Higgins Family History & Genealogy

Hi. My great-great-grandfather, Morris Higgins (c.1820-1879), came to the US in 1850 with his wife Kathryn. They first lived in Moira, Franklin County, NY, and in 1853 moved to Hudson. They had 14 surviving children. The youngest, Michael Francis Higgins, was my great-grandfather. I know a lot about him and about some of the other children, and little or nothing about most of them.

Two names intrigue me at the moment. The 1870 Hudson, NY census shows a William Higgins with his wife Ellen and their children, William, Mary Ann and George. The 1880 Hudson, NY census shows a James Higgins with his wife Winifred and their sons, James Jr., Martin and Patrick. My great-great-grandfather did have two sons names William and James, but I'm not sure the guys in the census records are the right guys.

If anyone is descended from either this William or James Higgins, please contact me at [contact link]. Thanks. -- Clare Higgins

Hello my name is Beth Pullum: I am sending this to you all to ask you if you can help me help my children in the Family Search for their ancestors. Their names are Thomas Robert Higgins and my daughter's name is Cindy Ann Higgins Halfaker. I would like so very much to help them find out where they came from and just how many family members that they have. Their Father's name was Lawton Robert Higgins and his father's name was Thomas Robert Higgins. My son Thomas was named for his Grandfather Thomas. I just don't know what the name of their Great Grandfather's name was. I know that Cindy's grandfather's nickname was T.R. That is what everyone called him when he was alive. But since his death no one can find anything out about his ancestry. If you could help me to help my Kids I would so deeply appreciate it very much.
Please, Please, help me. Sincerely; Beth Pullum

Hi. I am seeking descendants of Margaret Veronica Higgins and George Quinn. Margaret was born in 1914, in New York City. Her parents were William Higgins (1886-1946) and Sarah Veronica Siegars (1888-?). William Higgins was my grandfather Edward's older brother.

Margaret had 2 sisters and 2 brothers, as follows:

Anna Mercedes (b.1913), who married Pierre Conlin and had 2 sons, Patrick and William
William (b.1915), who became a priest
George Michael (b.1918), who married Mary McDonnell and had a daughter, Rosemary and a son, William
Grace Theresa (b.1922) - I don't know if she ever married.

Margaret married George Quinn in 1936, and they had four sons: George, Robert, William and Richard.

I'd love to hear from anyone connected with this family, and I hope we can discuss trading copies of old documents and photos. I would especially love to find photos of William's parents, Michael and Anna Higgins, and of Michael's parents, Morris and Kathryn Higgins.

Hi. I'm seeking information on Morris Higgins Jr. (my great-granduncle) and his wife, Mariah Braser. Morris was born in Ireland in 1840. His parents were Morris Higgins Sr. and Catherine Flanagan. Morris Sr. and Catherine emigrated to the U.S. in 1850 and settled in Moira, Franklin County, NY. In 1853 Catherine went back to Ireland and brought Morris Jr. and his brothers Cornelius and John to the U.S., and the family moved to Hudson, NY. Eventually they had 14 children.

Morris grew up in Hudson and worked as a "moulder" (which I think means stove moulder) and married Mariah Braser c. 1860. In the late 19th century the family moved to New York City. Their names appear on the 1900 NYC census. Morris and Mariah's children were: John Francis, Catherine (married Will Kennedy and had 5 kids: Isabel, Wilbur, John, Francis and Grace), Maurice III (married Margaret Gallagher and had two sons, Peter and Joseph), James (married Sarah, had 2 sons: James and William), Francis (married Agnes Walsh, had 3 kids: Leo, Gertrude and John), William Paul (married Maude Harsnet, had 3 kids: Genevieve, Catherine and Eugene), and Cornelius (seems not to have married).

If anyone is connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you. Perhaps we can discuss trading copies of old photos, letters, and other family memorabilia. Thanks. -- Clare Higgins

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 [contact link] (note there are two "h's" after my first name). -- Clare Higgins