It's Him!! Finally!! This Is Our Con Moriarty!

So I had been thinking I was definitely on the right track until the 1903 Newport Directory threw me a curve ball - listing 3 Cornelius Moriartys! But I still think the clerk on Kinsley's Wharf is our Con. 

Another interesting note re 1903 - Michael Dwyer, an electrician, was living at the rear of 28 Clarke Street this year. There are only a couple of buildings on Clarke Street including the armory and a church. The Dwyers were living across the street from the Moriartys in 1903 - the Moriartys had been there since 1897. There was also Ward the Printer at 34 Clark Street and Bell's Stable at 11 Clarke Street. 

27 and 28 Clarke Street now belong to the Inns of Newport - http://www.innsofnewport.com - 5 historic inns. Con's Cleveland House keeps the same name. 28 Clarke Street is now The Clarkston.

27 Clarke Street, Newport where Con Moriarty and his wife had a boarding house in the early 1900s.

Three floors and a basement. Notice the door opens right onto the street.

Side view of 27 Clarke Street - look at how far back it goes. Building  beside it is the Armory. There used to be a walkway between the 2nd floors of the two buildings.

Newport Armory with Con Moriarty's house to the left.

This is an old picture of Washington Square in Newport. Touro Street is on the left side - Clarke Street is off Touro Street near that  white building on the edge of this photo. Go back down Touro Street toward the waterfront to Thames Street - take a left and Margaret (Moriarty) and Michael Dwyer had a boarding house somewhere on that block after 1907.

1904 only listed 2 Cornelius Moriartys in Newport - one laborer and our clerk.

The 1907 Newport Directory shows a change for this Con. He is no longer listed working as a clerk – he is now proprietor of the Cleveland House at 27 Clarke Street – living at the same address – with a notation to see page 475.

Cleveland House ad on right midway down on the page.

1908 brings some interesting information. Con’s long time employer Dennis W. Sheehan died 25 August 1907. The Newport Daily News for Tuesday, August 27 has a little clip that reports he “died suddenly in this city. Funeral from his late residence __John Street Wednesday August 28 at 8:15 AM to St. Mary’s Church at 9:30 when a solemn high Mass of requiem will be offered for the repose of his soul. Relatives and friends are invited. 

(7 July 2012 - I just stumbled across this newspaper account of Dennis Sheehan’s death.) 

“Died at the Beach. 

Mr. Dennis W. Sheehan died at Easton’s Beach last Saturday morning while he was enjoying a bath in the salt water with his wife and family. With the exception of one daughter the others of the party had gone to their bath houses to dress and Mr. Sheehan was taking a last dip preparing to go out also when he was stricken with apoplexy and collapsed at once. He was in shallow water at the time and although he fell face downward into the water he was at once taken onto the dry beach and attempts were made to resuscitate him. A physician who was on the beach found that life was extinct.

Mr. Sheehan was born in Limerick, Ireland, but had made his home in this city for many years and was regarded as one of the leading citizens. He was an active business man, having conducted his present business on Kinsley’s wharf for more than a quarter century. He was very fond of his family and spent all of his leisure time in their company. He was of a friendly and companionable nature, always cheerful, and with a kindly word for everyone. He was a member of the Foresters and of the Knights of Sherwood Forest. He is survived by a wife and six daughters.

Above is Easton's Beach in 18885. This is where Dennis Sheehan died in 1907. Below is also Easton's Beach.

So in 1908 after his employer's death, Con is now working at J. Alexander & Co. Liquors at 18-20 Kinsley’s Wharf. This is where Dennis Sheehan's grocery and liquor store was - it must have a new owner. Con is also proprietor of the Cleveland House at 25 Clarke Street. The ad on page 533 for the store is also below.

When I looked up J. Alexander, I found some very surprising information! 

“John Alexander (J Alexander & Co) 18-20 Kinsley’s Wharf, also proprietor of Germania Hotel, 22 State Street, house same.” But look at the next entry!!

“Alexander J & Co (John Alexander, Cornelius Moriarty) successors to Dennis W Sheehan liquors and groceries, 18 and 20 Kinsley’s wharf (see page 533)” So not only was Con a longtime employee, but he succeeded Dennis Sheehan in the business. Does that mean that Con and John Alexander bought the business? Or did Dennis leave it to them? Were they running it for the family? How interesting is this? I wonder if Dennis Sheehan had an obituary – other than that article in the paper that we just saw - maybe Con is mentioned in it!! I wonder if we could find Dennis’ will?

Who is this John Alexander? Isn’t it interesting that he also owns the Germania Hotel?

I found another entry for Cornelius Moriarty at 27 Clarke Street, Newport, Rhode Island in the 1910 U.S. Census which was conducted in Ward 3 Enumerator District 43 on the 25^th or 26^th of April by Robert G. Babcock, Jr. 

Con is 51 years old and has been married for 21 years – this was his first marriage. (He was married for 7 years in the 1910 census! See again how dates are inaccurate.) He immigrated in 1880 and is a naturalized citizen. He is a grocery merchant. His wife Elizabeth is 54, and she emigrated from Canada in 1888. She had no pregnancies. She is proprietor of a boarding house. Their two adopted children are also listed – Helen M. Murray who is 12, and Joseph C. Murray who is 6 – both were born in Rhode Island.  This is the exact information we need to determine that this indeed is our Con Moriarty – Myles’ brother!!  Finally, at last!!! We know that these two children were the children of Myles’ sister Helen!! As we saw, this Helen Murray was mentioned back in the letter from Reverend James Moriarty!! Hurray!!! Finally!!!

Young Helen reads, writes, and speaks English, while Joseph speaks English but doesn’t read yet.

    

There are almost 30 boarders in the Moriarty home – most of them American born and some of them children. Several are listed as: cook, domestic, servant, and housekeeper for a boarding house – I wonder if they worked at Con's boarding house? Other occupations include engineer, carpenter, traveling salesman, singer, theater manager, sea mariner, machinist, and teachers – all seem to be working. 

I didn’t find a directory from 1910, but 1911 shows a change of address after all the years at 20 Kinsley’s Wharf. Con is now a clerk at 20 West Pelham Street as well as proprietor of the Cleveland House. I wonder what caused the change in address? Kinsley's Wharf was at the end of Pelham Street. Maybe this is just a change in the name of the wharf or street.

In 1914 and 1915 Con is listed solely as the proprietor of the Cleveland House – no other job.

I found an entry for the 1915 Rhode Island Census for Newport – there is no date on it. The Moriartys are still at 27 Clarke Street. Con is listed as proprietor of a hotel. 
Notice that Con’s 11 year old nephew is listed as Joseph C. Moriarty and not Murray. Why is his name changed? Niece Helen, who is 17, is still listed as Murray. Why would one name be changed and not the other?
The hotel has 16 boarders.

LDS has a death index for Con Moriarty – he died 28 February 1915 in Newport. He was 55 years old – birthdate 1961. His parents were Myles Moriarty and Abbie Moriarty! Here is more proof that he is our man!!
(batch) number: I09367-0, system origin: Rhode Island-EASy, source film number: 1906755, reference number:   p 111.

Patrick Murphy, Newport's historian, looked up Con’s obituary for me at the Newport Public Library on 5 June 2012 – the day before I took a walking tour of Newport’s Ward 5 where many Irish lived. Patrick states Con died 28 February 1916.

The obituary states: “Death of Cornelius Moriarty – Mr. Cornelius Moriarty, who died at his home on Clarke Street Monday evening, had for the past 10 years conducted the Cleveland House as a boarding house, where he had many patrons. Previous to this he had been for many years in the employ of the late Dennis W. Sheehan. He was a member of Newport Council, Catholic Benevolent Legion, and of Court Pride of the City, Foresters of America. He leaves a widow.” 

There is no date for the next article. “Today’s Funeral. The funeral of Cornelius Moriarty took place from his late residence on Clarke Street to St. Joseph’s Church this morning. A solemn high mass was said with Father E. A. Higney as celebrant, Father John F. O’Rourke as deacon and Father W.P. McHaigh as sub-deacon. There were large numbers of floral offerings from the many friends and relatives present. The bearers were Andrew T. Hall, William Hannifan, Frank Connors, Frank Clarke, Christopher Cooper, and Andrew F. Dwyer, and the internment was in St. Columba’s cemetery."

I wonder if Andrew Dwyer was related to Con's brother-in-law, Michael Dwyer? Margaret Dwyer died in January 1917 so she was still alive and running her boarding house nearby on Thames Street when her brother died.

The 1916 Newport Directory also lists Con’s death - very simply  - "Moriarty, Cornelius died February 28, 1916.". 

Just an addendum re Con Moriarty. We saw there was no other Cornelius Moriartys listed in the directories from the 1880s. I found a couple of additional listings for Con. 

Cornelius Moriarty is listed as a Trustee of the Ancient Order of Hibernians Division No.1 of Newport in 1887, 1888, 1893, and 1894. This division was organized in 1885. So he must have been involved from the beginning. Here is the 1894 listing:

Their hall is located at 275 Thames Street. Several members of my immediate family were and are members of the Hibernians - so this spiked my interest.