Person:Julia Brennan (2)

From an email22Sep2005 by Michael McDonald-mikchar<at>bellatlantic..net

George, here is a little write up on Julia Brennan, spouse of John Archiba ld McDonald. I have been looking at your database and have come up with Michael Brennan as a possible sibling of Julia. I have often wondered w hy she traveled from New York City to Beaverton in the mid 1850's. It didn 't make sense unless there were family ties to that location. Note that Michael named his no. 10 child Julia. Mabe just a coincidence, but how ma ny Brennans were there in Thorah in 1852???

"Birth date may have been 1831. Julia emmigrated to U.S.

from Liverpool to New York - arriving NY on 10 Nov 1851 on the

ship Constellation.

17 Julia BRENNAN-5 Jun 1832 1919

About 1832 Julia Brennan was born of Irish parents in the

County of Kilkenny, Ireland. In 1851 Julia emmigrated to the

U.S. during the "Potato Famine" in Ireland. Julia departed

from the Port of Liverpool on the west coast of England on

September ?5, 1851(one reference indicates that she embarked

on 9-5-51, another indicates that the Constellation arrived in

New York on 9-1-51. Since it took about 25 days to transit to

Liverpool, I suspect that she embarked on 25 Sept.) on the

ship named Constellation bound for the Port of New York. The

ship records do not indicate that anyone accompanied Julia.

The Constellation was built in 1849 for the Red Star Line to

run between Liverpool and New York. It was designed for about

500 passengers but most of the time carried over 900. The

conditions on the ship were abominable. The passage time of

the Constellation varied from 23 days to 60 days. The average

passage time was 32. The trip that Julia chose was one of the

longest. The passengers were responsible for their own food

and had to prepare their own as best they could. Many people

died during the transits. As many as 10 percent died.

Julia's passage ended on November 10, 1851 at one of the docks

on Manhattan's Lower East Side, nearly two months after she

started in Liverpool. I guess that to escape the possibility

of starvation in Ireland, the thought of an unpleasant boat

trip to America was a reasonable choice. At present it is not

known where Julia was between arrival in New York and her

marriage in 1856."

What do you think?

Michael McDonald

Seabrook, MD

1. ↑ email22Sep2005 from Michael McDonald-mikchar(at)bellatlantic..net.
2. ↑ JAMcDONALD.ged.
3. ↑ email22Sep2005 from Michael McDonald-mikchar(at)bellatlantic..net.
4. ↑ JAMcDONALD.ged.