Charles Albert Catalani and Elizabeth Kehoe

 
by Conrad and Judy Terrill, Aug. 2023

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  Charles Albert Catalani (Judy’s mother’s father’s father) was born sometime around 1846 in Italy and died in Newark, NJ, in 1905.  Judy learned from her mother that Charles was from Florence, Italy, and that he had two maiden sisters there who refused to join him in Newark, because “America is too barbaric.”  (Judy never understood this until she visited Florence some years ago, and saw what a beautiful city it is, and had the menu at a restaurant sung to her in operatic style by a waiter.)  Judy has heard from her mother and her mother’s Catalane relatives that Charles was a Captain in the Italian Army, spoke a number of languages, and loved opera.  On 27 Oct. 1874, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Newark (now a Pro-Cathedral—a former Cathedral), Charles married Elizabeth Kehoe, daughter of Peter and Mary (Doyle) Kehoe, of Belleville, NJ.  Perhaps what initially attracted him was her wonderful voice, as a soloist at St. Patrick’s.  From their marriage record we learn that Charles’s parents were Alexander and Angeline (Menchine) Catalani.  We know that Alexander was born in Italy and Angeline was born Rye, Sussex, England.

  Ray Michaels, a cousin of Judy’s, has told us that he heard that Charles Catalani was from Lucca, Tuscany, nearly 40 miles west of Florence and twelve miles from the west coast.  Civil birth registration records for Tuscany are available on microfilm through the Latter-day Saints Family History Library  From the 1900 U.S. Census we find that Charles came to America in 1870, and was soon thereafter a naturalized citizen of the U.S.  He settled in Newark and opened a millinery shop on Broad Street.  Judy has heard that he made occasional trips to Europe to purchase material.  We’ve found his name on only one passenger list so far: “Mr. Ch. A. Catalani,” 32, merchant, an American traveling in a first class cabin who arrived at the port of New York on 11 Sep. 1878 aboard the S.S. France.

  Charles’s parents, Alexander and Angeline, never left Italy, as far as we know.  We know nothing more about Alexander, except that “Alexander” (Alessandro, of course) was perhaps his middle name, since the family knew of him as Charles A. Catalani.  Angeline left England for Italy with her parents and siblings around 1830, at age eight.