Mary Ann Collins and Patrick Joyce
Mary Collins and Patrick Joyce are my great grandparents; the parents of my grandfather Stephen M. Joyce. Mary was born in Cork, Ireland and Patrick was born in Galway, Ireland. Patrick immigrated to the U.S. in 1891, while Mary did not arrive until 1901.
Mary Collins married Patrick Joyce on October 11, 1906 in Somerville, Massachusetts. Patrick was living at 755 Somerville Avenue in Somerville and Mary was living at 144 Lenox Street in the South End area of Boston at the time of their marriage. According to the marriage record, Patrick was working as a coachman.
According to the 1920 Census, Mary and Patrick rented a home at 254 Orchard Street, Millis, Massachusetts. I looked up this address on Google Maps, but there does not seem to be a home at this address today. On this census, it has Patrick as a manager for an occupation. A 1911 census has Patrick Joyce employed as a farmer—perhaps this land was farmland back in 1920 and the lots have been sold off since, making #254 obsolete. Perhaps in 1920, he managed a farm?
Between 1907-1918, Mary and Patrick had six children. Mary Ann Collins passed away at the age of 39 on January 6, 1921 from bronchopneumonia. She left behind Elizabeth (age 13 1/2), Agnes (age 12), Stephen (age 10), Patrick (age 7), Mary (age 5), and William (age 3). While I did not know them well, I do remember all my great aunts and uncles—except for Elizabeth who passed away when I was about 3 years old.
According to the 1930 census, Patrick was living with his children at 168 Brook Road in Milton, MA. This record has him working as a town laborer and he rented, he did not own at this time.
In the 1940 Census, Patrick is shown to own his own home at 63 Aberdeen Road in Milton, MA. He is listed as a laborer for the Town of Milton. Four of his children were living with him at the time.
Thanks to a baptism record from the National Library of Ireland; Dublin, Ireland, I have discovered that Patrick Joyce was baptized on March 2, 1868. It's interesting how they abbreviated the names "Patk" and "Michl" in the baptism record.
I don't have much information about my great grandparents on the Collins or Joyce sides. This post will be a work-in-progress, with the hope of finding out more from my family. To be continued.....