History of the Catholic Church in Paterson Part 2

FINNEGAN, FRANCIS, was a contractor who lived in Main street, near Slater. He subsequently removed to Rhode Island and none of his descendants live in Paterson.

FARNON, MICHAEL, resided for many years in Prospect street, and was the father of Thomas Farnon, of this city, and Peter Farnon of Philadelphia.

FULTON, was the father of Mrs. Patrick Agnew. He has other descendants still living in this city.

GALLAGHER, ANDREW, resided for many years in Prospect street. He was a shoemaker and subsequently a constable.

GILLESPIE, MICHAEL, resided for some years on Market street, near Prince, and it was in his house that the first ma.s.s was celebrated by Father Larrissy. He subsequently removed to Belleville, where Fathers Langton and Bulger repeatedly said ma.s.s. He afterwards moved back to Paterson and took up his residence in Market street, near Cross, where several of his descendants still reside. He was employed in the foundry of G.o.dwin & Clark. At that time the Catholics had no cemetery in Paterson but Mr. and Mrs. Gillespie, rather than see the body of one of their children buried in unconsecrated ground, journeyed to New York with the remains, where they were interred in a Catholic Cemetery. Mr.

and Mrs. Gillespie were the parents of nine children, of whom one still survives, Mrs. Connolly, who lives with the Gillespies in Market street.

GRIFFITH, ANDREW AND MICHAEL, two brothers, lived on the corner of Cross and Van Houten streets, opposite Colonel Kerr's residence. Michael died unmarried, but Andrew, who was a trustee of the Oliver Street Church when it was in course of erection, had numerous descendants. His children were Mary, wife of Hugh Brady and mother of Mrs. Michael A.

Harold, who still resides with her daughter in Marshall street; George, at one time Captain of the City Blues, whose widow is still alive; Margaret, wife of James Shorrock, who died some years ago; Sarah, Michael and Andrew, who died unmarried, and Elizabeth and Augustine, who still live in Paterson.

HAGGERTY, JOHN, who still lives with his wife and child on Market street, near Beech, was in his earlier years employed in the foundry of G.o.dwin & Clark.

HAMIL, the father of James, John and Robert Hamil, was among the early settlers in Paterson. He is dead now as are also his three sons, but the work that they did still remains and is too well known to need further reference in this work.

HAWKINS, JAMES, was a machinist, who resided in Marshall street, near Slater. He removed with his family to California, where he died.

HUGHES, some of whose descendants still reside in Paterson, in his earlier years resided in Van Houten street and was employed in a cotton mill.

KELLY, PATRICK, was a constable, who subsequently removed to New York, where he died. His daughter is the wife of Matthew Nealon, of this city.

KERR, COLONEL JOHN, was one of the most prominent figures in early Paterson. For some time he kept a grocery on the corner of Cross and Van Houten streets, but his princ.i.p.al occupation was that of a contractor.

As such he constructed portions of the race-ways and roads for the Society for Establis.h.i.+ng Useful Manufactures. He also built a number of houses for himself. He had two daughters and one son, who subsequently left Paterson and took up their residence in New York City. He was Colonel of the military of Paterson, and was buried with military pomp, his horse, bedecked with the trappings of mourning and the empty cavalry boots hanging on its sides, following the coffin to the grave.

KILEY, JAMES D., was one of the first trustees of the Oliver street church. He taught a private school for some years in Pa.s.saic street and then removed to Virginia where his son became Mayor of Richmond.

LYNCH, BERNARD--the father of Andrew, Bernard, James, Thomas, Mary and Nancy, all of whom were prominent in church affairs--and his wife lie buried in Sandy Hill. Bernard Lynch, his wife and children are all dead, but their descendants still reside in Paterson. The second wife of Andrew, the oldest son, who was one of the first trustees of the Oliver street church, still resides in Market street, near Cross, with his two sons, James and Bernard. Thomas left Paterson and took up his residence in New York City, where he died.

MAGENNIS, ARTHUR, came to Paterson from Matteawan, and was the father of the late Comptroller of the City of Paterson. He kept a store here for some time and subsequently was employed in his son's factory.

MALLON, JOHN, was a laborer on the Morris Ca.n.a.l. His children are John, Alderman from the Eighth Ward; Felix, of Jersey City; Mrs. Roe, the wife of a police officer; Mrs. Michael Campbell, wife of the Alderman from the Fifth Ward, and Mrs. Patrick Fitzpatrick.

MCCARTHY, JOHN, was one of the first butchers in Paterson. He died here but his descendants have left Paterson.

MCCOLLOM, three brothers, were employed as cotton spinners. Their descendants have nearly all sought other places to labor in.

MCCROSSEN, DANIEL, resided in Prospect street and had a portion of the original contract for the construction of the Morris Ca.n.a.l. He has a number of descendants residing in Paterson. His widow subsequently married William Bacon.

MCGIVERN, THOMAS, and his brother were employed in the Phoenix Mill.

They both died here but none of their descendants are at present residents of Paterson.

MCGROGAN, THOMAS, was a machinist who died in Paterson, but whose descendants have since left for other parts.

MCKENNA, ARTHUR AND HUGH, both died in Paterson. Arthur had no children.

Hugh had three children, of whom one became a Christian Brother and the other is Andrew McKenna, an ex-Alderman.

MCKEOWN, EDWARD, was a machinist, who, after laboring for some years in this city, went to the South, but subsequently returned to Paterson where he has several children living. He first resided in Elm street.--George McKeown, no relation to the foregoing, was a teamster on the railroad. He died in Paterson and his children still live here.

MCKIERNAN, CORNELIUS, was a contractor and subsequently kept a store.

His widow died in this city a short time ago. He has several sons living in Paterson.--Dennis, was no relation to the foregoing. He was a laborer and a contractor and subsequently engaged in weaving cotton. A number of his children are dead but some are still residents of Paterson. Among his children were Christopher, John, and Samuel.

MCLEAN, THOMAS, was a cotton weaver residing in Elm street. He subsequently went to New York where he died suddenly in a store while making some purchases. His daughter is Mrs. Hugh Rooney.

MCNALLY, DANIEL, kept a hotel for some years which was made famous by the fact that General Lafayette stopped there for some time. He built the large hotel on Market street, running from Hotel to Union street, which was subsequently destroyed by fire. He died in Paterson but left no children.

MCNAMEE, ROBERT, was a laborer who resided on the corner of Broadway and Mulberry street. His son, Bernard, subsequently occupied the same building and it was here that Father Langton celebrated ma.s.s. Both the McNamees were cotton spinners and died in Paterson. There are no descendants of the family in this city.

MORGAN, DANIEL, was a laborer who came to Paterson in 1826. When a short time afterwards work was to be begun on the Catholic Church in Oliver street he and a number of other laborers were sent to the site. Before they began to dig the superintendent inquired whether there were any Catholics among the laborers. Mr. Morgan stepped forward and the superintendent said to him:--"Then you dig the first shovelful of dirt,"

and Mr. Morgan did so. Mr. Morgan is still alive and resides at No. 77 Jersey street. He is the grandfather of Mrs. Dr. O'Grady.

MORRIS, MICHAEL, came to Paterson from G.o.dwinville and was at first employed as a cotton weaver, but subsequently devoted his attention to dealing in waste. He was well known to nearly every Catholic in Paterson and vicinity, and his death, which occurred a short time ago, was lamented by all. He has two sons living, Michael J. Morris and the Rev.

John P. Morris. His only daughter died, leaving one child.

MOONEY, TERENCE, was employed in the cotton mill, and resided on Main street, near Slater. He died in Troy, N. Y., whither he had removed with his family; several of his sons are now in Florida.

MULHOLLAND, CHARLES, a cotton weaver, resided on the corner of Prospect street and White's alley. He died in Paterson and his children removed to other places.--James Mulholland, another of the pioneers of the Catholic Church in this city, died some years ago after a long and active life. His descendants still reside in Paterson.

MURPHY, PATRICK, resided on the corner of Pine and Grand streets and was in the employ of the Society for Establis.h.i.+ng Useful Manufactures. His children still live in Paterson.

MURTAGH, MICHAEL, was the first superintendent of the Paterson level of the Morris Ca.n.a.l. His son Bernard is dead, but his other son John is in business in this city and some time ago represented the Eighth Ward in the Board of Aldermen.

O'CALLAGHAN, JEREMIAH, was employed in a cotton mill. He left three daughters, but no sons. One of his daughters is in business in this city; another is the wife of Thomas Dynan and the third resides in Baltimore.

O'DONNELL, WILLIAM, another employee of a cotton mill, removed from Paterson many years ago and went South. None of his descendants reside in this city.

O'KEEFE, THOMAS, resided in Ellison street, near Lynch's alley, and was employed in the Phoenix Mill. His descendants subsequently removed to New York and elsewhere.

O'NEILL, CHARLES, came to Paterson in October, 1828, and went to work in Prospect street as a shoemaker. a.s.siduous attention to his business impaired his health, and his physician advised him either to take a sea voyage or obtain some employment in which he could have outdoor exercise. Mr. O'Neill went into the lumber business to which he subsequently added coal and building material. He has always been prominently connected with Catholic Church matters in Paterson, and was one of the first trustees of the Oliver street church. Although eighty-two years of age he still enjoys the best of health and vigor.

His son Charles Henry is in business in Jersey City and has held a number of offices, including that of Mayor, to which he was elected for three terms. His second son, Thomas E., a.s.sists him in his business, and a third son, John, died some years ago, leaving a wife and three children. His daughter, Susan, is the wife of John Agnew; another daughter is Mrs. Catherine Sharkey and a third Mrs. Dr. Kane. Another daughter, Theresa, has taken the veil and is in the convent at Madison.

Ellen and Esther still reside with their parents in Mill street.--John and Barney O'Neill were brothers of the foregoing. John established the shoe business conducted by his sons at No. 122 Main street. He and his wife are dead, leaving three sons and three daughters. Barney married a daughter of James Wade; he was an insurance agent, a justice of the peace and a lay judge of the Court of Common Pleas in this county. Three daughters and two sons still survive him.--Charles and Patrick O'Neill, two brothers, no relation to the foregoing, were employed in a nail factory which stood where the Gun Mill is now situated. They resided in Prospect street and none of their descendants at the present day live in Paterson.--Edward O'Neill, of another family from the foregoing, was also employed in the Phoenix Mill and has several descendants living in Paterson.

O'REILLY, EDWARD, kept a dry goods store, and subsequently removed to New York city, where he married and where he is still in business.

POWERS, JAMES, for some years kept a store in Cross street, opposite Elm, and erected the brick building situated just below Dr. Quin's office. His only surviving son is ex-Alderman John Powers. His daughter, Margaret, became a Sister of Charity and adopted the name of Sister Regina. She died while at St. Agnes' Inst.i.tute in this city, and her remains rest in Paterson. Another daughter of Mr. Powers is Julia, wife of William McNair.

QUIN, PATRICK, was a contractor and resided in Pa.s.saic street. He was for a long time one of the trustees of the Oliver street church. All his children left Paterson after their father's death.--Arthur Quin resided near Clifton and was a contractor, the princ.i.p.al field of his operations being New York city. He subsequently removed to Paterson and put up a number of buildings in West and Main streets. One of his sons is still alive and is a resident of New York city. Dr. John Quin is distantly related to Arthur and Patrick Quin, who were brothers.

RAFFERTY, PETER AND PHILIP, were two brothers. Peter removed to California, returned to Paterson for some time, but again turned his face to the Pacific coast; he is now a resident of San Francisco. He was married in Paterson to Miss Susan Russell, a niece of Charles O'Neill.

Philip was for many years trustee of the Oliver street church. He was the junior member of the firm of Todd & Rafferty, and died in this city.

His first wife was a daughter of Joseph Warren, and his second a daughter of Hugh Brady.

RILEY, HUGH, kept a grocery on the corner of Cross and Market streets.

None of his descendants live in Paterson.

ROSSITER, MARTIN, whose tragic death by being carried over the Falls in the freshet of 1882 was deplored by all, was for many years a farmer in the employ of the Society for Establis.h.i.+ng Useful Manufactures. His son Richard is still in the employ of that corporation; another son is a priest belonging to the order of Pa.s.sionists, and a daughter is a Sister of the Sacred Heart. Paul and George, two sons, are employed in New York.

SHEA--OR SHAY--BRIAN, was one of the first Catholics who settled in Paterson. He had a private school on the old York road where it strikes the river near the present site of the Cedar Lawn Cemetery. Among his scholars was Henry P. Simmons, of Pa.s.saic, recently Lay Judge of the Common Pleas of this county. The building on the York road was used partly as a school and partly as the residence of the teacher. The rising generation of those days referred to it as "The Bellows," from the fact that the wind blew in at the many crevices in the building. Mr.