The Story of William and Wilhelmina McAuliffe

Wedding photo of William McAuliffe and Wilhelmina Black,  1917 photo credit: Maureen McAuliffe Smith

🍀The Story of William and Wilhelmina McAuliffe🍀

On this July 4th holiday, I've decided to take a small detour from the Gibbs/Giddens lineage and tell you the story of my husband Mike's grandparents William and Wilhelmina McAuliffe.  You see, unlike me who can trace some of my ancestors back a few hundred years within the U.S., Mike is 2nd generation American.  What better way to celebrate  the freedoms and dreams that is America than to tell a personal story of how a young man from Ireland and a young woman from Scotland risked coming to a strange country to begin a new life, met, married and started a new American family. 

🍀 William B McAuliffe 🍀

In 2016, for our 30th wedding anniversary, Mike and I took a trip to Ireland.  In preparation for our trip, I started researching Mike's grandfather, William, who was from Cork. None of Mike's immediate family had ever been to Ireland.  I thought it would be neat to find out as much as I could before our trip.   We already knew that the McAuliffes ran a small grocery and lived at 26 Summerhill Rd. William came to the U.S. on the ship SS Baltic, possibly 1911 or 1912. I quickly learned that researching ancestry in Ireland is quite a bit different than here.  One depends heavily on the church parish records, which can be daunting if you don't know which church they attended.  Fortunately, a wonderful group of people from the Irish Genealogy Facebook forum helped me immensely with my search and pointed me to the best online sites.  There are a lot of records online via the National Library of Ireland, so I was able to find out about William's ancestors back to his grandparents.
William's grandparents were Edward McAuliffe (1831-1906) and Margaret Hyde.  They were married at St. Peter and Paul's Church in Cork on July 9, 1848 and had 8 children.  

Parish entry for the Marriage of Edward McAuliffe to Margaret Hyde on July 9, 1848 performed by the Rev. John Hurley

 I have only been able to find baptism records for 6 of their children, so I am not sure of the two eldest children's names.  The remaining six children were James, Timothy, Edward, Elizabeth, Eliza Anne, and Mary Bridget.
James McAuliffe (1855-1937) was William's father.  He married Jane Browne (1854-1943) on April 20, 1879, also at St. Peter and Paul's Church.

James and Jane Browne McAuliffe. Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

Parish entry for marriage of James McAuliffe to Jane Browne on April 20, 1879

 Together, James and Jane,  had 8 children, 7 living, according to the 1911 census.  The children were: Mary Margaret, Jane, Edward, James, William, Agnes, and Henry Joseph.   James, William, and Henry would all eventually emigrate to the U.S.

This 1911 census shows the McAuliffe family in the household of James and Jane.  Father James was a painter.  Son William is also listed as a painter.  This census was taken in April of 1911.  In June, William would be on a ship to the U.S.

J. McAuliffe Fruit Store at 27 Summerhill Rd.  After studying this picture, I believe the two women are mother Jane (l) and daughter Mary Margaret or Jane (r).  Although not stated on the above census, I would conclude that Jane ran the store. 
Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

Life in Ireland must include fishing 🎣 But if you look closely, they are actually having a spot of tea. This boat was actually built by the McAuliffe brothers. It was called Avonmore.  Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

A very dapper young William McAuliffe  Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

No identification with this picture, but looking at later pictures, I believe the two young ladies on either end may be William's sisters and the two men in the back with hats may be William (l) and his brother James (r)  Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

I absolutely love this momento.  It is a farewell letter written to William (Willie) from his friends.

 

On June 18, 1911, William boarded the SS Baltic in Queenstown (now Cobh Harbor) and set sail to New York.  He arrived at Ellis Island on June 25th.  It is hard to read but the manifest shows he paid $100 for his voyage and would be living with a relative, an aunt possibly,  in Hempstead, Long Island, NY.  His profession is listed as painter. 

S. S. Baltic Photo Credit: Ellis Island Foundation

Ship's manifest showing ship leaving Queenstown

Page 2 of the manifest showing his plan to live with a relative.

Side note:  William's Uncle Edward had emigrated to NY by this time and had become a US citizen in 1901.  He too was a painter, so the assumption is that William came here to join his uncle with his business?  

1940 census showing Uncle Edward living in the household of William, Wilhelmina, and their children

🍃 Wilhelmina H.G. Black 🍃

Meanwhile, back in Scotland.......

 
As previously mentioned, the majority of my research thus far has been on the McAuliffes of Cork Ireland.  Mike's sister Maureen has done more extensive searching on Wilhelmina's family, so most of this information is credited to her digging, as are good many of the family pics on this blog.
Wilhelmina H.G. Black was born to Thomas Black and Jessie Gordon Black on April 12, 1886 in Haddington, Scotland.  She was one of 9 children:  Jessie, Isabella, Agnes, Thomas, Margaret, Wilhelmina, Christina, Clara, and James Farmer.
Her father was a baker and owned Black's Bakery in Haddington.

Thomas Black, Wilhelmina's father.  Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

Thomas Black with a son?  Look at those cakes!  Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

Thomas Black Bakery 9 Hardgate, Haddington Scotland.  The 3 ladies standing in front are Wilhelmina's sisters.         Source: John Centre, Haddington

Ahhh, the days before hair products to control the frizzies.  Wilhelmina (standing r) with 2 of her sisters  Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

Wilhelmina, far right. I believe her sister, Clara is on the far left  Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith.

Lovely pic of Miss Wilhelmina Black.  What a beautiful outfit  Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

On July 22, 1911, Wilhelmina boarded the SS California in Glasgow, Scotland by herself  and headed for the states.  She arrived at Ellis Island on July 30th.   According to the ship's manifest, she listed her occupation as a dressmaker and was to live with her sister Jessie Black Ogilvie.

S.S. California  Photo credit: Ellis Island Foundation

Ship's manifest shows Wilhelmina (Minnie) listed her occupation as dressmaker.

Wilhelmina's destination would be her sister Jessie Black Gilroy's home in Mount Kisco NY.

Four years later, a 1915 NY Census shows that Wilhelmina (Minnie) lived in Oyster Bay, NY and listed her occupation as a nurse, possibly a nanny?

I don't know how or when they met, but William and Wilhelmina were married on             Oct. 12, 1917.  Mike says they met in a bar.  William was drinking a Jameson and Wilhelmina was having a Scotch whiskey.  William bought her a Guinness and the rest is history!   

Heee heeee.  Hey, it could have happened! 🤣 😊😄

 They had 5 children: Gordon, James, Edward, Wilhelmina (Babe), and Mary.  

  Edward was Mike's father. 

Baby Edward Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

L-R: Gordon, Edward, and James  Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

William and Wilhelmina with their 3 boys.Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

Young Edward.....looks like trouble. Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

Wilhelmina with Edward, daughters Wilhelmina and Mary Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

Eldest son William Gordon McAuliffe died in 1941 Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

James Joseph McAuliffe had a decorated military career.  He died in 1965 at Camp Lejeune, NC and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

       William in his painter's overalls at a job at one of the many Long Island estates in which he worked.                         Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

William's business card.  Photo credit: Mike McAuliffe

In 1956, William and Wilhelmina returned to Ireland and Scotland on a 2-month trip.  They sailed on the Brittanica.
 

Wilhelmina with some of William's siblings during their trip to Ireland. LR: Jane McAuliffe Tingle, Agnes McAuliffe, Warren Tingle, Wilhemina, Maureen Hennessy, daughter of eldest sibling Mary McAuliffe Hennessy.  Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

Wilhelmina with her family. Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

Sadly, William would pass away on Nov. 27, 1957, one year after their trip back home.  Wilhelmina died Dec. 23, 1965. 

Sometimes I think about a question posed to people during interviews: If you could have a meal and conversation with someone, who would you choose?  I always think about my grandma Ruby, but after doing all of this research and then visiting Ireland and walking in Mike's ancestors footsteps, I think my answer would also have to include William and Wilhelmina.   I'd love to hear about their lives and what it was like to take a chance and come to America.  But most of all, I would want them to meet Mike who has a little of both of them in himself: a painter who loves to cook & bake and has that wicked Irish humor!
 I hope you have enjoyed this immigration story on this Independence Day as we celebrate the birth of our nation. 🎆

I leave you with a McAuliffe family album and pictures from our trip in 2016 to Cork.
 Enjoy the memories and Happy 4th!
Melody

William and Wilhelmina McAuliffe. Photo credit: collection of Maureen McAuliffe Smith

Mike's parents on their wedding day:  Mary Nesbit and Edward McAuliffe. Photo credit: Mike McAuliffe

Ed with Mike's siblings: L-R Maureen, Mike,Eileen Gordon

Must be Easter!

School days for the McAuliffes.  The 3 eldest kids attended St. Dominic's Catholic School in Oyster Bay, NY

One of the final pictures of Wilhelmina with her grandkids.

 🍀 Our Trip to Ireland, May 2016 🍀

 

The city of Cork

Inside St. Peter and Paul's Church  where Mike's great and gg grandparents were married

26/27 Summerhill Rd where the McAuliffes lived and had their fruit stand

 

The nice gentleman who lived in the house that was once the store, took our picture.  Very special moment for us.

Rathcooney Cemetery.  The final resting place for Edward and James McAuliffe.  In Ireland, they bury several family members in the same grave site, so other members may be in this grave as well, just haven't found their records to confirm.