Person:Henry Mcneill (1)

via e-mail from Marry Mohr to Stephen R. McNeill Sept. 3, 1998 According to Mary Mohr (Daughter of Harry McNeill) He was born Feb. 22, 1891 in New York City. Harry had 3 full brothers John, Charles C, and Walter Johnson, all 4 brothers spelled their last names differently and their birth records were lost in the fire of 1900 but were in a census following the fire. Harry had four half daughters(sic sisters) born to his dad's second wife Margaret.

I searched the New York City Birth Index for 1881 to 1900 here are McNeils that could fit with what I am looking for Male McNeils McNeil Walter 11/13/1889 #11545 McNeil Graham C. 11/9/1890 #24897 McNeil Jas H 7/7/1889 #21055 McNeil Herbert 8/14/1889 #23514 McNeil John 10/7/1889 #29315 McNiel WM 5/14/1890 #14548 McNeil Robert 7/1/1890 #19509 McNeil Willy E 5/31/1890 #4299 McNeil John Edgar 6/3/1888 McNeil Patrick 10/22/1888 #31101 McNiel Walter 10/22/1888 #30154 McNeil John 2/18/1889 #6200 McNeill Walter 7/27/1891 #25742 McNeill George 12/3/1891 #14649 McNeil Robert 2/16/1892 #2037 McNail Henry 10/5/1892 #39255 McNiel Harry W 3/17/1895 #3447

Females after 94 McNeill Gertrude 7/16/1895 #27732 McNelly Maggie 10/7/1895 #41399 McNeil Margaret 11/14/1895 #46811

Dear Steve,

There have been many "courthouse fires" over the years, but I know of none that would specifically impact NYC vital records of this time period. Most of those are intact.

There was a major fire in Albany in 1911, which destroyed many records. But vital records still survive. For more information about that fire and the records destroyed, see Harry Macy's article in last year's NYG&BS Newsletter.

If you've checked NYC vital record indexes without success, you might want to look in NYS indexes, too. These are only available in Albany and at the National Archives here in NYC. They cover all parts of NYS, except NYC. Until 1898, that meant Manhattan.

If your family was Irish, it's also possible that there were no civil registrations made. Often, the only place births and marriages were registered were in the parish church. You might request searches from churches in the neighborhoods where they lived.

Best wishes,

Leslie Corn NYC Genealogical Research, Due Diligence, & Missing Heirs New York, NY NYG&BS Library Committee, Education & Publications Committee, and Subcommittee on Collection Development http://www.citydirectories.psmedia.com/city/essay_main1.html LeslieCorn@aol.com

From: Dpmarge@aol.com [1] Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2005 12:54 PM To: mcneillsr@sc.rr.com Subject: Talk with Mary

Hi Steve,

   I just got finished talking with your Auntie Mary and I am going to write this while it is fresh.  She said she doubted the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin census find.  She said his father was VERY anti-catholic AND she said the funny thing about that is that all four boys married catholic women.

   She said that she was three years old and Dick was two when they took the ship to Hawaii in May of that year.  Amazing she remembers SO much about it.  She also said that before WWII her father had a very sensitive position and he had no BC as there was a fire in NY City Hall and vital records were destroyed BUT they did find him in the census (? which one, not sure).  She also said he joined the Navy in 1913 (which would have made him 20) but then said he was 18 but because he was so small they made him 17, thinking he would grow some.  ALSO, he went into the Navy in MAINE.  Why, she does not know nor ever questioned it.

   I asked her what he did between the time his father died and when he went in the Navy and she said that was when he was at first living with the family in Sullivan County (Kaminski she believes), the farm couple and then later lived with the Hagan/Hogan family in the Bronx he performed on stage as a tenor with an Irish Quartet.   She said she once said she wanted to go in the theater and he was VERY MUCH against it because of his experience.

1.   Death Certificate - Harry H McNeill.
2.   Mary McNeill Mohr - e-mail of 1998 09-03.
3. ↑ Census - 1900.
4.   Social Security Application - Henry Herbertson McNeill.