James Carr (1875-c1950) migrated from Ireland to the United States. He worked as a bartender and as a chauffeur. (b. July 28, 1875 ; Hollygrove, Killeroran, Mountbellew, County Galway, Ireland - d. circa 1950; Bronx, or Brooklyn, or Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA)
Name:
James Carr, Jimmy Carr.
Parents:
Thomas Carr (c1835-before1901) and Bridget Conboy (c1835-after1911) of Hollygrove, Killeroran, County Galway, Ireland. Hollygrove is adjacent to Coalpitts, Ireland and some documents list Coalpits as to where the Carr family originated. Sometimes the documents would say they were from County Roscommon, because they were on the border and their parish was in Roscommon. Some generations may have been born on the Roscommon side of the border.
Birth:
He was born on July 28, 1875 in Hollygrove, Killeroran, Mountbellew, County Galway, Ireland according to the GRO birth records. He listed his birth in 1918 as "July 28, 1876" for the World War I draft registration. We know the World War I draft registration belongs to the correct James Carr because he listed "sister, Mrs. Kate Kennedy, 556 West 60th Street" and we know she belongs to the same family which has been confirmed by DNA analysis. She is Katherine Carr (1865-1951) Kennedy. The July 28, 1875 birth date also matches the naturalization record.
Siblings:
James had the following siblings: Sarah Jane Carr (1866-1950) who emigrated to the US and married Patrick J. Norton (1856-1905); Katherine Carr (1865-1952) who emigrated to the US and married James Joseph Kennedy (1870-1926); Thomas Carr II (1876-?) who stayed in Hollygrove in Ireland and married Mary Kelly; Mary Carr (1873-?) who stayed in Hollygrove in Ireland; and Andrew Carr who may have emigrated to Australia.
Migration:
James appears in the 1901 census living in Hollygrove, County Galway, Ireland with: Bridget Conboy (c1840-?) Carr, his mother; Mary Carr (1870-?), his sister; and Thomas Carr II (1873-?), his brother. He wrote that he arrived in the New York on March 17, 1908 from Cobolt, Canada aboard the Grand Trunk Railroad in his declaration of intention. He emigrated almost 20 years after his siblings arrived. He still had a thick Irish accent. There is also an entry for a James Carr arriving on September 26, 1900 from County Galway, but this contradicts the 1901 census which has our James Carr still living at home in Ireland, unless this is him visiting his siblings. There is a James Carr that arrived in New York on October 24, 1904 via Roscommon. This James Carr arrived with their cousin Bridget Conboy (1879-?) and said they were going to live with their brother Michael Carr, who lived at 64 2nd Avenue, New York. This James Carr said he was born in "1874" when he arrived, and appears to be the same person, but he must have just been visiting.
Declaration of Intention:
James Carr filed his Declaration of Intention on September 20, 1910. A Declaration of Intention is the start of the paperwork for naturalization. In his paperwork he says that he was born in County Galway on July 28, 1875 and he was currently working as a chauffer. He was 5 feet and 5 inches tall and weighed 140 pounds, giving him a BMI of 23.3. He wrote that he arrived in the New York on March 17, 1908 from Cobolt, Canada aboard the Grand Trunk Railroad. He wrote that he was living at 103 West 60th Street, presumably in Manhattan.
World War I draft:
He filled out his draft card on September 12, 1918 and listed his birthday as July 28, 1876, one year off from the correct date. He listed his next of kin as "sister, Mrs. Kate Kennedy, 556 West 60th Street". He was working as a chauffeur and living at 358 West 41st Street "c/o Kelly". His sister was Katherine Carr (1865-1951) and she was married to James Joseph Kennedy (1866-1926).
Marriage:
There is a James Carr that was married to Delia Conboy who had as their parents Thomas Carr and Bridget Conboy. This must be the same person, even though no family member alive in 2000 remembered that he was married. This person has the same parents and the same birthday, and appears in the census with two children. We know that the Conboys were cousins.
Death:
He died some time between 1948 and 1951. He doesn't appear in the New York City Death Index which covers up to 1947 and he isn't mentioned in his sister's funeral notice as living in 1951. The last time he was seen alive by a family member who remembers seeing him, was during World War II. If he died in 1950, he would have died at age 74. There is a James Carr born about 1880 who died on 7 June 1951 in Manhattan in the updated New York City death index. He is death certificate 1951-12400.
Burial:
James Carr is most likely buried in the Bronx, New York or Hudson County, New Jersey. He most likely does not have a tombstone.
Memories of James Carr:
Christopher Aloysius Enright II (1927- ) says: "We called him uncle Jimmy. He had a saloon in the Bronx and later drove a taxi. He never moved to New Jersey."
Memories of James Carr:
Anne Elizabeth O'Malley (1933- ) says: "James Carr visited us once during World War II, Katherine Carr Kennedy wasn't thrilled that he was visiting. This was on 77nd Street in Manhattan in New York. She never mentioned our uncle Jimmy again. He didn't look very prosperous."
Memories of James Carr:
Thomas Patrick Norton II (1920-2011) says: "Uncle Jimmy was a pleasant little guy. He was very successful running a speakeasy in New York. After prohibition was repealed he went out of business. He had a strong Irish brogue. He used to give out $5 gold pieces that were smaller than a dime. He gave one to each child. Giving out the coins was his trademark whenever we saw him. My dad would take away the coins and say 'I'll take care of them for you', and I would never see them again. Jimmy was a thin wispy guy who looked like Barry Fitzgerald, the actor. He probably took the tube train into Jersey City, from New York where he lived [when he visited us]. He never had a car. The train was eight cents to get into New York City from Jersey City. My grandmother, Nana, was very proud of him, he was very enterprising at his illegal saloon."
Rediscovery:
The only thing I knew about James Carr were the stories told by my father and a few family members. I had found that there was a James Carr that was married to Delia Conboy but was always uncertain that he was the same person as our James Carr. This James Carr was a mystery, everyone interviewed said that the James Carr that was a taxi driver never mentioned that he had been married or had children. Perhaps he was married and his wife died young and he wasn't involved with his children when they were older. I finally decided in 2022 that the evidence was overwhelming and the two were the same. (Source: Richard Arthur Norton on October 12, 2022)
Coalpits, Ireland:
Ann Elizabeth O'Malley (1933- ) writes: "On September 28, 1982 Fred and I drove to Roscommon in search of [the birthplace of Katherine (Kitty) Carr (1865-1952)]. We asked the postmaster for directions to Holly Grove or Coal Pits. Before leaving the U.S., I spoke to Joe Kennedy, Catherine Carr's son, who suggested that we speak to Postmaster Flannigan in Roscommon. Unfortunately he had been transferred to another office. In Athleague, the closest town of any size to Coal Pits, we asked the first elderly man we saw if he had ever met Thomas Carr. He said if it is the Thomas Carr who married Mary Kelly then he had. That was our lucky day. He directed us to the Holly Grove/Coal Pits area. We stopped in front of a two story granite house and asked a middle aged man if he knew whether this was the former residence of Thomas and Mary Carr. As luck would have it, once again he said that it was not, but that he owned the old Thomas Carr estate. His name was Mr. McCann and he said that the property had been divided and the Rourkes had built a house on a portion of the original property. He stated further that the house was in bad condition because no one was living in it and that cows had roamed through it. He also said that the house was hard to spot because it was very far back from the road. Mr. McCann also said that his mother would love to talk with us but unfortunately we could not find her house. We drove back and forth several times and finally saw an elderly woman who had known Tom and Mary. She said that they frequently cycled into Athleague. The neighbor also said that Mary loved children and often gave them sweets. We turned the car around and spotted the house high on the hill. It is hard to say how much property was originally with the house. It might be as little as twenty acres or more than one hundred. It would have been an interesting question to ask Mr. McCann. At the entrance to the property there were two stone posts. We walked approximately 600 feet straight ahead and then turned to the left and continued up a slight grade approximately 200 feet. It was a stone house with a door framed in an interlacing pattern of diamonds and ovals. There were quoins on the two front corners of the house. The front door was boarded up so we climbed through a back window into the kitchen which still had only a mud floor. At the front entry hall there was a staircase straight ahead and a hallway to the left of the staircase leading to the kitchen. There were two large rooms, one on each side of the entry hall both with interesting fireplaces. A stairway with nicely carved banisters, still intact, led to the second floor. The second floor like the first consisted of two large rooms, both with a fireplace. To the left of the house was a stone shed. There was also a spring on the property and someone said that many years ago it was used as a community spring. It was a great thrill to see the house where my grandmother was born and grew up. If only the cows had not roamed through it and destroyed the floors it would still be a picturesque house on a hill. After dinner that evening we went to a general store in Athleague and mentioned that my grandmother, Catherine Carr, was born in Coal Pits. They said that Mary Kelly's sister, Mrs. Haughey, was still alive and lived in Athleague right next to the church. We also learned that there were Carrs in neighboring Fuerty Parish. We went to see Mrs. Haughey the next day and her son came to the door and said that his mother was very low. He asked if we could come back later. Unfortunately our schedule was tight and we reluctantly headed for Donegal."
Other James Carrs:
There is another James Carr (1870-c1870) born on July 25, 1870 to Thomas Carr and Bridget Conboy, that must have died as an infant and the name was recycled by the family.
Relationship:
James Carr (1874-c1950) was the great granduncle of Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ).
Documents:
He has been found on several documents. His birth in Ireland in 1875 and the 1901 census in Hollygrove, Ireland. His declaration of intention from 1910, and his 1918 World War I draft registration.
Research:
Researched and written by Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) for Findagrave starting on March 3, 2004. Updated on July 9, 2017 with his probable death date from the updated New York City death index. Updated on October 10, 2018 with his date of birth as "1870". Updated on September 27, 2022 reversing the 1870 birth date and substituting July 28, 1875 which more closely matches the July 28, 1876 found in his WWI draft registration; and added information from his declaration of intention and naturalization paperwork.
.
Name:
James Carr, Jimmy Carr.
Parents:
Thomas Carr (c1835-before1901) and Bridget Conboy (c1835-after1911) of Hollygrove, Killeroran, County Galway, Ireland. Hollygrove is adjacent to Coalpitts, Ireland and some documents list Coalpits as to where the Carr family originated. Sometimes the documents would say they were from County Roscommon, because they were on the border and their parish was in Roscommon. Some generations may have been born on the Roscommon side of the border.
Birth:
He was born on July 28, 1875 in Hollygrove, Killeroran, Mountbellew, County Galway, Ireland according to the GRO birth records. He listed his birth in 1918 as "July 28, 1876" for the World War I draft registration. We know the World War I draft registration belongs to the correct James Carr because he listed "sister, Mrs. Kate Kennedy, 556 West 60th Street" and we know she belongs to the same family which has been confirmed by DNA analysis. She is Katherine Carr (1865-1951) Kennedy. The July 28, 1875 birth date also matches the naturalization record.
Siblings:
James had the following siblings: Sarah Jane Carr (1866-1950) who emigrated to the US and married Patrick J. Norton (1856-1905); Katherine Carr (1865-1952) who emigrated to the US and married James Joseph Kennedy (1870-1926); Thomas Carr II (1876-?) who stayed in Hollygrove in Ireland and married Mary Kelly; Mary Carr (1873-?) who stayed in Hollygrove in Ireland; and Andrew Carr who may have emigrated to Australia.
Migration:
James appears in the 1901 census living in Hollygrove, County Galway, Ireland with: Bridget Conboy (c1840-?) Carr, his mother; Mary Carr (1870-?), his sister; and Thomas Carr II (1873-?), his brother. He wrote that he arrived in the New York on March 17, 1908 from Cobolt, Canada aboard the Grand Trunk Railroad in his declaration of intention. He emigrated almost 20 years after his siblings arrived. He still had a thick Irish accent. There is also an entry for a James Carr arriving on September 26, 1900 from County Galway, but this contradicts the 1901 census which has our James Carr still living at home in Ireland, unless this is him visiting his siblings. There is a James Carr that arrived in New York on October 24, 1904 via Roscommon. This James Carr arrived with their cousin Bridget Conboy (1879-?) and said they were going to live with their brother Michael Carr, who lived at 64 2nd Avenue, New York. This James Carr said he was born in "1874" when he arrived, and appears to be the same person, but he must have just been visiting.
Declaration of Intention:
James Carr filed his Declaration of Intention on September 20, 1910. A Declaration of Intention is the start of the paperwork for naturalization. In his paperwork he says that he was born in County Galway on July 28, 1875 and he was currently working as a chauffer. He was 5 feet and 5 inches tall and weighed 140 pounds, giving him a BMI of 23.3. He wrote that he arrived in the New York on March 17, 1908 from Cobolt, Canada aboard the Grand Trunk Railroad. He wrote that he was living at 103 West 60th Street, presumably in Manhattan.
World War I draft:
He filled out his draft card on September 12, 1918 and listed his birthday as July 28, 1876, one year off from the correct date. He listed his next of kin as "sister, Mrs. Kate Kennedy, 556 West 60th Street". He was working as a chauffeur and living at 358 West 41st Street "c/o Kelly". His sister was Katherine Carr (1865-1951) and she was married to James Joseph Kennedy (1866-1926).
Marriage:
There is a James Carr that was married to Delia Conboy who had as their parents Thomas Carr and Bridget Conboy. This must be the same person, even though no family member alive in 2000 remembered that he was married. This person has the same parents and the same birthday, and appears in the census with two children. We know that the Conboys were cousins.
Death:
He died some time between 1948 and 1951. He doesn't appear in the New York City Death Index which covers up to 1947 and he isn't mentioned in his sister's funeral notice as living in 1951. The last time he was seen alive by a family member who remembers seeing him, was during World War II. If he died in 1950, he would have died at age 74. There is a James Carr born about 1880 who died on 7 June 1951 in Manhattan in the updated New York City death index. He is death certificate 1951-12400.
Burial:
James Carr is most likely buried in the Bronx, New York or Hudson County, New Jersey. He most likely does not have a tombstone.
Memories of James Carr:
Christopher Aloysius Enright II (1927- ) says: "We called him uncle Jimmy. He had a saloon in the Bronx and later drove a taxi. He never moved to New Jersey."
Memories of James Carr:
Anne Elizabeth O'Malley (1933- ) says: "James Carr visited us once during World War II, Katherine Carr Kennedy wasn't thrilled that he was visiting. This was on 77nd Street in Manhattan in New York. She never mentioned our uncle Jimmy again. He didn't look very prosperous."
Memories of James Carr:
Thomas Patrick Norton II (1920-2011) says: "Uncle Jimmy was a pleasant little guy. He was very successful running a speakeasy in New York. After prohibition was repealed he went out of business. He had a strong Irish brogue. He used to give out $5 gold pieces that were smaller than a dime. He gave one to each child. Giving out the coins was his trademark whenever we saw him. My dad would take away the coins and say 'I'll take care of them for you', and I would never see them again. Jimmy was a thin wispy guy who looked like Barry Fitzgerald, the actor. He probably took the tube train into Jersey City, from New York where he lived [when he visited us]. He never had a car. The train was eight cents to get into New York City from Jersey City. My grandmother, Nana, was very proud of him, he was very enterprising at his illegal saloon."
Rediscovery:
The only thing I knew about James Carr were the stories told by my father and a few family members. I had found that there was a James Carr that was married to Delia Conboy but was always uncertain that he was the same person as our James Carr. This James Carr was a mystery, everyone interviewed said that the James Carr that was a taxi driver never mentioned that he had been married or had children. Perhaps he was married and his wife died young and he wasn't involved with his children when they were older. I finally decided in 2022 that the evidence was overwhelming and the two were the same. (Source: Richard Arthur Norton on October 12, 2022)
Coalpits, Ireland:
Ann Elizabeth O'Malley (1933- ) writes: "On September 28, 1982 Fred and I drove to Roscommon in search of [the birthplace of Katherine (Kitty) Carr (1865-1952)]. We asked the postmaster for directions to Holly Grove or Coal Pits. Before leaving the U.S., I spoke to Joe Kennedy, Catherine Carr's son, who suggested that we speak to Postmaster Flannigan in Roscommon. Unfortunately he had been transferred to another office. In Athleague, the closest town of any size to Coal Pits, we asked the first elderly man we saw if he had ever met Thomas Carr. He said if it is the Thomas Carr who married Mary Kelly then he had. That was our lucky day. He directed us to the Holly Grove/Coal Pits area. We stopped in front of a two story granite house and asked a middle aged man if he knew whether this was the former residence of Thomas and Mary Carr. As luck would have it, once again he said that it was not, but that he owned the old Thomas Carr estate. His name was Mr. McCann and he said that the property had been divided and the Rourkes had built a house on a portion of the original property. He stated further that the house was in bad condition because no one was living in it and that cows had roamed through it. He also said that the house was hard to spot because it was very far back from the road. Mr. McCann also said that his mother would love to talk with us but unfortunately we could not find her house. We drove back and forth several times and finally saw an elderly woman who had known Tom and Mary. She said that they frequently cycled into Athleague. The neighbor also said that Mary loved children and often gave them sweets. We turned the car around and spotted the house high on the hill. It is hard to say how much property was originally with the house. It might be as little as twenty acres or more than one hundred. It would have been an interesting question to ask Mr. McCann. At the entrance to the property there were two stone posts. We walked approximately 600 feet straight ahead and then turned to the left and continued up a slight grade approximately 200 feet. It was a stone house with a door framed in an interlacing pattern of diamonds and ovals. There were quoins on the two front corners of the house. The front door was boarded up so we climbed through a back window into the kitchen which still had only a mud floor. At the front entry hall there was a staircase straight ahead and a hallway to the left of the staircase leading to the kitchen. There were two large rooms, one on each side of the entry hall both with interesting fireplaces. A stairway with nicely carved banisters, still intact, led to the second floor. The second floor like the first consisted of two large rooms, both with a fireplace. To the left of the house was a stone shed. There was also a spring on the property and someone said that many years ago it was used as a community spring. It was a great thrill to see the house where my grandmother was born and grew up. If only the cows had not roamed through it and destroyed the floors it would still be a picturesque house on a hill. After dinner that evening we went to a general store in Athleague and mentioned that my grandmother, Catherine Carr, was born in Coal Pits. They said that Mary Kelly's sister, Mrs. Haughey, was still alive and lived in Athleague right next to the church. We also learned that there were Carrs in neighboring Fuerty Parish. We went to see Mrs. Haughey the next day and her son came to the door and said that his mother was very low. He asked if we could come back later. Unfortunately our schedule was tight and we reluctantly headed for Donegal."
Other James Carrs:
There is another James Carr (1870-c1870) born on July 25, 1870 to Thomas Carr and Bridget Conboy, that must have died as an infant and the name was recycled by the family.
Relationship:
James Carr (1874-c1950) was the great granduncle of Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ).
Documents:
He has been found on several documents. His birth in Ireland in 1875 and the 1901 census in Hollygrove, Ireland. His declaration of intention from 1910, and his 1918 World War I draft registration.
Research:
Researched and written by Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) for Findagrave starting on March 3, 2004. Updated on July 9, 2017 with his probable death date from the updated New York City death index. Updated on October 10, 2018 with his date of birth as "1870". Updated on September 27, 2022 reversing the 1870 birth date and substituting July 28, 1875 which more closely matches the July 28, 1876 found in his WWI draft registration; and added information from his declaration of intention and naturalization paperwork.
.
James Carr (1875-c1950) migrated from Ireland to the United States. He worked as a bartender and as a chauffeur. (b. July 28, 1875 ; Hollygrove, Killeroran, Mountbellew, County Galway, Ireland - d. circa 1950; Bronx, or Brooklyn, or Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA)
Name:
James Carr, Jimmy Carr.
Parents:
Thomas Carr (c1835-before1901) and Bridget Conboy (c1835-after1911) of Hollygrove, Killeroran, County Galway, Ireland. Hollygrove is adjacent to Coalpitts, Ireland and some documents list Coalpits as to where the Carr family originated. Sometimes the documents would say they were from County Roscommon, because they were on the border and their parish was in Roscommon. Some generations may have been born on the Roscommon side of the border.
Birth:
He was born on July 28, 1875 in Hollygrove, Killeroran, Mountbellew, County Galway, Ireland according to the GRO birth records. He listed his birth in 1918 as "July 28, 1876" for the World War I draft registration. We know the World War I draft registration belongs to the correct James Carr because he listed "sister, Mrs. Kate Kennedy, 556 West 60th Street" and we know she belongs to the same family which has been confirmed by DNA analysis. She is Katherine Carr (1865-1951) Kennedy. The July 28, 1875 birth date also matches the naturalization record.
Siblings:
James had the following siblings: Sarah Jane Carr (1866-1950) who emigrated to the US and married Patrick J. Norton (1856-1905); Katherine Carr (1865-1952) who emigrated to the US and married James Joseph Kennedy (1870-1926); Thomas Carr II (1876-?) who stayed in Hollygrove in Ireland and married Mary Kelly; Mary Carr (1873-?) who stayed in Hollygrove in Ireland; and Andrew Carr who may have emigrated to Australia.
Migration:
James appears in the 1901 census living in Hollygrove, County Galway, Ireland with: Bridget Conboy (c1840-?) Carr, his mother; Mary Carr (1870-?), his sister; and Thomas Carr II (1873-?), his brother. He wrote that he arrived in the New York on March 17, 1908 from Cobolt, Canada aboard the Grand Trunk Railroad in his declaration of intention. He emigrated almost 20 years after his siblings arrived. He still had a thick Irish accent. There is also an entry for a James Carr arriving on September 26, 1900 from County Galway, but this contradicts the 1901 census which has our James Carr still living at home in Ireland, unless this is him visiting his siblings. There is a James Carr that arrived in New York on October 24, 1904 via Roscommon. This James Carr arrived with their cousin Bridget Conboy (1879-?) and said they were going to live with their brother Michael Carr, who lived at 64 2nd Avenue, New York. This James Carr said he was born in "1874" when he arrived, and appears to be the same person, but he must have just been visiting.
Declaration of Intention:
James Carr filed his Declaration of Intention on September 20, 1910. A Declaration of Intention is the start of the paperwork for naturalization. In his paperwork he says that he was born in County Galway on July 28, 1875 and he was currently working as a chauffer. He was 5 feet and 5 inches tall and weighed 140 pounds, giving him a BMI of 23.3. He wrote that he arrived in the New York on March 17, 1908 from Cobolt, Canada aboard the Grand Trunk Railroad. He wrote that he was living at 103 West 60th Street, presumably in Manhattan.
World War I draft:
He filled out his draft card on September 12, 1918 and listed his birthday as July 28, 1876, one year off from the correct date. He listed his next of kin as "sister, Mrs. Kate Kennedy, 556 West 60th Street". He was working as a chauffeur and living at 358 West 41st Street "c/o Kelly". His sister was Katherine Carr (1865-1951) and she was married to James Joseph Kennedy (1866-1926).
Marriage:
There is a James Carr that was married to Delia Conboy who had as their parents Thomas Carr and Bridget Conboy. This must be the same person, even though no family member alive in 2000 remembered that he was married. This person has the same parents and the same birthday, and appears in the census with two children. We know that the Conboys were cousins.
Death:
He died some time between 1948 and 1951. He doesn't appear in the New York City Death Index which covers up to 1947 and he isn't mentioned in his sister's funeral notice as living in 1951. The last time he was seen alive by a family member who remembers seeing him, was during World War II. If he died in 1950, he would have died at age 74. There is a James Carr born about 1880 who died on 7 June 1951 in Manhattan in the updated New York City death index. He is death certificate 1951-12400.
Burial:
James Carr is most likely buried in the Bronx, New York or Hudson County, New Jersey. He most likely does not have a tombstone.
Memories of James Carr:
Christopher Aloysius Enright II (1927- ) says: "We called him uncle Jimmy. He had a saloon in the Bronx and later drove a taxi. He never moved to New Jersey."
Memories of James Carr:
Anne Elizabeth O'Malley (1933- ) says: "James Carr visited us once during World War II, Katherine Carr Kennedy wasn't thrilled that he was visiting. This was on 77nd Street in Manhattan in New York. She never mentioned our uncle Jimmy again. He didn't look very prosperous."
Memories of James Carr:
Thomas Patrick Norton II (1920-2011) says: "Uncle Jimmy was a pleasant little guy. He was very successful running a speakeasy in New York. After prohibition was repealed he went out of business. He had a strong Irish brogue. He used to give out $5 gold pieces that were smaller than a dime. He gave one to each child. Giving out the coins was his trademark whenever we saw him. My dad would take away the coins and say 'I'll take care of them for you', and I would never see them again. Jimmy was a thin wispy guy who looked like Barry Fitzgerald, the actor. He probably took the tube train into Jersey City, from New York where he lived [when he visited us]. He never had a car. The train was eight cents to get into New York City from Jersey City. My grandmother, Nana, was very proud of him, he was very enterprising at his illegal saloon."
Rediscovery:
The only thing I knew about James Carr were the stories told by my father and a few family members. I had found that there was a James Carr that was married to Delia Conboy but was always uncertain that he was the same person as our James Carr. This James Carr was a mystery, everyone interviewed said that the James Carr that was a taxi driver never mentioned that he had been married or had children. Perhaps he was married and his wife died young and he wasn't involved with his children when they were older. I finally decided in 2022 that the evidence was overwhelming and the two were the same. (Source: Richard Arthur Norton on October 12, 2022)
Coalpits, Ireland:
Ann Elizabeth O'Malley (1933- ) writes: "On September 28, 1982 Fred and I drove to Roscommon in search of [the birthplace of Katherine (Kitty) Carr (1865-1952)]. We asked the postmaster for directions to Holly Grove or Coal Pits. Before leaving the U.S., I spoke to Joe Kennedy, Catherine Carr's son, who suggested that we speak to Postmaster Flannigan in Roscommon. Unfortunately he had been transferred to another office. In Athleague, the closest town of any size to Coal Pits, we asked the first elderly man we saw if he had ever met Thomas Carr. He said if it is the Thomas Carr who married Mary Kelly then he had. That was our lucky day. He directed us to the Holly Grove/Coal Pits area. We stopped in front of a two story granite house and asked a middle aged man if he knew whether this was the former residence of Thomas and Mary Carr. As luck would have it, once again he said that it was not, but that he owned the old Thomas Carr estate. His name was Mr. McCann and he said that the property had been divided and the Rourkes had built a house on a portion of the original property. He stated further that the house was in bad condition because no one was living in it and that cows had roamed through it. He also said that the house was hard to spot because it was very far back from the road. Mr. McCann also said that his mother would love to talk with us but unfortunately we could not find her house. We drove back and forth several times and finally saw an elderly woman who had known Tom and Mary. She said that they frequently cycled into Athleague. The neighbor also said that Mary loved children and often gave them sweets. We turned the car around and spotted the house high on the hill. It is hard to say how much property was originally with the house. It might be as little as twenty acres or more than one hundred. It would have been an interesting question to ask Mr. McCann. At the entrance to the property there were two stone posts. We walked approximately 600 feet straight ahead and then turned to the left and continued up a slight grade approximately 200 feet. It was a stone house with a door framed in an interlacing pattern of diamonds and ovals. There were quoins on the two front corners of the house. The front door was boarded up so we climbed through a back window into the kitchen which still had only a mud floor. At the front entry hall there was a staircase straight ahead and a hallway to the left of the staircase leading to the kitchen. There were two large rooms, one on each side of the entry hall both with interesting fireplaces. A stairway with nicely carved banisters, still intact, led to the second floor. The second floor like the first consisted of two large rooms, both with a fireplace. To the left of the house was a stone shed. There was also a spring on the property and someone said that many years ago it was used as a community spring. It was a great thrill to see the house where my grandmother was born and grew up. If only the cows had not roamed through it and destroyed the floors it would still be a picturesque house on a hill. After dinner that evening we went to a general store in Athleague and mentioned that my grandmother, Catherine Carr, was born in Coal Pits. They said that Mary Kelly's sister, Mrs. Haughey, was still alive and lived in Athleague right next to the church. We also learned that there were Carrs in neighboring Fuerty Parish. We went to see Mrs. Haughey the next day and her son came to the door and said that his mother was very low. He asked if we could come back later. Unfortunately our schedule was tight and we reluctantly headed for Donegal."
Other James Carrs:
There is another James Carr (1870-c1870) born on July 25, 1870 to Thomas Carr and Bridget Conboy, that must have died as an infant and the name was recycled by the family.
Relationship:
James Carr (1874-c1950) was the great granduncle of Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ).
Documents:
He has been found on several documents. His birth in Ireland in 1875 and the 1901 census in Hollygrove, Ireland. His declaration of intention from 1910, and his 1918 World War I draft registration.
Research:
Researched and written by Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) for Findagrave starting on March 3, 2004. Updated on July 9, 2017 with his probable death date from the updated New York City death index. Updated on October 10, 2018 with his date of birth as "1870". Updated on September 27, 2022 reversing the 1870 birth date and substituting July 28, 1875 which more closely matches the July 28, 1876 found in his WWI draft registration; and added information from his declaration of intention and naturalization paperwork.
.
Name:
James Carr, Jimmy Carr.
Parents:
Thomas Carr (c1835-before1901) and Bridget Conboy (c1835-after1911) of Hollygrove, Killeroran, County Galway, Ireland. Hollygrove is adjacent to Coalpitts, Ireland and some documents list Coalpits as to where the Carr family originated. Sometimes the documents would say they were from County Roscommon, because they were on the border and their parish was in Roscommon. Some generations may have been born on the Roscommon side of the border.
Birth:
He was born on July 28, 1875 in Hollygrove, Killeroran, Mountbellew, County Galway, Ireland according to the GRO birth records. He listed his birth in 1918 as "July 28, 1876" for the World War I draft registration. We know the World War I draft registration belongs to the correct James Carr because he listed "sister, Mrs. Kate Kennedy, 556 West 60th Street" and we know she belongs to the same family which has been confirmed by DNA analysis. She is Katherine Carr (1865-1951) Kennedy. The July 28, 1875 birth date also matches the naturalization record.
Siblings:
James had the following siblings: Sarah Jane Carr (1866-1950) who emigrated to the US and married Patrick J. Norton (1856-1905); Katherine Carr (1865-1952) who emigrated to the US and married James Joseph Kennedy (1870-1926); Thomas Carr II (1876-?) who stayed in Hollygrove in Ireland and married Mary Kelly; Mary Carr (1873-?) who stayed in Hollygrove in Ireland; and Andrew Carr who may have emigrated to Australia.
Migration:
James appears in the 1901 census living in Hollygrove, County Galway, Ireland with: Bridget Conboy (c1840-?) Carr, his mother; Mary Carr (1870-?), his sister; and Thomas Carr II (1873-?), his brother. He wrote that he arrived in the New York on March 17, 1908 from Cobolt, Canada aboard the Grand Trunk Railroad in his declaration of intention. He emigrated almost 20 years after his siblings arrived. He still had a thick Irish accent. There is also an entry for a James Carr arriving on September 26, 1900 from County Galway, but this contradicts the 1901 census which has our James Carr still living at home in Ireland, unless this is him visiting his siblings. There is a James Carr that arrived in New York on October 24, 1904 via Roscommon. This James Carr arrived with their cousin Bridget Conboy (1879-?) and said they were going to live with their brother Michael Carr, who lived at 64 2nd Avenue, New York. This James Carr said he was born in "1874" when he arrived, and appears to be the same person, but he must have just been visiting.
Declaration of Intention:
James Carr filed his Declaration of Intention on September 20, 1910. A Declaration of Intention is the start of the paperwork for naturalization. In his paperwork he says that he was born in County Galway on July 28, 1875 and he was currently working as a chauffer. He was 5 feet and 5 inches tall and weighed 140 pounds, giving him a BMI of 23.3. He wrote that he arrived in the New York on March 17, 1908 from Cobolt, Canada aboard the Grand Trunk Railroad. He wrote that he was living at 103 West 60th Street, presumably in Manhattan.
World War I draft:
He filled out his draft card on September 12, 1918 and listed his birthday as July 28, 1876, one year off from the correct date. He listed his next of kin as "sister, Mrs. Kate Kennedy, 556 West 60th Street". He was working as a chauffeur and living at 358 West 41st Street "c/o Kelly". His sister was Katherine Carr (1865-1951) and she was married to James Joseph Kennedy (1866-1926).
Marriage:
There is a James Carr that was married to Delia Conboy who had as their parents Thomas Carr and Bridget Conboy. This must be the same person, even though no family member alive in 2000 remembered that he was married. This person has the same parents and the same birthday, and appears in the census with two children. We know that the Conboys were cousins.
Death:
He died some time between 1948 and 1951. He doesn't appear in the New York City Death Index which covers up to 1947 and he isn't mentioned in his sister's funeral notice as living in 1951. The last time he was seen alive by a family member who remembers seeing him, was during World War II. If he died in 1950, he would have died at age 74. There is a James Carr born about 1880 who died on 7 June 1951 in Manhattan in the updated New York City death index. He is death certificate 1951-12400.
Burial:
James Carr is most likely buried in the Bronx, New York or Hudson County, New Jersey. He most likely does not have a tombstone.
Memories of James Carr:
Christopher Aloysius Enright II (1927- ) says: "We called him uncle Jimmy. He had a saloon in the Bronx and later drove a taxi. He never moved to New Jersey."
Memories of James Carr:
Anne Elizabeth O'Malley (1933- ) says: "James Carr visited us once during World War II, Katherine Carr Kennedy wasn't thrilled that he was visiting. This was on 77nd Street in Manhattan in New York. She never mentioned our uncle Jimmy again. He didn't look very prosperous."
Memories of James Carr:
Thomas Patrick Norton II (1920-2011) says: "Uncle Jimmy was a pleasant little guy. He was very successful running a speakeasy in New York. After prohibition was repealed he went out of business. He had a strong Irish brogue. He used to give out $5 gold pieces that were smaller than a dime. He gave one to each child. Giving out the coins was his trademark whenever we saw him. My dad would take away the coins and say 'I'll take care of them for you', and I would never see them again. Jimmy was a thin wispy guy who looked like Barry Fitzgerald, the actor. He probably took the tube train into Jersey City, from New York where he lived [when he visited us]. He never had a car. The train was eight cents to get into New York City from Jersey City. My grandmother, Nana, was very proud of him, he was very enterprising at his illegal saloon."
Rediscovery:
The only thing I knew about James Carr were the stories told by my father and a few family members. I had found that there was a James Carr that was married to Delia Conboy but was always uncertain that he was the same person as our James Carr. This James Carr was a mystery, everyone interviewed said that the James Carr that was a taxi driver never mentioned that he had been married or had children. Perhaps he was married and his wife died young and he wasn't involved with his children when they were older. I finally decided in 2022 that the evidence was overwhelming and the two were the same. (Source: Richard Arthur Norton on October 12, 2022)
Coalpits, Ireland:
Ann Elizabeth O'Malley (1933- ) writes: "On September 28, 1982 Fred and I drove to Roscommon in search of [the birthplace of Katherine (Kitty) Carr (1865-1952)]. We asked the postmaster for directions to Holly Grove or Coal Pits. Before leaving the U.S., I spoke to Joe Kennedy, Catherine Carr's son, who suggested that we speak to Postmaster Flannigan in Roscommon. Unfortunately he had been transferred to another office. In Athleague, the closest town of any size to Coal Pits, we asked the first elderly man we saw if he had ever met Thomas Carr. He said if it is the Thomas Carr who married Mary Kelly then he had. That was our lucky day. He directed us to the Holly Grove/Coal Pits area. We stopped in front of a two story granite house and asked a middle aged man if he knew whether this was the former residence of Thomas and Mary Carr. As luck would have it, once again he said that it was not, but that he owned the old Thomas Carr estate. His name was Mr. McCann and he said that the property had been divided and the Rourkes had built a house on a portion of the original property. He stated further that the house was in bad condition because no one was living in it and that cows had roamed through it. He also said that the house was hard to spot because it was very far back from the road. Mr. McCann also said that his mother would love to talk with us but unfortunately we could not find her house. We drove back and forth several times and finally saw an elderly woman who had known Tom and Mary. She said that they frequently cycled into Athleague. The neighbor also said that Mary loved children and often gave them sweets. We turned the car around and spotted the house high on the hill. It is hard to say how much property was originally with the house. It might be as little as twenty acres or more than one hundred. It would have been an interesting question to ask Mr. McCann. At the entrance to the property there were two stone posts. We walked approximately 600 feet straight ahead and then turned to the left and continued up a slight grade approximately 200 feet. It was a stone house with a door framed in an interlacing pattern of diamonds and ovals. There were quoins on the two front corners of the house. The front door was boarded up so we climbed through a back window into the kitchen which still had only a mud floor. At the front entry hall there was a staircase straight ahead and a hallway to the left of the staircase leading to the kitchen. There were two large rooms, one on each side of the entry hall both with interesting fireplaces. A stairway with nicely carved banisters, still intact, led to the second floor. The second floor like the first consisted of two large rooms, both with a fireplace. To the left of the house was a stone shed. There was also a spring on the property and someone said that many years ago it was used as a community spring. It was a great thrill to see the house where my grandmother was born and grew up. If only the cows had not roamed through it and destroyed the floors it would still be a picturesque house on a hill. After dinner that evening we went to a general store in Athleague and mentioned that my grandmother, Catherine Carr, was born in Coal Pits. They said that Mary Kelly's sister, Mrs. Haughey, was still alive and lived in Athleague right next to the church. We also learned that there were Carrs in neighboring Fuerty Parish. We went to see Mrs. Haughey the next day and her son came to the door and said that his mother was very low. He asked if we could come back later. Unfortunately our schedule was tight and we reluctantly headed for Donegal."
Other James Carrs:
There is another James Carr (1870-c1870) born on July 25, 1870 to Thomas Carr and Bridget Conboy, that must have died as an infant and the name was recycled by the family.
Relationship:
James Carr (1874-c1950) was the great granduncle of Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ).
Documents:
He has been found on several documents. His birth in Ireland in 1875 and the 1901 census in Hollygrove, Ireland. His declaration of intention from 1910, and his 1918 World War I draft registration.
Research:
Researched and written by Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) for Findagrave starting on March 3, 2004. Updated on July 9, 2017 with his probable death date from the updated New York City death index. Updated on October 10, 2018 with his date of birth as "1870". Updated on September 27, 2022 reversing the 1870 birth date and substituting July 28, 1875 which more closely matches the July 28, 1876 found in his WWI draft registration; and added information from his declaration of intention and naturalization paperwork.
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