This is the story of Ellen Hayes Hanley, who came to America  from Ireland with her three children in 1870.  Ellen Hayes was apparently married to Daniel Hanley in Ireland, but did not come to America with him. Ellen and Daniel  had three children; Catherine/Kate (my great grandmother), William and Patrick.  I cannot yet determine what happened to Daniel.  It could be that he died or it could be that she took the children and left him.  Irish ancestry records are difficult to find and interpret so this information will have to wait for another day.  According to my Uncles research though, Daniel was the son of Morris Hanley and Catherine Fitzgerald.  Ellen Hayes was the daughter of Patrick Hayes and Johanna Cowie.

I was able to find Census records every ten years  beginning in 1870,  for Ellen and her family (except 1890 when fire destroyed most of the census data in Washington, DC).  The 1870 Census record confirms that Daniel was not with Ellen and the three children in 1870. Ellen lived in Brooklyn and worked in the clothes cleaning industry (launders) when she arrived.  The three children were enrolled in school.

According to the 1880 Census, Ellen married Patrick Graham circa 1878. Patrick, Ellen’s now second husband, was also previously married.  I have not yet done any research on his early years, but it does appear that he brought two additional children into the relationship from his first marraige. Kate and Rossana appear to be the two children from his first marriage.  In addition, Ellen and Patrick had two children of their own; Daniel and Mary.  According to the Census, neither Patrick or Ellen could read read or write English.  A later census indicates that Ellen spoke Irish (Gallic… I think), thus providing a possible explanation for the notation.  At this point, they lived as a family at 270 Van Braunt Street in Brooklyn, NY.

In the 1900 Census, we learn that Ellen arrived in the US in 1870, the same year as the first census mentioned above.  This would confirm that Ellen’s first three children were born in Ireland, not in the U.S..  Patrick arrived in 1855 and was naturalized.  At this point Patrick is a Longshoreman.  They continue to live on Van Braunt Street with just two children, Daniel and Mary.

Little has changed in 1910. Patrick and Ellen continue to live on Van Braunt Street with Daniel and Mary, but we do learn that one of Ellen’s children has passed away.  Since Daniel and Mary are living with them; Patrick married and had 6 children of his own;  and Kate is my Great Grandmother, that leaves William as the one who passed away prematurely.  Patrick is now a Junk Dealer.  Daniel F. works in a “Hall of Records” and Mary works for a “Bottling Distributor”.

And finally, in the 1920 Census, we know that Patrick has passed away somewhere between 1910 and 1920 as it is just Daniel and his mother, Ellen, living together at this point.  We now know Daniel worked for the New York City Hall of Records and Mary Anita had married George O’Neill.  Mary and George had 6 children and lived in Brooklyn for the rest of their lives.

Just six years later, Ellen Hayes Hanley Graham passed away (1926).  I hope to find her death certificate which may tell me where she is buried.  It does seem that there are enough children from this branch of the family to indicate that we may have some relatives still around.  Hopefully we can someday find them.