Photographed 18 May 2015 by Tom Brocher. Her unique marker is in the foreground. It has the form of an open book resting on a rock cairn.

Photograph of the current Catholic Parrish Church in Midleton, County Cork, Ireland, taken 15 Aug 2013 by Tom Brocher.

This church was built after John and Ellen immigrated to Massachusetts from County Cork, but there are a number of Leahy's buried in the yard surrounding the church.

Ellen's bio:

Ellen COUGHLAN or COUGHLIN married John Lahey (or Leahy) in Ireland circa 1831 [Manitowoc County Vital Records; hereinafter MCVR, 2nd marriage of their son Thomas, filed 29 July 1902].

Ellen was born circa 1810-1812 in Ireland; she was last enumerated at Two Creeks, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin in 1885; died 5 December 1893 at Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois where she resided with her daughter, Mary; was buried at Algoma, Wisconsin at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery [Her Obituary, Anhapee Record, 7 Dec. 1893; g.s.; 1850 U.S. Census, microfilm; 1880 U.S. Census, p. 11, microfilm]. Her tombstone shows her name as LaHey.

This Catholic "LEAHY" family immigrated from County Cork, Ireland to Rock Bottom (south end of Stow), Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, by March 1844 when their fourth child, son John, was born [Stow VR to 1850, p. 54, for son John's birth]. John's sister, Ellen, married in Rock Bottom (Stow), in September 1844, placing this LEAHY family firmly in Massachusetts by early 1844. John and Ellen's son Thomas was born in January 1839 in Ireland, and their son Edward was born in October 1843 either in Ireland or Massachusetts (records do not agree on his birthplace). So this family may have immigrated as early as late 1839 or as late as early 1844. They were not enumerated in the 1842 Parish Census for Midleton, which could be explained by their immigration to Massachusetts prior to the Census. The other possibility, of course, is that this family was not from Midleton.

This family likely removed to Chicopee, Hampden Co., Massachusetts by January 1846 where their sixth child, Mary, was born. Shortly thereafter, they removed to Clinton, Worcester Co., Massachusetts after December 1849 where they were enumerated as LAHIE in the 1850 Census [1850 US Census, p. 108, line 26]. Neither John nor Ellen could read or write, but their children were attending school.

This family finally removed to Mosel, Sheboygan Co., Wisconsin by 1860 (enumerated as LAHYE), and to a farm at Two Creeks, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin, by 1870 [1860, and 1870 U.S. Censuses, all on microfilm].

In Wisconsin censuses, Ellen's occupation is given as a housekeeper.

The 1873 Plat Map for Two Creeks Township, Wisconsin, shows John LAHEY as an owner of a farm on the E1/2 of NE1/4 of Sect. 35, located in the very SE corner of the Township. These maps show that John's farm was located adjacent to or within ½ mile of the farms of P. SHORT and S. (Stephan) ELLIOTT, were located.

John and Ellen LAHYE were enumerated at Two Creeks 9 August 1870 with sons John and Edward (who were Civil War veterans, see below) [1870 US Census, p. 392, line 2].

John and Ellen LAHEY resided with their son John at Two Creeks, Wisconsin, in 1880 when John was described as an old gentlemen and a gardener and Ellen was keeping house [1880 U.S. Census, microfilm].

John LAHEY was enumerated in 1885 at Two Creeks, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin with 1 male, 2 females, one native US born and 2 natives of Ireland [State Census, online].

In 1888, John and Ellen removed to Anhapee (Algoma), Kewaunee Co., Wisconsin, to reside with their daughter, Mary Lahey FLYNN (his obituary).

The Chronicles of Midleton, 1700-1990, by Jeremiah Falvey, dated 1998, page 39, made these pertinent comments about Midleton: in 1841 the Census indicated that the population of the Borough of Midleton had a population of 4591, with 2196 males and 2395 females divided into 1752 families and 646 occupied houses. About half of the population was illiterate. In 1831 the population was only 2034 (989 males and 1049 females). No mention of the failure of the potato crop that lead to the great famine is made in this chronicle until 1845 when the Cork Constitution, a newspaper, dated 6 December 1845 stated "that between two-thirds and half of the potato crop in the area was completely destroyed – a fact which is now so notorious that it does not admit the smallest possible doubt".

Our LEAHY ancestors certainly removed to Massachusetts by early 1844, so they may have escaped the worst of the famine in County Cork entirely, unless there were more minor potato crop failures prior to 1845 that were not widely reported.


Children [James F. Fluck, written comm., 1988, with two additions]; surname Lahey:

i. Elizabeth?, b. ca. 1832 prob. in Co. Cork, Ireland. She was enumerated at Sept. 1850 at Clinton, Worcester Co., Mass. [1850 U.S. Census, online index]. She was not enumerated with John and Ellen or her siblings in Mosel, Wisc. in 1860.

ii. Daniel. b. 1837 or 1838 in Co. Cork, Ireland, probably near Midleton. He was baptized at Midleton Parish, Co. Cork, Ireland, on 14 May 1838 and was sponsored/witnessed by James Lyons and Catherine Leahy [www.rootsireland.ie]. He may have been the 4th son to serve in the Civil War as noted in his father's obituary. According to that obituary, Daniel did not survive the war. Alternatively, he may have remained in New England/New York and effectively severed his ties to the family.

iii. Thomas. b. 10 Jan. 1839 in Co. Cork, Ireland.

iv. Edward b. 27 Oct. 1843 either in Co. Cork, Ireland or Rock Bottom (Stow), Middlesex Co., Mass.

v. John. b. at Stow, Mass., 9 Mar. 1844 [son John, woolen manufactory, and Ellen, Stow VR to 1850, p. 54].

vi. Michael, b. 8 Jan. 1846 Chicopee Falls, Springfield Co., Mass. [James F. Fluck, written comm., 1988]; d. young? as he was not enumerated with this family at Clinton, Worcester Co., Mass. in 1850.

vii. Mary. b. 7 Dec. 1849 Chicopee, Mass. to John and Ellen LAHEY [Mass. VR, vol. 35, p. 53, no. 269].