Waldron - Ireland and Gloucester, MA

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.

1855 Gloucester, MA census

On 14 Sept 1857, four days after giving birth to twins, Mary passed away from an inflammation of the bowels. She was only 32 years old. Her death record would list her parents as Matthew and Ellen "Waldon", and listed her birth place as "Lanby, Ireland". In 1855, her daughter Ellen's birth record had listed the birth place as Killham, Ire, while the birth rec of daughter Mary gave Limerick, Ireland as her place of birth.

Researching into the other Waldron families of Gloucester, I found there were three other Irish-born immigrants who also had Matthew and Ellen Waldron as their parents. Two of them would list their mother as a Mahoney, and all would claim Limerick, Ireland as their birth place.

Lanby, unless first letter is an 'S' or even a 'T'. None are a match to any town in County Limerick

"Bruff, Ire" and "Killham, Ire", from the birth rec of Ellen "Heshan". Bruff is in County Limerick, but no town named Killham was found. There was a Kilflyn and a couple of other similar sounding ones.

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.

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                                     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.