Person:Maria Reid (2)

Childhood

Maria Reid was baptised on 25th January 1851 in the Catholic Church in the parish of Drumcree in County Armagh. She was the fifth of seven children of a mason and bricklayer named John Reid and his wife Julia Hanlon. John appears to have worked building the railway network in Ireland - baptisms have been found for six of the couple's children, with each baptism in a different county of Ireland, generally in an area close to where a railway was being built at the time. In 1851, a major railway junction was being built in the town of Portadown, which is in the parish of Drumcree - indeed, Drumcree Catholic Church is actually in the centre of Portadown. The family is therefore more likely to have lived in Portadown town than Drumcree village. The family did not stay long in Drumcree. By 1853 the family was living in Dublin.

Maria's next sighting is in 1866, when she was godmother to a Maria Theevles, daughter of Michael Theevles and Elizabeth King.^[10] Maria's connection to the Theevles appears to be as a neighbour - the Theevles lived at 8 Lower Kevin Street, which is certainly the address where Maria was living by 1870, suggesting she was probably living there by 1866.

Adulthood

On 21st September 1870, aged 18, Maria married a Robert Kelly. They had a son the following year in Dublin, although he may well have died young.^[11] Some time between 1871 and 1875 Maria and Robert moved to England, where they lived in Liverpool, Lancashire. Whilst in Liverpool, they had three daughters.

In 1882, Robert emigrated to America, settling in New York. Quite likely he was going ahead to get established and then send for his family - Maria and the children followed him in 1883. Maria and Robert went on to have at least two more children in New York. The family lived in Manhattan, appearing in the 1900 census at 244 East 34th Street and in the 1905 census at 432 33rd Street. In the 1900 census, Maria reported that she had had a remarkable 16 children, although only 9 were still living.

In 1910, Maria returned to Ireland for the first time since emigrating to America in 1883. Her husband Robert stayed behind in New York, living with their married daughter Lydia. Maria visited her sister Rosanna in Dublin and stayed with Rosanna's daughter, Julia Farrell. The 1911 census finds Maria living with her niece Julia at 4 Abercorn Terrace, Harold's Cross Road in Rathmines and Rathgar, in the southern suburbs of Dublin. Back in New York, Robert died whilst Maria was away, on 29th May 1911. Maria returned to New York in August 1911. Her passenger record from when she returned in 1911 tells us that she was 5 feet 2 inches tall, of brown complexion and with brown hair and blue eyes.

Maria died in Manhattan on 3rd April 1917, aged 66.

1. ↑ Drumcree, County Armagh, Ireland. Parish Registers of Drumcree Catholic Church.

   January 1851 / 25 / Maria of John Reid and Julia O'Hanlon S[ponsor]s Valentine Diens and Sara Jane Devlin

2. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 3600; Folio 32; Page 62, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 48 Ascot Street, Liverpool, Lancashire
   Robert Kelly, head, married, male, 32 [1848/9], Labourer Dock, b. Manchester, Lancashire
   Maria Kelly, wife, married, female, 28 [1852/3], b. Ireland
   Julia Kelly, daughter, female, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Liverpool, Lancashire
   Margaret Kelly, daughter, female, 3 [1877/8], b. Liverpool, Lancashire
   John Jones, lodger, widower, male, 52 [1828/9], Labourer Dock, b. Quebec, Canada

3. ↑ National Archives and Records Administration. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957. (Washington, D. C.: National Archives and Records Administration)
   1883 August 14 / Wyoming / Image 3, 14 Aug 1883.

   Maria Kelly, 29, wife, England, United States
   Julia Kelly, 9, child, England, United States
   Margaret Kelly, 4, child, England, United States
   Maria Kelly, 11mos, infant, England, United States

4. ↑ United States. Census Office. 12th census, 1900. New York, 1900 federal census : soundex and population schedules. (Washington, District of Columbia: National Archives and Records Administration, 19--?)
   New York, New York, 0504 Borough of Manhattan, Election District 16, New York City Ward 20, page 29, 1 Jun 1900.

   Address: 244 East Thirty-fourth
   Rented house
   Robert Kelly, head, white, male, b. Nov 1849, married 30 years, b. Ireland, father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland, immigrated 1882, naturalized, Printer, 1 month out of work
   Maria Kelly, wife, white, female, b. May 1854, married 30 years, mother of 16 children, 9 children still living, b. Ireland, father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland, immigrated 1883
   Julia Kelly, daughter, white, female, b. May 1876, single, b. unknown, father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland
   Margaret Kelly, daughter, white, female, b. Nov 1879, single, b. England, father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland, immigrated 1883, Millener, 0 months out of work
   Maria Kelly, daughter, white, female, b. Nov 1881, single, b. England, father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland, immigrated 1883, Dress-maker, 2 months out of work
   Teresa Kelly, daughter, white, female, b. May 1884, single, b. New York, father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland, Cash-girl, 0 months out of work
   Ciddick [possibly mistranscribed Liddiar?] Kelly, daughter, female, b. Nov 1888, single, b. New York, father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland, At school
   plus seven roomers and a servant

5. ↑ New York, United States. 1905 State Census
   County: New York / Borough: Manhattan / Assembly District 11 / Election District 7 / Image 17, 1 Jun 1905.

   Address: 432 33rd Street, Manhattan, New York, New York
   Robert Kelly, head, married, male, 56 [1848/9], b. Ireland, 22 years in US, citizen, Day Laborer
   Maria Kelly, wife, married, female, 51 [1853/4], b. Ireland, 22 years in US, citizen, Housework
   Margaret Kelly, daughter, female, 24 [1880/1], b. England, 22 years in US, citizen, Operator
   Theresa Kelly, daughter, female, 21 [1883/4], b. U.S., citizen, Operator Belts
   Lidia Hilliard, daughter, female, 17 [1887/8], b. U.S., citizen, Housework
   Charles Hilliard, son in law, male, 20 [1884/5], b. U.S., citizen, Cable splicer
   Robert L. Hilliard, grandson, male, 1/12 [1905] b. U.S., citizen, At home

6.   United Kingdom. Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960. (Provo, Utah, United States: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008).

   Two possibilities:
   Embarked 23 Jul 1910 on SS Haverford at Philadelphia, landed at Queenstown [Cobh] en route to arriving at Liverpool on 4 Aug 1910: Maria Kelly, 45, Irish, wife unaccompanied by spouse
   Embarked Boston on SS Ivernia, landed at Queenstown [Cobh] en route to arring at Liverpool on 2 Dec 1910: Maria Kelly, housekeeper, single or unaccopanied by spouse

7. ↑ Census Office. Ireland Census 1911. (Dublin: National Archives of Ireland)
   County: Dublin / Urban District: Rathmines & Rathgar / Parish: Rathfarnham / District Electoral Division: Rathmines & Rathgar West / Street: Abercorn Terrace, Harold's Cross Road / Schedule 4, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 4 Abercorn Terrace, Harold's Cross Road, Rathgar, Rathfarnham, County Dublin
   Form A (about the people):
   Julia May O'Farrell, Head, Catholic, Read & write, female, 34 [1876/7], Lady Clerk D.B.C., Single, born Dublin City, Speaks English
   Marie Kelly, Aunt, Catholic, Read, female, 55 [1855/6], married 7 years, 5 children born, 5 still living, born Downpatrick, Speaks English
   Robert Joseph May, Boarder, Catholic, Read & write, male, 20 [1890/1], Student of Medicine College Surgeon, single, born County Louth, speaks Irish & English

   But for Maria's passenger list returning to America that August, there would be some doubt as to whether this was her, given the discrepancy in years married, place of birth and number of children. We know Maria's niece Julia filled in the form, so may have been less sure of her aunt's details. The place of birth of Downpatrick is probably easily confused with Portadown for someone unfamiliar with the area.

8. ↑ ^8.0 8.1 National Archives and Records Administration. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957. (Washington, D. C.: National Archives and Records Administration)
   1911 August 28 / Caronia / Image 58, 28 Aug 1911.

   SS Caronia sailing from Liverpool 20 Aug 1911 arriving at Port of New York 28 Aug 1911
   Name: Kelly, Maria
   Age: 55y, 3m
   Sex: female
   Married or single: married
   Occupation: Wife
   Read and write: can't read or write
   Nationality: Britain
   Race: Irish
   Last permanent residence: New York USA, Non immigrant alien
   Name and address of nearest relative or friend in country whence alien came: Sister Mrs John Farrell, 19 Upper Stephen St, Dublin
   Destination: New York, NY
   Whether having a ticket to such final destination: Yes
   By whom was passage paid: Daughter
   Whether in possession of $50: None
   Whether ever before in the United States: Yes - 1883-1910, New York
   Whether going to join a relative or friend: Daughter Mrs L. Hilliard, 244 7th Av. New York
   Polygamist: No
   Anarchist: No
   Condition of health: Good
   Deformed or crippled: No
   Height: 5'2"
   Complexion: Brown
   Hair: Brown
   Eyes: Blue
   Marks of identification: None
   Place of birth: Dublin, Ireland

9. ↑ New York, United States. New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949. (FamilySearch).

   d. Maria Kelly, 3 Apr 1917, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United states
   Address: 188 West End Av.
   Age: 58
   Married
   Occupation: HW
   Born: Ire.
   Buried: 5 Apr 1917, Calvary Cemetery
   Father: John Reid, b. Ire.
   Mother: Julia Hanlan, b. Ire.

10. ↑ Baptisms register in Source:Dublin, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland. Parish Registers of St Kevin's Roman Catholic Church, Harrington Street, b. 25 Oct 1866, Maria daughter of Michael Theevles & Elizabeth King, of 8 Lr Kevin St, sponsors Ricaredus Reverd & Maria Reed
11. ↑ John does not appear with Robert and Maria in the 1881 census, when he would have been only 9, therefore unlikely to be away from home.