The Luck of the Irish?
We’ve all heard the saying “the luck of the Irish.” Titling this post made me wonder: What’s so “lucky” about the Irish? I decided to research the origins of this familiar phrase and was surprised to discover the following:
According to Edward T. O’Donnell, an Associate Professor of History at Holy Cross College and author of "1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American History," the term is not Irish in origin.
"During the gold and silver rush years in the second half of the 19th century, a number of the most famous and successful miners were of Irish and Irish American birth....Over time this association of the Irish with mining fortunes led to the expression 'luck of the Irish.' Of course, it carried with it a certain tone of derision, as if to say, only by sheer luck, as opposed to brains, could these fools succeed."[1]
For more insight into the negative connotation of “the luck of the Irish,” click here.
My Irish Ancestors
Before I began researching my family history, all I knew of my Irish heritage came from my Grandma Lucy. Every St. Patrick’s Day, she told me to make sure that I wore green because her grandmother was “a Kelly” and that made me 1/16 Irish.
Sure enough, when I took a DNA test in 2015, my ethnicity estimate reported about 5% Irish origins, with a range of 0-14%.
Unfortunately, I have no photographs of my Irish immigrant ancestors, however here are the grandparent (Lucy) and great-grandparent (her father, Harry Norbeck) who gave me that Irish DNA.
My great-grandfather Harry Norbeck with his daughter (my grandma) Lucy.
My research proved that Grandma Lucy was close, but not quite accurate. Records show that three out of four of Harry’s grandparents (my 3x great-grandparents) were Irish immigrants.
All of them arrived in America as teenagers between the years of 1844-1851.[2] They were part of the mass wave of migration precipitated by the Great Famine[3]. After experiencing starvation, they faced an arduous journey across the Atlantic in disease and death-ridden vessels nicknamed “coffin ships.” Those who survived the trip were not welcomed on American shores. They often faced blatant discrimination and struggled to make a living.[4] For an excellent article on their experience with interesting parallels to today’s refugee debate, read here.
Who was Grandmother Kelly?
True to Grandma Lucy’s word, her grandmother was indeed “a Kelly.” However, she was not born in Ireland. I learned that Margaret Kelly was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 4 February 1858 and was the oldest child of two Irish immigrants: Dominick Kelly and Jane O’Kane.[5] Since Dominick and Jane had each arrived in America with their families separately[6], let’s go back one generation and look at both immigration stories.
The O’Kane Family Immigration
The O’Kane family arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1844.[7] Two older daughters (Anna and Margaret) immigrated at a different time, and I originally did not know about them. Tracing Irish females in a large city can be challenging. They all seem to have shared the same few popular first names and then changed surnames upon marriage. How could I be sure I found the right women? Father Dennis O’Kane’s 1876 will was the key because it included the married names of the daughters.[8]
An image of a portion of Dennis O'Kane's will, written 9 January 1876
The signature of my Irish 4x great-grandfather
Jane (McCallion) O’Kane predeceased her husband six years before he wrote this will.[9] In the will, Dennis named all of his living children. He left his furniture to my 3x great-grandmother Jane (O’Kane) Kelly. The son who already died (Dennis, Jr.) was a soldier who died in 1867 from wounds he had received in battle.[10]
Several of the other O’Kane men worked as boot fitters in a shoe factory.[11] Like many Irish immigrants, the girls worked as domestic servants in the households of wealthier Philadelphians.[12]
The Kelly Family Immigration
My 3x great-grandfather, Dominick Kelly, age eighteen, arrived in New York City on 27 May 1851 aboard the Lady Hobart. He is listed on the passenger manifest with his father Patrick, and seven siblings.[13] It appears that the mother of the family (and perhaps other siblings) had already died in Ireland.
The Kelly family listed together in an 1851 ship manifest. My 3x great-grandfather, Dominick, is marked with a red dot.
Patrick and his sons had been farmers in Ireland, almost certainly driven out by the hardships of the famine. Notice how the daughters in their twenties are referred to as “spinsters.”
The Family of Dominick Kelly and Jane O’Kane
Sometime before 1856, Dominick moved to Philadelphia, where he met and married Jane O’Kane. The couple had eight children:
Margaret (4 February 1858) [14] She was my great-great grandmother. To Grandma Lucy, she was Grandmother Kelly and the source of her pride in her Irish heritage.
A record of Margaret's baptism (in Latin).
Of the Catholic faith, Dominick and Jane had their children baptized at St. Patrick’s in Philadelphia. The family lived southwest of center city Philadelphia with addresses including 2137 Federal Street and 2231 Ellsworth Street. Dominick worked as a brickmaker and neither Dominick nor Jane could read and write.[22]
It appears that this family struggled to get by. Perhaps the greatest evidence of their precarious existence was the death of their 13-month-old son Dennis in 1865 from marasmus, a form of severe malnutrition.[23] Although no longer in Ireland, the lingering effects of poverty, discrimination, and lack of education were still impacting this family in absolutely devastating ways.
My great-great grandmother Margaret appears to be one of the “lucky” ones in her sibling group. In addition to the loss of brother Dennis at age one, Hugh died of typhoid fever at age 20, John died of “congestion of the brain” at age 24, and James died at age 33 as a prisoner in the Philadelphia House of Corrections. [24]
Margaret’s parents outlived many of their children. Dominick Kelly, born in Ireland, died on 19 November 1889 in Philadelphia. Jane (O’Kane) Kelly, also born in Ireland, died on 1 August 1911. Both are buried in Old Cathedral Catholic Cemetery, along with several of their children.[25]
Old Cathedral Catholic Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Margaret Kelly, the oldest child of these two Irish immigrants, went on to marry Harry Norbeck (Sr.) and give birth to eleven children, one of whom was my great-grandfather Harry Norbeck (Jr.)[26]
Although I lack photographs, heirlooms, or stories from my Irish immigrant ancestors, I do have one photograph of my great-grandfather Harry which I think carries on a part of their experience. After fleeing the Irish famine, Dominick Kelly worked as a brickmaker in Philadelphia for the rest of his life.[27] Here is Dominick’s grandson (and my great-grandfather) Harry Norbeck with a brick fireplace that he built in the backyard of his daughter Lucy’s home at 1915 Park Plaza, Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the 1950s.
To me, this photograph of Harry represents a bridge between our immigrant ancestors and the America that we know today, which they literally built. In just three generations, this family transitioned from Dominick, an immigrant fighting for his family’s survival through the back-breaking labor of making bricks to his great-granddaughter Lucille, who could enjoy a brick fireplace in her beautiful suburban backyard.
If you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and the “wearing of the green,” be thankful for the sacrifices and difficult experiences of our Irish ancestors. Because of their indomitable spirit, being Irish in America is now something to celebrate!
Sources:
[1] Angela Tung, “Luck of the Irish is an Old Mining Expression,” Mental Floss (http://mentalfloss.com/article/30236/luck-irish-old-mining-expression : accessed 13 March 2018). See also “Where Does the Term “the Luck of the Irish” Come From?” IrishCentral (https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/where-does-the-term-the-luck-of-the-irish-come-from : accessed 13 March 2018).
[2] For Ellen (Clark) Norbeck birthplace and arrival date, see 1900 U.S. census, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania population schedule, Philadelphia, Ward 36 Enumeration District [ED] 933, p. 8-B, dwelling 135, family 136, Ellen Norbeck; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 March 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 1477. For Dominick Kelly arrival date, see "New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957" database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 March 2018), entry for Dominick Kelly, age 18, in the family of Patrick Kelly, arrived 27 May 1851; digital image p path > Roll > M237, 1820-1897 > Roll 99 > image 24 of 6887. For Jane O’Kane arrival date, see “U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 March 2018), entry for Jane O’Kane, age 13, in the family of Jane O’Kane, arrived 1844; citing Raymond D. Adams, An Alphabetical Index to Ulster Emigration to Philadelphia, 1803-1850 (Baltimore : 1992), 75.
[3] “Irish Potato Famine,” History.com (https://www.history.com/topics/irish-potato-famine : accessed 7 March 2018).
[4] Christopher Klein, “When America Despised the Irish: the 19th Century’s Refugee Crisis,” History.com (http://www.history.com/news/when-america-despised-the-irish-the-19th-centurys-refugee-crisis : accessed 7 March 2018).
[5] St. Patrick Parish (Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania), Roman Catholic Baptism Register, p. 114, no. 60, Margarittam [Margaret] Kelly, 10 February 1858; digital image, FindMyPast (https://search.findmypast.com/results/world-records/philadelphia-roman-catholic-parish-baptisms : accessed 13 March 2018). Also, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Certificate of Death no. 83277, Margaret Norbeck 10 September 1931, Philadelphia County; viewed at "Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966," digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 March 2018); citing Series 11.90: Death Certificates 1906 -1966, Record Group 11: Pennsylvania Department of Health, Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg.
[6] For Dominick Kelly arrival date, see "New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957" database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 March 2018), entry for Dominick Kelly, age 18, in the family of Patrick Kelly, arrived 27 May 1851; digital image p path > Roll > M237, 1820-1897 > Roll 99 > image 24 of 6887. For Jane O’Kane arrival date, see “U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 March 2018), entry for Jane O’Kane, age 13, in the family of Jane O’Kane, arrived 1844; citing Raymond D. Adams, An Alphabetical Index to Ulster Emigration to Philadelphia, 1803-1850 (Baltimore, MD : 1992), 75.
[7] Jane O’Kane: Ibid.
[8] “Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993,” database with images Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 March 2018), will of Dennis O’Kane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 9 January 1876; digital image path > Philadelphia > Wills, No 90-135, 1876 > images 140-143 of 439.
[9] 1870 U.S. census, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, mortality schedule, page illegible, line 27, Jane O’Kane; accessed via “U.S., Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885,” database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 March 2018); citing NARA microfilm publication M1838, roll 6.
[10] "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JDKJ-96F : 8 March 2018), Dennis O'Kane, 10 Nov 1867; citing Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; FHL microfilm 1,993,916.
[11] 1850 U.S. census, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania population schedule, Moyamensing, Ward 2, p. 257 (stamped), dwelling 352, family 444, Dennis Kane [O’Kane]; digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 March 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication M432, roll 809. Also, 1870 U.S. census, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Ward 2 District 6, p.263B (penned), dwelling 1496, family 1676, John Kane in Peter Hagen household]; digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 March 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication M593, roll 1388.
[12] Ibid (1850 census: Dennis O’Kane).
[13] "New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957" database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 March 2018), entry for Dominick Kelly, age 18, in the family of Patrick Kelly, arrived 27 May 1851.
[14] St. Patrick Parish (Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania), Roman Catholic Baptism Register, p. 114, no. 60, Margarittam [Margaret] Kelly, 10 February 1858; digital image, FindMyPast (https://search.findmypast.com/results/world-records/philadelphia-roman-catholic-parish-baptisms : accessed 13 March 2018).
[15] St. Patrick Parish (Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania), Roman Catholic Baptism Register, p. 210, no. 123, Dominicum [Dominick] Kelly, 20 March 1860; digital image, FindMyPast (https://search.findmypast.com/results/world-records/philadelphia-roman-catholic-parish-baptisms : accessed 13 March 2018).
[16] St. Patrick Parish (Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania), Roman Catholic Baptism Register, p. 319, no. 67, Hugonem [Hugh] Kelly, 9 February 1862; digital image, FindMyPast (https://search.findmypast.com/results/world-records/philadelphia-roman-catholic-parish-baptisms : accessed 13 March 2018).
[17] St. Patrick Parish (Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania), Roman Catholic Baptism Register, p. 72, Dionysium [Dennis] Kelly, 3 July 1864; digital image, FindMyPast (https://search.findmypast.com/results/world-records/philadelphia-roman-catholic-parish-baptisms : accessed 13 March 2018).
[18] St. Patrick Parish (Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania), Roman Catholic Baptism Register, p. 156, Gulielmum [William] Kelly, 25 March 1866; digital image, FindMyPast (https://search.findmypast.com/results/world-records/philadelphia-roman-catholic-parish-baptisms : accessed 13 March 2018).
[19] St. Patrick Parish (Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania), Roman Catholic Baptism Register, p. 304, Joannem [John] Kelly, 22 November 1868; digital image, FindMyPast (https://search.findmypast.com/results/world-records/philadelphia-roman-catholic-parish-baptisms : accessed 13 March 2018).
[20] For parents, see Pennsylvania Department of Health, Certificate of Death no. 86879, Catherine V. Gallagher, 6 October 1955, Delaware County; viewed at "Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966," digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 March 2018); citing Series 11.90: Death Certificates 1906 -1966, Record Group 11: Pennsylvania Department of Health, Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg. For January 1873, see 1900 U.S. census, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania population schedule, Philadelphia, Ward 36, Enumeration District [ED] 919, p. 9, dwelling 154, [21] 1880 U.S. census, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania population sche family 154, Katie V. Gallagher; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 March 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 1477.
[21] 1880 U.S. census, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania population schedule, Philadelphia, 1st Ward, Enumeration District (ED) 564, p. 12 (penned), p. 719-D (stamped), dwelling 82, family 98, entry for James Kelly, age 6, in Dominick Kelly household; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 March 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 1185.
[22] Ibid. For Ellsworth Street see, [22] “U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 March 2018), entry for Jane Kelly (widow of Dominick); path: Pennsylvania > Philadelphia > 1896 > image 518 of 1121.
[23] "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J67Z-LJM : 8 March 2018), Dennis Kelly, 03 Aug 1865; citing Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; FHL microfilm 1,987,149.
[24] For Hugh, see "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JDK3-D38 : 9 March 2018), Hugh J. Kelly, 20 Jul 1882; citing Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; FHL microfilm 2,057,182. For John, see "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JD17-897 : 8 March 2018), John J. Kelly, 02 May 1893; citing death certificate no. 23737, Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; FHL microfilm 1,902,338. For James, see "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JKQJ-64K : 8 March 2018), James Kelley, 15 May 1912; citing death certificate no. 11977, Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; FHL microfilm 1,421,325.
[25] For Dominick, see Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JKSK-59L : 8 March 2018), Dominic Kelley, 19 Nov 1889; citing Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; FHL microfilm 2,080,243. For Jane, see "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JD51-7ZQ : 8 March 2018), Jane M. Kelly, 01 Aug 1911; citing certificate no. 19067, Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; FHL microfilm 1,405,440. For burial, see “Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-2013,” database with images, entry for Dominick Kelly, 22 November 1889, burial in Cathedral Cemetery; path > PA-Philadelphia > Philadelphia > Roman Catholic > Old Cathedral Catholic Cemetery > image 4383 of 4844.
[26] 1910 U.S. census, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania population schedule, Philadelphia, Ward 41, Enumeration District (ED) 1054, p. 4-A, dwelling 83, family 83, Margaret Norbeck; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 March 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication T624, roll 1411. For Harry with his parents, see 1880 U.S. census, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania population schedule, Philadelphia, 1st Ward, Enumeration District (ED) 23, p. 35 penned, p. 368-C (stamped), dwelling 312, family 335, Harry Norbeck household; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 March 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication T9 , roll 1187.
[27] "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JKSK-59L : 8 March 2018), Dominic Kelley, 19 Nov 1889; citing Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; FHL microfilm 2,080,243.
So jealous that you've been able to trace your Irish roots!