This Has Got To Be Our Boy

So we saw that Con Moriarty was living with Dennis Sheehan and his family until 1890. Con continued working for Dennis at his grocery and liquor shop on Kinsley's Wharf. In 1891 he moved across the street from his sister Margaret and her husband Michael Dwyer.

Con applied for American citizenship around this time as we can see in the above index.  This Petition 566 was filed in the Court of Common Pleas in Newport. The index states that Cornelius was born in 1861 in Ireland. He arrived in New York on 27 May 1877. He is naturalized on 27 June 1890. Witnesses are Peter White and Michael Sullivan – both are from Newport.

I went to the National Archives in Waltham and obtained a copy of this petition - see it below - which was recorded in the Court of Common Pleas of Newport, R.I. Years 1802-1903 volume. In May 1890 “Respectfully Represents, Cornelius Moriarty of Newport in the County of Newport that he was born in Ireland about the year 1861 and is over twenty-one years of age; that he arrived at New York in the United States of America, on or about the 27^th day of May A.D. 1877, he being then a minor, and not more than seventeen years of age; that he has ever since resided in the United States, and for 13 years last past in this State; that it now is, and for the three years next preceding the preferring of this application, has been his bona-fide intention to become a citizen of the United States, and to renounce all allegiance and fidelity to every Foreign Prince, Potentate, State, or Sovereignty whatever, particularly to Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India, whose subject he has heretofore been, and that he has never borne any hereditary title or been of any of the orders of nobility in the country from which he came. Wherefore he prays that he may be admitted to the rights of citizenship of the United States of America, in conformity with the laws in such case made and provided.” Signed by “Cornelius Moriarty. Sworn to in open Court, this 7^th day of the May Term A.D. 1890. Attest: Alex P Lisson, Clerk”

Then in Newport on July 11^th A.D. 1890 … “I, Peter White, of Newport in the County of Newport on oath depose and say that I am a citizen of the United States; that I have been acquainted with Cornelius Moriarty the foregoing petitioner, for 13 years last past; that he arrived in the United States when he was a minor not more than seventeen years of age, and has ever since resided in this country and in Newport in this State, for 13 years last past, during which time he has conducted and behaved himself as a man of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the same. I further depose and say that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it has been for three years next before this date, his bona fide intention to become a citizen of the United States;  and I derive my knowledge of his age at the time of his arrival in the United States, from the following facts, viz: ‘He was a young lad when I first knew him and I should think him to be about 16 years of age.’  Signed: “Peter White. Subscribed and sworn to before me, the 12^th day of July A.D. 1890 Alex P Lisson, Notary Public.”

Again the same day in Newport – July 12^th A.D. 1890 – “I, Michael Sullivan of Newport in the County of Newport on oath depose and say that I am a citizen of the United States; that I have been acquainted with Cornelius Moriarty the forgoing petitioner, for 13 years last past; that he arrived in the United States when he was a minor not more than seventeen years of age, and has ever since resided in this country  and in Newport in this State, for 13 years last past, during which time he has conducted and behaved himself as a man of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the same. I further depose and say that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it has been for three years next before this date, his bona fide intention to become a citizen of the United States; and I derive my knowledge of his age at the time of his arrival in the United States, from the following facts, viz: ‘He was a boy when you first knew him and from his appearance would say he was about 16 years of age.’ Signed by “Michael Sullivan. Subscribed and sworn to before me, the 12^th day of July A.D. 1890. Alex P. Lisson, Notary Public. #556”

I couldn’t find any passenger listing  on www.ancestry.com for this 1877 date for Con immigrating, and I couldn’t find a baptismal entry on www.irishgenealogy.ie. We don’t know that the dates listed above are the actual dates though.

This Peter White who was a witness for Con's naturalization, lived at 73 Levin Street from 1884 to 1892 - so he was a neighbor of Con's. He worked as an expressman - probably delivering goods around the Newport area. He was born in Kerry - his sister's birth was registered in Kenmare. There are Whites in the Sneem area so maybe Con knew him from home?

Below in 1893 we see that Con has made a move to 11 Cannon Street. He stays there through 1896. 

There are so many Moriartys!! Are any of these Moriartys related? We still haven’t found Cornelius Moriarty living at 47 William Street which is the address in the Schoolmaster’s diary. 

The 1897 Newport Directory shows Con still clerking at 20 Kinsley’s Wharf but is boarding at 27 Clarke Street. His job is steady, but he moves fairly often. I wonder why. And Con has changed from boarding at 27 Clarke Street to "house" at 27 Clarke Street in the 1898 directory. Does this mean he bought it? This entry is the same for 1899 and 1900.

On 11 June, when the 1900 U.S. Census of Newport’s Ward 3 is taken by Charles D. Burbridge, Cornelius Moriarty is living at 27 Clarke Street (as we saw in the Newport Directories.) According to this census, he was born in May 1861 in Ireland and is 39 years old. He has been married for 7 years (so wedding was about 1893.)  His wife Elizabeth was born August 1861 in Canada and is 38 years old. Her parents were also born in Canada. Elizabeth has had no pregnancies. Con immigrated in 1880 and is a naturalized citizen – so the Cornelius Moriarty that we just saw listed in all those Newport Directories must be the same Con Moriarty. His wife, Elizabeth, had arrived 8 years earlier in 1872. Con is a grocery salesman and is paying a mortgage on the house. Elizabeth runs their boarding house where they have 8 lodgers – two from Ireland and the rest American-born. They also have Elizabeth’s 2 nieces from Canada staying with them. Anna Kinston is 23, and her sister Ida is 18. Anna immigrated in 1894 and is a dressmaker. Ida came in 1898 and is a bookkeeper. Con, Elizabeth, Anna, and Ida all read, write, and speak English.

From the date of immigration – 1880 – in the 1900 census, I found a “Crnls” Moriarty immigrating to New York on the Adriatic. He was a 17 year old laborer. The ship arrived on 4 June 1880.

White Star Line's S.S. Adriatic - built by Harland and Wolf in Belfast. Maiden voyage was in April 1872 from Liverpool to New York.

Oh boy! 1903 has 3 Cornelius Moriartys listed!! Our clerk on Kinsley's Wharf and two new laborers.

On 21 January 2012 I found an entry for Cornelius in the Newport 1905 census. Enumerator District is 238. The Moriarty family is the 574^th family visited. There are 16 in the family. Cornelius Moriarty lives at 27 Clarke Street in Newport in Newport County. Voting district is 3, and it looks like Ward 3. Relation to Head of Household is husband. Con is 44 years old. He was born in Ireland in 1861 and emigrated in 1878 – he has been in this country for 27 years. He has lived in Newport for 27 years and has lived there the last 12 months. He is married. 

Con’s parents were born in Ireland. He is a naturalized citizen. I can’t make out what it says in Box 23 re voter – is it property or proprietor?
Con reads and writes English. He is a salesman and has not been unemployed during the Census year.
He did not serve during the Civil or Spanish Wars. He does not receive a pension.

Con’s parents were born in Ireland. He is a naturalized citizen. I can’t make out what it says in Box 23 re voter – is it property or proprietor?
Con reads and writes English. He is a salesman and has not been unemployed during the Census year.
He did not serve during the Civil or Spanish Wars. He does not receive a pension.

Here is the 1905 Rhode Island Census for Elizabeth B. Moriarty of 27 Clarke Street in Newport. She is the wife in the family. She is white, 39 years old, and married. She was born in 1866 in Canada E. She has not had any children. She reads and writes English.

Elizabeth immigrated in 1875 and has been in the U.S. for 30 years. She has lived in Newport for the last 12 months. Her father and mother were both born in Canada E.
Elizabeth is a house keeper. 
She is not a widow of one who served during the Civil or Spanish War. She does not receive a pension.

We have searched from 1880. Only one Cornelius Moriarty has been listed in Newport until 1903.

If I had the marriage certificate for Con and this Elizabeth Moriarty, perhaps it would list their parents, and then we would know for sure. My gut says this is our boy but there is no documentation just supposition. We need some definite facts.