Person:Michael Reid (4)

Michael Reid was baptised on 30th November 1833 in the small town of Monasterevin in County Kildare, Ireland. He was son of Mary Reid, formerly Dennan (or Denning) and her husband Michael Reid, who was apparently a mason. In the late 1840s Michael Reid senior was claimed to be responsible for building the new Catholic Church in Monasterevin.^[14]

In 1854, aged 20, Michael emigrated to America, where he settled in New York. His older brother Joseph and sister Theresa had emigrated to New York earlier in the 1850s. His mother and four other siblings would follow him about a year later. The 1855 census finds the family living in New York together. Michael worked as a mason.

Michael married Margaret Kelly in the late 1850s, and they had at least six children together. Margaret died in 1872, aged 30.

Michael married again, with his second wife being Mary Ann McCormick. They appear to have had at least five children together between the mid 1870s and mid 1880s. Mary died in 1892, aged 37, leaving Michael a widower for the second time.

Michael became a successful building contractor, working on several notable buildings including the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, the Morgan Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and eleven Carnegie libraries. Around 1890 he was joined in his business by his nephew William MacDonald, son of his late sister Ellen.

In about 1899 Michael bought 116 East 70th Street on New York's Upper East Side, which he extensively altered. He also appears to have had a house at Far Rockaway, where he was living with some of his children in the 1915 census, although he retained 116 East 70th Street as his town house.

Michael died on 10th November 1918 at 116 East 70th Street, aged 85.

1. ↑ Monasterevin, County Kildare, Ireland. Catholic Parish Registers.

   1833 / Novemb[er] / 30th
   Michael
   Parents: John Reed & Mary Dennan
   Sponsors: Christy Hussey & Margret Gorman

   Although this baptism records Michael's father's name as John, it is considered this is likely to be a mistake. There was clearly a sequence of children baptised at Monasterevin with parents named Michael Reid and Mary Dennan - this baptism is the only instance of a John Reid and Mary Dennan baptism. Moreover, Michael's sister Ellen's son William MacDonald is recorded in his 1933 obituary as having been nephew of this Michael. Also, the age quoted on Michael's New York death certificate of 1918 suggests he was born on 29th November 1833, which is just the day before this baptism.

2. ↑ National Archives and Records Administration. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957. (Washington, D. C.: National Archives and Records Administration)
   SS Constitution, Image 7, 20 Apr 1854.

   Name	Age	Sex	Occupation	Country to which belongs	Country in which they intend to become inhabitants
   Michael Reid	18	Male	Labourer	Ireland	U. States

3. ↑ New York, United States. 1855 New York State Census
   1st Election District, 15th Ward, New York City, New York County, 1 Jun 1855.

   Mary Reid, 60 [1794/5], female, b. Ireland, widow, 1 year resident in city, cannot read or write
   Jos[eph] Reid, 23 [1831/2], male, child, b. Ireland, 5 years resident in city, Mason
   Maria Reid, 32 [1822/3], female, child, b. Ireland, 1 year resident in city
   Mich[ae]l Reid, 20 [1834/5], male, child, b. Ireland, 2 years in city, Mason
   Therasa Reid, 19 [1835/6], female, child, b. Ireland, 4 years resident in city, Cloak Maker
   Ann Reid, 17 [1837/8], female, child, b. Ireland, 1 year resident in city, Cloak Maker
   Agness Reid, 14 [1840/1], female, child, b. Ireland, 1 year resident in city
   Pat[ric]k Reid, 13 [1841/2], male, child, b. Ireland, 1 year resident in city

4. ↑ United States. 1870 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publications M593 and T132)
   13th District, 9th Ward, New York County, New York, 1 Jun 1870.

   Michael Reid, 35 [1834/5], male, Brick Mason, b. Ireland
   Margaret Reid, 28 [1841/2], female, Housekeeping, b. New York
   Joseph Reid, 11 [1858/9], male, b. New York
   John Reid, 8 [1861/2], male, b. New York
   Maria Reid, 6 [1863/4], male, b. New York
   James Reid, 3 [1866/7], male, b. New York
   Willie Reid, 2/12, b. Apr 1870, male, b. New York
   Maria Murray, 26 [1843/4], female, Servant, b. Ireland

5. ↑ United States. 1880 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T9)
   Enumeration District 618, 1 Jun 1880.

   Address: 323 East 62nd Street, New York, New York
   Michael Reid, male, 43 [1836/7], married, Builder, b. Ireland, father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland
   Mary A. Reid, female, 25 [1854/5], wife, married, Housekeeping, b. N.Y., father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland
   Joseph A. Reid, male, 21 [1859/60], son, Painter, b. N.Y., father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland
   John Reid, male, 18 [1861/2], son, Apprentice to Carpenter, b. N.Y., father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland
   Maria Reid, female, 16 [1863/4], daughter, at School, b. N.Y., father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland
   James Reid, male, 13 [1866/7], son, at School, b. N.Y., father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland
   William Reid, male, 10 [1869/70], son, at School, b. N.Y., father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland
   Ella Reid, female, 6 [1873/4], daughter, at School, b. N.Y., father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland
   Agnes Reid, female, 3 [1876/7], daughter, b. N.Y., father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland
   Edward Reid, male, 1 [1878/9], son, b. N.Y., father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland

6. ↑ United States. 1900 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T623)
   Enumeration District 0701, 1 Jun 1900.

   Address: 116 West 12th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York
   Michael Reid, head, male, b. Jun 1835, widower, b. Ireland, father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland, immigration 1859, naturalizd, Builder & Contractor, house owned free of mortgage
   John F. Reid, son, male, b. Apr 1865, single, b. New York, father b. Ireland, mother b. New York, Building Contractor
   Maria M. Reid, daughter, female, b. Jun 1867, single, b. New York, father b. Ireland, mother b. New York
   Ella M. Reid, daughter, female, b. Feb 1875, single, b. New York, father b. Ireland, mother b. New York
   Anna M. Reid, daughter ,female, b. Feb 1883, single, b. New York, father b. Ireland, mother b. New York, At school
   Leo A. Reid, son, male, b. Feb 1885, single, b. New York, father b. Ireland, mother b. New York
   Maggie Lalor, servant, female, b. Dec, single, b. Ireland, father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland immigration 1888, servant
   Mary Kelly, servant, female, b. Feb 1872, single, b. Ireland, father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland, immigration 1891, Servant

7.   Various New York City Directories.

   Goulding's New York City Directories
   1875-76, Reid Michael, mason, h 323 E. 62d
   1876-77, Reid Michael, builder, h 323 E. 62d
   
   New York City Directories:
   1877, Reid Michael, builder, 323 E. 62d
   1878, Reid Michael, builder, 507 W. 32d, h 323 E. 62d
   1880, Reid Michael, builder, 228 W. 10th, h 323 E. 62d
   1882, Reid Michael, builder, 228 W. 10th, h 323 E. 62d
   1883, Reid Michael, builder, 228 W. 10th, h 323 E. 62d
   1884, Reid Michael, builder, 228 W. 10th, h 210 E. 62d
   1888, Reid Michael, builder, h 210 E. 62d
   1889, Reid Michael, builder, h 210 E. 62d

8. ↑ New York, United States. 1905 New York State Census
   14th Election District, 29th Assembly District, 1 Jun 1905.

   Address: 116 East 70th Street, Manhattan, New York, New York
   Michael Read, head, male, 70 [1834/5], b. US [sic], Builder
   John Read, son, male, 39 [1865/6], b. US, Builder
   Leo Read, son, male, 20 [1884/5], b. US, Builder
   Ella Read, daughter, female, 18 [1886/7], b. US
   Ann Read, daughter, female, 15 [1889/90], b. US
   Elizabeth Hessler, servant, female, 40 [1864/5], b. Germany, Servant
   Lizzie Meyer, servant, female, 28 [1874/5], b. Germany, Servant
   Lena Buckner, servant, female, 19 [1885/6], b. Germany, Servant
   Ammelia Miscal, care taker, female, 60 [1844/5], b. Germany, House Keeper
   Henry Miscal, servant, male, 70 [1834/5], b. Germany, Watchman

9. ↑ United States. 1910 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T624)
   Enumeration District 1137, 15 Apr 1910.

   Address: 116 East 70th Street, Manhattan, New York, New York
   Michael Reid, head, male, 76 [1833/4], widower, b. Ireland, father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland, Contractor, retired
   John F. Reid, son, male, 44 [1865/6], single, b. New York, father b. Ireland, mother b. New York, Contractor, retired
   Mary M. Reid, daughter, female, 41 [1868/9], single, b. New York, father b. Ireland, mother b. New York
   Anna J. Reid, daughter, female, 22 [1887/8], single, b. New York, father b. Ireland, mother b. New York
   Emily Frazer, servant, female, 40 [1869/70], single, b. Scotland, father b. Scotland, mother b. Scotland, Servant
   Celia Farney, servant, female, 28 [1881/2], single, b. Ireland, father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland, Servant
   Mary Farney, maid, female, 24 [1885/6], single, b. Ireland, father b. Ireland, mother b. Ireland, Maid

10. ↑ New York, United States. 1915 New York State Census
    Election District 54; Assembly District 3, 1 Jun 1915.

    Address: Reeds Lane, Far Rockaway, Queens, New York, New York
    Michael Reed, head, male, 82 [1832/3], b. Ireland, Mason Builder
    John F. Reed, son, male, 50 [1864/5], b. U.S., Mason Builder
    Maria Reed, daughter, female, 46 [1870/1], b. U.S., Housework
    Annie Connolly, cook, female, 50 [1864/5], b. Ireland, Domestic Servant
    Mary Tarney, waitress, female, 28 [1886/7], b. Ireland, Domestic Servant
    Delia Connolly, Laundress, female, 25 [1889/90], b. Ireland, Domestic Servant

11. ↑ New York Death Certificate.

    State of New York
    Department of Health of the City of New York
    Bureau of Records
    Standard Certificate of Death
    Registered No. 41899
    1. Place of death: Borough of Manhattan, No. 116 East 70th St, character of premises: private
    2. Full name: Michael Reid
    3. Sex: Male
    4. Color or race: White
    5. Widower
    6. Date of birth: April 29, 1833
    7. Age: 85 yrs, 0 mos, 11 days [sic - doesn't tally with date of birth - suggests instead 29 Nov 1833 for date of birth]
    8. Occupation: Retired builder
    9. Birthplace: Ireland
    9a. How long in US: 70 years
    9b. How long in City of New York: 70 years
    10. Name of father: Michael Reid
    11. Birthplace of father: Ireland
    12. Name of mother: Mary Denning
    13. Birthplace of mother: Ireland
    14. Former or usual residence (if different to place of death): -
    15. Date of death: Dec 10, 1918
    16. Medical (not all transcribed) - died 12 am, cause Cerebral apoplexy, chronic endocarditis, 18 days, Contributory Acute Pulmonary Hypostatic Pneumonia, 5 days.
    17. Place of burial: Calvary

12.   New York Times
    11 Dec 1918.

    Michael Reid, probably the oldest building and contractor in New York City, who had charge of the construction of some of the principal buildings in the city, died yesterday at his home, 116 East Seventieth Street, at the age of 86 years.
    Mr. Reid began as a builder and contractor at an early age and operated alone until about twenty years ago when he formed the M. Reid Company, Inc., with offices at 114 West Thirty-ninth Street, of which he was President at the time of his death. Among the buildings erected by Mr. Reid were the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Imperial Hotel, Morgan addition to the Metropolitan Museum, and eleven Carnegie libraries.

13.   New York City: report on historic buildings including 116 East 70th Street, with some details of Michael Reid's work as a prominent builder in New York.
14. ↑ See Michael's nephew William MacDonald's obituary of 1933.