New Quinn Family Finds and More Questions

Brothers, John and William Quinn. Photos taken in the late 1920s.

My husband had a close DNA match on his Quinn side and I spent several weeks looking for more about his grandfather's siblings. I thought it would be easy, but not so much. 

Ellen Buckley and John Quinn
November 22, 1927

John Quinn was one of my targets. He is an older brother of my husband's grandfather, William Quinn (#2). I was excited to find his wife's (Ellen/Ellie Quinn) naturalization papers at Ancestry. In the papers, I found her maiden name (Buckley), her place of birth (County Kerry), John's date of arrival from Ireland, and exactly when and where he completed his naturalization. 

According to Ellen's papers, John was naturalized June 8, 1918, at Camp Wadsworth, in South Carolina. I didn't find those records online so moved on to his arrival in the states. It was written that John entered the United States on October 8, 1914, in Boston. I had never looked in Boston.

I searched the Massachusetts, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1963 at Ancestry.com. Only one John Quinn was found traveling from Ireland to Boston in 1914. This 21-year-old, John Quinn, was the son of Peter Quinn of County Kerry. He arrived in Boston on May 14, 1914. 

I did find a Willie Quinn arriving in Boston on October 6, 1914. I believe this might be John Quinn who for some unknown reason used his brother's name. The ship record indicates he was the son of Mrs. William Quinn in Caheravoneen, Kinvara and was going to live with his sister, Margaret Quinn, in Louisville, Kentucky.  

Click to enlarge

Although it is possible that William Quinn traveled to the United States in October 1914, I believe the Willie in the above clip from the manifest is actually John. It would be nice to have more input or suggestions as to where else I might look. Here are some of the facts I considered. Please tell me what you think. 

• Mrs. William Quinn in Caheravoneeen was the mother of both men. 

• Margaret Quinn, sister to John and William, was living in Louisville.

• John Quinn arrived in the United States in October. The date on his wife's naturalization record is October 8, 1914. On his passport application, he stated he came over on October 28, 1914. The actual arrival date of "Willie Quinn" was October 6, 1914. 

• On the ship manifest, Willie's age is 19. John would have been 24 years old and William / "Willie" 20 years old. 

• According to the ship's manifest Willie (maybe John) was 5 feet 9 inches tall, had a dark complexion, dark hair, and brown eyes. The description of William Quinn on the ship's manifest in 1921 stated he was 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a dark complexion, black hair, and brown eyes. On the more specific draft registrations in 1942, John's eyes were gray-green and he had a ruddy complexion. William's eyes were hazel and his complexion was ruddy. 

• On William Quinn's pension record from the Irish Defence Forces Military Archives in Dublin, Ireland. William wrote that in 1914 he joined the Irish Volunteers, Kinvara Company and he was active in drilling, training, and organizing. His participation in the company increased in 1915.

• William Quinn came to the United States in 1921. It was written on the manifest that it was his first time in the USA. 

I was told that William Quinn did not use his real name when he traveled to the USA in 1921, but I was able to easily find him on a ship's manifest as William Quinn. Maybe the story was about John. And, if John felt the need to use William's name when he left Ireland, what was the reason?

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2019

Sources

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn. 

Family photographs from the collection of Mary Meaney Weber. Used with permission.

“Massachusetts, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1963 for Willie Quinn.” https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8745/MAT843_229-0296?indiv=try&h&db. Accessed 24 Feb. 2019.

New York, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794-1940 for Ellie Quinn.https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2280/31301_168092-00911/3985051?indiv=try&h&db. Accessed 23 Feb. 2019.

Quinn, Diana B. “Moments in Time, A Genealogy Blog: The Family of William Quinn and Bridget Brannelly.” https://momentsintimeagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-family-of-william-quinn-and-bridget.html. Accessed 24 Feb. 2019.