Published Facts About Thomas Joseph
O'Connor:
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Source:
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Dated: 11 June 1900
12th Federal Census of the U.S., State of New York, Kings County, Brooklyn, Ward 28, Enumeration District 0505, Supervisors District 2, Block C. |
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Dated: 20 April
1910
32th Federal Census of the U.S., State of New York, Queens County, Queens, Borough New York City (parts of), Queens Ward 2, Enumeration District 1234, 25th Election District, 3rd Assembly District. |
Comparing the two Federal Census data shows a few conflicting answers, not uncommon on any census, such as the age of Thomas. In 1900 it is shown that he was born in Dec 1862 and was age 37. Ten years later, in 1910, his age is shown as 40—just a three-year difference over that 10 year period. His death certificate shows a birth date of Feb 12, 1868, more in line with the 1910 census. His year of immigration also changes between the two censuses—in 1900 he reports it as 1885, in 1910 he reports it as 1891, a six-year difference.
His job description in 1900 was that of a "Packer" which means he was more than likely a factory or warehouse worker packaging goods for transit or storage. In 1910, he is listed as a "Shipping Clerk - Dry Goods" a step up perhaps from a packer but certainly within the same work environment. Did he work for the same company all that time or just stayed with the occupation he knew while finding work wherever he could?
Thomas' death certificate shows he resided in the U.S. for 27 years, more in line with the 1900 census information but still not consistent. Another thing to consider is the death certificate states he was a resident in the City of New York for 13 years only. While no documentation has been found so far, he may have lived in New Jersey prior to the 1900 census because his son, Edward, was born at St. Mary's Hospital in Jersey City, New Jersey.
The death certificate for Thomas as issued by the State of New York, Department of Health of the City of New York, Bureau of Records, Standard Certificate of Death, Registered No. 365, gives more information, such as who his parents were—that brick wall I mentioned before, a fact unknown to me before seeing this certificate:
Address:
Borough of Queens, 129 Smith Street, Evergreen, Tenement
Name:
Thomas Joseph O'Connor
1) Gender: Male.
Color/Race: White.
2) Single,
Married, Widowed or Divorced: Married
3) Date
of Death: February 3, 1913
4) Date
of Birth: February 12, 1868
5) Age:
44 years, 11 months, 9 days
6) Occupation:
Packer (Dry Goods)
7) Birthplace:
Scotland
8) 27
years in the U.S.
9) 13
years as a resident in City of New York
10) Name
of Father: Edward O'Connor.
11) Birthplace
of Father: Ireland
12) Maiden
Name of Mother: Nora Carlton.
13) Birthplace
of Mother: Ireland
14)
Doctor's
certification: I hereby certify that the
foregoing particulars (Nos. 1 to 14 inclusive) are correct as near as the same
can be ascertained, and I further certify that I attended the deceased from Dec
30 1912 to Feb 3, 1913, that I last saw him alive on the 3(rd) day of Feb 1913, that death occurred on the date stated above at 11:25 P.M., and that the cause of death was as
follow: Cardiac Insufficiency[i], duration 1 day. Contributory (Secondary): Pulmonary Tuberculosis[ii], duration 1 year, 6 mos. Witness my hand this 4 day of Feb 1913. Signature:
John D Tierney, M.D., Address 974 Forest Ave.
Place of Burial:
Calvary Cemetery[iii].
Date of Burial: Feb 7, 1913. Undertaker: J.B. Wheeler, Address 265 Greene Ave,
Brooklyn.
Note that Thomas' occupation at the time of his death is back to being a Packer of Dry Goods, so he stayed in the same line of work throughout his historically documented life. The contributing
factor in Thomas' death was tuberculosis and the fact that he resided in tenement
housing for over a decade may indicate he contracted it while living under what
were normally horrific conditions as summarized in a description of "Tenement
living in New York City in the early 1900s." [iv]
Because of the high levels of unmanaged waste,
epidemics of infectious diseases were commonplace in New York. The city battled
outbreaks of smallpox, typhoid, malaria, yellow fever, cholera, and
tuberculosis. Over the course of a century, hundreds of thousands of immigrants
settled in New York City and other growing cities such as Philadelphia and
Chicago. Encountering hostility from native-born Americans upon arriving in the
country, most immigrants had nowhere to turn. They moved into poverty-stricken neighborhoods
and into neglected buildings known as tenements, which are “multifamily
dwellings with several apartment-like living quarters.” Tenements were most
common in areas that a majority of
immigrants found themselves settling in and were notoriously small in
size, most contained no more than two rooms. Usually, one of the rooms was used as a
kitchen and the other as a bedroom.
Because of the high levels of unmanaged waste,
epidemics of infectious diseases were commonplace in New York. The city battled
outbreaks of smallpox, typhoid, malaria, yellow fever, cholera, and
tuberculosis. Over the course of a century, hundreds of thousands of immigrants
settled in New York City and other growing cities such as Philadelphia and
Chicago. Encountering hostility from native-born Americans upon arriving in the
country, most immigrants had nowhere to turn. They moved into poverty-stricken neighborhoods
and into neglected buildings known as tenements, which are “multifamily
dwellings with several apartment-like living quarters.” Tenements were most
common in areas that a majority of
immigrants found themselves settling in and were notoriously small in
size, most contained no more than two rooms. Usually, one of the rooms was used as a
kitchen and the other as a bedroom.Tenement buildings were usually made of brick and built side by side on narrow streets. As a result, most rooms had only one or two windows, sometimes none. The atmosphere was suffocating. It was not until 1867 when New York passed the “Tenement House Act.” This required basic sanitation and health, and that each tenement had adequate ventilation. It also required one outhouse for every twenty people, which was not the case prior to the passing of this act. However, the wave of immigrants that arrived between 1880 and 1924 was not met with any major improvements. Tenements were simply made taller to accommodate the newcomers, creating safety concerns. In fact, conditions worsened during this period.
Personal hygiene became an issue because of
the lack of running water and the garbage that piled up on the streets, it
became difficult for those living in tenements to bathe properly or launder
their clothing. This triggered the spread of diseases such as cholera, typhoid,
smallpox, and tuberculosis. Houses that were once for single families were
divided to pack in as many people as possible. Walls were erected to create
extra rooms, floors were added, and housing spread into backyard areas. To keep
up with the population increase, construction was done hastily and corners were
cut. Tenement buildings were constructed with cheap materials, had little or no
indoor plumbing, and lacked proper ventilation. These cramped and often unsafe
quarters left many vulnerable to rapidly spreading illnesses and disasters like
fires.
Afterthoughts:
1. Why was Thomas O'Connor born in Scotland while his parents are both reported as being born in Ireland? Perhaps the answer is one of economics. There were a number of factors that forced or encouraged people to move to Scotland after 1830. By the 19th century, Ireland was ruled by Protestant Britain. Ireland was largely split along religious lines with Catholics in the south and Protestants in the north. Many of the laws that the British Government passed for Ireland were anti-Catholic and 75% of Irish immigrants were Catholic. They could not inherit land from a Protestant, borrow money to buy land, or vote in elections. Very few Irish farmers owned the land that they worked on - tenant farmers had to pay rent, which was decided by the landowner. If tenant farmers could not pay rent, they were evicted. There was little industrial development in Ireland. Unemployed laborers did not have the choice of moving to the towns for work. Most Irish people were uneducated and illiterate and could only farm or do manual labor for a living, and wages were very low for a farmworker. Between 1830 and 1914 over 300,000 Irish people migrated to Scotland and the majority of those people were economic migrants looking for employment. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zr6ycdm/revision/1
2. When did Thomas really immigrate to the United States? More research is needed to determine when and how he came over. It was long after the Great Famine in Ireland so again economics probably was an important factor in his decision.
3. Where and how did he meet Jennie Boland? Exactly when and where did they get married? Did they live in New Jersey before moving over to New York City? It would have been an easy transition since the two areas are less than five miles apart. Again, more research, especially in Catholic Diocese or Parish records, might reveal answers to at least the date and location of their wedding.
4. When did Thomas remarry, to Helen (maiden name unknown, previously married last name Mackin)?
5. Living in the tenements of New York City surely affected the health of Thomas but did it also affect the lives of his wife Jennie and daughter Anna Margaret? I will divulge the causes of their deaths in Part 2.
6. Thomas was undoubtedly a Roman Catholic as he, his first wife Jennie, and his daughter Anna Margaret, are all buried in Calvary Cemetery, a Roman Catholic cemetery in Queens, in New York City. Are they buried near each other? I will try to obtain information from the cemetery as to their gravesite locations in relation to each other.
[i] Cardiac Insufficiency definition: where the
heart is no longer able to pump blood efficiently. It may be a consequence of a
heart attack or damage to the heart valves.
[ii] Pulmonary
Tuberculosis definition: a chronic infectious disease that can affect a
variety of organs, especially the lungs. The most common variety is pulmonary
tuberculosis or consumption... a wasting
away of the body caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium
tuberculosis, passed on via droplets in coughs and sneezes.
[iii]
With about 3 million burials,
Calvary Cemetery has the largest number of interments of any cemetery in the
The United States. Established in
1848, Calvary Cemetery covers 365 acres and is still owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New
York and managed by the Trustees of St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Interesting
note: in the early 20th century, influenza and tuberculosis epidemics
caused a shortage of gravediggers, and the families dug graves for their own
loved ones. It cost an adult seven dollars to be buried there. Burial of
children aged seven to fourteen cost five dollars, children under age seven
cost three dollars.
[iv]
https://immigrants1900.weebly.com/living-conditions.html
[v] https://www.history.com/news/tenement-photos-jacob-riis-nyc-immigrants
Note: Medical definitions were found online in The Glossary of Medical Terms Used in the 18th and 19th
Centuries. https://www.thornber.net/medicine/html/medgloss.html.
Next Blog: Since the segment on Thomas' life took up more space and time than I had planned, this topic will continue with Part 2—What Happened to Thomas, Jennie, and Anna Margaret? A look into the lives and fates of Thomas' first wife Jennie Boland and their daughter Anna Margaret O'Connor in New York City after the turn of the 20th Century.
Next Blog: Since the segment on Thomas' life took up more space and time than I had planned, this topic will continue with Part 2—What Happened to Thomas, Jennie, and Anna Margaret? A look into the lives and fates of Thomas' first wife Jennie Boland and their daughter Anna Margaret O'Connor in New York City after the turn of the 20th Century.
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