McKENZIE / MILLER ~ O'NEIL ~ SULLIVAN ~ SHEEHAN ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ IRISH BLESSING - May your troubles be less, your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness comes through your door ! Greetings & G'day All Listers , Hope things are going well. " Wishing YOU all a great and enjoyable ST. PADDY's DAY." Good luck with your family search. All the best. Genealogy yours , Walt Grandpa Scotch-Ulster-Irish McKenzie, Sr. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Central NJ Shore* ~ Boston North Shore ~ USAmerica 1973-Present NH & Maine Coasts Boston/Somerville** Area, MA 1872-1972 Search priorities : Ire ~ Eng ~ Scot ~ USA 1681-1895 1873-1907 To 1680 1872-1955 www.remember-9-11.com WaltIrish1@comcast.net -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- God Bless Ireland & America -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *The marvelous Central NJ Shore area, like Boston, has wonderful Ire & Scot roots. The first St. Patrick's holiday was declared 3 / 17 / 1780 by General Washington in Morristown,NJ. On the evening of March 16, 1776 Gen. Washington appointed a Bgde. General named John SULLIVAN "General Officer of the Day", and the password was St. Patrick. e.g. via U.S. National Archives . . . 246th Headquarters, Morris Town. Order for the Day, 3/16/1780 by General George Washington. To recognize the inhabitants of that country (Ireland) to remove the heavy and tyrannical oppression on their rights and freedoms, to recognize these brave and generous people in fighting again for those most noble principles to promote the Cause of America, the following day, ST. Patrick's Day, is declared a holiday for all troops. Also, Spring Lake, NJ population was 53% of Irish descent followed by Avon & Sea Girt. Then there is the large annual Belmar, NJ St. Patty's Day parade. Today overall, NJ has 1.4 million or 18% of the population claiming to be of Irish descent. Note : In the NE US people don't hesitate to ask or state their of Irish descent. Once you pass into Virginia further South, no one ever mentions their Irish. **Middlesex Co. with 400,000 of Irish descent. At the beginning of the 1700's (18th century), Boston (pop. 7,000) was the largest city in America (pop. 250,000). This was the world Ben Franklin was born into in 1706. By the time he died in 1790, the newly independent USA was a far different place, one he had a hand in shaping. Due to immigration, after the 1840's Ireland famine, over 33%of Boston's population were Irish. By 1900 over 40% were Irish. In 2000, MA was 19.5% Irish, Boston 16% with the So. Shore now 35+% of Irish descent. So. Boston, was the areas 20th century Irish community. Due to immigration, after the 1840's Ireland famine, over 33% of Boston's population were Irish. By 1900 over 40% were Irish. In 2000, MA was 19.5% Irish, Boston 16% with the So. Shore now 35+% of Irish descent : Ireland 7 million America 50 million~Britain 8 million~Australia 3 million Canada ? million