Con's sister - Mary E. Butler Corcoran

Mary Butler sent another email Wednesday, December 28, 2008:

"Hi Mary Ellen,
My father's birth date was May 21, 1898. That's about all I know. I don't recall the year he came to the U.S. I wonder what we were thinking that we didn't get this information while my parents were alive.
Mary Ellen Pierce was my father's mother. It was she and two daughters who died in the flu epidemic. Again, I'm not sure of the year ... I guess between 1916-18. My grandfather was Thomas. He was in the hospital with his wife and children and he could hear them calling for him. He watched his wife's funeral procession from the hospital window. I don't think my father ever got over the loss of his mother and two sisters so young. Someone told me that Aunt Nellie said that my grandmother was a beautiful woman. 
My father visited Kinsale in 1968 and once more either in '69 or '70. He had a brother Bart who was still living in Kinsale at that time. My father's only sibling to come to the U.S. was Molly, (Mary Ellen or Mary Elizabeth). She had one child, Ellen, who lives in Needham. We have told her about the Reunion and she will come. She would have her mother's information and I will call her for it and get back to you.
It's a shame that I never knew my grandparents. That's the way it was then ... when you emigrated you might never go back. So, the other Irish immigrants in Watertown were our extended family. And we felt like cousins to the Frains, Motleys, Phillips, Reardons, McCarthys, etc.
There
is probably a connection with the McCarthys on my father's side. Jimmy and Margaret stood up for my parents when they married. In fact, my mother and father had their honeymoon in the McCarthy's living room, on a pull-out bed. How's that for romantic?
I'm going to talk to Helen and see when she is available. We could meet somewhere and put together the information we have in order to research the family beginnings. Perhaps my cousin, Ellen Corcoran Zarillo, would come. It's a fun story how Ellen's mother Molly, met her father. My father had gone to Dillboy field to see Irish football (hurling or soccer?) and he ran into a man he was in prison with. My Dad spent 18 months in a British prison as a result of being in the IRA. While there, he met Dennis Corcoran, whose brother, Dan, was one of Michael Collins' top men. So, the day at Dillboy he met Dennis, they got drunk together and he brought him home with him. My aunt Molly was staying with my parents at the time. She and Dennis met and the next thing is they got married."

So the above email tells us a little more about Con Butler.

Con’s sister Molly Butler immigrates to Boston on the S.S. Scythia – she leaves Cobh on 7 July and arrives in Boston on 15 July 1928. Molly is a 27 year old, single domestic servant. She is able to read and write English. She is a citizen of the Irish Free State. She was born in Shippool and that was her last permanent residence. She received her visa # 9565 in Cobh on 26 April 1928. (I wonder if she was planning to come to the US earlier - she obtained the visa 2 months before she boarded ship.)

Mary's nearest relative in Ireland is Thomas Butler, her father, of Shippool. Her final destination is Boston, Massachusetts. Her brother bought her ticket to her final destination; she has $25. She is joining her brother Cornelius Butler at 16 Cross Street, Watertown, Boston, Massachusetts. (Do you remember that John Reardon is also renting a room at 16 Cross Street?)  Molly has not been to the U.S. before. She does not intend to return to Ireland but plans to remain permanently in the U.S. and become a citizen. She is 5 feet 3 ½ inches. She has a fresh complexion, brown hair, and blue eyes.

I haven't been able to find any definite information about Mary/Mollie Butler once she came to Watertown. I did find a 24 year old Mary Butler working in Newton in 1930. That age is off, but wait until you see what else is off!

Mary is working at 31 Leslie Road for the Babcock family. Basil is a 35 year old wholesale salesman. He and his parents were born in Illinois. He owns the house which is worth $14,000 - he also owns a radio. He is a veteran of the World War.

35 year old Katherine Babcock was also born in Illinois but her parents were from Michigan. There are 3 children - Basil Jr. is 9 and was born in Illinois - then there are babies Barbara, 3 1/2, and Katherine, 4 months - they were born in Massachusetts.

Mary Butler is the 24 year old servant. She was born in the Irish Free State and the notation says that she is an American Citizen. Her parents were born in Illinois!! There is a line through her year of immigration - 1927 - and through the abbreviation for alien. She is a children's nurse. So do you think this is our Mary/Mollie Butler? That has to be a mistake that her parents were born in Illinois.

Then, the year before, there is a Denis Corcoran who left Cobh 8 May on the SS Celtic and arrived in Boston 15 May 1927. Denis is a 30 year old laborer. He is also a widower. He is able to read and write English. He is a British citizen. He was born in Bandon, County Cork. He received his visa #9668 (I’m not sure this is correct – difficult to make out the number) at Cobh on 15 March 1927. His last permanent residence is Bandon, County Cork. 

Denis' nearest relative is his father, Michael Corcoran, of Bengone West, Newcestown, County Cork. His brother bought his ticket to his final destination of Somerville. He has $25. He is joining his brother John Corcoran at 79 Mount Vernon Street, Somerville, Massachusetts. He does not plan to return to Ireland but plans to remain permanently and become a U.S. citizen. He is 5 feet 8 inches with a fresh complexion, brown hair, and blue eyes.  I wonder if this is our Denis Corcoran?

I found this Tourist Third Class index. It says "Litera & number of 30 names' list."  Denis Corcoran is #26 - Age 29, A 1 - Where booked to - Somerville, Mass - Whether in U.S. before or not - No.

The 1927 Somerville Directory has John Corcoran working as a clerk and living with his wife Josephine at 79 Mount Vernon Street. 

Notice the other John Corcoran - John J. Corcoran - his wife is also Josephine - they live at 156 Broadway - he has the Broadway Flower Shop at 125 Broadway.

Denis makes his Declaration of becoming a United States citizen in 1929. He is a 32 year old laborer. His color is white, his complexion is light; he is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. His hair is brown; his eyes are blue. He has no distinctive marks.

Denis was born in County Cork, Ireland on 24 April 1897. He is now living at 79 Mt. Vernon Street in Somerville, Massachusetts. (He is still living with his brother John, I guess.) He emigrated to the United States from Queenstown, Ireland on the Celtic. His last foreign residence was Co. Cork. He will renounce all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign power. He arrived at the port of Boston in Massachusetts on or about the 15th day of May in 1927. 

Denis signed the Declaration on the 29th of May in 1929 in the District Court of Boston.

Sometime in 1929 John and Josephine Corcoran must have moved out of Somerville - they are not listed in the directory. The Dennis Corcoran living at the rear of 12 Prescott Street - no occupation is listed - was living there in 1924. So was Mary Corcoran, domestic, with a house at 12 Prescott Street.

Certificate of Arrival # 1 138424 was issued on Aug. 21, 1934. it certifies that Denis Corcoran entered the United States at the port of Boston on May 15, 1927 on the S.S. Celtic.

Petition for Citizenship  #158074 was filed in U.S  District Court Boston. Denis Corcoran is living at 15 N Lexington St. in Watertown. (We know that Con Butler - Mary's brother - was living here in 1933.) His occupation is a laborer. He was born in Cork, Ireland on April 24, 1897. His race is Irish. He declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States on May 29, 1929 in the U.S. District Court of Boston.

He is married to Mary and they were married on April 5, 1931 in Watertown, Mass. She was born at Cork, Ireland on May 6, 1901; she entered the United States at Boston on July 15, 1928 for permanent residence and now resides with Denis. He has 1 child - Ellen M. - born August 22, 1933 at Boston, Brighton and lives in Watertown.

His last foreign residence was Cork, Ireland. He emigrated to the United States of America from Queenstown, Cork. His lawful entry for permanent residence in the United States of America was at Boston, Mass under the name of Denis Corcoran on May 15, 1927 on the vessel Celtic.

Denis states it is his intention to become a citizen of the United States and renounces all allegiance to any foreign sovereign particularly George V of Great Britain and Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.

He states that he has resided continuously in the United States for five years at least since May 15, 1927 and in the county of Middlesex since December 1930.

Denis has not made a petition for citizenship previously. He swears that the information he has provided is true, and he signs his name - Denis Corcoran.

Affidavits of witnesses.

Daniel Corcoran, a factory worker, residing at 8 George St., Somerville, and Cornelius Butler, a meat cutter, residing at 15 North Lexington St., Watertown swear that they are United States citizens and have known and been acquainted with "said Corcoran" since 1927 and that the petitioner has resided continuously in the United States preceding the date of filing this petition and has resided in Watertown in Middlesex County since December1930. They swear that he is of good moral character and is qualified to become a citizen of the United States of America. Signed by 

Daniel Corcoran and Cornelius Butler

The three of them swore before the clerk of Boston Court on the 23rd of January 1935.

Denis Corcoran swore the oath of allegiance to the United States on 29 April 1935, and citizenship certificate #3884126 was issued.

The 1940 U.S. Census lists a Corcoran family living at 2 Buttonwood Street in Dorchester. They are paying $26 rent monthly to owner Jeremiah Minihan who also lives in the house.

Denis is 41 years old, was born in Eire, and finished 8th grade. He is a naturalized citizen and lived in the same town 5 years ago. He worked 48 hours the week of March 24-30, 1940. He is a laborer at a manfacturing company. I can't make out what kind of company - it looks like Press. He worked 52 weeks in 1939 and brought home a salary of $1170.

Interesting that Jerry Minihan is working at the Watertown Arsenal. He works as a rigger - he worked 52 weeks in 1939 and made $1820. His wife Mary reports that they did not receive any other income over $50 - what about the rent he is collecting from the Corcorans and the other family at #2? And does he own 2A Buttonwood Street as well where there are 3 rentals? 

Molly Corcoran is 38 and was born in Eire. She reports that she finished 5th grade. Interesting that she reports that she is an alien.

Little Ellen is 6, was born in Massachusetts and attends school. 

Interesting looking at this census page - only 2 families lived in the same house 5 years previously although everyone else lived in he same city. 3 were working for the WPA, but most were employed by private companies and were working in 1939.

Buttonwood Street runs off Columbia Road in Dorchester before you get to Dorchester Ave. and the old St. Margaret's Church. 

#2 Buttonwood Street is the white building below on the right - #2A is the white building on the left. The houses are so close together!

I don't know any more about the Corcorans - Con Butler's sister, Molly Corcoran, died in 1960.

Index for death of Mary Ellen (Butler) Corcoran in 1960 in Boston - volume 26 page 148.

volume 26

Some of us are very interested in Irish history – especially the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. So I am very interested in any roles our relatives might have played. When Mary Butler mentioned that Denis Corcoran's brother was involved with Michael Collins, I did a little research. I’ve included the following article which mentions a Dan Corcoran in the attack on Michael Collins at Beal na Blath where several of us have paid homage.

"FLORENCE O’DONOGHUE PAPERS M.S. 31, 305 NATIONAL LIBRARY

On the evening of Tuesday 15th February 1964 seven of us sat down at the Metropole Hotel, Cork to try to record the circumstances in which Michael Collins was killed so far as they are known to the surviving members of the Republican forces who participated in the engagement.

There was present Liam Deasy, O.C. First Southern Division; Tom Kelleher, O.C. Fifth Battalion Cork No. 3; Jim Hurly, Brigade Commandant Cork No. 3; Dan Holland, O.C. 1st Battalion Cork No. 3; Pete Kearney, O.C. 3rd Battalion; Tom Crofts, Adjutant 1st Southern Division and myself (Florence O’Donoghue). All except myself were at Bealnablath at the time and I was asked to be present to record what could be established as the truth and because I had been given an undertaking by Capt. Sean Feehan of the Mercier press that he would not publish Eoin Neeson’s book on the Civil War until we were satisfied that the part of it dealing with the death of Collins was in accordance with the facts. 

The first information the Republican officers received of the presence of Collins in the area came to them on the morning of 22nd August. Denis Long was on sentry duty at Jehr. Long’s public house on the night of 21st-22nd. Tom Crofts stayed at Murray’s and Con Lucy stayed at Long’s that night. In the morning, Denis Longs saw the Free State convoy pass in the direction of Bandon and reported it. Liam Deasy and de Valera, who had stayed at Gurranereagh on the night of the 21st, arrived at Béal na mBláth next morning. De Valera, in company with Sean Hyde, went on apparently to Ballyvourney but Liam Deasy remained. Four officers of Cork No. 3 Brigade assembled at Bealnablath in the forenoon to attend a Brigade council meeting called for the afternoon. This meeting was called without any reference to the possibility of an ambush and in fact it was not held until 11 p.m. that night.

Before these officers arrived at Bealnablath the decision had been take on Divisional initiative to lay an ambush 400 yards south of the cross for the Free State convoy on the assumption that it would probably return later in the day by the same route. When the four Cork No. 3 Officers arrived, the position was in the process of being prepared and occupied.

Statements which have been made to the effect that the Division and Cork No. 1 Brigade were aware of Collins’ intention to visit posts in Cork and that a general order was issued to kill him and are without foundation and completely untrue. His presence in the South was known to the officers in the Division and of the 1st and 3rd Brigades only on the morning of 22nd and no order had been issued by either of the commands. The ambush was decided on as part of the general policy of attacking Free State convoy 

The ambush party numbered between 20 and 25. It included, Liam Deasy, Tom Kelleher, Jim Hurley, Pete Kearney, Dan Holland, Tom Hales, Tom Crofts, Con Lucey, Sean Culhane, John Lordan, Bill Desmond, Dan Corcoran, C. O’Donoghue, John O’Callaghan, Sonny O’Neill, Paddy Walsh, Sonny Donovan, Jim Crowley, Tady O’Sullivan and Jerh Mahony.

A mine was laid and a mineral water lorry with one wheel removed was used as a road block. A farm butt was also placed as a road block on the bohereen running almost parallel to the road on the eastern side..

The ambush party remained in position during the day but no action took place. In the afternoon a message was received from Bandon that Collins was there. It was considered unlikely that the convoy would return through Bealnablath and the decision was made, probably by Liam Deasy, to call off the ambush and evacuate the position.

When the main party moved, a Cork No. 3 section remained to cover the withdrawal and clear the road. This group consisted of Tom Hales, Jim Hurley, Dan Holland, Tom Kelleher, Sonny O’Neill, Paddy Walsh, John O’Callaghan, Sonny Donovan, Bill Desmond and Dan Corcoran. They had left their prepared positions and were helping to clear the road when the noise of a motorbike and lorries was heard approaching from the south. They realised that the main party moving back towards Bealnablath cross-roads were in a ravine and in a very dangerous position. They could not have reached the cross-roads before the convoy overtook them.

Immediately on hearing the noise of the approaching vehicles, seven or eight of the Cork No. 3 section took up poor positions on the bohereen west of the road and opened fire on the oncoming convoy. Jim Hurley fired at the motor cyclist and missed him. Tom Kelleher fired at the following vehicle. The convoy stopped and opened fire. The Republican party were armed with rifles and revolvers only, they had no machine guns, but there were two machine guns in the convoy and fire from them raked the section of the fence from which the Cork No. 3 section were firing. The action lasted between 20 and 30 minutes and, before it ended, darkness had fallen to the extent that it was possible to see the flashes from the gunfire. Conditions were such that it was not possible to get off an aimed shot.

Firing stopped at almost 8 o’clock. The Cork No. 3 section remained in position and the Free State convoy withdrew under fire. No one in the Republican party knew that Collins had been killed or that the convoy had suffered any casualty. It was only when Sean Galvin came to Bealnablath about 11 o’clock that they got their first report of his death."

I'm not sure that the Dan Corcoran above is our Dan Corcoran.

I found a Corcoran family in Bengour West in Murragh parish in Cork. Denis had listed his father as Michael on the passenger manifest, but this head of family is Patrick Corcoran. There are three sons named John, Denis, and Daniel though. 

Then I found Daniel Corcoran emigrating to Boston on January 16, 1927. He is #2 on the passenger list below. He is a 28 year old single laborer from Enniskeane, Cork. His visa #7569 was issued in Cobh on 15/12/26. His last permanent residence was Enniskeane, Cork, Moate?

So this Dan Corcoran lists his father as Patrick Corcoran of Bengour West, Enniskeane. Maybe this isn't Denis Corcoran's brother. His final destination is Somerville, Massachusetts. He bought his own ticket and has never been in the United States before. But he is joining his brother John Corcoran at 79 Mount Vernon St. in Somerville!! So he is Denis' brother! Dan is 5' 7" with a fresh complexion, dark hair and blue eyes.

So Dan came out in January, and Denis came out in May.

But this is all I have on Molly Butler and the Corcorans. On www.ancestry.com there is a member's story about the Ballingeary Volunteers during the Irish War of Independence. A Dan Butler is mentioned several times. I'd love to know if this is our Dan Corcoran - and I wonder what ever happened to him?