Michael McNamara b. 1842 coal gas poisoning 5/16/1891

[Germac]

Thank you for that family search.org website! I  have a favor.  I have a hard time verifying whether Michael McNamara, my great grandfather, who died on May 16th, 1891 as a result of coal poisoning is actually my g.grandfather. The problem is that the birth date given is 1838. His father and mother are shown correctly as Peter and Margaret, but does not show the spouse which I thought was odd.   I know for a fact that he was born in 1842 in Ireland, migrated to Worcester in 1870, and married Mary "Conlon"(should have been Conlin) on Oct 29th 1872.  If someone has a genealogybank.com I would apprecate it if there was a writeup that might have shown his widow as Mary Conlon (or Conlin or even Conlan) of 4 Taylor St Worcester. I have his burial plot at St John's Cemetery in Worcester, but no date was given of his burial.  Thanks for your help!

[EPB2020]

It is not so obvious when searching Genealogybank to find this but searching day by day around that time frame revealed what they had.  They next step would be to do a hand search of each day.

This is such a sad story.

There was a terrible accident at the Worcester Gas Light Company and two people were asphyxiated at 10 in the morning. Michael McNamara was the day foreman at the plant.  He leaves a widow and seven children and lived at No. 4 Taylor Street.  Mr. McNamara and some workers went into a valve house to drill a hole in a pipe to attach a phometer. (??)  They were discovered 1/2 hour later.  Michael McNamara the foreman had been in the employ of the company for 18 years.

His afflicted family was nearly prostrated with grief at the sudden bereavement. 

His funeral took place from St. John's - I think 5/19/1891.  Pallbearers - Peter Corley (or Curley), Daniel Glavin, John Hayes, Wm McNally, Patrick O'Brien and James Moore.

I did not see anything about the name of the widow.  If you need more, please let me know. 

Good luck with this.

[merski]

Please do not stress over the variations in spelling of Conlin...it doesn't really matter.  That is why soundex was created before computers to sort of simplify names into sounds etc.  Also birth years can be off and shouldn't necessarily be used to prove or disprove anything.... crikey!  4 years difference between the real and reported birth year for an irishman is pretty darned close!!!!

[merski]

Oh! And another 'ting...if you get his probate record you'll get his wife's name.

[Germac]

Oh my goodness. It is my great grandfather. I know they all lived on 4 Taylor St. Indeed it is is a sad story.  Thank you all very much for looking that up so quickly.  I'll have to figure out a way to look at the articles related to this from a long distance -North Carolina.


Thank you again!!!
       

[worcmik]

Did you get a date of purchase for the plot at St John's?

[Germac]

No I did not get a date of purchase for the plot. I do have a list of all of the McNamara's that are buried together at St John's, so I'm good there. Based on the newspaper write up Michael was buried 5/18/1891. That was what I needed.  Thanks 

[merski]

Ger-when did his wife Mary die?

[worcmik]

Often (earlier anyway) the date of purchase is the just before the date of the first burial, the first buried may or may not have been listed on the plot card. If he/she is listed, there may or may not be a date if internment. This info doesn't help you but for those that have a name on the stone but not on the plot card, there is the chance that the first in was buried on or about the date of purchase. Other than the initial sale of plots, I have never seen a plot bought before the family needed it. So a date of purchase that does not correspond to the death of a know family member should send you the the obits printed around that date. Does that makes sense?

[Germac]

Mary died April 19th, 1913.  Buried 4/19/13.

Margaret their only unmarried daughter, died later that year, August 9th, 1913.

[merski]

His naturalization record shows he was born in County Cork but no parish given

[Germac]

Can't win 'em all.  What information would the parish provide, that County Cork can't? I'm guessing that church records are much more detailed than County records....if any.

[merski]

But now Ger, we can go into county specific websites to search for his birth since we know about when he was born and his parents' names Peter McNamara & Margaret Donovan.  I will use the irish roots website to do an advanced search for his birth filling in all of the fields that I can and give his birth year a little wiggle room to hopefully net his record.  This would almost be impossible with no knowledge of county.

[merski]

Findings seem to point to Blarney Parish just outside of cork city.  Proof needs to me made, however.