Nine Steps through the past, lead to how Mary Ellen Moriarty (McQuaid), B1881 in Monson Ma., came to be my Great Grandmother.

Do you remember that envelope I mentioned at the beginning of my last post? The one I used in the 1970’s to jot down notes, while talking to my Grandfather about his family. One line states that his mother’s maiden name was Moriarty. They lived and met in Monson Ma. and they came from Kerry. That’s it. Well I Parlayed those tidbits into pay dirt! This week I found the date, ship name, and port of departure and arrival, for my Moriarty’s immigration from Ireland. I also found the birth records of  four of of my ‘2nd Great Grand Aunts’, in Tralee, Kerry, Ireland. And, the maiden name of their mother.
This post will chronicle my journey into the past.

To Arms Jimmy Boy! "Remember the Maine and to Hell with Spain!"

One afternoon, some time in the late 1970’s, I was sitting on the couch in my Grandfather’s living room. We were talking about his family. The surnames as far back as he could remember and family stories. The conversation was not planned, it just came up during my visit. At the time I was not into genealogy or family history. There was an empty envelope, from the days mail, on the coffee table. I decided to jot down some notes and names. I still have that envelope. The information got me off in the right direction, when I started my family tree. One of the names written there was Jim McQuaid. He was my Grandfather’s Uncle. My notes say he was in the Spanish American War. And, when he was older, he was in a Solders Home in Maine.

This post is his, Great Grand Uncle Jim’s, story.

The Scourge of l'Éminence rouge ("the Red Eminence") reaches to the New World.

The latest post in the ‘Courchesne / Chagnon Chronicles’.
The year 1632 finds Cardinal-Duc de Richelieu attending to the Court of King Louis XIII of France, as Chief Minister. You will remember Richelieu as our antagonist, and the nemesis of my ancestors.  ( see my Aug 24 post  History, Genealogy and Historical Fiction: or How to find a Huguenot in a Papist’s Attic). He is basking in his victories at the  Siege of La Rochelle in 1628 and the Anglo-French War (1627-1629).

 If you did your suggested reading from my Aug 24th post, The Three Musketeers, you know the back ground for this tale. His future actions will continue to influence the lives and names of my family.