This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: Roseann_Clavelli Surnames: DURKIN Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.durkin/51.153/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Nora, I am searching for Durkins in Bethlehem, PA - not far from Whitehall (outside Allentown, PA) and in the same time frame as you - and earlier in Brooklyn. My surnames of major interest are McFadden, Curran and Coll - but Durkins fit into my collateral lines. (More on this later.) I also am interested in the "Bird" surname, as one of my family is supposed to have married a Leo? Bird in the same area of Pennsylvania, and I have never been able to unearth a thing about him. Here's my Durkin connections: Lucinda Best married Hugh Durkin, who was killed in a railroad accident in the late 1800s in Bethlehem. She then went on to remarry to my widowed great-great grandfather, Francis Achtermann, in Bethlehem soon afterward in a very social celebration described in great detail in the local newspaper. Lucinda Best Durkin Achtermann became known for her charitable works then, as my great-great grandfather was fairly well-to-do, owning a restaurant/ice-cream shop/inn and properties. At the time of her marriage, Lucinda had a daughter, Ida Durkin. Ida later became a registered nurse who never married and died about 1939. Ida was the sponsor for my dad's baptism so the Durkin side remained close to my McFaddens throughout their lifetime. Lucinda and Ida are buried in our family Achtermann plot in Bethlehem. (From research, it appears Hugh had a brother Thomas married to Bridget, also in Chestnut Hill area of Bethlehem.) There was (another??/the same??) Hugh Durkin in Bethlehem about the same time with a daughter named Annie. She married Lawrence Broughal and they moved to the mid-west where she died within a few years of their marriage. Lawrence had a brother who was a priest in Philadelphia. Descendants of this Broughal line were also best friends with my parents in Bethlehem. Other newspaper accounts show that Hugh Durkin (not sure which one) had an "adopted" daughter. It is not clear to me if that "adopted" daughter was Ida Durkin or Annie Durkin. There was some great "mystery" regarding Ida, and later her death seemed a bit suspicious. She was found in her home after several days, and a "boarder" reported it. I could never find any police follow-up to this. So, while there are no direct links to your line that I can establish at the moment, there are little bits and pieces of interest -- similar locations, names, etc. I'd like to explore this further if you contact me directly at clavelli@aol.com. Thanks in advance. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.