Community Engagement at the intersection of genealogy and public history
This might be a good place for people to ask about families that may have not yet been mentioned elsewhere on this website.
Feel free to comment or ask about any family that may have lived or worked in Texas. There is a pdf linked below to the surnames found in the 1927 St. Joseph’s Church Jubilee.
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Hello Cassie,
We’ve exchanged messages before…can you share in what context it is mentioned and any first names that appear with the “Gunning” surname on page 62?
Thanks!
JJ Gunning Jr
The name Gunning actually appears on page 92 (error in the indexing) in a list prefaced with “Moreover, as of value to the future historian of the Parish, we subjoin the following list of the earlier parishioners, as preserved in the traditions of the parish:
IN TEXAS…
…
Gunning, John
Gunning, Richard”
There was no further information.
Mr. Gunning: you might check out the following. Maryland in the World War 1917-1919 . Open the link that shows Hati Trust.Bottom left next web page open Volume 1. When the next page opens in the upper right type in the name Gunning,click search, find. Look at and open page 829. One name stand out. Michael J Gunning living on Frisby St. Baltimore born in Texas 8/5/92 Hope this might help?
Thanks very much, Tom…pretty sure that is my grandfather!
Looking for any information on surname Warrener and Ritter
Did Patrick have a wife?
Did James come from the same area of ballykline? I also have been trying to find civil war records, I even contacted the archives, but now I know the James Banahan I found is not the same man with him residing in Maryland at that time. I have a distant relative that had told me Patrick served with confederacy and James with the union but I can’t prove that. Thank you so much for the information.
Hello Ms. Thompson I was inquiring if you any information regarding Patrick Wynn’s
Wife my cousin and I can’t seem to find information on her. Also there is James Banahan on the muster rolls for Illinois, but from your previous information that could not be him being located in Maryland at that time. A relative mentioned that Patrick joined the confederacy and James joined the union but I have no proof of that. Thank you again.
What is the list of names you posted attached to? Is it at the BCHS?
Pat, it is the 1927 St. Joseph’s Church Jubilee Book – I thought my dad had copies made for each family at one point. But there is a copy on file in the Texas collection at HSBC.
(Posting for Tom Tolan) Cassie, I was thinking Edward Toolan listed in Drumman More in the Griffiths Valuation in 1857, might be the same Edward who was in the1860 census in Texas Md., three years later. But I think the Drumman More townlands are a few miles west of Loch Kilglass, on the western boundary of Kilglass civil parish. And none of the Toolans I could find in Griffiths were in Ballykilcline. I’m pretty green at this — were some of them in the Ballykilcline townlands? I talked to Rick Stoyell yesterday. and he thought some of the Toolans were from there… I’d like them to be, because there’s such a good story there…
Thanks for keeping this site going!
Tom Tolan
Hello, I am so happy to find this page, thank you for creating it. My great great grandfather John Cooper Armstrong is described in 1877 as having property “near Texas” listed as 12 mile house on York Road. He was a stone mason. He is found on the 1877 map as “JC Armstrong in Texas Station, Ellangwan Post Office. His wife was Nancy Ellen Kelly (from Hampden Village) and his daughters married Kelly, Cockey and Halls. Any information about where his house might have been or info about the family would be greatly appreciated!
My 3x great grandfather, Michael Hines (@ 1817- Aug. 1879), came from County Kilkenny, Ireland about 1850 and settled in Texas, MD. I believe he and his sons worked in the quarry. I think I found the family in Ballyfoil (Ballyfoyle), Kilkenny, Parish of Muckalee, Ireland. This family mirrors my family in the 1860 census. Michael Hines married Catherine Brennan in Ireland. I have been looking for her date of death and burial which was after the 1860 census and before Aug. 1863. Michael remarried Margaret O’Connor in 1863 and they worked on the Owens Estate. Michael is buried in St. Joseph Cemetery. It appears that James Hines, Sr (@1813- Nov 1887 Sherwood) also from County Kilkenny, was related to Michael probably a brother. James is also buried in St. Joseph.
One set of my great-greats lived in the area between 1850 and 1865 (with at least one born in Texas). Looking for source material beyond the St. Joseph’s Diamond Jubilee book. In addition to finding out what I can about them specifically, I’m interested in knowing what their lives were like there.
What are the names and dates of your great-great grandparents?
Simon Quinn (b. 1823?-d. 1887 in Harrisburg, PA) and Anna Welsh (b. 1837?-d. 1866 in Harrisburg, PA). Simon was there with his brother James. Anna was the oldest child of John and Mary Welsh (other kids were Mary, Thomas, John, and William)/
I will see what I can find out…
Thanks! I have requested copies of the pages from the St. Joseph’s jubilee book from HSBC because those names appear in the index you posted. I’m interested in finding out everything I can about what their lives were like when they got here.
Hello!
This is a wonderful resource. You seem to really love your town.
I’m a native Baltimoron and have been chasing a 100 year old mystery centered in Texas.
My 3x great grandmother Mary Bell Oliphant was a resident at the alms house as late as 1897. She’s 80 in the 1880 Census. She was listed in the outdoor pensioners of the Towsontown paper in 1879 and 1880. The HSBC claims they have nothing on her but I find that doubtful.
If she were to die in the almshouse, what cemetery is nearby? In your opinion would she have an unmarked pauper’s grave? What churches in Texas would have served the almshouse in the late century? She may have been Catholic or Presbyterian but we don’t really know.
I have letters from the 1930s from her granddaughter
Mother Mary (Bell) Oliphant and son Joseph O., who was just fourteen worked in the Mt. Vernon Mills. Later when Joseph O. was old enough he was employed by the lime quarry in Texas, Maryland.
The records of the Texas almshouse revealed that Hester did indeed spend time there. It was later learned that “Aunt Hester” was listed as colored. Documents show that Hester also worked at a laundry on Old York Road in Baltimore, Maryland. This makes my search for the missing Oliphant-Bell documents slanted to Hester’s environment, her places of residence and her relatives, hoping they are still intact.
In another, very old letter about Mary (Bell) Oliphant, her eldest grand-daughter gave a full description of her grandmother:
“She was small, slender and short in stature, dark in complexion with coal black hair which she wore in a coil about her head. This coil was as thick as a child’s arm and when loosened covered her like a veil.”
The letter goes on to say that the grand-daughters imitated this by coiling a towel on their heads. Mary (Bell) Oliphant had one characteristic that should make it easy to identify her, she was either blind in one eye or had one eye removed.
“She only had one eye and died in a home or home for the poor…She always carried an old fashioned trunk with rounded top, covered in an untanned hide of some kind. She had it with her at this home and in it were the family papers.”
My great grandparents lived there back in the 1800s .A lot of my ancestors are buried there including my grandmother by the church. Once owners of Beaver Dam quarry all in the 1850s to the 1900s
I have been researching my family history. I was always aware that my grandfather’s family (2 parents & 8 children) was from Texas, MD. I recently learned that his brother (my great uncle) died at Springfield State Hospital in 1933. He was there for 13 years, due to epilepsy. Sad. The death certificate states his remains were returned to Texas, MD for burial or cremation. Would you be aware of a resource that might provide information regarding deaths/burials in Texas? I did check cemeteries in Cockeysville, with negative results.
If you give me some family names and some approximate years, I might be able to send information your way.
Have you tried searching his name and death date, location MD on Findagrave.com?
Yes, I did. No luck, but thank you for the suggestion.
I responded to a message from Cassie, but it disappeared, I guess. My great uncle Bernard A. Croghan was born on June 13, 1898 and died at Springfield State Hospital on June 3, 1933. His death certificate reports his remains were returned for burial to Texas, Maryland, where his mother, Catherine F. Croghan, nee Murray (1875-1911) had previously been buried. Just looking for anything about either.
Thanks again.
Btw, I did use findagrave.com to locate his father, Patrick H Croghan (1870-1936) and his stepmother, Theresa M Croghan (1876-1964). Both were from Texas, MD and are buried at New Cathedral Cemetery in Baltimore.
Greg: Here’s what I have from the 1927 Jubilee Book for St. Joseph’s Texas – it lists a Bernard as a son of this Patrick Croghan who might be your Patrick H. Croghan’s father; making this Bernard an Uncle to your Bernard. Note that it says that the younger Patrick was in Philly at the time this story was included in the 1927 Jubilee Book.
Croghan, Patrick, and wife, Bridget (Conroy) were married in St. Joseph’s Church about 1857. Both came from Ireland. Mr. Croghan was employed by Mr. John B. Connelly, owner of the Beaver Dam Quarries, as Superintendent. Nine children were born of this union of whom two are living: Patrick in Philadelphia and Ella (Kenny) in Baltimore. The deceased children are: Martin, Thomas, Mary Ann, Michael and Bernard. Mr. Croghan died in 1879, two years later Mrs. Croghan died. Parents and children are buried in St. Joseph’s Cemetery.
The grave listings for St. Joseph’s Cemetery are based pn readable headstones, and there are known burials that are not marked as such. My guess is that Bernard A. Croghan’s remains were sent to St. Joseph’s and interred in one of the Croghan plots.
Wow! This is amazing stuff. I agree, he was probably buried in a Croghan plot, along with his mother. I am quite content with that news.
Interestingly, I seem to recall being told that he lived in Philly for a time, since my grandfather (John) and many of his siblings had relocated there. My mother was born in 1927 in Philadelphia, so maybe that is related.
So, all we knew of Bernard was that, after his mother died, he and his brother (John) went to Saint Mary’s Industrial School, were they were on the baseball team with George Herman “Babe” Ruth. I have a couple of photos of the team, and there they are! After that, very little info. People did not speak of him much. I have been piecing his story together. You have made a great contribution to this effort. Thanks so much.
Best Regards, Greg
My 3rd great-grandfather Michael Murray and his wife, Margaret (nee Ryan), originally from Tuam, County Galway, settled in Texas, Maryland in the 1850s. I’m interested in learning more about his son, Patrick (my 2nd great-grandfather) and his wife, Bridget (nee Curley). I’ve visited St. Joseph’s Cemetery where Michael; his brother (I think), Thomas; Patrick and Bridget; and several of their children (John T. Murray, Mary Funkhouser, Catherine Croghan, and my great-grandfather Michael Murray and his wife Annie McGinnis) are buried, and I’m planning a future trip to the Historical Society of Baltimore County.