• Home
•  | 
• Login/Register
•  | 
• Help

Maurice Higgins, my great-great-grandfather, was born in 1820 in Ireland; in which part, I'm not sure. On February 2 or 3, 1838, he married Catherine Flanagan in Kilfinane, County Limerick, probably in Saint Andrew's Church. Maurice and Catherine's first four children were born in Ireland: Maurice, Cornelius, John and Margaret.

I don't know when Maurice and Catherine emigrated, but there is a census record showing them living in Moira, Franklin County, New York, in 1850, with two daughters: Margaret, who was two, and Honora, one month old. I also have a copy of a passenger list showing a Catherine Higgins emigrating to New York in 1853 with Maurice Jr. and Cornelius. Catherine may have gone back to Ireland for a visit, or perhaps to go get the boys and bring them to the U.S. Then there's a census record from Hudson, NY, 1860, showing Maurice, Catherine, Maurice Jr., Cornelius, John, and Michael (my great-grandfather). It looks like Margaret and Honora did not survive.

Maurice and Catherine had a total of 16 children. Here are the ones I have the most information on:

Maurice Jr. married Mariah Braser in 1860. They later moved to New York City. Their kids were: John Francis, Catherine (married Will Kennedy; kids wee Isabel, Wilbur, John, Francis and Grace), Maurice III (married Margaret Gallagher; kids were Peter and Joseph), James (married Sarah and had James Jr. and William), Francis (married Agnes Walsh in 1872; kids were Leo, Gertrude and John), William Paul (married Maude Harsnet; kids were Genevieve, Catherine and Eugene), and Cornelius (seems not to have married).

Cornelius married Bridgit McGovern and moved to Hartford, CT. Their kids were: Kathryn Frances (married Edward Young Reid; kids were Helen, Kathryn, Edward, William and Jane), John Francis (married Margaret Carroll and had John Francis and Mary Elizabeth), Thomas (never married), Maurice (ditto), Helen (ditto), Cornelius James (married Pluma Decker; kids were Julia, Margaret and Kathryn), and Michael Joseph (married Louise Balf; kids were Louise Clair and Alice Germaine).

John, Maurice and Catherine's third son, seems not to have married. The only info I have on him is that he was a member of the Irish Volunteers.

Michael, their fourth son, was my great-grandfather. He was married twice: first to Bridget, and they had two kids: John G. Higgins and Maria. Bridget must have died, because in 1885, Michael married Anne Josephine Keyes. They had three kids: William Owen (born 1886 in Hudson, NY), Edward Lawrence (my grandfather, born 1892), and Anna Josephine (who later married Otto J. Wieland and had one son, Richard, then got divorced). In 1886, Michael and family moved to New York City. John G., Michael's son by his first marriage, died in 1892 at age 17. In 1895, Anne and her sister Katie both died. Michael died in 1922. The family is buried in Hudson, NY.

I would like to know more about Maurice and Catherine, e.g., how and when they came to the U.S., if they ever had their pictures taken (if so I would LOVE a copy), and where they are buried. I have checked with the Hudson City Cemetery, and they have no stone there. Maybe they couldn't afford one, or maybe it fell over. I just don't know.

If anyone is connected to this family, please email me. I would love to swap copies of photos and other family records. Thanks. My email is clarehhiggins@yahoo.com (note there are two "h's" after my first name). -- Clare Higgins

You must be logged in to post a comment regarding this story.