From Ireland to Belleville through Watson House

Many Irish women emigrated on their own, especially in later years. A good number of these passed through Watson House, which offered them housing until they could get settled with relatives or friends. It is located on State Street in lower Manhattan, right next to the Shrine of Elizabeth Ann Seton. The Watson House records, which are preserved as part of the archives at the Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine, have been digitized and are available on-line, with a searchable database. This makes it easy to identify in the records those women who settled in Belleville.

Between the years 1898 and 1930, eleven woman who passed through Watson House went to relatives or friends in Belleville. The first of these was 18-year-old Anne Flaherty of Galway, who was going to live with Nora Flaherty on Holmes Street. How they were related is not stated. The last, 23-year-old Kathleen Hanon of Cork, who arrived aboard the Baltic in March of 1930, went to live with a friend, Mrs. J. McGrory, at 37 Wilson Place. 

Some of those who came in the intervening years were 19-year-old Bridget Dasey of Mayo, who came aboard the Cedric in 1906, and went to live with her brother-in-law, John Monahan, at 105 John St. Also arriving in 1906, aboard the Carmona, was 30-year-old Mary McCarthy of Galway, who went to live with her sister, Mrs. O'Neill, at 36 Isaac St. 17-year-old Cork resident Helena Reardon arrived aboard the Samaria in 1927 and went to live with her sister Mrs. Julia McCrory at 37 Wilson Pl. (The same Julia McCrory who would welcome Kathleen Hanon in 1930.) Sabina Devaney, a 20-year-old from County Mayo, arrived in 1927 aboard the Republic, and went to live with her brother John Devaney at 572 Washington Ave.

It is unusual to find a record with this much information. By comparing this record to other records pertaining to these families, we can fill in the picture of the Irish community in Belleville.

I would love to hear from anyone descended from or related to any of these women.