Matthew Joseph Walsh

Date of Birth: March 1891 There is discrepancy about what day he was born as various records reflect different days. Civil birth record reflects a date of March 21, 1891, Catholic baptismal record reflects a date of March 2, 1891, citizenship papers reflect a date of March 16, 1891. All records agree on birth month and year of March 1891.

Baptized: Chapel of Kilbehenny, , County , . Mitchelstown is now part of County .

Mother: Mary Tobin (daughter of Patrick Tobin) Father: Matthew Walsh (son of Thomas Walsh and Johanna Fennessey) Father's Date of Birth: August 5, 1855 Parent's Date of Marriage: February 14, 1885 at Chapel of Kilbehenny, Mitchelstown, , Ireland.

Upon his marriage Matthew Sr. inherited the family farm of Coolboy owned by his parents Thomas Walsh and Johanna Fennessey. It appears Matthew Jr. inherited the farm as the oldest son still in Ireland. His brother Maurice had already immigrated to Connecticut. His brothers Patrick and Thomas followed.

Matthew Walsh Sr. and Mary Tobin had 11 children. According to the 1901 Census of Ireland Matthew Jr. was the 4th.

Brothers: Maurice, Patrick, William, Peter, Thomas, Michael Sisters: Hannah, Bridget (Bertha), Pauline, Helena (Lena)

Of the eleven children Maurice, William, Hannah and Michael died young in Ireland. Peter, Pauline, and Helena (Lena) remained in Ireland. Patrick, Matthew, and Bridget (Bertha) immigrated to the United States. Thomas immigrated to Australia. Peter and Pauline were twins.

Immigration: Matthew immigrated to the United States in 1909 at age 18. He sailed aboard the Carmania from Queenstown, , Ireland on June 9, 1909 arriving June 16, 1909 at Ellis Island. He was sponsored by his uncle Thomas Walsh of Derby, Connecticut (brother of his father Matthew Walsh). Matthew’s older brother Patrick was already living in Derby. Patrick sailed on the Majestic from Queenstown (now Cobh), County Cork, Ireland on December 9, 1905 arriving December 14, 1905. It is believed Patrick was sent to help his uncle Thomas Walsh with the butcher shop. Matthew is also listed on the ships manifest for the Lusitania which sailed May 30, 1909 and arrived in New York June 4, 1909. That entry is scratched through. His application for citizenship reflects immigration on the Carmania. When it was confirmed that Matthew Walsh passed through Ellis Island his name was submitted to be inscribed on the Immigrant’s Wall of Honor. This was a Father’s Day gift in June of 2002 from Debbie Walsh to her father William J. Walsh.

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Most of the Walsh relatives lived in Torrington and Derby Connecticut. It is believed Matthew moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts because his uncle Patrick Tobin, his mother’s brother, was living there. He met and married Nellie O’Connell and raised six children. He was naturalized on September 25, 1922 at the age of 31 in Essex County Court. His certificate number is 1526451. He had three children at the time of his naturalization - Matthew, Joseph and Mary. His occupation on both the 1920 US Census and his Declaration of Intention is fireman.

Marriage: Matthew Walsh married Nellie O'Connell at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lawrence, Massachusetts on April 29, 1914. Witnesses were Francis Tobin (a cousin to Matthew) and Irene Casey.

Children: Matthew Joseph (12/4/1914 – 11/1/1988), Joseph Francis (8/27/1917 – 5/16/1970), Mary Ellen (4/7/1920 – 6/4/1938), Eileen (11/25/1924), Dennis John (11/6/1926 – 9/17/1974), and William Joseph (9/10/1929)

Addresses: 31 Eighth Street, Derby, CT (address of Uncle Thomas Walsh who sponsored him) 83 Osgood Street, Lawrence, MA (address at time of marriage 1914) 235 Farnham Street, Lawrence, MA (address at time of 1920 Census and in1922 the year his Declaration of Intention and Petition for Naturalization was filed) 244 Farnham Street, Lawrence, MA (address at time of birth of son Dennis 1926) 177 South Union Street, Lawrence, MA (address at time of 1930 Census) 16 Falmouth Street, Lawrence, MA (address at time of death of daughter Mary Ellen 1938) 71 Boxford Street, Lawrence, MA (address at time of his death 1944)

Occupations: Fireman - Woolen Mill (as listed on the 1920 Census) Lineman - Electric Company (as listed on the 1930 Census)

Social Security Number: 018-05-6737

Grandparents: Thomas Walsh and Johanna Fennessey – children were Johanna (12/16/1848), Maurice (6/9/1851), Ellen (4/24/1853), Matthew (8/5/1855), Mary (3/28/1858), Patrick (7/17/1860), Thomas (11/2/1865).

Johanna, Maurice, Patrick, Thomas and Ellen immigrated to the US. Johanna to Missouri. Maurice, Patrick and Ellen to Torrington, CT. Thomas to Derby, CT. Mary immigrated to Australia. Matthew remained in Ireland.

Date of Death: February 1, 1944 (Age 52) Lawrence, MA

Buried: Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, North Andover, MA. Stone at Holy Sepulchre reflects year of birth as 1892 which is incorrect. That is the year of baptism that was

Mary G. Walsh 2 1/25/2004 9:20 PM reflected on Catholic marriage certificate. That was the only information available at the time. Research in Ireland was done subsequent to that. All records (civil birth, baptismal and naturalization) indicate a birth year of 1891.

For many years – since the death of Matthew’s daughter Mary Ellen in 1938 – the grave was marked with a granite urn. The only name on the base of the urn was Mary Ellen who was the first burial in the plot. After many years in the elements the name “Mary” was barely legible. All that was easily visible was “Ellen”. In the late 1990’s Jack Markey (son of Eileen Walsh Markey) replaced the urn and reflected the names of all buried there: Matthew Joseph Walsh (1891 – 1944), his wife Nellie O’Connell Walsh 1893 - 1940, their children Matthew Joseph Walsh (1914 - 1988), Joseph Francis Walsh (1917 - 1970), Mary Ellen Walsh (1920 - 1938), and two of Matthew’s grandchildren, Barry Michael Walsh (1958 – 1958) son of William Walsh and Dennis Walsh - son of Matthew Walsh.

Matthew’s son Dennis J. Walsh (1926 – 1974) is also buried in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in a separate plot.

The Evening Tribune – Lawrence, Mass – Wednesday, February 2, 1944

Matthew J. Walsh

Matthew J. Walsh, 71 Boxford Street, died Tuesday morning at the family home. Although he had been in poor health for more than a year, his death came as a shock to relatives and friends. A resident of this city for 35 years, he was employed as a cable splicer for the Lawrence Gas and Electric Company. He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Mr. Walsh was a devout attendant of St. Patrick’s Church and was a member of St. Patrick’s Holy Name Society.

He is survived by a daughter, Eileen of Lawrence; four sons, Matthew Jr., who is with the United States Army in Sicily; Joseph F., Dennis J., and William J. Walsh; his father, Matthew of Ireland; two brothers, Patrick Walsh of Derby Conn. and Thomas of Australia; two sisters, Mrs. John O’Connell of Hamden, Conn., and Mrs. Lena O’Brien of Ireland and several nieces and nephews.

The funeral will be held from the late home Friday morning with a solemn high mass of requiem at 10 o’clock in St. Patrick’s Church. Burial will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, North Andover.

The Evening Tribune – Lawrence, Mass – Wednesday, February 2, 1944

Matthew J. Walsh

The funeral of Matthew J. Walsh, 71 Boxford Street, who died Tuesday, will be held from the late home Friday morning with a solemn high mass of requiem at 10 o’clock in St. Patrick’s church. Burial will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, North Andover.

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The members of St. Patrick’s Holy Name Society will meet tonight at 7:30 o’clock at the corner of Boxford and South Union Streets to proceed to the late home in a body to recite the rosary.

The Evening Tribune – Lawrence, Mass – Friday, February 4, 1944

Matthew J. Walsh

The funeral of Matthew J. Walsh, 71 Boxford Street, who died Tuesday, was held from the late home Friday morning with a solemn high mass of requiem at 10 o’clock in St. Patrick’s Church. Rev. Edward T. Dunne was the celebrant, assisted by Rev. William E. Culhane as sub-deacon. At the offertory, Edward G. Meall sang “Pie Jesu,” and as the body was borne from the church Miss Agnes R. Doyle, organist, played Beethoven’s funeral march. Burial was in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery where committal services were conducted by Father Barry.

The bearers were: Frank Lundy, Eugene Sweeney, Eugene Casey, William Pontbriand, Thomas Cusick and Cornelius Coffey, Jr.

Arthur Myshall of Boston represented the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

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