Feb. 1, 1887 Condolence Letter From Cousin Ellen Leonard Rooney in Springfield, MA

February 21, 2018

Ellen Leonard Rooney (c. 1849-1932) was the daughter of John Leonard and Bridget Armstrong Leonard of Kilcummin Townland in County Sligo, Ireland. In Ellen’s 1887 letter to John F. Armstrong, she addressed him as “My Dear Cousin John” and closed with “I remain your ever dear cousin, Ellen Rooney”. In addition, she enclosed her address and asked him to write to her.

JF was also addressed as “cousin” in a letter from Ellen’s younger sister, Beesy Leonard Carmody. Kate Leonard, Ellen and Beesy’s older sister, stayed in touch with JF and was close to his sisters Kitty and Ann, who visited her from County Sligo in the spring of 1887.

Ellen’s father, John Leonard, and JF’s mother, Anne Leonard Armstrong, were likely siblings in County Sligo. It is also possible that Ellen’s mother, Bridget Armstrong Leonard, was Francis Armstrong’s sister. If this is true, then JF was first cousin to Ellen and her siblings through both his mother and father.

Griffith’s Valuation, a survey and valuation of Irish landholdings, was conducted in County Sligo in 1857. At that time, John Leonard and Francis Armstrong rented cottages and farmlands next to one another in Kilcummin Townland in County Sligo. Ellen was born about 1849, the year JF turned four. JF lived in County Sligo until he left for the US in 1865, when Ellen was about sixteen years old.

For more information on Ellen, see the references and research notes below.

Please note that Marie Van Sant Hudson and Patricia F. Daugherty, a descendant of JF’s uncle, Thomas Armstrong, contributed substantial research to this post.

References

1870 US census, Hampden County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Springfield, p. 40, dwelling 274, family 325, Ellen Leonard, digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 February 2018); citing NARA microfilm publication T132.—-Notes: Ellen Leonard, 23, and Brigid Leonard, 18, were living together in Springfield, Massachusetts. They were in a household with Catherine Rooney, 59, and three other people, one of whom was Patrick Rooney, 24.

1880 US census, Hampden County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Springfield, page no. 19, dwelling 159, family 195, Ellen Rooney, digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 February 2018); citing NARA microfilm publication T9.—-Notes: Ellen was living with her husband, Patrick Rooney, a railroad employee, and their five children.

1900 US census, Hampden County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Springfield, sheet no. 6, dwelling 61, family 118, Ellen Rooney, digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 February 2018); citing NARA microfilm publication T623.—-Notes: A widow, Ellen was living with seven of her children. She had given birth to nine children, eight of whom were living.

1910 US census, Hampden County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Springfield, sheet no. 1B, dwelling 9, family 24, Ellen Rooney, digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 February 2018); citing NARA microfilm publication T624.—-Notes: Ellen, a widow, was living with her daughters Jane and Katherine.

Find a Grave, online database and images, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/60302533/katherine-leonard : accessed 1 March 2018), memorial page for Katherine “Kate” Leonard (c1849-1929), Find a Grave Memorial no. 60302533, citing St. Michael’s Cemetery, Springfield, Hampden Co., MA.—-Notes: Memorial page for Kate Leonard has no info on her but, interestingly, there is a photo of a gravestone with the names of her sister and brother-in-law, Ann T. Leonard (1852-1940) and William Bradley (1850-1920) and their children. At the bottom of the gravestone are two names, Jane Leonard and Kate Leonard, no dates. It’s possible that Jane was also a sibling who immigrated from County Sligo.

Griffith, Richard, “General Valuation of Rateable Property in Ireland,” Dereens and Kilcummin Townlands, County Sligo (Dublin: Her Majesty’s Stationary Office, 1857), 22, 24, and map for Francis Armstrong, occupier, Dereens and Kilcummin Townlands, Achonry Parish; “Griffith’s Valuation”, digital images, Ask About Ireland (http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation : accessed 2 March 2018).—-Notes: These are the farmlands rented by Francis Armstrong, Derreens and Kilcummin Townlands, Anchonry Parish in 1857.

Griffith, Richard, “General Valuation of Rateable Property in Ireland,” Kilcummin Townland, County Sligo (Dublin: Her Majesty’s Stationary Office, 1857), 22 and map for John Leonard, occupier, Kilcummin Townland, Achonry Parish; “Griffith’s Valuation”, digital images, Ask About Ireland (http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation : accessed 2 March 2018).—-Notes: These are the farmlands rented by John Leonard, Kilcummin Townland, Anchonry Parish in 1857.

Hampden County, Massachusetts, Marriage Registry Book, n.p., Patrick Rooney – Anna Leonard, 21 May 1871; consulted through Massachusetts, Marriage Records, 1840-1915, digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 February 2018); citing Massachusetts Vital Records, 1840–1911, 1911-1915. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts.—-Notes: Marriage record for Patrick Rooney, 26, and Ellen Leonard Rooney, 21. Ellen was listed as Anna, the same as Patrick’s mother. This may have been her middle name or a transcription error from when the information was copied from the marriage license into the bound registry. Ellen’s parents were listed as John and Bridget Leonard.

John J. Leonard, “Commonwealth of Massachusetts Record of Naturalization and and Final Admission of John J. Leonard to become a Citizen of the United States, Filed and Certificate issued 15 October 1904, petition for naturalization no. 2769 filed 26 Dec 1900;” imaged in “Massachusetts, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1798-1950,” database and images at Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 February 2018); citing Petitions and Records of Naturalization , 8/1845 – 12/1911, textual Records, 448 Volumes and 50 Boxes, NAI: 3000057; “Records of District Courts of the United States, Record Group 21,” National Archives at Boston, Waltham, Massachusetts.—-Notes: John J. Leonard, the brother of Beesy Leonard Carmody and Ellen Leonard Rooney, stated in his US naturalization papers that he had been born at “Kilcummin in Sligo, Ireland” on 15 August 1857.

“Miss Kate A. Leonard”, Springfield Republican (Springfield, MA), 27 December 1929, online archives, Genealogybank (https://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 25 February 2018), citing original p. 4.—-Notes: Kate’s obit lists her surviving siblings: Mrs. Ann Bradley and Mrs. Beesy Carmody of Springfield, MA, Mrs. Ellen Rooney of NY City, NY, and John J. Leonard of Springfield, MA.

“Mrs. Ellen Mooney [sic].” Springfield Republican (Springfield, MA), 13 February 1932, online archives, Genealogybank (https://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 25 February 2018), citing original p. 2.—-Notes: This is an obituary for Ellen Leonard Rooney, who died on 12 February 1932 at the home of her daughter in Flushing, NY.