Home > New York Death Records > Possible clue found on great-grandfather: How can I gather more information on this possible person?

Possible clue found on great-grandfather: How can I gather more information on this possible person?

http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#searchId=112849134813955540000;surname=Madigan;birthPlaceId=1;birthPlace=United%20States;givenName=John;searchType=standard;birthYear=1880;p=recordResults

Do you think this could be my great-grandfather? My grandfather Thomas Madigan was born on February 24, 1919 in Brooklyn, NY. He was the tenth of ten children, so it’s possible his father could have been 39 years old when having him. His wife (my grandmother) was also born in 1919 in Brooklyn, NY. She was the seventh of seven children, as her father was was born in 1880. On this link, it says John Madigan (the name of my great-grandfather), was born in May 1880, so it’s in the same time frame. The key though is that it says in the 1900 U.S. Census that he was residing in Brooklyn (Kings). This would have been two years after Brooklyn was consolidated into New York City.

I know for certain that my grandfather’s parents were born in the United States, although I’m unsure of where. It’s possible it could be in New York, but it’s possible it may not be. I’m unsure of where his grandparents were born, but I know he was of Irish descent. His grandparents may have been Irish immigrants. In this link, it says John Madigan’s parents were born in Ireland. On this link, it says that John Madigan was born in Boston, but I don’t know if that means in Massachusetts. My grandmother told me that John Madigan died at 69 years old, which she remembered, because my grandfather (Thomas Madigan) ironically also died at 69. I’ll ask my grandmother if she knows when he was born (if it was May 1880). Or if she knows what year he died (I can track 69 years before that). When it says Boston, I don’t know if that means in Massachusetts, because it doesn’t say so. There is a Boston in the state of New York.

On this site, and on Ancestry.com, this is the only John Madigan I’ve been able to find that resided in Brooklyn, Kings, New York, in the 1900 Census. This is also the only John Madigan I’ve found that has resided in Brooklyn, that was born around 1880. There were some in Manhattan that could have matched too, but this was the only one I found in Brooklyn. If there’s any help anyone could provide, I appreciate it. What I’m looking for is more information on this exact John Madigan. Like who his parents or siblings may have been. I’m also seeing if there’s a death record that may be on a John Madigan in 1949-1950 in Brooklyn, New York. I know there was a Census picture document to go along with it, but I was having trouble making out the writing on it. Maybe you’ll have better luck. Also, I’ve found a marriage record on a site to a Margaret Finley (or Findley) on July 24, 1898 in Manhattan, New York. Margaret Finley was his wife. It’s possible he could have gotten married at 18 years old, although I don’t know there.
It’s the third one on the page.
On the Family Search site, if it doesn’t work when you click on it, if you search John Madigan ”Birth/Christening” United States, you’ll see John Madigan come up third.

I’ll look in that New York Times article you posted. That sounds like it could be in the right neighborhood. If he died on Feb. 22, 1951, and he was born in May 1880, it wouldn’t have meant he would have died at 70 years old, which is only a year above the age my grandmother said he died at. If he died in May 3 1951, it’s possible he could have been 71 years old when he died, if this matches, but in the 1880 link it only says he was born in May. He probably would have been born after the 3rd in May, since there’s obviously 28 other days in May.
Hi Wendy. It’s coming along alright. Still gathering little bits of information. I’m not sure if they were married in 1898, but you’re right that if they were, it would contradict it. It’d possible there could have been another marriage of John Madigan and Margaret Finley, in a largely populated city, because they’re somewhat of common names. That marriage wasn’t in Brooklyn, NY though. It was in Manhattan, which leaves me skeptical. I’m unsure of what the exact date of the consolodation of Brooklyn into New York City was in 1898, but I’d imagine if it wasn’t apart of their city at the same, they may have not wanted to get married there. Plus, as I’ve mentioned, my grandfather grew up somewhat poor. Manhattan, for things like marriages, has historically tended to be expensive, so I don’t know if they would have been able to afford getting married there.
How exactly do I get down to that article on the New York Times page? I know I should go to the 1851-1980 tab? But I looked on page 28-29 and didn’t find it.
http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?frow=0&n=10&srcht=s&daterange=period&query=John+Madigan&srchst=p&hdlquery=&bylquery=&mon1=02&day1=22&year1=1951&mon2=05&day2=03&year2=1951&submit.x=31&submit.y=12

I found it in the search engine in those dates you showed me. I’d imagine it’s possible it could be a duplicate article on the same person because both have the middle initial J. This could be the person I’m looking for though. It says it cost $3.95 to order it, which the price obviously isn’t a big deal, but I don’t have a credit card. But I’ll ask my brother.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoXtTPnNgILLLhSAqwufbpnsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090305004625AApnQBo

I believe it was this answer you were referring too. This has John Madigan being born in May 1881, meaning that if he died in either February or May 1951, he would have been 69 years old when dying, as my grandmother indicated.
I’m not sure if that was the answer, as it was for the 1900 Census, but it could be correct. The only thing that could be off is that it says he lived in Queens, New York in 1900, but it’s possible that he may have moved to Brooklyn, when moving out, prior to my grandfather’s birth in 1919. My grandfather was from the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, which actually isn’t that far from Queens or Manhattan. It had him listed as living at home in 1900, when he would have been either 18 or 19 years old.
Woop that was the wrong side lol I believe that is true on the Clark side though.
Yes, the information provided on that link is correct, as all the names of the children match up identically. It’s gradually added to appropriately in the 1920 and 1930 Censuses. The only confusion I had there was that it said this:

”John Madigan 34 Married 14 years Parents Ire English”

I looked up where ”Brooklyn Ward 14” was though, and it said East Williamsburg, which is likely where my great-grandfather lived in 1910, since my grandfather was born there in 1919.

Yet it said above:

”Father’s Birth Place: Ireland
Mother’s Birth Place: Ireland”
If he were born in 1876, it’d mean he probably would have died 1945-46.
Yeah, this could be it. The 4th one shown shows Margaret Madigan dying on April 23, 1922, at 44 years old.
http://www.italiangen.org/NYCDeathresults.asp?kind=exact&Esurname=Madigan&Efirst=Margaret&StartYear=&EndYear=1922&County=Kings&B1=Submit

was wondering how you were coming along, Tom…
I pulled up the John Madigan in 1900, born May 1880. This John is single, and living with his widowed father. No wife. If John and Margaret were married in 1898, this contradicts it.
An 1898 marriage to Margaret is just about right. Meaning, they were married 21 yrs in 1919.. and like many persons in that day.. the standard is a child every other year.
By the way.. I love that site. Experience helps to read the stuff. Look at the top, and you can save it as a jpeg to your computer. Also.. look to the side of the "save file" thingie, and there is a slider bar which allows you to zoom on the image. The drawback is not having 1910, 1920, 1930 so you can check all three.
You also are hitting a certain time frame that is real tricky. I call it the 1890 "hump", where the 1890 is gone to a fire. Children born in 1880 or so, are often married by 1900, which means that 20 yr gap will leave them out of any census with the parents. The exception, if they do NOT marry by 1900, or..sometimes you luck out, and the parent now lives with the children.
edit
Tom.. go back to the 1910 census summary that tukmyhamster sent you, a few days ago.
It gives John’s age 34 (born about 1876); married 14 yrs (about 1896) and check closely on the ages of the kids.
1880 is not the right guy.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090228005522AAzRM2R
there is a discrepancy on John’s age between the two census.. so there is a range to be looking at.
ONE of these (full copy) would include the month/year of birth,
one claims father born Ireland, mother born England..

tom, your email is not open to send things after you may have stopped reading.
http://www.italiangen.org/NYCDeathSearch.asp
run Margaret Madigan through this with Kings as location, and I think I find her death date in 1922.

  1. Eileen W
    April 11th, 2010 at 19:09 | #1

    I have traced ancestors back to the 16th century and found distant relatives through Genes Reunited website.
    References :

  2. Terry B
    April 11th, 2010 at 19:57 | #2

    It sounds like it could possibly be him (I’m unable to get to the link you provided, not sure if it’s my version of Flash or a problem with the link), but you need a cross-reference that would confirm whether he’s the right guy.

    You might check out the articles on John J. Madigan in early 1951 at the NY Times Archives, as perhaps they could contain clues. That link is: http://query.nytimes.com/search/alternate/query?query=&st=fromcse

    One article is February 22, 1951, Thursday, Page 29, 98 words; and the other is May 3, 1951, Thursday, Page 29, 90 words.

    Or try searching on that same site for other family names… I’ve found the site to be invaluable while doing family tree research!

    I hope that helps!
    References :

  3. wendy c
    April 11th, 2010 at 20:46 | #3

    was wondering how you were coming along, Tom…
    I pulled up the John Madigan in 1900, born May 1880. This John is single, and living with his widowed father. No wife. If John and Margaret were married in 1898, this contradicts it.
    An 1898 marriage to Margaret is just about right. Meaning, they were married 21 yrs in 1919.. and like many persons in that day.. the standard is a child every other year.
    By the way.. I love that site. Experience helps to read the stuff. Look at the top, and you can save it as a jpeg to your computer. Also.. look to the side of the "save file" thingie, and there is a slider bar which allows you to zoom on the image. The drawback is not having 1910, 1920, 1930 so you can check all three.
    You also are hitting a certain time frame that is real tricky. I call it the 1890 "hump", where the 1890 is gone to a fire. Children born in 1880 or so, are often married by 1900, which means that 20 yr gap will leave them out of any census with the parents. The exception, if they do NOT marry by 1900, or..sometimes you luck out, and the parent now lives with the children.
    edit
    Tom.. go back to the 1910 census summary that tukmyhamster sent you, a few days ago.
    It gives John’s age 34 (born about 1876); married 14 yrs (about 1896) and check closely on the ages of the kids.
    1880 is not the right guy.

    http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090228005522AAzRM2R
    there is a discrepancy on John’s age between the two census.. so there is a range to be looking at.
    ONE of these (full copy) would include the month/year of birth,
    one claims father born Ireland, mother born England..

    tom, your email is not open to send things after you may have stopped reading.
    http://www.italiangen.org/NYCDeathSearch.asp
    run Margaret Madigan through this with Kings as location, and I think I find her death date in 1922.
    References :

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