Edmond Born in 1835

Baptismal Record

Ballyneety, Limerick, 1835-1861. Edward Carroll was baptized Edmond Carroll in Donoughmore Parish in the Diocese of Limerick, in County Limerick, Ireland, in 1835. The parish is southeast of Limerick Town on the eastern edge of the diocese. His parents were Thomas Carroll and Mary Carroll. Godparents were Patrick Nihill and Ann Connors. He was baptized on February 17.

There are two churches in Donoughmore parish: St. Patrick's Donoughmore, just southeast of Limerick town, and St. Patrick's Knockea, just northwest of Ballyneety. Legend has it that St. Patrick founded the Donaghmore church while visitng the Knockea church. See Limerick Diocese Heritage.

An older brother David was born in 1832. Godparents were Matthew Rourke and Margaret Kennedy. A younger brother James was born in 1837. Godparents were Simon Rice and Mary Fitzgerald. A younger sister Mary was born in 1840. Godparents were Js. Kennedy and Mary Coonerty.

David's Baptismal Record     James' Baptismal Record     Mary's Baptismal Record    

There was a Patrick Carroll who was born in 1826 to 1830, depending on various sources, who emigrated to Chicago long before Edmond. When Edmond and his family emigrated to Chicago in 1880, they moved in right next door to Patrick and his family on 14th Street. So, Patrick is likely an older brother of Edmond. Baptismal records for Donoughmore Parish are not available before 1830.

We do not know exactly where Edmond lived when he was born. Ballyneety was mentioned in an obituary for Patrick Carroll mentioned above. Ballyneety is a village in the middle of four townlands: Ballyneety to the northeast, Ballymareece to the southeast, Glen to the southwest, and Knockbrien to the northwest. Edward's children were born in Stonepark, which is south of Ballymareece, 1.4 miles south of the Ballyneety village center. Ballyneety, excluding Ballymareece, is in Donoughmore Parish. Ballymacreece and Stonepark are just over the border in Ballybricken Parish.

Map of Knockbrien townland where a Thomas Carroll lived in 1825. Ballyneety town is at the lower right-hand corner of Knockbrien townland. St. Patrick's Knockea, Donoughmore Parish, is in the upper left-hand corner of map). The church is 2.5 miles from Ballyneety town. Other townlands are marked by dotted lines.

The Tithe Applotment Books show a Thomas Carroll growing potatoes and oats in the townland of Knock Brien (Knockbrien) in the parish of Cahernarry (Donoughmore) Parish in 1825. Knockbrien is close to St. Patrick's Knockea. Knockbrien may be the townland where Edward and his siblings were born, rather than Stonepark, where he raised his children.

Catherine Born in 1833

Baptismal Record     Rathkeale 1837

Rathkeale, Limerick, 1833-1861. Catherine Higgins was born in Rathkeale, in the area southwest of Limerick Town, in County Limerick, Ireland in 1833. Her parents were John and Catherine Condon Higgins. She was baptized on June 17 in Rathkeale Parish (Diocese of Limerick) at St. Mary's Church. Godparents were John Keshan and Anna Condon.

The place of Catherine's birth appears on the death certificate of her daughter Mary Carroll Moran, who died on April 6, 1938, in Chicago. It could refer to Rathkeale town or Rathkeale parish.

Rathkeale town is on the River Deel, which flows north into the the River Shannon estuary. The town of Rathkeale is situated about 14 miles from Limerick City, on the N21 that runs from Limerick to Tralee. Rathkeale is 22 miles from Ballyneety, where Edmond Carroll was born and 25 miles from Herbertstown, where they were married.

Edward and Catherine Marry in 1861, Have 7 Children

Church Marriage Record   Patrick Carroll Birth Record   Hospital 1837   Herbertstown 1837

On February 12, 1861, Edmond Carroll, 25, and Catherine Higgins, 27, were married in the Parish of Hospital & Herbertstown on the western edge of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, County Limerick, Ireland.. The marriage record says that Edmond was from Herbertstown. The Church of the Sacred heart is in Herbertstown. (The Church of St. John the Baptist is in Hospital.)

In his 1837 A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. Samuel Lewis described Herberstown as having a "constabulary police station" and "large pig fairs on Jan. 15th, March 17th, June 28th, and Nov. 7th." And he said there was "a large R. C. chapel, which was erected in 1836 at an expense of £800."

Witnesses were David Carroll, probably Edmond's older brother, and Marianne Corbett. Herbertstown is on the road from Limerick to Hospital, near the border with Tipperary. It is 28 miles from Rathkeale.

Map of parishes in northeastern Limerick. At the top left is the River Shannon, which runs through Limerick Town. To the left is Rathkeale Parish in the Diocese of Limerick. To the right is Donoughmore Parish on the western edge of the Diocese of Limerick. Southeast of that is Ballybricken Parish and Hospital & Herbertstown Parish (Hospital) on the western edge of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. Source: Limerick Land Divisions.

Limerick, 1861-1880. Edward and Catherine had seven children in Limerick. Based on son Patrick's birth record, they lived in the townland of Stonepark in County Limerick (see birth record). Stonepark is 1.4 miles south of Ballyneety on route R512. Stonepark is 2.5 miles northwest of St. Ailbe's Church in Ballybricken Parish on the western edge of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly.

The 1851 Griffiths valuation shows a John Carroll and a Mary Carroll living in houses in Stonepark (Ludden civil parish) leased from Richard Rice. Mary Carroll could be the mother of Edward Carroll, assuming her husband Thomas died. John Carroll could be an older brother of Edward. Jo Mitchell's Lysaght website refers to two Carrolls in Stonepark: John Carroll married to Honor Lysaght and William Lysaght married to Mary Carroll. This Mary Carroll could be an older sister of Edward.

Griffith's Valuation for Stonepark, County Limerick, October 1851, showing Mary Carroll and John Carroll as lessees and John Carroll as a lessor.

Edward was a slater (son Patrick's birth record), or roofer (1880 US census). A slater is a person who works with slate and puts slates on a roof. He probably obtained the slate from a nearby quarry and carried it by horse and wagon to the job site. The townland name of Stonepark may be based on the existence of a quarry nearby.

In 1861, Edward and Catherine's son Thomas M. Carroll was born. When Thomas died in 1904, his obituary said he "was a native of Ballybrickan, Co. Limerick." It was probably referring to Stonepark, which is in the Parish of Ballybricken,

In 1863, Edward and Catherine's son John Carroll was born.

On December 23, 1864, Edward and Catherine's son Patrick Carroll was born (see birth record).

On June 15, 1867, Edward and Catherine's son David William Carroll was born.

In 1869, Edward and Catherine's son James J. Carroll was born.

In 1872, Edward and Catherine's daughter Mary Carroll was born.

In 1876, Edward and Catherine's daughter Anna Frances Carroll was born.

Chicago, Near West Side, 1880-1906. In 1880, Edward, Catherine, and their seven children immigrated from County Limerick to Chicago, Illinois. The U.S. flag had 38 stars, the most recent one being for Colorado. The President was Rutherford B. Hayes.

The family arrived in Castle Garden, New York, on April 9, 1880, aboard the steamship Parthia. The arrival was listed in the Marine Intelligence column of the New York Times on Thursday, April 9. The voyage had started March 27 in Liverpool and took on additional passengers on March 28 at Cobh (named Queenstown in 1849 to commemorate a visit by Queen Victoria and so remained until the name Cobh was restored in 1922 with the foundation of the Irish Free State). The Master was Horatio McKay. There were 392 steerage passengers, includng the nine Carrolls, and 28 cabin passengers.

Steamship Parthia, owned by the Cunard Line. Built in 1870, the ship had three masts rigged for sail and a single funnel. Length: 360.5 feet. Beam: 40.3 feet. Service speed: 13 knots. Passengers: 200 1st class, 1,050 3rd class.

Exerpt from passenger List for Steamship Parthia, when it arrived at Castle Garden, New York, on April 9, 1880, showing steerage passengers 339-347: Edw. P. Carroll, Mrs., Thomas, John, Patrick, David, James, Mary, Anna.

From this point on, Edmond Carroll was known as Edward Carroll. Edmond and Edward are essentially the same name. Edmond can also be Edmund. The Irish form is Eamon. There are two saints, both kings of England:

• Edward the Martyr (962-978/979), canonised 1001, feast day March 18
• Edward the Confessor (1004–1066), canonised 1161, feast day October 13 (nephew of Edward the Martyr)

Less than two months after the Carrolls arrived in America, they were recorded in the 1880 U.S. census. The censustaker came on June 3. It showed them living on the Near West Side at 683 14th Street (1634 W. 14th Street after 1909). This was in Holy Family Parish, a large Irish parish run by the Jesuits at 1080 W. 12th Street (renamed Roosevelt Road five months after the death of Theodore Roosevelt in 1919).

In the 1880 census, Edward and Catherine Carroll lived next door to Patrick and Elizabeth Cagney Carroll, who lived at 681 14th Street. Patrick was a plasterer. Patrick and Elizabeth had immigrated from Ireland to Illinois over 20 years earlier because their oldest child was born in Illinois in 1859. Patrick Carroll was eight years older than Edward Carroll. They were probably brothers.

In the 1870 census, Patrick and Elizabeth Carroll were living in Jefferson Township at the Cook County Poor House, called Dunning, where Patrick was the warden and Elizabeth was the matron. With ten other live-in employees, all Irish immigrants, Patrick and Elizabeth had charge of 424 residents: 279 paupers and 145 insane. Jefferson Township was annexed to Chicago in 1889. Dunning is now the Chicago Read Mental Health Center. Patrick's 1894 obituary said that he was a Cook County commissioner and was three times elected County Commissioner. It also said he was a native of Ballineety, County Limerick, and came to America when a very young man settling in Chicago.

Old post card of "Church of the Holy Family, West 12th St., Chicago"

Along with St. Ignatius high school, Holy Family Church is still at 1080 12th Street, a few blocks west of Halsted. Built in 1860 by Jesuit priest, Father Arnold Damen. In the 1880's the church had 26 parish priests, 20,000 parishioners, and 3,200 children in school. One of the parishioners here was Mrs. O'Leary, whose cow allegedly started the Chicago Fire in 1871. In 1885, St. Charles Borromeo Church was opened at 2060 W. 12th Street and at some point became their church.

The 1880 census shows Edward working as a roofer, while the 1880 city directory shows him working as a carpenter. The 1880 census shows the four oldest boys working: Thomas in the stock yards, John and Patrick at a liquor store, and David, age 13, in a lumber yard.

Sometime between 1888 and 1890, the family moved a half block north to 239 Hastings Street (1627 W. Hastings Street after 1909). The 1890-1892 city directories show David working as a fireman.

In 1890, Edward and Catherine's son James J. Carroll, age 20, was listed for the first time in the Chicago city directory as a steamfitter. This was to be his lifelong occupation and that of his son Thomas, his son Thomas, and his son Thomas.

In 1893, the family moved back to 14th Street, to 635 W. 14th Street (1538 W. 14th Street after 1909).

On October 25, 1893, Edward and Catherine's son James J. Carroll married Margaret Powell. They were married at Holy Family Church by Father J. L. Weinmand. Margaret was born in Detroit. Her parents were John and Bridget Brophy Powell, both born in Ireland. James worked as a steam fitter. In the 1900 census, the family was living in North Lawndale at 1499 W. 15th Place (2724 W. 15th Place after 1909). This was 1.7 miles west of Edward and Catherine and a block from Douglas Park.

In January 1894, Edward and Catherine's son Patrick Carroll, 29, died. Catherine purchased a plot at Calvary Cemetery (Section X, Block 15, Lot N4).

On August 5, 1894, Patrick Carroll, Edward's older brother or cousin, died at age 70. Patrick and Elizabeth Carroll lived down the street from Edward and Catherine Carroll on 14th Street.

Chicago Daily News, August 6, 1894
Carroll, Patrick, Cook County commissioner, died after a two weeks illness at resid., 681 W. 14th st., husband of Bessie, nee Cagney, aged 68 years, native of Ballineety, Co. Limerick. He came to America when a very young man settling in Chicago. He was three times elected County Commissioner. His wife and several children survive him. Funeral from St. Charles Church to Calvary.

Chicago Daily News, August 7, 1894
Patrick Carroll died Sunday at his residence No. 681 West Fourteenth street, age 70 years. Mr. Carroll was well known among local politicians having been, prior to his retirement from the political field fifteen years ago, a county commissioner and a prominent factor in the Seventh Ward. The funeral will be held at 9:30 o'clock this morning from his late residence. The body will be taken to St. Charles Church and from to the burying ground at Calvary.

Patrick Carroll had married Elizabeth Cagney in Chicago at St. Patrick's Church on January 9, 1858. Witnesses were J.W. Helan and Bridget Coffey. See: Find A Grave.

Patrick Carroll Death Certificate     

In the 1900 census, widow Eliza Carroll, 64, was living with daughter Eliza Carroll, 26, on 15th Street in Chicago. Widow Eliza had immigrated in 1854.

Sometime between 1894 and 1897, the family moved a few blocks to 522 S. Wood Street (1129 S. Wood Street after 1909). A year later, the family moved a few blocks to 658 S. Ashland Avenue (1419 S. Ashland Avenue after 1909).

On September 20, 1899, Edward and Catherine's son David William Carroll, age 31, and Emma Magdalen Starke, age 21, were married by Father James J. Curran, S.J., assistant pastor of Holy Family Church. David was a patrolman with the Chicago Police Department.

In 1899 or 1900, Edward and Catherine's daughter Mary Carroll, age 17, and John J. Moran, age 19, were married. John was a steamfitter. In the 1920 census, they were living at 1927 W. 22nd Place.

On January 3, 1900, Edward and Catherine's son Thomas M. Carroll, 39, and Alice E. Roach, 28, were married. Thomas was a saloon keeper in the 1900 census. They lived at 647 S. Ashland Avenue.

David and Emma's first child, Catherine E. Carroll, was born on July 24, 1900.

In 1901, Edward and Catherine moved with David and Emma and John to 756 W. 14th Place (1653 W. 14th Place after 1909).

In 1902, Edward and Catherine moved with David and Emma and John to St. Charles Borromeo Parish at 14 Cypress (913 S. Hoyne Avenue after 1909) in Chicago, Illinois. St. Charles Borromeo Parish, at 2060 W. 12th Street (Roosevelt Road), was opened in 1885 and closed in 1968.

David and Emma's second child, David Carroll, was born in 1902.

On October 28, 1903, Edward and Catherine's daughter Anna Frances Carroll married George F.McDonough.

On July 13, 1904, Edward and Catherine's son Thomas M. Carroll, 43, died. He was a saloon keeper. He was survived by his wife Alice, 32. He was a native of Ballybricken, County Limerick. His obituary was published in the Citizen, a weekly newspaper established by Irish-born John F. Finerty (1846-1908) in Chicago in 1882.

Chicago Citizen, July 16, 1904
Carroll, Thomas M., died July 3, at resid., 636 W. 14th st. He was a native of Ballybrickan, Co. Limerick, aged 43 yrs. and came to America with his family over twenty years ago. He leaves his father, mother, three brothers and three sisters and his widow to mourn him. Funeral occured from Holy Family Church to Mt. Carmel cemetery.

Thomas M. Carroll Death Certificate     

David and Emma's third child, Mary Anastasia Carroll, was born October 20, 1904, but died of whooping cough seven weeks later on December 6, 1904. She was survived by her brother David and her sister Catherine. David and Emma purchased a plot at Mount Carmel Cemetery, to bury Mary (Section F, Block 3, Lot S4).

In 1905, Edward and Catherine, and their son John, moved to 1165 W. 13th Street (2146 W. 13th Street after 1909) in St. Charles Borromeo Parish.

David and Emma's fourth child, Edward William Carroll was born February 11, 1906.

Edward Dies in 1906 at Age 71

Death Certificate      Cemetery Record

On April 26, 1906, Edward Carroll died of nephritis. He was 71 years old. Edward was buried in the plot that Catherine had purchased in 1894 to bury Patrick Carroll. The plot is at Calvary Cemetery (Section X, Block 15, Lot N4, in from Moore).

Chicago Daily News, April 26, 1906
CARROLL—EDWARD, beloved husband of Katherine Carroll (nee Higgins), father of Officer David, John and James Carroll, Mrs. John J. Moran, Mrs. George F. McDonough and the late Thomas M. Carroll, at residence, 1165 W. 13th-st. Funeral Sunday, April 29, from late residence, to St. Charles church, at 9:30 a. m., thence by carriages to Calvary.

Tombstone for Edward and Catherine Higgins Carroll at Calvary Cemetery (Section X, Block 15, Lot N4 in from Moore)

Catherine Widowed at Age 72

Chicago, Near West Side, 1906-1907. Upon the death of her husband Edward, Catherine was widowed at age 72. She continued to live at 1165 W. 13th Street (2146 W. 13th Street after 1909) in St. Charles Borromeo Parish.

David and Emma's son David died of scarlet fever at age 4. He died two months after his grandfather Edward, on May 26, 1906, and was buried next to his sister Mary at Mount Carmel Cemetery.

Edward and Catherine's son James J. Carroll, a steam fitter, died of pneumonia on November 8, 1906. He was 37 years old and left his wife Margaret and four children under age 13. In the 1910 census, they were living at 1454 Milwaukee Avenue. The widow Margaret died on February 24, 1913. She was 40 and left four children under age 20.

James J. Carroll Death Certificate      Margaret Carroll Death Certificate     

On September 14, 1907, David and Emma's fifth child, Genevieve, was born.

Chicago, Garfield Park, 1907-1908. In 1907, Catherine moved with David and Emma six blocks west and four blocks north, from the Near West Side to East Garfield Park, from St. Charles Borromeo Parish to Most Precious Blood Parish. David and Emma bought an apartment building at 1147 W. Congress Street (2701 W. Congress Street after 1909).

Catherine Dies in 1908 at Age 75

Death Certificate      Cemetery Record

On September 14, 1908, Catherine Higgins Carroll died at age 75 of nephritis and heart disease. She was living with David and Emma Starke Carroll. The funeral was at Most Precious Blood Church. Catherine was buried in Calvary Cemetery next to her husband Edward (Section X, Block 15, Lot N4). Catherine was born in 1833, not 1840, as indicated on the ship's passenger list in 1880, or 1835 as indicated by the 1880 US Census, or 1846 as indicated by her death certificate.

Chicago Daily News, September 14, 1908
CARROLL—Catherine, beloved wife of the late Edward Carroll, mother of officer David W. and John Carroll, Mrs. John Moran, Mrs. George McDonough and the late Thomas M. and James J. Carroll. Funeral Wednesday, September 16, from late residence 1147 W. Congress-st., at 9:30 a. m., to the Church of the Precious Blood, where high mass will be celebrated, thence by carriages to Calvary.

Edward and Catherine: 7 children, 16 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren