Hi all, Thanks to Chris and Kathy, I went searching this database... Here is what it offered that I could find pertinent to us: Account Holder: John Guilfoyle & Lizzie Guilfoyle Account Number: 37224 Date Account Opened: 11/10/1863 Place Of Birth: 1846 Dublin City, Ireland/1849 Dublin, Ireland Residence: Cor Lexington Avenue and 51st Street, Manhattan NY/530 2nd Avenue, Manhattan NY Occupation: Hospital Nurse/Housekeeper Relative: John M. (deceased) - Father Relative 2: Bridget Martin (deceased) IMMIGRATION INFORMATION US Arrival Date: 06/17/1863 Ship: Vanguard NOTES (John): 3 Sisters in Ireland. This account is shared with his wife. Please see separate listing, same account number. She was amended in on 10/14/1870. NOTES (Lizzie): Arrived when a child. Maiden name is Kirwin. This account is shared with her husband. Please see separate listing, same account number. This account holder was amended into this account in 1870. Account Holder: William Kirwan Account Number: 24978 Date Account Opened: 08/06/1860 Place Of Birth: Thurbs Tipperary, Ireland Residence: 24 Barclay Street, Manhattan NY Occupation: Coachman Relative: 3 daughters - IMMIGRATION INFORMATION US Arrival Date: 1850 Ship: J. Nesbitt NOTES: Account holder is a widower. Account Holder: Joseph B. Kerwin Account Number: 38008 Date Account Opened: 01/02/1864 Place Of Birth: 1841 New York City, New York, USA Residence: 311 West 31st Street, Manhattan NY Occupation: Pocket Book Maker Relative: Patrick - Father Relative 2: Bridget Griffin - Mother NOTES: Born on Derbrosses Street. 2 Sisters: Mary Ann and Elizabeth. Jana Chris and Kathy Kirwan wrote: > Jana and friends - Here is the URL for the Emigrant Savings Bank database: > http://genexchange.com/esb/index.cfm > > Chris Kirwan > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jana Black" <janab@slip.net> > To: <KIRWIN-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, April 09, 2000 12:53 AM > Subject: [KIRWIN] Immigrant Savings Bank > > > Hello all, > > > > This was posted to another list - could be of interest to some of us ;] > > Jana > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > There's a new area of Irish info material I've been promising myself to > look into. I don't know if > > you ever heard of the Immigrant Savings Bank in N.Y.C. It was founded, > during the Irish influx, by > > a group of educated Irish business men. As I said, most of the Irish could > not read or write. They > > lived in crowded quarters. They worked and tried to save money. The > problem was, where to hide the > > money so it would be safe. Putting it under the mattress was unsafe > because that's the first place > > a crook would look. The bank opened with a different way of making > deposits and withdrawals. When > > doing business, the Mick had a code he gave the > > teller. He gave his name, verbally, and perhaps his mother's maiden name. > There were about 3 or 4 > > different, personal, pieces of family info on his ledger card. > > Sometimes, the village or county he migrated from was listed. Needless to > say, the bank became a big > > success and is still in business today. Recently, the bank > > wanted to utilize the basement space the old records were stored and was > making plans to throw them > > out. Fortunately, someone with a brain in his head stepped in and put a > stop to the plans. The > > N.Y.C. Public Library was contacted and asked if it wanted the records. It > said, "Yes". Its taking > > time for the library to sort out the records so they can be accessed. > However," They say the > > records are in pretty good shape and have quite a bit of info, that maybe > cannot be found > > elsewhere". > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > I seem to recall first catching wind of this about a year ago.... But, > this post is brand new... If > > anyone learns the status of plans to make these records available, would > you post it to the list, > > please? > >