Charles Mehegan's sister Margaret Coughlin had large family RALPH SHERIDAN lette
-
In reply to:
Mehegan's in Boston ca 1875
10/25/00
CHARLES MEHEGAN's sister MARGARET COUGHLIN of CONCORD-ACTON MA had large family died 1908 Note grandson RALPH SHERIDAN's GENEALOGY LETTER 1973 at end below - John BarrettBarrett and Mehegan history iMargaret Mehegan Coughlan died 1908 sister of Charles Mehegan RALPH SHERIDAN letter 1973
To: [email protected]
CC: "William Joel Barrett"
Barrett and Mehegan history including Margaret Mehegan
Coughlan died 1908 Concord MA sister of Charles Mehegan
many Coughland and Sheridan descendants note 1973 letter of
her grandson Ralph Sheridan
NOTE my website is http://www.ccilink.com/barretthttp://www.ccilink.com/barrett
In one E mailed I typed this with an extra "L" - here is
the correct spelling- John Barrett
---p.96-1431 BARRETT FAMILY HISTORY Part 3 Chapter One
Barrett Family History p 75 #1254 From 1116 skeleton
for`Chapter One" History of the Barrett family" in Notebook
Two of Sophie Ruth Meranski Barrett "Red Headed Stepchild"
- additions by John Barrett marked with double parenthesis
[[....addition]] from website p 58 #1116 [[#100 Robert
Mehegan letter- #100 "Red Headed Stepchild- Memoir of the
Century "-]] TEXT: Chapter One- The Barrett Family
History--- When Jack found a letter written by Robert
Mehegan, a printer for the Boston Herald, to his son Robert
Mehegan, junior, written in [[September]] 1911 to
Evanston,Wyoming, where the son worked in the Land Office,
he [[Jack 1967]] renewed his interest in the history of the
Barrett family. Jack found the letter in his [[childhood]]
home at East SeventhStreet South Boston [[after the death
of his sister Mollie of cancer October 11, l967]]. Robert
Mehegan senior was the son of Jack's father's aunt Ellen
Barrett Mehegan, who emigrated from Ireland to Boston. The
'John Barrett' referred to in the letter is Jack's father,
and the boy 'who was serving Uncle Sam' was Jack himself.
The letter, written in Boston, to Robert Mehegan, junior,
in Evanston, Wyoming, gives a great deal of the Barrett
family history: [[September l9ll letter of Robert J Mehegan
l857-l925 to his son Robert junior then working in
Evanston,Wyoming in Federal Land Office:]] "As long as you
have fully made up your mind to visit San Francisco,we will
have to put you wise to the people that you will see and
visit.Had we known some years ago that you should be so far
away from home we could have talked over these different
relatives of ours to a greater satisfaction than to
write.You will be asked a number of questions about the
relatives in Boston and vicinity.Consequently I shall have
to climb the family tree for your inspection. The Barrett
family came from Ireland and landed in Boston in 184l
sixty-nine years ago.The family consisted of five
members,four women and one man.The man was the oldest of
the family, his name was Robert Barrett.After being in
Boston some years he married and settled in South Boston.
They had four children, two boys and two girls.Mr. amd Mrs.
Barrett died when the children were very young.Michael the
eldest of the family was about sixteen or seventeen years
old at the time and went West and went into the cattle
business.When the Grand Army had their convention in Boston
in l89l (sic-actually August,l890) he came on from the West
and visited us when we were living on Carlyle Street in
Cambridge.The last I heard of him shortly after leaving
Boston he was in a place called Somerville,New Jersey. If
he is living today he must be over sixty years old.The two
girls of the family was taken by your grandmother and lived
with us in South Boston (East Fourth near I Street until
l871) when their aunts sent for them to live with them in
San Francisco.The names of these two girls are Mary and
Kate Barrett. Mary after being in California a short time
entered religious life and has been a Sister of the
Presentation order for a great number of years. You have
seen her picture surrounded by her scholars in one of our
rooms at home.She is now in a convent located at Berkeley,a
town near San Francsico. By all means you must see her,but
the best of my opinion you will have to be accompanied by
some female relative or friend.Katie the yonger of the two
girls and about my age, never married and always made her
home with her aunts.The other member of the Barrett family
is John, and at the death of his parents went to live with
a family by the name of Thompson at City Point (640 East
Seventh) and when a young man learned the plumbing trade.He
is now in business for hmiself. and has been for some time
located on Harrison Avenue Boston directly in front of St.
James Catholic Church.He is married and owns and lives in
the Thompson house that he went to when a small boy. His
first wife died and left one boy who is now an officer on
one of Uncle Sam's battleships (correctly a Revenue Cutter
School cadet l9ll).I never saw his second wife but there
are some children. He is quite distant and does not visit
his relatives much. That is about as much as I can say
about my uncle Robert and his family who came out from
Ireland.Now for the four women of the original Barrett
family.Kate the oldest married Charley Mehegan's father and
is dead between forty and fifty years. She left three
children; Robert the oldest (l848-l9l6),whom you know,
Mary, who you never saw,and who married a widower named
Barry Sullivan who had quite a large family, and when she
died there were four children left after her.[[ (Mary
l852-l885 died in childbirth.)]].One of her stepdaughters
married Dr. Devine, one of the leading doctors of South
Boston.Regarding her own children they are all grown up and
able to care for themselves. As for Charley of course you
know all about him. [[(l857-l9ll letter carrier City Point,
five children - wife accidentally drowned l9l0 surname
Sullivan).]] You will probably be asked about Robert: [[the
writer's double cousin, whose name was the same as his
own.]] Of course you know the kind of life that he has led
and you can make it as pleasant for him as you can,not
unless you are unable to do otherwise. You know that he has
a daughter [[(Elizabeth l880-l978 lived to age 97 years
seven months) ]] who was married and had one child. Both
husband and child are dead ( she remarried l9l2 to Joseph
Hoarde in Waltham - four children, seven grandchildren more
than twenty-two great-grandchildren). The third member of
the original (Barrett) family was Ellen,who was your
grandmother (l822-l895,married John Mehegan). The other two
women of the original family is Margaret and Johanna.They
left Boston in l854 for California and are at last account
living at 2043 Polk Street,San Francisco. Johanna married a
Mr. Hession,a very industrious and good man.They had four
or five children.Mr. Hession has been dead for a number of
years and the children [[(INSERT-all the children) ]]
likewise, with the exception of one married daughter Mrs.
Fahrbach, who has been an invalid for years (Elizabeth,died
l907).The last member of the old family is Margaret.She
never married and always made her home with the
Hessions.These two old ladies at the time of the great San
Francisco fire lost all their property,which consisted of
three houses on Polk Street which was their principal
income.Since the fire I think they have only rebuilt one of
the houses,which they live in themselves.I have gone over
the Barrett family to the best of my ability but there are
numerous other relatives there that you will see and hear
about.The Colemans and Murphys and several others whose
parents in coming from Ireland to Boston (sic) never
settled in Boston but went to the Golden horn of
California. Your grandmother was the second oldest of the
four women of the Barrett family and died when we lived on
Elm Street in Cambridge sixteen years ago, and if she lived
to the present day would be eighty-nine years old.Her
sisters,whom we hope will be alive when you reach San
Francisco are about eight-five and eighty-seven years old
respectively.When they left Boston for California,it was a
far different thing than going there at the present
time.The was no railroad running from the Atlantic to the
Pacific and only taking a few days to get there.The only
way overland was the prairie schooner, and the other way
was by boat from New York to the Isthmus of Panama and then
up the Pacific Cost to San Francisco. It was a far
different place than you will find on your arrival.Among
other people you will be asked about is "Auntie Mehegan."
She was the second wife of Charley Mehegan's father and
came over Charlie when he was a very small boy.As you are
well aware,she died last November (1910) and she did not
die in South Boston but at the home of her nephew Timothy
Sullivan on Hanover Street,Boston.He is a bachelor and over
sixty years old., and his housekeeper is his aunt,who is a
sister of "Auntie Mehegan" who is over eighty years old and
blind and never married. She spent a great number of years
in San Francisco and is well known to the old ladies
there.They were acquaintances of theirs when the lived in
Ireland years ago.These things that I have gone over you
will find useful on your visit. (Sophie Barrett note - Jack
spoke often to me about his aunt Sister Mary Joseph and
about his great aunts who crossed the isthmus of Panama by
muleback.) [[Robert Barrett died Dec. 1859 of lung disease
on Goddard St., which became W. Eighth Street between Lark
and E Sts,. Charles Mehegan immigrant railraod builder to
Concord N.H. died l868. His first wife Kate Barrett died
l863. His seond wife "auntie" Mehegan lived to l9l0. A
grandniece Mrs. Kelleher was located Ballinreesig Cork
l971. -add end-]] SOPHIE text at p 305: [[From
Massachusetts probabe records]] Jack learned that Robert
Mehegan junior had died in the early 1930s [[1933]] and had
left a widow Elvira Mehegan and four children: Eileen,
John, Edmund, and Paul. He believed Elvira had returned to
Evanston, Wyoming. I sent a letter to the Catholic Church
in Evanston, Wyoming to inquire about Mrs. Mehegan, and the
priest forwarded my letter to Elvira in Denver, Colorado.
She wrote me promptly explaining that she had settled in
Denver after retiring from teaching school [[ for thirty
years 1933-1963]] in Evanston. Her daughter [[Eileen]] and
her son John were living in Denver, so she decided to take
a home in Denver to be near them. On October 10, 1970 she
wrote: [[ from #64 Elvira letter 1970-Elvira Mehegan 3870
East Wesley Avenue, Denver Colorado 802l0.August l6,l970:
"Dear cousin Sophie,Your letter sent to the Catholic Church
in Evanston, Wyoming was sent to me. I had heard of the
Barretts who were relatives of the Mehegans but had never
met any of them.I met Robert Mehegan junior when he worked
in Evanston.We were married in August l920.My married life
was all spent in Boston & Arlington (Massachusetts). We had
four children- one girl Eileen & three boys,John Edmund &
Paul. Robert's father died in l925 his mother in l940 & his
only sister in l964.My husband died in l933.After his death
I came back to Wyoming to earn a living for myself & four
children teaching school.I retired from teaching in
l963.Then I moved to Denver to be near Eileen.I live alone
in a small house about two miles from Eileen.My four
children are all married.Eileen has two girls and one
boy.John lives in Boulder colorado. He has three boys & one
girl.Edmund lives in DesPlaines Illinois. about fifteen
miles northwest of Chicago.He has two girls & one boy.Paul
lives in Canoga Park, California about fifteen miles north
of Los Angeles He has four girls & one boy.I have quite a
collection of grandchildren to visit.I do not see those who
live away from this area very often.I was very pleased to
get your letter & learn that someone in the East is still
interested in the Mehegans. yours truly, Elvira Mehegan."
be near them. #95-- 3870 E. Wesley Ave, Denver Colorado
80210 Oc 10, l970 Dear Sophie and John, I want to thank you
for all the information you have sent me concerning the
Mehegan-Barrett family and also apologize for being so slow
in replying. I have not been well due to a "flu" session
and eye trouble.I expect a call the first of next week from
the eye specialist telling me if I am to have a cataract
operation. Due to other trouble in the retina there is a
question if the operation will solve the problem. You will
understand it is not possible for me to answer all your
letters in detail. Since I sent you the post card dated
l9l5 I found information in an old suitcase of my Bob's. It
is an account of his trip to California. It is dated Oct
ll, l9ll to Oct. 22. He mentions a Public Lands Convention
held in Denver which he attended. He reported for work in
the Land Office September 27, l911. He mentioned receiving
a letter from Sister Mary Joseph Barrett 2043 Polk Street
San Francisco also Miss Kate Barrett was writing to her
nephew, who was in the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service . Oct.
12 Bob heard from him from New London. I assume that was
your husband and father. One thing mentioned that does not
apply to the family but was of interest to to me In
Evanston Bob paid a dollar a day for room and board in a
private family.Bob's trip to San Franciscisco He left
Evanston Sept 5, l911 on the OVERLAND Limited, a
coal-burning engine that gave off cinders at Ogden,Utah an
oil burning engine was substituted.Great Salt Lake was
crosssed over a man-made cutoff a big project of fill-in
rock. When the train reached Oakland,all had to transfer to
ferry to cross the Bay to San Francisco. He visited many
places in San Francisco, then on September ninth he went to
visit relatives at 2043 Polk St. There he met the Hessions,
Barretts and other relatives. Mrs.Hession's home was near
Market street. Miss "Auntie" Barrett and Kate Barrett lived
with her. The big l906 fire destroyed her property,which
had to be rebuilt. Auntie Kate was Robert,Senior's first
cousin. Besides the three women, he learned about Sister
Mary Joseph, the Kerrigans, Colemans, Murphys, Fahrbachs
and Rings. Miss Kate Kerrigan was the onlyone he
met.(Sophie Barrett note'-We have since learned that Kate
Kerrigan was the daughter of Mary Barrett, a fifth sister
who did not leave Ireland with her brother Robert and four
sisters, Kate, Ellen, Johanna, and Margaret.She married a
Mr.Kerrigan of Ballymartle near Kinsale, county Cork, and
her daughters Kate Kerrigan and Mrs.John Ring went to San
Francisco in l897. Ella Collins of Moskeigh managed to
trace these relations as her mother's niece Mrs. Joan Ring
Finn of Scart, Ballinhassig was a niece of John Ring and
remembered corresponding with his wife,their aunt by
marriage and a Barrett descendant. There were a number of
Ring relations in the Bay area, but of these only Mary
Mathews of San Bruno was a surviving Barrett descenant in
the l970's. Mrs. Eva Kimbrough of Berkeley was a member of
the Ring line and knew much family history. Her daughters
attended the Presentation School in Berkeley where Sister
Mary Joseph Barrett was Mother Superior in l9ll.- end
Sophie Barrett note) continuing Elvira Mehegan letter]]-He
had eight meetings with these people. They told him of the
western relatives and he told them of those in the East.
They treated him very well. While Mrs. Hession was elderly
and wrinkled, she was very active physically and mentally.
She helped her relations and started Mr. Fahrbach in
business. Mr. Hession was a highly educated man a civil
engineer and surveyor. The Hessions had three children
Robert,John and Mrs. Fahrbach.Robert married but John did
not. Both died within six months of each other. John was a
letter carrier.Mrs. Fahrbach died about l907. The next
person mentioned is Kate Barrett-Robert Mehegan senior's
first cousin. She spent her time helping her older
relatives. These ladies and Bob went to Berkeley to visit
Sister Mary Joseph on September 18. They discussed the
eastern relatives.She was very active.There was a
discussion of the Kerrigans, Colemans,and Murphys.Bob's
last visit at 2043 Polk Street was September tenth.Kate
Kerrigan unmarried was the daughter of Bob's grandmother's
oldest sister. Kate's sister Johanna had married a Ring.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Murphy were dead at the time. Two grown
sons survived.They had not kept close to Mrs.Hession.On
September 20th Bob took a steamer for Los Angeles.At that
time Mrs. Johanna Hession , Kate Kerrigan, the two Murphy
boys, and Miss Coleman were the only remaining relatives.
On September25th he left for the return trip to Evanston,
Wyoming. Bob wanted to attend college in l9l0 but due to
his father's accident when his hand was caught in a press
he had to take a business course by correspondence.After
passing the Civil Service test he was assigned to the Land
ofice in Evanston, WyomingSeptember 27, l9ll-Elvira
Mehegan." On October 16, l970 Mrs. Jessie Fahrbach from
from Oakland California" Your letter of October 11, l970
was received and its contents noted with great
interest.Strangely enough I know very little about the
Fahrbach family, as I shall explain. I was married to
Robert Fahrbach senior in l934 having met him in l932.
Consequently I know very little about his family previous
to that time. Robert and I had a son in l936, who is
Robert, junior.I do know that my Robert's father, Emil
fahrbach,married Elizabeth Hession,the daughter of Johanna
Barrett Hession.Elizabeth died in l907 when Robert was
thirteen years of age.Robert's father remarried after
Elizabeth's death.They were deceased when I met Robert.Your
mention of Robert Fahrbach having married in l923 is no
doubt true.I was not Robert's first wife.Their marriage
ended in divorce.Robert's and my marriage also ended in
divorce. However, there was no ill feeling, and we kept in
touch until he died in l967. Robert's father was highly
respected in business circles in San Francisco.Robert
senior also thought a great deal of his mother.In fact I
have a picture of her which was among Robert's personal
belongings which I received after his death.She was a very
beautiful woman- Jessie Fahrbach" On October 9, l970 Edmund
Mehegan of DesPlaines Illinois, son of Robert Mehegan
junior, wrote: "My grandfather Robert Mehegan senior and
Johanna (Alberts) Mehegan had nine children but only two
lived to adulthood.Robert Mehegan,junior (my father) and
his sister Annie, my aunt.I understand that my father's
health was somewhat delicate and for that reason he was
advised by his doctor to try a Western climate.I think he
must also have had some wanderlust judging by the records
you have sent- he came by honestly. At any rate he went to
Evanston Wyoming about 1909 or l9l0 where he worked for the
Post Office [[Land Office]] Department. To my knowledge
there was no particular reason for choosing Evanston as
opposed to any other Western town.He had no friends or
relatives there that I ever heard of.He lived in Evanston
in l9l0 and l9ll and met my mother at that time. But he
returned to Boston until l9l9 or l920(worked at Boston Army
Base-note) when he again went to Evanston long enough to be
married.They returned to Boston, where thirteen years and
four children later he died l933. Through the efforts of
her sister my mother was able to get a teaching job in
Evanston Wyoming and so again a trip was made west. My
mother moved to Denver after she reitred about l964. Eileen
my sister returned to Boston about l938-l939 to study
nursing. As to the famous document written by my
grandfather, I find it fascinating not only as a family
record but as a historical account of the lives and times
of nineteenth century America..After seeing the copy of the
typewritten original which you sent, may I venture that
{A}. You do have the original- and other pages with the
salutation and signature were removed because they
pertained to matters other than family history. {B}.The
second and more logical conclusion is that when my father
returned to Boston he made typewriter copies of the
original to preserve the information and pass it on to
other relatives. He would have no need to add a salutation
or a signature since he was copying (his father's) own
letter.I am quite sure he knew how to type.Were the
handwritten corections on the original when you found it
(typed date l842 is changed in pen to l841) I have tried to
compare them with my father's handwriting on the
postcards,but I cannot tell - the "M" in Margaret seems
similar but there are differences.I want to thank both of
you for your letters. Aunt Annie had some chairs of my
grandmother's that I told her I wanted her to will to me.
My sister was in Boston with her when she was dying and
telephoned me about the chairs. Annie passed on a few days
later.Eileen called but in her opinion the chairs dated
only from the late l890's and the cost would have been
prohibitive to have them crated and shipped. Eileen
salvaged a few old vases and pictures and divided them
between us, but the letters are gone forever. My mother has
very few relics from Boston as it was not practical in the
depression to ship them- Edmund Mehegan. " [[P.312 NOTEBOOK
TWO]] In his research on the Barrett family John learned
that the girl referred to in the 19ll document as the
daughter of Robert Mehegan who had lost her husband and her
child had been named Elizabeth [[Mehegan]]Peiper. He found
that she had remarried in l9l2 to Joseph Hoarde, and that a
family of Joseph Hoarde had lived in Waltham,
Massachusetts.He wrote to the son, -also Joseph or Robert
Joseph Hoarde, who telephoned to John early in October l970
saying his mother was to celebrate her ninetieth birthday
the next day October 8. She had three living children - his
sister Mrs. Julia Maloney of Brighton, his sister Mary
Brooks of Burlington, and himself, the baby of the family,
[[born in l920]].His mother was living with Julia Maloney
and her husband:"Chick" (Charles) at 9 Bostonia Avenue in
Brighton.That evening John had a three hour telephone
conversation with Mrs. Hoarde and her daughter Julia.Mrs.
Hoarde was keen and gave him a lot of family history and
information about South Boston. Subsequently John called on
his third cousins and stayed for dinner and a hockey
evening.On Easter Sunday l971 he went to visit Julia's
daughter Janice's family the Bagnalls in Waltham, where
they had a reunion of about twenty-five member of the
family.John gave Mrs. Hoarde asn Irish shamrock whch he had
raised from seed sent by Loretto Buckley of Moskeigh..She
Mrs. Hoarde enjoyed the plant very much, as it bloomed for
her last summer. She recently celebrated her ninety-first
birthday.John also located three of the children of the
"Charlie" Mehegan referred to in the document.Charlie
became a Boston letter carrier and had five children.,of
whom three still survive l97l Dorothy Brooks in Washington
D. C. , Leonora Carty in Milton, and Eileen Brennan in west
Quincy. John also located ninety year old Richard Barry
Sullivan the son of Mary Mehegan l852-l884 who married
Barry Sullivan and had three surviving children by him.
Richard Barry Sullivan lives in Reseda, California where he
has been active in real estate for years. John had a letter
from his son Roger a lawyer for one of the railroads (later
for Los Angeles Catholic diocese). John also talked with
Richard Barry Sullivan and his wife. Richard lost his
parents in l884 and l892 played baseball for a time in
Philadelphia and spent some years in Laramie, Wyoming.His
two unmarried sisters lived in Jamaica Plain. Mrs. Hoarde
had a vivid memory that her aunt Mary Theresa Mehegan
Sullivan died in childbirth when she herself was three
years old l884. Mrs. Hoarde's mother was a member of the
large Freeman family of West Bolton Street South Boston.
Several of the Freemans were glassblowers.One group of her
Freeman cousins lived near Mattapan.Her father had an
accident involving a coal chute in South Boston but lived
until l9l6.His skull was damaged, and his brain sensitive
to possible injury. Her mother lost several babies, but her
twin sisters born in l889 lived into their eighties, though
separated by adoption after their mother's death of
tuberculosis in l894. After visiting her uncle Charlie in
South Boston and Coughlin relations in Maynard, -where she
was corrected for picking an apple blossom in the family's
productive orchard -Elizabeth, the eldest child, born
October 8, l880,worked as a housekeeper and cook in
Waltham, where she met her second husband Joseph Hoarde a
butcher in l9l2. They were married fifty-seven years until
he passed away in l969 at age ninety-two. Around l911
Boston Mayor Fitzgerald helped Elizabeth find her sister
who had been adopted by a family in Salem. Elizabeth was
often called "Lil." In her later years,she punned on James
Fenimore Cooper's novel and referred to herself as "the
last of the Mehegans." She was proficient at crocheting and
an enthusiastic baseball fan,though her great-grandchildren
played hockey. One of her sisters Mrs.Bussiere had a son
and two daughter and lived near Manchester,New Hampshire
until she passed away January 5,l97l. One of her married
daugters is Dorothy Gamache, who lives near Manchester, New
Hampshire. Mary A Lane Barrett was eighty years old when
she died January 1938.Born 1857. Buried in Mount Saint
Joseph Cemetery West Roxbury with Katie, Pa Barrett and
Mary F. Catherine Barrett died January 25, 1931.John Robert
Barrett born November 29, 1854 on Goddard Street Dorchester
now West Eighth Street passed away August 21, 1942. William
Joseph Barrett and his sister Mollie (Mary Frances) passed
away January 21 and October 11, 1967. On September 15, 1970
John jr talked by telephone with Mr. William Curtis, who
formerly lived at 638 East Seventh Street, downstairs of
the Barretts at 640. He was Pa Barrett's downstairs tenant
from about 1926 to 1937. He now lives near Gertrude
Granville in Dorchester. While living at 640 he had a young
son Bill, and his wife died in childbirth, but the young
daughter survived. Young Bill Curtis now does public health
work in Hartford, Connecticut. I remember Mr. Curtis and
Bill well from my visits at 640 in 1932 and 1933. Bill
Curtis was a chubby, pleasant young boy whom Jack's brother
Bill Barrett liked to tease. But when little Bill Curtis
tried to tease big Bill Barrett, he became very annoyed and
sent the boy home. Pa Barrett and grandfather Bill Curtis
used to vie with one another to take Bill out in his
carriage.Mr. Curtis remarried- had four children by his
second marriage. John had a pleasant conversation with the
second Mrs. Curtis. Mr. Curtis also knew Father Hasenfus,
pastor of Gate of Heaven Church at Fourth and I Streets,
who operated summer camp Five Islands on the Maine coast,
where Mollie Barrett took many photos in 1925. Mr. Curtis
recollected meeting Bill Barrett's widow the former Mrs.
Margaret Floyd and Jack's nephew William Joel Barrett at
Mollie's funeral in October 1967. -315- On May 27, 1923
Sister Mary Joseph of the Presentation Order - sister of Pa
Barrett and Jack's aunt, wrote to Jack from the Convent at
!404 Mason Street, San Francisco about her sister Kate's
recent death during May 1923. "She made a will about five
years ago. She left one-half her possessions to our cousin
Mrs. Craig (Robert Mehegan, senior's sister) -- the other
one-half is for the support of our cousin, Kate Kerrigan.
-I mean the interest of it. When she dies, you (Jack) are
to get the half. The house is worth very little. The lot on
which it is may sell for sixteen or eighteen thousand.
Another lot is valued at two thousand (dollars). One-half
of all goes to Aunt Johanna's grandson Robert Fahrbach. He
has just been married. The other half to be divided between
Mrs. Craig and Kate Kerrigan. More than two thousand will
be taken from my sister's part of the estate for debts and
late expenses of funeral and doctor. I expect to go to Los
Angeles soon after the nineteenth [[June]]. My address
there will be Presentation Convent. 4100 East Third Street.
Your father has written me that your brother has accepted a
position in New York. He is a grand young man. -Sister Mary
Joseph." -316- (the will referred to in the above letter is
the will of Sister Mary Joseph's sister - and Jack's aunt-
Miss Catherine Barrett, who died May, 1923. She had lived
with the Hessions as her aunt was Johanna Barrett Hession
-also the maiden immigrant aunt Margaret Barrett. [[Sister
Mary Joseph passed away and was buried in Los Angeles
November 1923 aged seventy-three born 1852 near St. Peter
and Paul's Church South Boston. Jack's Boston Latin
classmate Dan Lyne represented Jack, who ultimately
received slightly over three thousand dollars when Kate
Kerrigan passed away in 1926. Aunt Kate inherited half of
Johanna Hession's property, and Jack received the remainder
of his Aunt Kate's property after income for life to the
immigrant cousin Kate Kerrigan. Emil Fahrbach, son-in-law
of Johanna Hession, was executor, and Jack met him and his
son Robert when Jack visited San Francisco April 1925 on
the Pacific cruise of the light cruiser MARBLEHEAD prior to
war games in Hawaii and the fleet visit to Samoa,
Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Galapagos.]] On September
28, 1970 John received a letter from U.S. General Services
Administration in St.Louis: "Available records show that
one Charles W. Mehegan was employed as a letter carrier at
the U.S. Post Office Boston Massachusetts from July 1, 1891
to November 12, 1910, the date of his death.The records do
not contain any additional identifying information other
than that he was born in the state of Massachusetts." (This
Charles Mehegan born 1857 was the younger of two sons of
Grandpa Barrett's immigrant aunt Catherine Barrett Mehegan,
who died 1863 at 650 East Fourth Street in South Boston.
His father also named Charles Mehegan came from Ballyheedy,
Ballinhassig, county Cork. The letter carrier had a son
also named Charles and four daughters including Mrs.
Leonora Carty of East Milton born 1901 and Eileen Brennan
of West Quincy born 1904. On June 29, 1902 Elizabeth
Mehegan, daughter of Robert Mehegan 1848-1916 and Hannah
Freeman (died 1895) married Thomas E. Pieper age twenty-two
motorman. She had a child but soon lost husband and child.
In 1912 she married Joseph Hoarde of Waltham and lived at
various Waltham addresses including Ash Street. The week
before her ninetieth birthday-317- John located her through
her son Robert still living in Waltham- a Navy veteran from
the Pacific in World War Two Seabees active in Elks Club
and working in 1970s at Charles River County Club in
Newton. Julia Louise Hoarde was born February 11, 1913 and
on April 19, 1931 at age eighteen she married Charles
Mathias Maloney age twenty-two. Their five children are
Charles, Donnie, Janice (Mrs. Bagnall) Kenny, and Phyllis
(Mrs. Sparkes). There are more than twenty grandchildren
Robert Joseph Hoarde was born in Waltham May 1, 1920. Their
sister is Mrs. Mary Brooks in Burlington Massachusetts. On
August 8, l971 Mrs. Eva Kimbrough of Berkeley California
wrote to John in Moskeigh: "Dear Mr. Barrett: Received your
letter and will try to give you a little information on the
Ring family. My mother, Mary Ring Kelleher,was a sister of
John Ring from San Francisco. I remember my mother speaking
of Kate Kerrigan,whom you spoke of in your letter. She was
a sister of my uncle John's wife Johanna Kerrigan Ring.
They had two daughters and two sons. Only one son is living
now. He still lives in San Francisco. His name is Neil
Ring, but I don't know his address, as I haven't seen him
in years. I remember my mother speaking of Murphys who were
related to my grandfather, John Ring. - also a Kate
Coleman, who chummed with Kate Kerrigan. They lived at
Uncle John's home in San Francisco for a while- Eva
Kimbrough
RALPH SHERIDAN letter 1973: --7 Lindberg Avenue Maynard
Mass. June 19, 1973 Dear John, I am sorry that I did not
get around to answering your letter sooner; but at the time
it arrived in 1971 I was very much involved with writing a
history of Maynard and also Treasurer of the Maynard
Centennial Committee. Both of these affairs took just about
all of the time that was available. = I recently uncovered
your letter and decided that I would get on the ball and
give you what little information I could gather from my
foggy memory. My mother could rattle off the names of all
her relatives, but as that was during her younger years
naturally I did not pay too close attention. You can bet
that when I was working on the history of the town of
Maynard that she would have been very helpful as would have
been most of my older brothers. Unfortunately we did not
have tape recorders in those days. = No doubt if you can
get out to see Margaret Coughlin at West Concord she can
furnish some of the details you are looking for. = With my
brother Frank passing away last month - that now leaves me
the last of the Sheridans of this generation. Frank was
postmaster at Maynard since 1935 to 1963. He was in the
Legislature during the terms of Governor Ely and Governor
Curley. For many years prior to going into the Legislature
he was the leader of his own orchestra. I retired in 1963
after thirty-three years in the Department of Correction,
most of which time was at Concord. I retired as Deputy
Superintendant. So glad to be out of the business now. I
have one daughter and five grandchildren. Margaret Coughlin
was postmaster at West Concord from 1935 to 1962. Hope you
can use what little information I have provided. Best of
luck with your project. Sincerely, Ralph L. Sheridan. I am
a direct descendant of Mrs. Margaret Coughlin being the
second youngest of James and Katherine (Kate Coughlin)
Sheridan. I am now the only remaining child, as my brother
Frank passed away on May 23, 1973. He would have been
eighty years old on July 21st. = My grandmother, Margaret
Coughlin, was living with us in Maynard at the time of her
death in 1908. My grandfather, John Coughlin, died in 1902.
My memory of him is rather small because I saw him but a
few times, and while my grandmother spent her last few
months at our house in Maynard, my recollection of her is
limited as she was bedridden during that time, so we young
children did not see much of her. =My mother had a sister
Margaret who married John Fitzpatrick of Concord,- a
brother John, who married Mary Waldron of Concord,a brother
William who married Annie Whelan of Worcester, and a sister
Abbie unmarried. = My recollection of the Mehegans is quite
limited. I have heard my mother speak of living when small
with the Mehegans and attending the Gate of Heaven Church.
I can vaguely recall Robert, the printer, and Charles, both
of whom I believe were nephews of my grandmother, coming to
our house to visit her near the end. Another instance I
recall is that the wife of one of them, - I believe it was
Charles- was quite a swimmer, and became exhausted while
swimming off City Point and died as a result. I think they
had three children, Charles, May, and Grace [two more born
later Leonora 1901 and Eileen 1904]. Mary lived at our
house for a few months after the mother died [late 1910].
Charles visited a few times, and I think Grace came out
with someone to bring May home. This Charles visited quite
regularly at William Coughlin's in Acton Center. William
was my mother's brother. I saw him once about the time of
World War but have lost track of him since.I do not recall
seeing May or Grace again, but my sister Eleanor who died
in 1963 corresponded regularly with one of them, who was
known as Sister Mary Peter, St. Michael's Convent,Red Lion
and Knights Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My youungest
brother Robert, who died in 1965, worked in Washington DC
from 1935 to his retirement in 1965 -corresponded with her
and visited with her in Philadelphia several years ago. =
William Mehegan of West Concord was a regular vistor at our
house. He married a Mary O'Neil of Acton. They had one
daughter Nellie and one son Edward. Nellie had no children.
Edward had one son. All are deceased. I do not know how
William fits into the picture, except that he was a cousin
of my mother. = I never heard the name of Ellen
(Catherine?) Daley mentioned or any relatives by that name.
= As for my immediate family James Sheridan senior died in
1937 aged 85. Katherine Coughlin Sheridan died in 1940 age
81. Edward - 1952 -77. James jr. 1952 - 72. John 1960- 82.
Joseph 1958 - 76. Thomas 1885 six months. Eleanor 1963-75.
Alfred 1894 - four years. Frank 1973 -79. Harold 1962 - 66.
Ralph will be 75 on August 6 of this year (1973). Robert
1965 - 65. = John Fitzpatrick and Margaret [Coughlin] had
four children -two now living- John Coughlin and Mary had
six children - four now living. William Coughlin and Annie
had six children - five now living. Abbie Coughlin of
course was unmarried. Margaret Coughlin of West Concord and
her brother William of Littleton might be able to provide
some of the information you seek. They are both older than
I, and having lived close to the old homestead, which is
still standing, at Acton Center for many years would see
more of the visiting relatives. - Ralph Sheridan."