Pinpointing Dennis Buggy's Irish Origins: April 2013

Monday, April 29, 2013

14. Dennis Buggy’s Siblings: Gathering Relationship Clues

Contrary to family tradition and online databases, Dennis Buggy was baptized 6 June 1829 (not 1830) in Freshford Parish, County Kilkenny, Ireland. His mother was Mary Brannagan (not Mary Butler). These assertions rest on sound research and careful evaluation of evidence. The last piece of supporting research focuses on Dennis’ siblings.

Showing that Dennis’ siblings in the U. S. are the same as the Buggy-Brannagan family of Freshford supports Dennis Buggy’s identity, too, and confirms the authority of his Freshford baptism record. Correlating U. S. records with information from the Phelan family book and the Freshford parish registers will accomplish this.

Database searches at Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and AmericanAncestors.org reveal information about each sibling and their linkages to each other. A strong enough web emerges to assert with confidence that the two families are identical.

Here’s a summary of the evidence:

Naugatuck, New Haven County, Connecticut, is the hub of the Buggy family in at least the early decades after immigration. They are represented in the 1860 Naugatuck census.
Eliza (Buggy) Neary lived in Naugatuck the remainder of her life.
Patrick lived in nearby New Haven, New Haven County.
All the Buggy brothers but Michael naturalized in New Haven County in either 1856 or 1860. All claimed Naugatuck as their place of residence.
Youngest brothers Michael and Richard lived in 1860 with their older brother Dennis. Afterward they both migrated to Allamakee County, Iowa.

Here are the details of the evidence, presented in the order of the Freshford parish baptisms:

Eliza (Buggy) Neary appears in Naugatuck, New Haven County, Connecticut, in 1870 and 1880.[1] Her death is memorialized in St. Francis Cemetery, Naugatuck:[2]

eliza buggy,

wife of

thomas neary.

born feb. 3, 1830,

died jan. 25, 1882.

Eliza’s birth year is inconsistent across her census and gravestone records. This may be because she was about seven years older than her husband, and she preferred to appear to be about the same age as he. Her birth date, 3 February, is consistent with baptism on 7 February in Freshford.[3]

John Buggy Two records place a John Buggy in Connecticut at the correct time to be the eldest Buggy brother.

A John Buggy was naturalized in New Haven District Court in 1856. He gave as his residence Naugatuck where other members of the Buggy family resided. His age, 22, would place his birth in 1834, some seven years after John Buggy of Freshford.[4]
In 1860 a John Buggy was head of household in the Brookline, Massachusetts, suburb of Boston, along present-day Highway 84 from New Haven, Connecticut. His age, 26, also places his birth about 1834. His sons bear the same names, John and Richard, as the sons identified in the Phelan family book.[5] They were born in Connecticut, while their younger sister was born in Massachusetts, suggesting a recent move to that state from Connecticut.[6]

No further record positively identifies this John Buggy. He appears to be too young to be Dennis Buggy’s elder brother, but his sons’ names and his presence in Naugatuck at the correct time suggest he may be the right man.

Dennis Buggy Dennis’ census records have been discussed, but one stands out in supporting this family identity. In 1860 he resided in Naugatuck, and his household included Michael Buggy, twenty, and Richard Buggy, nineteen.[7] Freshford baptism records would place Michael’s age about twenty-three and Richard’s about twenty.[8] Despite the age discrepancies, these were probably younger brothers living with Dennis and Catherine before setting out on their own.

An index card shows Dennis’ naturalization in the same court as John’s, only about six months earlier in 1856. He, too, claimed to be of Naugatuck.[9]

Patrick Buggy Patrick appears in U. S. censuses for Connecticut in 1860 (Naugatuck), 1870, and 1880 (New Haven), the same general area as older siblings Dennis (in 1860) and Eliza. His household in 1870 included wife Phebe [sic] and son Richard, but by 1880 he had wife Mary and daughter Mary E. Possibly his first wife and son died after the 1870 census. Patrick’s name, age, and occupation (carriage blacksmith) identify him as the same man across the censuses.[10] His daughter Mary E. is consistent with the Phelan family book’s one child for him, Mayme, a nickname for Mary.[11]

Patrick naturalized in 1860 in New Haven Superior Court. Like Dennis and John, he claimed Naugatuck as his residence.[12]

Michael Buggy and Richard Buggy The two youngest Buggy brothers lived with older brother Dennis in Naugatuck in 1860. [13] By 1870 they had migrated to Allamakee County, Iowa, living and raising families near each other. Both were blacksmiths like their brother Patrick (above).[14] Michael and Richard lived in Allamakee County the rest of their lives.[15]

Before moving the Iowa, Richard naturalized in New Haven Superior Court, the same day as his older brother Patrick. He, too, gave Naugatuck as his residence.[16]

The ages of the Buggy siblings are never consistent in U.S. records. Varying wildly from one record to the next, they rarely correlate with the baptism records. This suggests that the Buggy siblings may not have known or cared exactly when they were born. The index cards for the four brothers’ naturalizations show them either twenty-two or twenty-three at the time, while, according to their baptism records, they were twenty, twenty-five, twenty-seven, and twenty-nine. Such inconsistencies show the value of looking at the family as a whole and at the siblings’ interactions with each other to confirm their individual identities.

To further strengthen these conclusions more research could be conducted:

Examining U. S. baptism records may reveal Buggy siblings as sponsors for nieces and nephews.
Original naturalization records should verify the index information.
Comparing the siblings’ census records with the Phelan family book’s lists of their children (as above, for Patrick) would further verify their identity.

I wanted to be sure the Denis Buggy baptized in Freshford Parish, County Kilkenny, Ireland, was the same man as Dennis Buggy of Naugatuck, Connecticut, and Pilot Grove, Minnesota. The research on his siblings, limited to Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and AmericanAncestors.org, is not exhaustive, but provides enough evidence to support identification of the Buggy family as outlined in the Phelan family book as the Buggy-Brannagan family of Freshford, County Kilkenny, Ireland.

Now I am confident that this is the correct Dennis Buggy and can trust the Freshford Parish’s baptism date of 6 June 1829. Whew! That was a lot of detail, a lot of compilation, and well worth the effort.

Next Time: A Needle in a Freshford Haystack—Where to Put the Map Tack?

[1] 1870 U. S. census, New Haven Co., Conn., population schedule, Naugatuck, p. 3 (penned), dwelling/family 19, Thomas Neary household; National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication M593, roll 112. Also, 1880 U.S. census, New Haven Co., Conn., pop. sch., Naugatuck, enumeration district (ED) 48, p. 33 (penned), dwell. 230, fam. 301, Thomas Neary household; NARA microfilm T9. All censuses in this post were accessed as digital images from Ancestry.com 27 April 2013.

[2] St. Francis Cemetery (Naugatuck, New Haven County, Connecticut), Neary monument, Thomas Neary and Eliza Buggy face; digital photograph, Find A Grave (www.findagrave.com : accessed 18 April 2013), search for Eliza Neary, U. S., Connecticut, New Haven County; thanks to photographer C Greer for posting the image.

[3] Catholic Church, Freshford Parish (Kilkenny, Ireland), Parochial Registers, 1773-1881, Baptisms, 1825-1847, p. 1, Eliza Buggy baptism (1825); Family History Library (FHL) microfilm 926,192, item 3.

[4] “United States, New England Naturalization Index, 1791-1906,” digital image of index card, FamilySearch (https:// https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VX5K-125 : accessed 27 April 2013), John Buggy, 1856.

[5] “The Phelan Descendants: The Buggy Family, The Delaney Family, The Dollard Family,” privately held, 2013, 4.

[6] 1860 U. S. census, Norfolk Co., Mass., pop. sch., Brookline, p. 108 (penned), dwelling 539, family 642, John Buggy household; from NARA microfilm M653, roll 514; Family History Library microfilm 803,514.

[7] 1860 U. S. census, New Haven Co., Conn., pop. sch., Naugatuck, p. 18 (penned), dwelling 119, family 160, Denis Buggy household; from NARA microfilm M653, roll 84.

[8] Catholic Church, Freshford Parish (Kilkenny), Baptisms, 1825-1847, p. 217, Mich^l Buggy baptism (1837), and p. 262, Rich^d Buggy baptism (1840); FHL microfilm 926,192, item 3.

[9] “United States, New England Naturalization Index, 1791-1906,” digital image of index card, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VX52-3VH : accessed 27 April 2013), Dennis Buggy, 1856.

[10] 1860 U. S. census, New Haven Co., Conn., pop. sch., Naugatuck, p. 60 (penned), dwelling 386, family 516, line 16, Patrick Buggy entry; from NARA microfilm M653, roll 84. Also, 1870 U. S. census, New Haven Co., Conn., pop. sch., New Haven 5^th Ward, p. 41 (penned), dwelling 147, family 353, Patrick Buggey household; from NARA microfilm M593, roll 110. Also, 1880 U. S. census, New Haven Co., Conn., pop. sch., New Haven 6^th Ward, ED 87, p. 27 (penned), dwelling 147, family 268, Patrick Buggy household; from NARA microfilm T9, roll 106.

[11] “The Phelan Descendants,” 4.

[12] “United States, New England Naturalization Index, 1791-1906,” digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VX52-71Y : accessed 27 April 2013), Patrick Buggy, 1860.

[13] 1860 U. S. census, New Haven Co., Conn., pop. sch., Naugatuck, p. 18 (penned), dwell. 119, fam. 160, Denis Buggy household.

[14] 1870 U. S. census, Allamakee Co., Iowa, pop. sch., Makee, p. 15 (penned), dwelling/family 115, Michael Buggy household, and dwelling/family 117, Richard Buggy household; from NARA microfilm M593, roll 374.

[15] 1880 U.S. census, Allamakee Co., Iowa, pop. sch., Waukon, ED 13, p. 27 (penned), dwell. 235, fam. 258, Michael Buggy hshld., and p. 4, dwell. 25, fam. 28, Richard Buggy hshld.; from NA microfilm T9, roll 325. Also, 1900 U. S. census, Allamakee Co., Iowa, pop. sch., Makee, ED 11, sheet 19 (penned), dwell. 420, fam. 443, Michael Buggy hshld., and Jefferson Twp., ED 6, sheet 10 (penned), dwell. 182, fam. 184, Richard Buggy hshld.; from NARA microfilm T623, rolls 416 and 415, respectively. Also, 1910 U. S. census, Allamakee Co., Iowa, pop. sch., Waukon, ED 12, sheet 16 (penned), dwell. 372, fam. 394, Michael Buggy hshld., and Jefferson Twp., ED 6, sheet 7 (penned), dwell. 151, fam. 155, Richard Buggy hshld.; from NARA microfilm T624, roll 390. Also, 1920 U. S. census, Allamakee Co., Iowa, pop. sch., Waukon, ED 13, sheet 22, dwell. 678 [second of two], fam. 762, Mikel Buggy hshld., and Jefferson Twp., ED 6, sheet 8, dwell. 173, fam. 177, Richard Buggy hshld.; from NARA microfilm T625, roll 476.

[16] “United States, New England Naturalization Index, 1791-1906,” digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VX52-S5Z: accessed 27 April 2013), Richard Buggy, 1860.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

13. Dennis Buggy’s Marriage Record—Found [Once, not Twice; corrected 23 March 2021]

The goal of finding Dennis Buggy’s marriage record was to learn if it mentions his place of birth in Ireland. The Phelan family book asserts that Dennis was married to Catherine Phelan on 17 January 1856 in Naugatuck, Connecticut.[1] Research in Naugatuck town records led to a wider search in the Naugatuck River Valley area (map below) that yielded two marriage records for Dennis Buggy. Neither marriage took place on 17 January 1856, neither in Naugatuck, and neither record offers any information on Dennis’ birthplace in Ireland.

What they do offer is a correction of the Phelan family book’s date and place for the Buggy-Phelan marriage. They also offer a marriage record for a different Dennis Buggy, who married Alice Fagan two years before the Buggy-Phelan marriage.~~; 2) a date and place for Dennis Buggy’s first marriage and a name for his bride; and 3) new information on Dennis Buggy’s whereabouts in Connecticut before the Civil War.~~

The Buggy-Phelan Marriage Record Correction comes from the Archdiocese of Hartford Archives. Dennis Buggy and Catherine Phelin [sic] were married 20 January ~~1857~~ 1856 in Derby, New Haven County, Connecticut.[2] [See a discussion of the correct year in a later post, Judy Kellar Fox, “18. Loose Ends: Land and Pension Files,” Pinpointing Dennis Buggy's Irish Origins (http://foxkellarbuggy.blogspot.com/2013/05/18-loose-ends-land-and-pension-files.html), posted 19 May 2013.]

Derby lies some twelve miles south of Naugatuck on a route along the Naugatuck River to its confluence with the Housatonic River. See map below.

1857 [penciled in on photocopy, 2013]

On this 20 day of January I married Dennis

Buggy to Catherine Phelin [sic] Witness James Hanly

& Bridget Rily Jas Lynch

This terse record gives no hint of the origins of the bride and groom. It does offer, however, the names of the witnesses, James Hanly and Bridget Rily. Future research efforts could focus on these two, in case they are friends from home in Ireland.

The other marriage record is for the Dennis Buggy who resided in Ansonia, near Derby, and married only Alice Fagan. The Buggy-Fagan Marriage Record turned up in a search of Derby town records for the Buggy-Phelan marriage record. While there is no information about the Buggy-Phelan marriage, the Town Clerk found an earlier Buggy entry in an old index. The marriage record no longer exists, only the index. It is so faint she did not recommend copying it, but was willing to dictate the information:[3]

Date: 23 September 1854

Groom: Dennis Buggy, age 26

Occupation: laborer

Birthplace: Ireland

Residence prior to marriage: Oxford [Connecticut]

Residence when married: Oxford

Bride: Alice Fagan, age 23

[No further information on the bride]

Person who married the couple: James Lynch

The person who married the couple, James Lynch, is the man who would later marry Dennis Buggy and Catherine Phelan at St. Mary Church, Derby (above).

Dennis Buggy’s Whereabouts in Connecticut The Buggy-Phelan marriage record shows that while Dennis Buggy married in Derby, he lived in Naugatuck. The Buggy-Fagan marriage record has no bearing on Dennis Buggy of Naugatuck.The marriage records show that rather than residing continuously in Naugatuck, he lived for a time in Oxford (immediately southwest of Naugatuck) and married twice in Derby before moving to Naugatuck. This moving around is not unusual for a young immigrant attempting to establish himself in a new country. It is also consistent with his employment as a railroad laborer.~~[4]~~

Map courtesy of the Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley

Sources of Information

Connecticut. Department of Public Health. Vital Records Office, Hartford (860-509-7952). Dave Antolini telephone interview by Judy Kellar Fox 5 April 2013. Hartford Vital Records begin in 1857 [so would not have an 1856 marriage record]. Suggested calling Connecticut State Public Library.

Connecticut, Derby. Town Clerk’s Office (203-736-1462). Sharon [last name not given] telephone interview by Judy Kellar Fox, 8 April 2013. Sharon dictated the Buggy-Fagan marriage index entry.

Connecticut, Naugatuck. Town Clerk’s Office (203-720-7055). Telephone voice message from unidentified person to Judy Kellar Fox 1 April 2013. The Town Clerk’s Office has no record of a Buggy marriage.

Connecticut, Naugatuck. Town Clerk, Records of births, marriages, and deaths, v. A-D, 1844-1862. Town Clerk’s Office, Naugatuck. FHL microfilm 1,412,958. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. This microfilm of original records shows no Buggy marriages at all from 1849-1859, confirming information from the Town Clerk’s Office.

Connecticut, Oxford. Town Clerk’s Office (203-888-2543). Rosemary Harner telephone interview by Judy Kellar Fox 9 April 2013. Oxford was part of Derby up to a certain point, so Derby should have the marriage record. Recording with the town clerk was not always consistent. Oxford has no record of a Dennis Buggy marriage. They have records from only about a dozen churches. It was typical at the time that folks did not record their marriage with the town clerk.

Connecticut, Waterbury. Office of the Town Clerk. Vital Statistics (203-574-6800). Elisse [last name unknown] telephone interview by Judy Kellar Fox 5 April 2013. Waterbury marriage records begin in 1886.

Connecticut State Library, Hartford. History and Genealogy Information (860-757-6580). Mel Smith telephone interview by Judy Kellar Fox 5 April 2013. There is no statewide index for marriages at that time. He consulted the Library’s newspaper marriage index to 1865 and found no Dennis Buggy entry. There are many Phelans, but not Catherine or Katherine. Marriage registration was required at the town level at that time period.

St. Mary Church (Derby, Connecticut). Marriage records. Ten unnumbered photocopied pages. Supplied April 2013 by Maria Medina Paxi, Archivist, Archives of the Diocese of Hartford, Connecticut.

Next Time: Are Dennis Buggy’s U. S. Siblings the Same as the Buggy-Brannagan Children of Freshford?

[1] “The Phelan Descendants: The Buggy Family, The Delaney Family, The Dollard Family,” privately held, 2013, 8.

[2] St. Mary Church (Derby, Connecticut), marriage book, arranged chronologically, Dennis Buggy and Catherine Phelin (1856); Archdiocese of Hartford Archives, Hartford. The photocopy, provided by Archivist Maria Medina Paxi, bears no identification of the book and no page number. The page was annotated by hand in 2013 with the name of the church, the town, and the year [1857, an error].

[3] Sharon [last name not given], Town/City Clerk’s office (Derby, Connecticut; 203-736-1462), telephone interview by Judy Kellar Fox, 8 April 2013.

[4] Occupation as given in an unnamed son’s birth record. See Naugatuck, Connecticut, Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1856, Vol. C, p. 48, “Record of Births in Naugatuck during the Month of October 1856,” unnamed male Buggy, Dennis Buggy, father; Town Hall, Naugatuck; Family History Library microfilm 1,412,958.

Monday, April 22, 2013

12. The Buggy-Brannagan Family of Freshford: A Possible Match!

Despite several discrepancies with U. S. sources for Dennis Buggy’s family, the Richard Buggy-Mary Brannagan family of Kile, Freshford Parish, County Kilkenny, bears closer examination because its Denis is approximately the correct age to be Dennis Buggy the immigrant.

The Richard Buggy-Mary Brannagan Family of Freshford

County Kilkenny, Ireland

Catholic Church, Freshford Parish (Kilkenny, Ireland), Parochial Registers, 1773-1881, Baptisms, 1800-1825 (first item in chart only), and Baptisms, 1825-1847, pages as indicated in column 1; Family History Library microfilm 926,192, items 1, 3.

page	date	child	father	mother	male sponsor	female sponsor	residence
[none]	7 Feb 1825 26	Elizabeth Buggy	Richard Buggy	Mary Branagan	[none]	Margaret Buggy	Kile
1	7 Feb 1825	Eliza	Rich^d Buggy	Mary Branagan	[none]	Marg^t Buggy	2-6 Kile S^t G[___]
35	16 Apr 1827	John	Rich^d Buggy	Mary Brannagan	Joseph Talent	Judy Qualey	Kile
66	6 June 1829	Denis	Rich^d Buggy	Mary Brannagan	Andy Buggy	Kath Quealey	Kile
101	23 July 1831	James	Rich^d Buggy	Mary Brannagan	Rich^d Fitzgerald	Catharine Brannagan	Kile
167	21 Jan 1835 T M	Patt	Rich^d Buggy	Mary Branagan	Ja^s Hogue	Mary Fitzgerald	Kile
217	17 Aug 1837 T M	Mich^l	Rich^d Buggy	Mary Brannagan	James Butler	Mary Hayne	Kile
262	12 Apr 1840 R. T.M.	Rich^d	Rich^d Buggy	Mary Branigan	Edm^d Hoyne	Ellen Campion	Kile

Elizabeth and Eliza Buggy, born in 1825, are the same child. The first entry is at the very end of one parish register, and the second is on the first page of a new register. The consistency of the ink and handwriting in all entries in the registers suggests that they were copied into the books from notations made on slips of paper. The priest entered Eliza's baptism in the old book and repeated it in the new one.

Freshford baptisms from 1820 through 1847 show the above children and no others baptized for this couple. Marriages were examined from 1820 forward, and there is no Richard Buggy-Mary Brannagan marriage recorded in the Freshford Roman Catholic parish registers.[1] Given the timing and frequency of births from 1825 through 1840, more baptisms would be expected before 1825 if the couple had been married and living in Freshford earlier. Firstborn Eliza is not mentioned as illegitimate, so Richard Buggy-Mary Brannagan probably married elsewhere and moved to Freshford parish some time before her baptism. They may have had other children elsewhere as well.

Comparing with the Phelan Family History

The Phelan family history book asserts that Dennis Buggy’s parents Richard Buggy and Mary Butler were buried in Freshford.[2] Unfortunately, the microfilmed Freshford parish registers do not include burials. Baptism records (above) do show that the couple was there at least through 1840.

The family book also lists the children of Richard Buggy and Mary Butler and where they resided, in this order:[3]

John Buggy (Ireland-Naugatuck, Connecticut)

Dennis Buggy (Ireland-Minnesota)

Patrick Buggy (Ireland-Naugatuck, Connecticut)

Elizabeth Buggy Neary (Ireland-Naugatuck, Connecticut

Henry Buggy (died in Ireland)

James Buggy (died in Ireland)

Michael Buggy (Ireland-Waukon, Iowa)

Richard Buggy (Waukon, Iowa)

Here’s how they match with the Freshford family of Richard Buggy and Mary Brannagan:

Freshford Buggys in order of baptism	Phelan book birth order
1. Eliza/Elizabeth Buggy	4. Elizabeth Buggy Neary
2. John Buggy	1. John Buggy
3. Denis Buggy	2. Dennis Buggy
4. James Buggy	6. James Buggy
5. Patt Buggy	3. Patrick Buggy
6. Mich^l Buggy	7. Michael Buggy
7. Rich^d Buggy	8. Richard Buggy
	5. Henry Buggy

Except for Henry, who does not appear in Freshford parish records, the children’s names are the same.[4] It appears that these are Dennis Buggy and his siblings, seven children baptized in Freshford Parish, County Kilkenny, Ireland.

Making this match on the basis of name matching is tenuous. It's useful to seek more information, in U.S. and Irish records, to confirm the identity.

Another look at U. S. records, this time for Dennis’ siblings who also immigrated, is in order. First, though, back to Dennis, whose U. S. marriage record has turned up.

Update, 26 May 2013

Like many family books compiled from saved records, reminiscences, and scraps of data, The Phelan family history has inaccuracies. Official records contradict some information, and I’ve indicated the discrepancies in this blog. Public records, created by persons in an official capacity (priests, town recorders) are generally reliable. They were created close to the time the event took place. In general, I trust them more than family members’ recollections.

I cannot explain why the Phelan family book claims that Dennis Buggy’s mother was Mary Butler and that he had a brother with the decidedly un-Irish name of Henry. These statements conflict with official parish records, and I can only attribute them to errors of memory or copying. Perhaps these were names from other branches of the Phelan family.

Next Time: Twice-Married Dennis Buggy

[1] Catholic Church, Freshford Parish (Kilkenny, Ireland), Parochial Registers, 1773-1881, Marriages, 1799-1877; Family History Library microfilm 926,192, item 2.

[2] “The Phelan Descendants: The Buggy Family, The Delaney Family, The Dollard Family,” privately held, 2013, 8.

[3] Ibid., 3, 4.

[4] Henry rarely appears as a given name in the Freshford Catholic parish registers, suggesting that the family record of this child may be confused.

Pinpointing Dennis Buggy's Irish Origins