Person:Elizabeth McGrath (3)

birth parents: Michael McGrath and Margaret Berry (1)

On the 1900 Fed census/ward 2 Queens NY she stated she immigrated to the U.S. 1852. AT HER DEATH SHE LIVED AT 585 LEXINGTON AVE BROOKLYN NY. RECORDS HAVE SHOWN HER FAMILY NAME ALSO AS MCGRAD AND MCGRAW THOUGH THESE MAY HAVE BEEN ERRORS OR POSSIBLE VARIENT SPELLING OF MCGRATH. THOUGH CATHERINE SMITH THOUGHT ELIZABETH MCGRATH WAS SCOTCH-IRISH SHE MAY HAVE BEEN SCOTCH AND IRISH AS MCGRATH IS IRISH AND BERRY CAN BE SCOTTISH. ON THE 1925 BROOKLYN NYS CENSUS (585 LEXINGTON AVE LIVING WITH HER DAUGHTER EMMA PRICE) ELIZABETH(RIVERS) STATED SHE BECAME A CITIZEN IN 1875. THIS IS BECAUSE THOUGH SHE WAS MARRIED TO AN AMERICAN, CHARLES JAMES SMITH WAS AN INDIAN FROM CONNECTICUT AND THE FIRST INDIANS WERE NOT GIVEN CITIZENSHIP IN CONNECICUT UNTIL 1872 WHEN THE MOHEGANS PETITIONED THE CONNECTICUT LEGISLATURE FOR IT. ELIZABETH ALSO REMARRIED IN 1918 TO VIRUS RIVERS. IN 1925 ELIZABETH WAS LIVING WITH HER DAUGHTER EMMA PRICE AT 585 LEXINGTON AVE BROOKLYN NY. IN 1940 FREDERICK W SMITH CHANGED HIS SOCIAL SECURITY RECORD TO CORRECT HIS DATE OF BIRTH. WHEN HE DID SO HE STATED THE MAIDEN NAME OF HIS MOTHER WAS ELIZABETH BERRY NOT MCGRATH. I BELIEVE ELIZABETH MAY HAVE USED HER MOTHER'S SURNAME EARLY IN LIFE AND HER NAME WAS PROBABLY BERRY ON THE BAPTISMAL RECORD FREDERICK USED WHEN HE CORRECTED HIS SOCIAL SECURITY RECORD. IN 1937 HE STATED HIS MOTHER WAS ELIZABETH MCGRATH ON HIS ORIGINAL SOCIAL SECURITY APPLICATION. I BELIEVE THE CHANGE TO BERRY WAS REQUIRED AS THE BAPTISMAL RECORD WAS NEEDED TO PROVE HIS AGE BUT HAD BERRY INSTEAD OF MCGRATH AS THE MOTHERS MAIDEN NAME. ELIZABETH PROBABLY MARRIED UNDER THE NAME BERRY AS WELL. ELIZABETH MCGRATH WAS A BLUE EYED REDHEAD. WHILE A WIDOWED DAIRYWOMAN IN RIDGEWOOD QUEENS 1900-1905 THEY SAY SHE WOULD MAKE "HOT TOTIES" FOR THE HIRED HANDS IN THE COLD WEATHER TO KEEP THEM WARM. THE DATE THE MOHEGEN INDIANS WERE GRANTED CITIZENSHIP WAS OCTOBER 1872, VERY CLOSE TO THE TIME ELIZABETH STATED ON THE 1925 NYS CENSUS THAT SHE BECAME A CITIZEN,IN 1875. ON JUNE 6,1868 ELIZABETH SMITH PURCHASED PROPERTY ON NOSTRAND AVE NEAR MYRTLE AVE BROOKLYN NY FROM GEORGE W MEAD AND SPOUSE. THE WARD 21 BROOKLYN TAX ASSESMENTS FOR 109 NOSTRAND AVE IN THE YEARS 1869 THROUGH 1881 SHOW ELIZABETH SMITH TO BE THE OWNER. IT MAY BE THAT SINCE CHARLES J SMITH HER HUSBAND DID NOT BECOME A CITIZEN UNTIL OCTOBER 1972 SHE MAY HAVE HAD TO BUY THE HOME THEY LIVED IN FOR OVER TEN YEARS. An affidavit of intent swearing to become a U.S. citizen was found in the NYS archives IN ALBANY NY. It was sworn in Brooklyn NY May 23,1868 by Elizabeth Smith wife of Charles Smith. This document proves her marriage to Charles Smith did not confer citizenship upon her. In the 1860's marriage of a alien woman to a citizen gave automatic citizenship to the woman. Though Charles Smith was Connecticut born the Indians of Connecticut did not yet have citizen status in 1868.(Massachusetts Indians became citizens in 1869). This afidavit allowed Elizabeth Smith to purchase the property. At the time of the afidavit she had been married to Charles Smith about 7 years and they had 3 children. According to Lila Lomax, great granddaughter of Charles J Smith and Elizabeth Mcgrath Smith by way of their daughter Ruth Smith, a family story was passed down in her family, by her mother Harriet Emery, daughter of Ruth Smith Emery. It stated that a "Margaret Berry daughter of lord and lady Berry of Barry England met and ran off with a coachman. Her parents disapproved and DISINHERITED her. The coachman was waylaid and murdered in a robbery. Margaret's daughter Elizabeth MCGRATH, (Lila's great grandmother) who was then about 8 yrs old, and Elizabeth's younger brother AGE 6, NAME UNKNOWN, were sent to New York to live with their Aunt. It didn't happen and they ended up in an orphanage. Lila's great grandmother Elizabeth MCGRATH later AT AGE 13 married a man named "Smith". ELIZABETH MCGRATH WAS RAISED ILLITERATE. Update-the 1928 will of Elizabeth Mcgrath/Smith states she was also known by the surnames Keenan and Rivers. She remarried twice after Charles J Smith's death Feb 21,1900. On the marriage cert of Virus Rivers and Elizabeth Mcgrath, Feb 7,1918 Manhatten NY, she states her birthplace is Longford Ireland and is using the surname Keenan. Elizabeth married Michael Keenan Nov 13,1905 in St Matthews Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn NY. DANIEL DUNNE, A NEIGHBOR ON THE 1892 BROOKLYN NY NYS CENSUS, WAS A WITNESS FOR THE MARRIAGE OF ELIZABETH SMITH AND MICHAEL KEENAN. Elizabeth's mother's maiden surname, Berry, is spelled Barry on the marr cert to Virus Rivers, ON SEPT 23,1891 ELIZABETH SMITH PURCHASED, FROM THE NEW YORK AND BROOKLYN SUBURBAN INVESTMENT COMPANY OF NEW YORK, LAND IN BELLPORT LONG ISLAND NY. SHE PURCHASED LOTS 13,14,15 AND 44 OF BLOCK 797. SEE THE NY NY 1860 CENSUS WARD 11 DIST 8 PAGE 25 HOUSEHOLD 212 AND PAGE 101 HOUSEHOLD 862. ON THE CENSUS ELIZABETH AND CHARLES ARE ALREADY MARRIED WITH ELIZABETH'S YOUNGER BROTHER LIVING WITH THEM. THEY WERE COUNTED TWICE, HAVING MOVED DURING THE TAKING OF THE CENSUS IN JUNE 1860.

Cost of Interment for Elizabeth Smith Casket Complete$335.00 Burial Case$ 30.00 Hearse to Cypress Hills Cemetery$ 20.00 Limousines$ 33.00 Flower Car$ 11.00 Embalming$ 35.00 Pallbearers$ 6.00 Chairs$ 4.00 Palm Decorations$ 25.00 Floral Crepe$ 8.00 Death Notices$ 6.00 Candleabra$ 12.00 Opening Grave$ 20.00 Transcripts of Death$ 2.50

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