Interesting Reminiscences of Newport, R. I.
Edward Thurston writing from Newport, R. I., March 5, 1767, to James Coggeshall informs the latter that “Mac Gee the baker has failed.” Mac Gee was, no doubt, quite an important personage in the community.
Under date of November 15, 1764, is recorded at Newport the marriage of “John Robinson of Ireland and Mary Cawdry of Newport.” Rev. Ezra Stiles performed the ceremony.
Richard Field, a native of Dublin, Ireland, resided in Newport. He died in 1769.
Another prominent Newport family were the Dillons. James Dillon was a native of the County Roscommon. His wife died at Newport in 1799 and was laid away in Trinity churchyard.
Thomas Green advertised in the Newport Mercury, August, 1772, that he had for sale Irish poplins, sheetings, and other goods. He also announces “Lately come to hand, a trunk of choice Irish linens.” In May, 1793, Thomas Green & Son advertise in the Mercury that “at the sign of the buck, near the red market” they have for sale, Irish linens and muslins “at 14½d. and upward.” In the Mercury of April 27, 1772, appears a legal notice regarding “the estate of Edward Keeney, late of Newport, shipwright, deceased.” Students of Irish names will recognize in Keeney a typical one.
Moses M. Hays, a Hebrew, advertises under date of August 3, 1772, that he has, among other goods, “a few barrels of Irish beef for sale.” That is, beef from Ireland.
The name Murphy has figured in Newport from an early period. Frequently it appears as Murfey. The original comers were, of course, from Ireland. They, doubtless, arrived directly from the old country, from some of the colonies adjacent to Rhode Island or by way of the West Indies. Many of the Newport Murphys have been mariners, and some of them figured prominently in the Revolution. Edward Murphy died at Newport in 1809, “in the 62d year of his age.” In March, 1809, the death also occurred at Newport of “Phœbe Murfey, comfort of Capt. John Murfey, aged 29.” The Providence Gazette of February 17, 1810, announces the marriage at Mansfield, Conn., of “Capt. John Murfey of Newport to Miss Adaliza Southworth, daughter of Capt. Samuel Southworth.”
An entry in Trinity church Annals, Newport, states that on “May 1, 1775, Lieut. James Conway died and was buried in the churchyard, aged 45 years.” Conway was lieutenant of marines on the man-of-war Rose, which was then in the bay. He was probably of Irish origin. Another entry in the same annals informs us that on “October 5, 1783, Gilbert Eames died and was buried in the churchyard.” He was a native of the County Limerick, Ireland, and was 54 years of age at the time of his death. For several years prior to the reduction of Granada by the French in 1779, Mr. Eames had been a member of the Honorable Council for the island.
Rev. Erasmus Kelly, a native of Pennsylvania, was born in 1748, and came to Newport about 1771. On the outbreak of hostilities he removed to Warren, R. I. When the British overran the latter town they burned the house in which he resided together with its contents. He removed to Connecticut and later to Pennsylvania. At the close of the Revolution, he returned to Newport, and died there on November 7, 1784.
In February, 1801, there died in Newport, Mrs. Lucia C. Grattan. She was the widow of Colonel Grattan, cousin-german to Henry Grattan, the Irish orator. Her brother was Lord Viscount Falkland. An obituary notice states that “Her remains were interred with every mark of respect.”
Among the Newport marriages noted in the Trinity church records are the following: Miles Coursey to Abigail Williams, December 13, 1713; William Cook to Catherine Fallon, August 20, 1723; John Murphy to Mary Casside, March 1, 1732; James Gallagher to Bathsheba Fairchild, March 21, 1736; John Rourk to Ann Drower, January 23, 1742; Patrick Delaney to Margaret McFarling, October 29, 1742; Patrick Rogers to Eleanor Dowling, October 29, 1742; Edward Murfee to Catherine Fitzgerald, October 25, 1743; Patrick Durfey to Elizabeth Lacy, January 17, 1748; Patrick Cenfill to Meriam Powers, October 15, 1752; Edward Pye to Deborah Bourke, January 4, 1756; John Brown to Mary Kelly, March 13, 1756; Thomas Collins to Margaret Bourke, May 29, 1756; John Dwyer to Elizabeth McDaniel, October 10, 1756; Thomas Holland to Mary Dwyar, June 1, 1775; James Dillon to Sarah Dupay, October 13, 1778; James O’Brien to Margaret Dunton, November 23, 1778.
In the records of Newport, the following additional early marriages are noted. To simplify matters the writer gives only the year in which each marriage took place: William Mackey and Eliza George, 1737; Ebenezer Murphy and Mercy Reynolds, 1739; Michael Sullivan and Elizabeth High, 1740; John Lashley and Katherine McKane, 1740; Robert Odlin and Mary Conner, 1742; Patrick Farrell and Rachel Beere, 1742; John Mulholland and Elizabeth Hooper, 1742; James Harkins and Amy Higgins, 1743; Timothy Egan and Hester Wilson, 1745; James Murphy and Margaret Pitman, 1746; John Vial and Elizabeth Donnelly, 1747; John Donnelly and Jane Mence, 1747; Joseph Tally and Elizabeth Naps, 1747; George Smith and Sarah Tally, 1747; William Byrn and Jemima Jant, 1747; Daniel McGow (or McGowan) and Miss Donnelly, 1747; Jeremiah Ross and Mary Brayton, 1749; Elisha Newcome and Elizabeth O’Brien, 1751; James Hickey and Mary Carr, 1752; Thomas Jones and Mary Higgins, 1753; John Dyer and Mary Hickey, 1754; Jeremiah Heffernan and Elizabeth Mackee, 1755; William Cowdry and Mary Murphy, 1756; Michael Ryan and Leah Kelly, 1756; John Magee and Phebe Fairchild, 1758; Mr. Ross and Katherine McGowan, 1758; John Wyatt and Martha Magrah, 1759; John Fairbanks and Amey Heffernan, 1760; Alexander Mullen and Mary Chapman, 1760; James Bourk and Eleanor Whiting, 1761; Edward Kenney and Patience Chadwick, 1762; Nathaniel Locke and Mary Burk, 1764; Daniel Dennison and Amey Murphy, 1766; Lawrence Carroll and Susannah Holden, 1768; Daniel Read and Ann McMahon, 1793; Eleazer Read, Jr., and Elizabeth Murphy, 1795.
From which it will be seen that the Irish began coming to Newport, and were numerous there, at much earlier periods than has been generally supposed.