Rhode Island

Much has been written about the conditions the people of Ireland faced in the 1840’s, the voluntary and forced emigration during that time, and the difficulties and often hostility faced at their destination. Most who went to North America went to large cities and never returned to Ireland. Danny Dowling’s research has uncovered and recorded unusual emigration circumstances. For example, in 1977 Danny wrote to Fr. John Lahey providing requested information concerning the Edward Doherty family of Milltown, Glenmore. Danny’s research revealed that contrary to the norm of a man emigrating with his family, or going alone and later sending for his wife and children, in this case Edward Doherty’s wife went out to America on her own, settled in Peoria, Illinois where she worked in a laundry. After a couple of years she sent home the fares for her husband and children to join her. When the family reunited they settled in Pike Township, Livingston County, Illinois where they “took a farm.”

 John J. Curran’s Early Life

In 1971 Danny Dowling interviewed a Glenmore born man, John J. Curran (1889-1976) about his immigration to the US in December 1911. Six decades after the Famine, John Curran chose to immigrate to the US although he was educated and employed. Six decades after immigrating to the US John J. Curran chose to return to live in Ireland.

John J. Curran, formerly of Robinstown, Glenmore, was the son of John Curran and his wife Margaret Curran née Conway. It is believed that John J was their youngest child. Margaret was from Mooncoin. Her family were evicted from their farm and ended up in Mooncoin, Village.

The 1911 census was taken on Sunday the 2^nd of April 1911 just eight months before John left. The census reveals that the father, John Curran, was 62 years of age and employed as a National Teacher. Margaret Curran was 63 years of age and was an “ex National Teacher.” The census also reveals that the couple had been married for 36 years and they had had 13 children, but only 9 were alive in 1911. The children living at home in 1911 include: Alice Curran, age 29; Nicholas Curran, age 27; Margaret Curran, age 24 and John Curran age 21. Alice and Nicholas were both National Teachers, no employment was listed for Margaret, and John J. Curran was employed as a draper’s assistant.

A draper was originally the maker of fabric, but later the occupation turned to dealing in fabric and sewing supplies. It is believed by 1911 the draper also dealt with the selling of ready-made clothing. John Curran, before going to America served his time to the drapery trade in Clery’s of Dublin where he had to live in. While in Dublin he played Gaelic Football with the C.J. Kickham’s Team. He was a full back with the Dublin team that defeated Kildare in the All Ireland Final held in Kildare about 1910. The Dublin team was comprised of 15 men and they won by 2 points. John also noted that he played Mayo in Ballina and Sligo in Sligo. John related that he also played on St. James’s team. 

Emigration

In his 1971 interview John J. Curran recalled that he set off for America in December 1911. He travelled on board the S.S. Cedric from Cobh to Boston in a steerage cabin. The journey took 8 days and the fare cost £7-10-0. While on board ship John met a middle aged Irish American man from Laurence Massachusetts. For a joke the man took John’s money and travel papers etc. and kept him in suspense until the ship arrived in Boston when he returned all to him. He was a very decent man and treated John very well on the voyage.

John stated that when he arrived in Boston he was met “off the boat” by his uncle James Conway. John was then taken by his uncle James to a restaurant for a meal. When it was served John took off his cap and made the sign of the cross in the usual Irish manner whereupon his uncle rebuked him saying, “They don’t do that in America. They don’t bless themselves at meals.”

John stayed with his uncle Billy Conway for some time after his arrival. Billy Conway lived in Everitt Massachusetts a town about eight miles outside of Boston. John reported that his uncle James Conway worked in Lexington Massachusetts. The first job that John J. Curran obtained upon his arrival in the US was in a drapery store in Boyleston St., in Boston, where he earned 12 dollars a week.

John next went to work for the Jordan Marsh Department store which was the biggest store in Boston at that time. John earned 15 dollars a week. He stayed at the Jordan March Department store for about a year. John recalled that he moved to Providence, Rhode Island and on arrival he stayed in the Narraganset Hotel. His first job in Providence was with the Outlet Co. at 18 dollars a week plus commissions based on a percentage of his sales. The store superintendent was a man named Steiner and John stayed in this job for eight years.

John informed Danny that in his time in Glenmore Fr. William Walsh was the C.C. and afterwards he became the parish priest of Tullaroan. In John’s time Father Walsh was called Wild Father Walsh because he used to break up dancers with a whip. Father McGrath was another C.C. in Glenmore and John recalled that he was a gentle type of man.

Return to Live and Die in Ireland

Today, Danny said that John J. Curran returned to Ireland as an elderly man and at the time of his interview was living on the Quay in Waterford with his sister Alice Power née Curran. At that time Alice was the widow of Wattie Power of Jamestown, Glenmore and her niece was married to Henry Bevins who was a national teacher in Glenmore. In addition to teaching, Master Bevins also had a bookshop on the Quay in Waterford. The extended family lived above the bookshop. John J. Curran is buried in Glenmore. Danny described John J. Curran as a very nice, decent man.

US Records Add to the Story

Online US records were examined to determine if there were other facts available for John’s time in the US and the records located highlight the turmoil of the era.

All men in the US in 1917 were required to register for the WWI draft. On 5 June 1917 John J. Curran registered. His registration card provides that he was 27 and living at 54 Rowan St. Providence, Rhode Island. He stated that he was born on the 6 of September 1889 in Glenmore, Co. Waterford, Ireland. John recorded that he was a salesman for the Outlet Co., was married and had one child. The registrar recorded that John was of medium height, slender build, grey eyes and brown hair.

On 20 November 1917 John Joseph Curran filed a Petition for Naturalisation in the Federal Court in Providence, Rhode Island and thereby sought to become a US citizen. At that time he still was living at 54 Rowan St. in Providence and listed his occupation as a dry goods salesman. He reported that he was born on 6 September 1889 in Glenmore, Ireland and emigrated from Queenstown on the 17^th of November 1911 and arrived in Boston on 7 December 1911 on the vessel Franconia.

John recorded on his petition that on the 13^th of December 1911, less than a week after landing, he went to the Boston Court House and declared his intention to become a US citizen. John recorded that he was married to Alice whose date of birth was 7 February 1892, and they had one child also named Alice who was born on 6 July 1915. He declared that he had lived continuously in Rhode Island since 12 August 1912. John in his affidavit revealed that he had first applied for naturalization on 29 December 1916 but was unable to obtain required depositions and requested the court to dismiss his application to allow him to reapply at a later date. For his 20 November 1917 petition John presented an affidavit from the US Department of Labor, and two witnesses, Lewis Clarke (insurance agent) and Laurence Walsh (police officer).

The next significant US record located was John Curran’s passport application of 18 June 1922 when he applied for a passport for himself and his wife Alice and two minor children (Alice, aged 6 and Margaret D. aged 4). He noted that his father John Curran was dead, but he wanted to sail on the Adriatic on the 24^th of June and intended to return to the US within 6 weeks.

John stated that he was a dry good merchant and the family intended to visit Ireland, England and France. He described himself as being aged 32, 5 feet 10 ½ inches in height, with no distinguishing marks, blue eyes, straight nose, medium mouth, long face, fair complexion and brown hair. Two photos were attached to the passport application; one was a photo of John J. Curran and the other was a group photo of his wife and daughters.

The US Federal Census of 1930 reveals that John J. Curran was living at 124 Whitford Lane in Providence and he was 40 years of age and the proprietor of a dry goods shop. Thus at the beginning of the Great Depression John J. Curran owned a shop and was an employer. His wife, Alice was 36 and in addition to their two daughters both of Alice’s parents were living with them. John’s father-in-law, John W. Shea was 62 and employed as a teamster of dry goods. John’s mother-in-law was aged 62, had been born in Ireland, spoke Gaelic and immigrated to the US in 1870.

The last available census is the US Federal Census of 1940  which provides that the Curran family was living at 58 Quincy Street in Providence. John’s daughter Alice was aged 24 and employed as a public school teacher, and daughter Margaret was aged 21 and employed as a file clerk. John’s wife Alice is listed as head of house and aged 48. John is not listed in the home although his father-in-law, widower, John W. Shea is present and aged 78. In 1942 John J. Curran registered for the WWII draft. This document reflects that John named his wife Alice as his next of kin with the 58 Quincy Street address listed as his home address. John J. Curran recorded that he was employed for the State of Rhode Island at the Howard State Infirmary in Cranston, Rhode Island.

Lastly, the Social Security Death Index provides that John J. Curran died in August 1976 and his last known address was in Ireland.

It is truly amazing the variety of documents and information that are available on line today.

Curran Headstone, St. James’s Cemetery, Glenmore

(Added 1 December 2019) The Curran headstone in St. James’s Churchyard, Glenmore provides the following:

John Curran died on 13 June 1912 aged 65;                                                                                                        his wife, Margaret died on 15 January 1917 aged 67;                    
both for many years National School Teachers of Glenmore.
Their children: 
Joseph died young; 
Mary died on the 4th of September 1900 aged 24; 
Richard died on the 28th of December 1903 aged 23; 
Laurence died on the 21 of January 1922 aged 45; 
Nicholas died on 25 January 1925 aged 40; 
(side of stone) Annie Curran died on 30 January 1942; 
her sister Margaret Bevin died on 4 May 1946, aged 56 and 
John J. Curran died on 4 August 1976, aged 86.   

Special thanks to my husband Peter Walsh for locating the Curran headstone.

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh