Patrick Scally was (arguably) the oldest son of Thomas and Jane (Covahey) Scally, born near Strokestown, County Roscommon Ireland, sometime between 1839 and 1850. Family lore has it that Patrick and his father came to Texas, Maryland first, around 1851, and that Jane followed later, with Michael, John and Malachi. US Census data on immigration lists Patrick’s year of immigration anywhere from 1869 to 1871, all of which are wrong since he was already in Texas Maryland before the 1860 Census. I have found Thomas (age 24) & Patrick (age 11months) Scally on the Montezuma which arrived in New York on 16 June 1851 but the ages aren’t exactly right. As a matter of fact, due to inconsistencies in the way ages were reported in the US Census and other places, I am not certain of the actual birth years on any of this generation. For example, Malachi appears to have been born in Ireland 4 years after his father Thomas had left for America. More on Malachi in a later post.
Regardless of whether we really know Patrick’s age on immigration, it is still important to note that his estimated birth year changes quite a bit across the years anyway. In 1860, the census lists his age as 17 (1843); likewise, in 1870, he was 26 (1844), in 1880, he was 36 (1844), and in 1900, Patrick is listed as 55 years old, born in November 1845. By 1910, Patrick is 70 years old (1840) but in 1920, he is still 70 years old (1850). Patrick was supposed to have lied about his age in order to enlist in Harry Gilmor‘s infamous Confederate regiment during the Civil War, although his date of birth on his headstone at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Texas says Jan 1, 1839. If that were his true birth date, Patrick would not have needed to lie as he would have been 22 at the outbreak of the Civil War. January 1st would make it very easy to remember your “age” at any given time of the year. I keep hoping to find a definitive source on Patrick Scally’s birth year.
Patrick married Annie Cummings in 1871 in Texas at St. Joseph’s Church. Annie was born in County Roscommon as well. Although I have no evidence that the Cummings family knew the Scally or Covahey families back in Ireland, it is highly possible that they did. There were many families from the Strokestown area that emigrated to Texas Maryland, especially during the Great Famine (1847), and we know that many of them traveled together directly to Texas after arriving in New York. Annie’s parent were Lawrence (1815-1878) & Catherine (Holly, 1820-1897) Cummings. Annie had a sister named Bridget (who married Michael Croghan of County Roscommon), a sister Mary who married Mr. Harlow, and a brother, John who was a well-known dentist in Baltimore County who never married. None of Annie’s siblings had descendants, as far as I know.
Patrick and Annie had 14 children (according to the 1900 census), 9 of whom lived to maturity:
- John F. Scally, 1871-1932,
- married first Agnes Coogan (1879-1920)
- one son, John L. Scally (1905-1961)
- then married Rose Haney (1881-1956).
- married first Agnes Coogan (1879-1920)
- Mary A. Scally, 1873-1906,
- married Albert W. Schultheis (1862-1902),
- one daughter, Mary A. Schultheis (1899-1981), my grandmother.
- married Albert W. Schultheis (1862-1902),
- Anna Josephine Scally, 1876-1944, unmarried.
- Patrick Henry Scally, 1877-1949, unmarried.
- Gertrude Catherine Scally, 1880-1965,
- married Michael P. Noppenberger (1875-1965), two daughters,
- Anna Mary (1910-1987) and
- Gertrude J. (1906-1998)
- married Michael P. Noppenberger (1875-1965), two daughters,
- Lawrence Theodore Scally, 1881-1952,
- married Margaret Frances Byrne (1883-1970), 12 children, to be the subject of another post
- Irene,
- Anna,
- Lawrence,
- Marguerite,
- Joseph Leo,
- Walter,
- Helen,
- Robert,
- Francis,
- Edward,
- Maurice, &
- Albert Louis
- married Margaret Frances Byrne (1883-1970), 12 children, to be the subject of another post
- William Thomas Scally, 1883-1957,
- married Mary Catherine Kilroy (1892-1982, sister to my grandfather), two daughters,
- Katherine A. (1918-1987) and
- Mary Dorothy (1921-1932)
- married Mary Catherine Kilroy (1892-1982, sister to my grandfather), two daughters,
- Loretta Scally, 1884-1966, married Eugene Brooks (1874-1944), two stepdaughters
- Theresa G. Scally, 1885-1951, unmarried
Below are links to some documents and newspaper clippings related to the family of Patrick and Annie (Cummings) Scally:
Patrick H. Scally, pall bearer for Joseph Magee, 1902
Scally siblings at a party, 1904
Lawrence Scally & Margaret Byrne at party, 1904
Wedding of Getrude Scally & Michael Noppenberger, 1904
Scally siblings at party, 1905
Annie Scally’s will – 2 houses, piano, 1906
Mary Scally Schultheis died 6 Oct 1906
Mary Scally Schultheis’s funeral 1906
Lawrence T. Scally, telegrapher, 1906
Scally-Byrne Wedding Annopuncement, 1906
Scally, Kilroy, Noppenberger and others at the Texas Athletic and Literary Club, 1911
Lawrence & William Scally in the Catholic Benevolent League (CBL), 1911
Agnes Coogan Scally died 23 Dec 1920
Patrick Scally died 15 July 1921
John Scally & Rose Haney marriage license, 1922
Loretta Scally & Eugene Brooks marriage license, 1924
John F. Scally died 23 March 1932
Josephine Scally died 28 Jun 1944
Eugene Brooks (husband of Loretta Scally) died 12 December 1944
Theresa G. Scally died 18 June 1951
Lawrence T Scally died 28 June 1952
Golden Anniversary for Gertrude K. Scally & Michael P. Noppenberger, 1954
Rose Haney Scally, of 214 Cedarcroft Road, death notice, 1956
Rose Haney Scally died 30 Jul 1956
Michael P. Noppenberger (husband of Gertrude Scally) died 30 January 1965
Gertrude Scally Noppenberger died 17 July 1965
Loretta M. Scally Brooks died 30 July 1966
Margaret Byrne Scally (wife of late Lawrence T. Scally) died 22 April 1970
Texas Maryland 
I enjoyed reading this. My husband’s family were also St Joseph’s parishioners and I scoured your articles looking for the name Rafferty – alas, no luck.
I have a fair amount of information on Rafferty families but not enough hours in the day to get everything on the web page at once. Are there particular things that you are looking for?
Nice to see someone watching so carefully
Gerard Scally
what ever happened to the Freeland, and McMillan families?
I need more context? Are there particular family members or details that you are looking for? If you can give me some details, I might be able to pinpoint something.
I went through the articles again and found a Rafferty listed as a pallbearer in the very first one. It may have been My husband’s grandfather James F Rafferty, but the middle initial doesn’t match. He lived in Cockeysville and was a very active member of St Joe’s at the time. He was born in a town called Oregon, MD which disappeared long ago – are you familiar with it?
Yes, Diane, Oregon was the area near Cockeysville/Beaver Dam/Texas where iron ore was mined in the early 1800s – it is now the location of Oregon Ridge Park – you can read more about it here: http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/recreation/countyparks/mostpopular/oregonridgelodge/
Hello. I read with great interest on the Scally family being associated with the Covahey family. I am retired from the Baltimore County Police Department and had worked with a Thomas Scally. We both suspected we were related as both our families came from Strokestown, County Roscommon. Do you have information on the Covahey family?
Patrick, I believe that you are my 4th cousin once removed. Your ancestor, John Covahey, born c. 1819 in Strokestown was the brother to my GGG grandmother, Jane Covahey Scally, born 1815.
If the Thomas Scally that you knew is the same person I am thinking of, yes, you are related on the Covahey side of the family, all the way back to the parents of John, Jane, and their sister Mary. Thomas is my second cousin once removed.
Thanks forr this blog post