Descendants of David Leahy

First Generation

1. DAVID LEAHY was born @1817 in Watergrass Hill, County Cork, Ireland. He died 27 Apr 1889 in Random Lake, WI (DOD from marker in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Random Lake, Sheboygan County, WI).

DAVID married MARGARET MURPHY (her name may have been Mary Margaret) in 1841, Ireland. MARGARET was born @1815 in Ireland. She died 26 May 1882 in Random Lake, WI (DOD from marker in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Random Lake, Sheboygan County, WI). According to Helen Collins, she was the daughter of James and Ellen Murphy.

There is some confusion about the family and its immigration to the United States. The story that the James J. Leahy family was told discussed four Leahy brothers who came to the US and then lost track of one another.

The following information added to this page 5 MAY 2008
Our knowledge of the IRELAND family has been added to and corrected by contact with our Cousin Helen Collins. From her, we know that our David was one of at least 9 children born to John and Honora (Mahon(e)y) Leahy (John, in turn was the son of James Leahy and Margaret Cautlin); the other children: Cornelius, Honora, Daniel, Ellen, John, Thomas, Jeremiah and James.

Eight of these children ended up in the USA (no info on Jeremiah). Five of the children ended up in Wisconsin. Cousin Helen's line, through Honora, ended up in California. Brother John was in Warwick, Kent County, RI, near our David, when he died, and info on this branch of the family has not been found. And youngest brother, James' family went to NY; he married a woman named Mary. No other info on this branch of the family.

We can now tie our family together with that of Admiral William Daniel Leahy--our David's first cousin once removed.

Coach Frank Leahy, whom our dad thought we were also related to, remains a mystery. As does any possible connection with Senator Patrick Leahy. Perhaps we will have another cousin find us some day and help us with these links.

David Leahy, his wife Margaret, and three small children (John, David and Mary) were accompanied by one other adult and two other children. This grouping of people is based on the copy of the Passengers' Check Ticket (copy sent from Neal Leahy, 24 OCT 1967), issued for the Garrick, which sailed from Liverpool 6 DEC 1847 and arrived in New York 20 JAN 1848. The ticket lists five souls (children) and three adults.

David Leahy ticket to America (side one)
one side of ticket
DEC 1847

other side of ticket
DEC 1847

A review of the Garrick's passenger list (found in The Famine Immigrants: Lists of Irish Immigrants Arriving at the Port of New York, 1846-1851, vol. 2: July 1847-June 1848, pp. 214-15, edited by Ira Glazier, assisted by Michael Teppir, [Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, Inc.]), suggests the other members of the Leahy party were Mary Murphy and her children, Mary and Johanna. In addition to these three Murphys, there are four other Murphy entries listed on the list: Pat Murphy (accompanied by Bridget), Anne Murphy, Mary Murphy and another Pat Murphy. No other Leahys are listed on the passenger list.

Jody L. Filipi sends along the following additional information on the GARRICK: It was a 3-masted, square-rigged ship, built in New York in 1836 by the firm of Brown & Bell. 895 tons, 157' 6" x 35' 4" x 21' (length x beam x depth of hold). She served in the Liverpool Dramatic Line from 1837 to 1853, then in James Foster, Jr's Liverpool "line" until 1856. The GARRICK was the fastest packet of her generation, and during her packet line career her average westbound passage was 32 days, her shortest being 18 days, her longest 54 days [Robert Greenhalgh Albion, Square-Riggers on Schedule; The New York Sailing Packets to England, France, and the Cotton Ports (Princeton: Princeton University, pp. 280-281]. [Posted to the Emigration-Ships List by Michael Palmer - 30 October 1997]

Another point of controversy in the family lore has to do with David's daughter, Mary, who is buried in Pawtucket (record here). The story goes that Mary died a day out from port (New York), and that Margaret didn't want the child's body dumped at sea. The family pretended the child was sleeping until getting to shore, where the child was buried. Again, according to family lore, it was the family's secrecy surrounding the death of Mary Leahy while still at sea which caused a rift between the David Leahys and other members of the clan travelling with them to the US. This portion of the story may be true, but the rift was between Leahys and Murphys rather than between David Leahy and his brothers.

They had the following children:

+ 2 M i JOHN LEAHY

3 M ii DAVID LEAHY was born in 1845 in Watergrass Hill, County Cork, Ireland. He died 23 Apr 1836 in Chilton, WI.
Obituary for David Leahy
4 F iii MARY LEAHY was born in 1847 in Watergrass Hill, County Cork, Ireland. She died in 1847, at sea, but she was buried in Pawtucket, RI.
5 F iv MAGGIE LEAHY was born in 1849 in Pawtucket, R. I.. She died in 1930 in Random Lake, WI.
6 M v CORNELIUS LEAHY was born in 1850 in Pawtucket, R. I.. He died 3 Jul 1928 in Random Lake, WI.
+ 7 M vi JAMES LEAHY
More on James Leahy
picture

8 F vii ELLEN LEAHY was born in 1854 in Pawtucket, R. I.. She died in 1873 in Random Lake, WI.

Surname List | Name Index

+	2	M	i	JOHN LEAHY
	3	M	ii	DAVID LEAHY was born in 1845 in Watergrass Hill, County Cork, Ireland. He died 23 Apr 1836 in Chilton, WI. Obituary for David Leahy
	4	F	iii	MARY LEAHY was born in 1847 in Watergrass Hill, County Cork, Ireland. She died in 1847, at sea, but she was buried in Pawtucket, RI.
	5	F	iv	MAGGIE LEAHY was born in 1849 in Pawtucket, R. I.. She died in 1930 in Random Lake, WI.
	6	M	v	CORNELIUS LEAHY was born in 1850 in Pawtucket, R. I.. He died 3 Jul 1928 in Random Lake, WI.
+	7	M	vi	JAMES LEAHY More on James Leahy picture
	8	F	vii	ELLEN LEAHY was born in 1854 in Pawtucket, R. I.. She died in 1873 in Random Lake, WI.