I hope to get ideas how to look for my grandmother. She was Kate (Catherine) NORRIS, b. in Cork and immigrated to the USA in 1899. She told us she was born 14 Feb 1880. She did not want to talk about her past, her life in Ireland, or why she came here. She only said that her sister had already gone to Australia and there was nothing left in Ireland for her. Her father served in the Crimean War. She talked about seeing the Statue of Liberty on her arrival here. She met and married my grandfather in 1906. They then went to Alaska for the gold rush. They are well documented after that. All her US census records say she immigrated in 1899. The 1910 Alaska census lists her birth date as 1878. I believe that information must have come directly from her, given her living conditions that year. In the 1920 Alaska census, she gave the 1880 date. She was Catholic. I have never found anything that looks like her in Boston, but city directories that era don't list household help. I once found a Patrick NORRIS listed as a Crimean casualty. My cousin looked in the Dublin archives for a birth record, 10 years of either side of that 1880 date, all variations of Kate/Catherine. He did not find any record that matched. He found a series of possibilities. We settled on one as the most likely. It is Catherine NORRIS, b. 24 Oct. 1876 in Ballynabrock. Father: Patrick NORRIS, farmer; mother's former name: Anne BAILY. We found a Catherine NORRIS in Ellis Island records dated 1899. That record says she is from Mitchelstown and going to join her cousin at a NYC address. That address was the home of a wealthy Irish widow woman. In the 1900 NYC census, what looks like that Catherine is working at the House of Calvary as a maid. HofC was a hospice for terminally ill and destitute women. It was started by a group of wealthy Irish widows in NYC. The Kate who is in Ellis Island records came immediately before that charity opened its doors. I have come to believe this woman is likely our grandmother, possibly recruited in Ireland, and another servant in the widow's household, Nellie CONDON, to be the cousin. The 1900 NYC census lists Nellie as b. Ireland in 1877. I will likely never get to Ireland, but my cousin travels there on business so he could look if we had ideas where. If there are flaws in my reasoning, please advise. Loreen Wells Salem, OR USA

A Kate Norris, age 23, Irish servant, entered through Ellis Island onboard the Ship Cymric, having sailed from the port of Queenstown, Cobh, (Ireland) Ireland on 13 April 1899. She had $15 in her pocket and was en route to visit her cousin, unnamed, who lived at 12 East 9th Street in New York City. She was in good health and could read and write. Might this be your lady? If so, I found this data on the Ellis Island website, which his free and searchable. Russ Bralley Visiting in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Loreen Wells Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 3:48 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [COUNTYCORK] Ballynabrock/NORRIS I hope to get ideas how to look for my grandmother. She was Kate (Catherine) NORRIS, b. in Cork and immigrated to the USA in 1899. She told us she was born 14 Feb 1880. She did not want to talk about her past, her life in Ireland, or why she came here. She only said that her sister had already gone to Australia and there was nothing left in Ireland for her. Her father served in the Crimean War. She talked about seeing the Statue of Liberty on her arrival here. She met and married my grandfather in 1906. They then went to Alaska for the gold rush. They are well documented after that. All her US census records say she immigrated in 1899. The 1910 Alaska census lists her birth date as 1878. I believe that information must have come directly from her, given her living conditions that year. In the 1920 Alaska census, she gave the 1880 date. She was Catholic. I have never found anything that looks like her in Boston, but city directories that era don't list household help. I once found a Patrick NORRIS listed as a Crimean casualty. My cousin looked in the Dublin archives for a birth record, 10 years of either side of that 1880 date, all variations of Kate/Catherine. He did not find any record that matched. He found a series of possibilities. We settled on one as the most likely. It is Catherine NORRIS, b. 24 Oct. 1876 in Ballynabrock. Father: Patrick NORRIS, farmer; mother's former name: Anne BAILY. We found a Catherine NORRIS in Ellis Island records dated 1899. That record says she is from Mitchelstown and going to join her cousin at a NYC address. That address was the home of a wealthy Irish widow woman. In the 1900 NYC census, what looks like that Catherine is working at the House of Calvary as a maid. HofC was a hospice for terminally ill and destitute women. It was started by a group of wealthy Irish widows in NYC. The Kate who is in Ellis Island records came immediately before that charity opened its doors. I have come to believe this woman is likely our grandmother, possibly recruited in Ireland, and another servant in the widow's household, Nellie CONDON, to be the cousin. The 1900 NYC census lists Nellie as b. Ireland in 1877. I will likely never get to Ireland, but my cousin travels there on business so he could look if we had ideas where. If there are flaws in my reasoning, please advise. Loreen Wells Salem, OR USA ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.410 / Virus Database: 268.17.12/655 - Release Date: 1/28/2007 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.410 / Virus Database: 268.17.12/655 - Release Date: 1/28/2007

Thank you. This is the Ellis Island information I already have. Actually I got a copy of the ship's manifest from the Ellis Island people. That entry further says she is from Mitchelstown. I don't know whether she is my grandmother or not, although I suspect she is. I guess one of my questions is whether someone born in Ballynabrock might logically later reside in Mitchelstown. I don't know if the Ballynabrock birth is her for certain either. Just looking for ideas how to connect these different pieces of information together to see if they fit. Or not. Loreen Wells Edgar (Russ) Bralley wrote: > A Kate Norris, age 23, Irish servant, entered through Ellis Island onboard > the Ship Cymric, having sailed from the port of Queenstown, Cobh, (Ireland) > Ireland on 13 April 1899. She had $15 in her pocket and was en route to > visit her cousin, unnamed, who lived at 12 East 9th Street in New York City. > She was in good health and could read and write. Might this be your lady? > If so, I found this data on the Ellis Island website, which his free and > searchable. > > Russ Bralley > Visiting in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Loreen Wells > Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 3:48 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [COUNTYCORK] Ballynabrock/NORRIS > > I hope to get ideas how to look for my grandmother. She was Kate > (Catherine) NORRIS, b. in Cork and immigrated to the USA in 1899. She > told us she was born 14 Feb 1880. She did not want to talk about her > past, her life in Ireland, or why she came here. She only said that her > sister had already gone to Australia and there was nothing left in > Ireland for her. Her father served in the Crimean War. She talked about > seeing the Statue of Liberty on her arrival here. She met and married my > grandfather in 1906. They then went to Alaska for the gold rush. They > are well documented after that. All her US census records say she > immigrated in 1899. The 1910 Alaska census lists her birth date as 1878. > I believe that information must have come directly from her, given her > living conditions that year. In the 1920 Alaska census, she gave the > 1880 date. She was Catholic. > > I have never found anything that looks like her in Boston, but city > directories that era don't list household help. I once found a Patrick > NORRIS listed as a Crimean casualty. > > My cousin looked in the Dublin archives for a birth record, 10 years of > either side of that 1880 date, all variations of Kate/Catherine. He did > not find any record that matched. He found a series of possibilities. We > settled on one as the most likely. It is Catherine NORRIS, b. 24 Oct. > 1876 in Ballynabrock. Father: Patrick NORRIS, farmer; mother's former > name: Anne BAILY. > > We found a Catherine NORRIS in Ellis Island records dated 1899. That > record says she is from Mitchelstown and going to join her cousin at a > NYC address. That address was the home of a wealthy Irish widow woman. > In the 1900 NYC census, what looks like that Catherine is working at the > House of Calvary as a maid. HofC was a hospice for terminally ill and > destitute women. It was started by a group of wealthy Irish widows in > NYC. The Kate who is in Ellis Island records came immediately before > that charity opened its doors. I have come to believe this woman is > likely our grandmother, possibly recruited in Ireland, and another > servant in the widow's household, Nellie CONDON, to be the cousin. The > 1900 NYC census lists Nellie as b. Ireland in 1877. > > I will likely never get to Ireland, but my cousin travels there on > business so he could look if we had ideas where. If there are flaws in > my reasoning, please advise. > > Loreen Wells > Salem, OR USA > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

Thank you for this response. This is the Ellis Island information I already have. Actually I got a copy of the ship's manifest from the Ellis Island people. That entry further says she is from Mitchelstown. I don't know whether she is my grandmother or not, although I suspect she is. I guess one of my questions is whether someone born in Ballynabrock might logically later reside in Mitchelstown. I don't know if the Ballynabrock birth is her for certain either. Just looking for ideas how to connect these different pieces of information together to see if they fit. Or not. Loreen Wells Salem Oregon USA Edgar (Russ) Bralley wrote: > A Kate Norris, age 23, Irish servant, entered through Ellis Island onboard > the Ship Cymric, having sailed from the port of Queenstown, Cobh, (Ireland) > Ireland on 13 April 1899. She had $15 in her pocket and was en route to > visit her cousin, unnamed, who lived at 12 East 9th Street in New York City. > She was in good health and could read and write. Might this be your lady? > If so, I found this data on the Ellis Island website, which his free and > searchable. > > Russ Bralley > Visiting in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Loreen Wells > Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 3:48 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [COUNTYCORK] Ballynabrock/NORRIS > > I hope to get ideas how to look for my grandmother. She was Kate > (Catherine) NORRIS, b. in Cork and immigrated to the USA in 1899. She > told us she was born 14 Feb 1880. She did not want to talk about her > past, her life in Ireland, or why she came here. She only said that her > sister had already gone to Australia and there was nothing left in > Ireland for her. Her father served in the Crimean War. She talked about > seeing the Statue of Liberty on her arrival here. She met and married my > grandfather in 1906. They then went to Alaska for the gold rush. They > are well documented after that. All her US census records say she > immigrated in 1899. The 1910 Alaska census lists her birth date as 1878. > I believe that information must have come directly from her, given her > living conditions that year. In the 1920 Alaska census, she gave the > 1880 date. She was Catholic. > > I have never found anything that looks like her in Boston, but city > directories that era don't list household help. I once found a Patrick > NORRIS listed as a Crimean casualty. > > My cousin looked in the Dublin archives for a birth record, 10 years of > either side of that 1880 date, all variations of Kate/Catherine. He did > not find any record that matched. He found a series of possibilities. We > settled on one as the most likely. It is Catherine NORRIS, b. 24 Oct. > 1876 in Ballynabrock. Father: Patrick NORRIS, farmer; mother's former > name: Anne BAILY. > > We found a Catherine NORRIS in Ellis Island records dated 1899. That > record says she is from Mitchelstown and going to join her cousin at a > NYC address. That address was the home of a wealthy Irish widow woman. > In the 1900 NYC census, what looks like that Catherine is working at the > House of Calvary as a maid. HofC was a hospice for terminally ill and > destitute women. It was started by a group of wealthy Irish widows in > NYC. The Kate who is in Ellis Island records came immediately before > that charity opened its doors. I have come to believe this woman is > likely our grandmother, possibly recruited in Ireland, and another > servant in the widow's household, Nellie CONDON, to be the cousin. The > 1900 NYC census lists Nellie as b. Ireland in 1877. > > I will likely never get to Ireland, but my cousin travels there on > business so he could look if we had ideas where. If there are flaws in > my reasoning, please advise. > > Loreen Wells > Salem, OR USA > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

Loreen, I found a Katie Norris, arriving June 1, 1894 from Queenstown on the Brittania, aged 18, no address in Ireland, a servant, going to Chicago. My belief is that the Mitchelstown Kate Norris is your ancestor based on one fact from the actual manifesto of the ship Cymrie out of Queenstown on April 13, 1899. Based on your report that she could not decide what her birthday was, it seems significant that she first reported her age on the manifesto as 21 and then changed it to 23. Her actual birth was probably 1878. You may actually be able to crosscheck her birthdate by checking baptisms for Mitchelstown ,on microfilm #POS4993, available, to view for free, at the National Library, Kildare Street, Dublin. Website is www.nli.ie, which gives you more detail concerning opening times etc. Bill Fahy www.westcorkgenealogy.com

Bill, I appreciate your response. I think the same as you and partly for the reason you cite. And if she is the same woman I found in the NYC census in 1900, that record gives a different birth date yet. I have a list of 16 Kate/etc. Norris births from the Dublin archives for that approximate era. None of them matches any of the dates in the US records I have. I have found other immigration records for that name who don't match the immigration date our Kate gave. She was very consistent about when she came, so I am inclined to believe we can trust that date. Thank you for your referral to the baptism records. I'll give your information to my cousin for his next trip. Do you have any suggestions how to find out more about the family listed in that birth record? For instance, if I get the baptism record would that tell me in which church the baptism took place? Would that church then maybe have more family records? I think if I could find the other children born to the same parents and there are no other girls, for instance, I can eliminate that birth. Or, if I could find other daughters for one of whom I can find emigration to Australia, that might help me fit it all together. I thought the Australia reference might help me, also the Crimean War. If I could find both in one family that also includes Kate, that find would certainly be persuasive. Loreen Wells Salem Oregon USA William P. Fahy wrote: > Loreen, > I found a Katie Norris, arriving June 1, 1894 from Queenstown on the > Brittania, aged 18, no address in Ireland, a servant, going to Chicago. > My belief is that the Mitchelstown Kate Norris is your ancestor based on one > fact from the actual manifesto of the ship Cymrie out of Queenstown > on April 13, 1899. Based on your report that she could not decide what her > birthday was, it seems significant that she first reported her age on the > manifesto as 21 and then changed it to 23. Her actual birth was probably > 1878. You may actually be able to crosscheck her birthdate by checking > baptisms > for Mitchelstown ,on microfilm #POS4993, available, to view for free, at the > National Library, Kildare Street, Dublin. Website is www.nli.ie, which gives > you more detail > concerning opening times etc. > > Bill Fahy > www.westcorkgenealogy.com > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >