b. 19 Dec 1882; d. 16 May 1885.

vii. stillborn (f), 10 Nov 1884

viii. ELIZABETH PRIDHAM, b. Oct 1885; d. 1 Apr 1886 in Portsmouth

ix. GEORGE SHERMAN PRIDHAM, b. 4 Sept 1886; d. 2 Apr 1946 in Portsmouth. Marr 13 Nov 1906 in Portsmouth to MARY A GRACE. They had at least 4 children, seen in the 1930 Portsmouth census.

x. stillborn, 2 Dec 1890