So let's see what we can find about Michael Dwyer. We know he married our Margaret Moriarty in 1889 so he must have arrived in Newport sometime before that.
There were a lot of Michael Dwyers born about 1861 in the 1880 U.S. Census - I didn't find any in Rhode Island that pinpoint our Michael - we don't even know where he landed. He might have come through Canada or landed in any of several U.S. ports. He might have spent a few years somewhere other than Newport.
From the 1880 Census, I turned to Newport city directories. In the 1871 Newport Directory there were no Dwyers. The next online directory is 1879 - we learn that only one Dwyer resides in Newport - John, a laborer. 1881 has John and an Edward Dwyer.
The 1882 Newport Directory finally shows one Michael Dwyer, a laborer, with a house on Collins Street at the corner of West Broadway. This is a possibility - our Michael would be about 22 or 23 in 1882.
Michael Dwyer, blacksmith, boarding at 37 Marsh Street.
John Dwyer, boiler maker, is boarding there also.
Another Michael Dwyer is a laborer with a house at 7 Davis Court where laborer Daniel Dwyer is boarding.
Davis Court is a small street that runs off Marsh Street. So all these Dwyers are living very close together.
I remember, when I was reading that email information about the Dwyers, that Michael had a younger brother Patrick Martin Dwyer in Newport who was a blacksmith for the N.E. Steamship company. So when I see the blacksmith on 37 Marsh Street, it grabs my attention.
#37 is at the end of Marsh Street – today it is a dead end.
Above and below are pictures of 37 Marsh Street where Michael Dwyer, blacksmith, lived in 1883.
37 Marsh Street is the last house on the street. The two cars are parked at the end of the street - this is the dead end. We are looking toward Washington Street which separates Marsh Street from the waterfront in the background. I suppose in the past you could drive all the way down Marsh Street and cross Washington Street. The houses now are only on one side of the street.
I want to think that this blacksmith is our man, but there is no proof. So I continued to search the directories. There are 2 Michael Dwyers living in Newport in 1884, 1885 and 1886. That blacksmith is still boarding at 37 Marsh Street.
The 1885 Rhode Island State Census also lists a Michael Dwyer in District 202, Family 529 with 7 in the family- he is line 2. He is a 25 year old single boarder who was born in Ireland. He does not read or write; he is an alien. His occupation is a blacksmith. So this must be the Michael Dwyer who was living at 37 Marsh Street although the address is not given.
Here is the page from the 1886 Newport directory. The other Michael Dwyer is still living with Daniel Dwyer - now at 18 White Street - both are laborers. Are they brothers?
Are any of these are Dwyers from Derreenauliffe in Sneem?
There is no listing for a Michael Dwyer in the 1887 or 1888 directories. So was the blacksmith our Michael Dwyer? Where did he go? And if he was the laborer, the same question - where did he go?
We know from the Dwyer history that Margaret Moriarty married Michael Dwyer on 15 January 1889 in Newport, Rhode Island. www.familysearch.org has an index to the marriage. It lists Margaret’s parents as Michael Moriarty and Abby Sweeney. Michael’s parents are listed as Michael Dwyer and Mary Mahoney. Michael is 29; Margaret is 28.
Batch number: I09532-0, system origin: Rhode Island-EASy; source film number: 2188896, page 88.
So we know that this is our Michael and Margaret from the names of the parents. Unfortunately, no occupation is listed in the index for Michael, and no address for either of them. We need to get that marriage certificate.
I suppose they attended the Glenlough School together in Sneem - just a short walk from home for both of them. I wonder if they ever thought that they would end up married?
In the 1889 and 1890 Newport Directories, Michael Dwyer is a fireman for the O.C.S.B. Co. = Old Colony Steamboat Company. His house is at 56 Burnside Avenue. I presume this is our Michael from the Dwyer family information in the email. Below is the page from the 1890 Directory.
Below is 56 Burnside Avenue on 6 June 2012. The original house, and the one beside it, have been torn down. The old houses are built very close together on this street – there were no driveways needed when they were built. This is on the opposite end of Newport from Ward 5 where I took the walking tour. But, the Irish here were still on the outskirts of the town. There is a driveway now at #56, and it looks like the house next door was demolished to make room for it.
Below are two pictures of Burnside Avenue showing how close together the houses are and how close to the street.
Unfortunately, there is no U. S. Census for 1890. But Michael remains here on Burnside Avenue through 1892 - he is listed as a water tender in the directories for 1891 and 1892.
There are Michael Dwyers listed in Newport through 1899, but I don't know if any of them belong to us.
I do know our family is listed in the 1900 U.S. Census for Newport - they are near the bottom.
The Dwyers are renting a room or rooms at 42 Elm Street. Michael is 38 years old and was born in September 1861. Margaret is 42 and may have been born in August 1857 – I can’t quite make it out.
Although they have been married for 11 years, Margaret has never been pregnant. Both they and their parents were born in Ireland.
Margaret immigrated first in 1877 - 23 years ago. Michael came to this country in 1882 and has been in the United States for 18 years. if you look back, 1882 was the first year a Michael Dwyer was listed in Newport - a laborer. In 1900 Michael is a naturalized citizen, but I haven't been able to find his naturalization papers. Margaret was probably naturalized with Michael if they were married when he was granted citizenship. That would narrow the time to look for the naturalization between 1899 and 1900. Both Michael and Margaret can read and write - thank you Glenlough School!! But the 1885 Rhode Island Census said that Michael could NOT read or write - does that mean the blacksmith is NOT our Michael Dwyer? I'm not ruling him out yet!
In 1900 Michael is working as an oiler on a boat and has been working steadily. They rent a room from Christopher and Mary (?) Thomas who own the house and have a mortgage on it. Interesting that they both come from Germany. 55 year old Christopher immigrated 25 years ago in 1875; he is a naturalized citizen. Mary immigrated in 1877. He is a caretaker and watchman; he has been unemployed for 6 months.
Above and below are pictures of 42 Elm Street – it runs parallel to Burnside Avenue and also would have been on the outskirts of Newport. This is a good size house as you can see. This is also a narrow street with many older homes. Big house to have a mortgage and be out of work!
42 Elm Street is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The bottom plaque states:
“Captain Phillips House
Built circa 1730
Bought by Samuel Phillips
Mariner in 1830
Moved to Present Site ca1880
Restored 1946”
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