Blanche Catherine McIntyre, 1914

Blanche Catherine McIntyre, third child of Thomas and Ellen, was born April 9, 1914 in Chicago.   Her parents were living at 2541 W. Monroe at the time of her birth.  Like her sister Mary, Blanche's birth certificate does not include her first name.  I have been unable to locate Blanche's baptismal record.  Blanche died in California on November 15, 1978.

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Ellen Patricia McIntyre, 1916

Ellen Patricia, know as Pat most of her life, was born in Chicago on March 19, 1916.  At the time of her birth, her parents were living at 1035 N. Keeler Avenue.  She was born at home.  Pat died in California on March 14, 1982.

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Thomas Joseph McIntyre, 1919

Thomas Joseph, the fifth child and second son of Thomas and Ellen McIntyre, was born in Chicago on August 17, 1919.  At the time of his birth, his parents were living at 3116 W. Fulton Street.  Thomas was the last child born to the couple.  His mother was 37 and father was 40 at the time of his birth.  The father was still a motorman and employed by the Street Rail road in the city.  Thomas Jr., like all the rest of his siblings, was born at home.

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Tom died in California on November 29, 2009.

Celebrating 100th Anniversary of McIntyre Citizenship

On October 7, 2010, the extended McIntyre family enjoyed a celebratory get-together at Russell's Barbecue in River Grove, Illinois, in honor of the 100th anniversary of Thomas and Ellen (Walsh) McIntyre becoming American citizens.  Russell's, who is itself celebrating 80 years in the restaurant business, was (and still is) a favorite spot for a meal.  A grandchild, three great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren of Thomas and Ellen, along with spouses and extended family, savored beef and pork sandwiches dripping in Russell's own sauce.  A cake topped off the meal.

Photos courtesy: Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin

Thomas J. McIntyre, Petition for Naturalization, 1910

Having completed his Declaration of Intention in 1908, Thomas is now completing his naturalization process.  The top part of the first page of his Petition for Naturalization is filled in with the information supplied on the original Declaration of Intention.  It is noted that he filed his first papers in Chicago, Illinois in the Circuit Court of Cook County.  He is now filing his Petition in the Superior Court of Cook County.  This portion of the paperwork is dated May 26, 1910.

Two individuals are required to sign an "Affidavit of Witnesses" each stating he is a citizen and that each personally knows Thomas McIntyre to have resided in the United States for a period of at least five year continuously immediately preceding the date of filing as well as in the State of Illinois.  They also swear that Thomas is a person of good moral character, attached to the principles of the constitution of the United States, and that he is in every way qualified to be admitted a citizen of the United States.

James Joseph Hallinan, a conductor who lives at 740 Irving Ave, signs the document first.  Hallinan was probably a co-worker of Thomas' at the Chicago Surface Line.  The second witness is William Madden, a police officer residing at 2958 Lee Avenue, Chicago.  Madden is Thomas' first cousin.  He is also the brother of the Patrick Madden, the person Thomas states on the ship's passenger manifest he is going to join when he came to America in 1904.  


On October 7, 1910 Thomas McIntyre swore his Oath of Allegiance:
"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, and particularly to George V King of Great Britain and Ireland of which I have heretofore been a subject, that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies foreign and domestic; and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same."
Signed: Thomas McIntyre

Certificate of Naturalization No. 142375

Of note is the last section "Order of Court Admitting Petitioner".  It says to "Insert on following lines marriages and births occurring after petitioning and before naturalization.  Since Thomas and Ellen/Helen were married between these two occurrences what is written is:

"Helen Nacacahoone reside in Chicago Ill married Sept. 4, 1910."

When I saw this I was confused until I tried to pronounce Nacacahoone and realized it was Knockahoney, the townland where Ellen Walsh was born.

If Thomas McIntyre had not made the one week trip across the ocean in 1904 and then filled out the paperwork to become a citizen of the US in 1910, we might be in a very different place in our lives.  We are all very fortunate. 

So on October 7, 2010 the McIntyres will give thanks and celebrate the 100th Anniversary of our immigrant ancestor's decision to become an American Citizen.

Origin of Walsh and McIntyre names

Walsh

 This famous national locational and descriptive nickname surname derives from the pre 7th Century Olde English and Anglo-Saxon word "waelisc", meaning "foreigner" or perhaps more likely in the passage of time, "stranger". Be that as it may it is one of the ironies of history that the invaders from North Germany and even the later Vikings, should apparently refer to the people that they conquered or at least drove from their original homes, as 'The Foreigner" and even more so that the name should have stuck. The surname is popular in many areas and countries, there being a large "Walsh" contingent in Ireland, where it is the fourth most popular surname, and even a small number in France, originally in the Nantes area. The modern surname is recorded in a wide variety of spellings, including Welch, Welche, Welsh, Walsh, Walshe, Walch, and Wellish. The early surname development includes examples such as Walter Walsheman of London in 1279, Simon Welshe of Bedford in the year 1279, John Walsh of Roxburgh, Scotland, in 1330, Margery Wellis in the 1327 Pipe Rolls of the county of Essex, and Lawrence Walsh of County Mayo, Ireland in 1588. The first recorded spelling of the family name is from Ireland. This is believed to be that of Haylen Walsh, the son of Phillip the Welshman, and dated 1171. He is recorded as being with Strongbow, earl of Pembroke, in his initial invasion of Ireland in that year. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

McIntyre

Information on the origin of the McIntyre name can be located at the McIntyre/Ginty Genealogy Blog.

Source: The Internet Surname Database.  Accessed June 5, 2010.

Ellen Walsh McIntyre, Death Certificate, 1941

Helen (Ellen) Agnes Walsh McIntyre died on the day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday, November 26, 1941 at 10:00 a.m. in her home at 4737 W. Gladys Avenue, Chicago. Her death certificate says she lived on Gladys for 15 years and owned her home. Ellen did not work outside of the home, at least since the start of Social Security and her death certificate states she did not have a Social Security number. Her birth date is recorded as October 26, 1883. From her birth certificate, we know she was born in 1881 and on the birth certificate is states her day of birth as October 12.

Her son, Thomas J. McIntyre, is the informant on her death certificate. He gives her birth place as County Sligo, Ireland; father as John Walsh also of County Sligo; and, only a first name for her Mother, Ellen. We have since learned that her father is in fact John "Jack" Walsh, but her mother is Bridget Cawley. Her son Thomas was living with her on Gladys Avenue at the time of her death.  He was only 22 years old at the time.

She died of uraemia, due to chronic nephritis and hypertension.  Prior to death she had influenza which probably intensified her health issues.

Helen/Ellen was buried, alongside of her husband Thomas J. Sr., in Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois on November 28, 1941, the day after Thanksgiving.

For additional information and a transcription of Ellen's death notice see Thomas and Helen McIntyre, Mt. Carmel Gravestone and Obituaries