O'Malleys Set Sail!

This is the manifest of passengers sailing in saloon, cabin, or steerage on the Etruria on October 6, 1907.  They sailed from Queenstown, Ireland. Elizabeth Masterson O'Malley was 40 years old and she had with her six children: John was 10, Patrick 7 (both boys and their mother could read and write), Mary was 4, Rose 3, Eliza 2 and James, my grandfather was 6 months old. They list their nationality as Scotch but their last known residence was Newport, County Mayo. Likely they went to stay with family while they waited to sail to the new country for good. Their destination was to meet with the children's father, Michael O'Malley who lived at 129 Dearborn Ave in Chicago Illinois.

Michael O'Malley had already sailed to Chicago on May 2, 1906. He also sailed from Queenstown and listed his profession as a laborer and was 35 years old. He listed his nephew, Michael Fahey, at 57 Superior St in Chicago, as the person he was going to visit. 

Michael and his younger brother Anthony were probably born in Westport, Ireland but I have yet to pinpoint exact birth records. Michael and Anthony had two sisters, Mary and Sarah. Their father's name was Peter O'Malley and their mother was Rose McDonald.

Not only were Michael and Anthony born near Westport, we got to visit their actual homestead in Cloonfoher, a township north of Newport, near Burrishoole Abbey.

Michael O'Malley had emigrated to Glasgow, Scotland to find work in the bustling city. There he met Elizabeth Masterson and they were married in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church on January 13, 1896. The marriage record below shows Michael's parents: Peter O'Malley and Rose McDonald and Elizabeth Masterson's parents: John Masterson and Mary McEntee. 

At the turn of the 19th century the Catholic population of Glasgow and its surroundings grew rapidly with the arrival of many Irish people seeking work in the growing number of factories, mills and construction works. This was later to be boosted by those escaping the Famine. The Church of St Mary of the Assumption was opened in August, 1842 in present day Abercromby St, to serve the new congregation in the east and was only the second Catholic church to have been built in the area since the Reformation. 

 http://wikimapia.org/14464141/St-Marys-RC-Church

Birth Records:

Lizzie Malley was born December 2, 1904 at home, 3 Claythorn Street in Glasgow. 

James was born in 1907

Claythorn Glasgow

This website has some really interesting information about Claythorn. Michael Malley was a Bricklayer's Labourer at that time. Calton is the oldest part of Glasgow and one of the oldest Glesga pubs, Hielan Jessie,  is still standing around the corner from where the Malleys lived. 

More photos in Old Glasgow - Calton

Link to more about  The Mastersons

The O'Malleys on Lovejoy

We know that Elizabeth arrived in New York with her six little children.  The next record is the 1930 census when they all lived at 5300 Lovejoy in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago. The parish was St. Cornelius where the children may have gone to school.  By 1930, John, Rose and Elizabeth had moved on. Elizabeth married, lived two blocks away and had children of her own. Michael was a Nightwatchman for a printing company and his sons followed him into the business. 30 year old Patrick was a typesetter. Mary, 28, was a Dental Assistant. James at 22 years old was a Roto Printer and Sarah, 20, was a stenographer.

The OMalley Reunion in 1997

Some of the memories shared at the reunion about the house on Lovejoy:

Aunt Sal: The house was so beautiful. It had a sweat room off the bathroom. I shared a bedroom with Mary. Mom had to know exactly when we came in. The dining room had a huge leather window seat. 

Dorothy: Mom had beautiful crystal. Stenmal glasses in the large cabinets. 

Kathy Keegan: We wanted to go down the dirty clothes shoot on the 2nd or 3rd floor but thought Grandmother wouldn't like it.

When the boys went back to visit the house at the O'Malley reunion in 1986 with Pete's daughter, Peggy, they said that the boys slept in the same room but could not remember where the girls slept. 

Jim and Helen

James Joseph O'Malley was born in 1907

James Joseph O'Malley became a naturalized citizen in November 21,1933 and married a few years later to Helen Schoentgen.

In 1940 James and Helen O'Malley lived at 13158 Appoline in Detroit Michigan. Dennis was one and had been born in that city. James was a printer in the Rotogravure Publishing industry.