Michael Devany and Mary Noon

by Judy & Conrad Terrill, last edited 28 May 2024

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You can find most of the records upon which this story is based in our "A records history for the Thomas Higgins and Mary Coll family," listed in chronological order.

For a background introduction to this story, see "Ireland of the Devaneys and Higgins."

  Michael Devaney, whose surname was usually spelled Devany at the time, was born around 1835, according to his marriage record, and about 1820 according to his death record.  His father's name was Luke Devany.  We do not know his mother's name, nor do we know where Michael came from before he arrived at the townland of Arraghan (pronounced something like Ar-a-han), near Bellanagare, County Roscommon, Connacht Province, Ireland.  "Michael Divany" first appears in records that we know of in the Griffith's Valuation, a survey which reached Co. Roscommon in 1858. He was the occupier of a house and six acres of land in Arraghan, which he leased from landlord Denis O'Conor, for which he was thenceforth to pay a tax of £2.5 a year (£2 for the land and £½ for the buildings), not that he hadn't been paying tax before then. There were 17 other occupiers (households) in Arraghan at this time.  No Devanys were listed in any of the townlands of Kilkorkey Parish (the Civil Parish containing the townland of Arraghan) in 1830, when the Tithe Applotment Books were compiled for this parish; so we assume that Luke and/or Michael arrived in Arraghan sometime between 1830 and 1858.

  We know almost nothing about the lives of Michael Devany or Mary Noon before they married, but, based on their ages as given in the marriage record, Michael was eight years old at the start of the Great Famine in 1845, and Mary was three.  The famine started with the potato blight that year, rendering inedible the potatoes on which Irish peasants depended.  Many people emigrated, if they had the means.  Michael and Mary survived a very rough seven year period.  Famine would strike again in 1861 and 1879, not as hard, but hard enough to cause yet more people to emigrate.

  On 30 Jan 1865, at age 28, Michael married Mary Noon, age 23, of Tartan, County Roscommon, in the Roman Catholic Chapel of Ballinameen, a few miles northeast of Arraghan in the Civil Parish of Ballinameen.  Mary was a daughter of Patrick Noon, a farmer, and we do not know the name of her mother.  Michael and Mary were to raise seven children on their farm in Arraghan. Two other children died shortly after birth.

  Michael's status as given at the time of his marriage was "laborer."  He was actually by 1858 already a landholder (a very large step up from laborer), as indicated in the Griffith Valuation—with six acres, 2 roods and 30 [square] perches (about 6.7 [British/U.S.] acres) of farm land which he leased from landlord Denis O'Conor.  There were at that time 18 occupiers (tenements) in the townland of Arraghan, including seventeen farmers, one of whom rented a house but no land to a cottier who worked for him.  The largest landholder was the landlord, with a gate-lodge and 36 acres of arable land and 161 acres of bog, not including the 147 acres he leased out. All the farms were situated in the eastern-most part of the townland, with the bog land to the west.  The largest farms were those of Thomas Norton (34 acres) and Thaddeus Coll (17 acres), who each had "offices," perhaps indicating that they served as overseers for the landlord. The other farm sizes ranged from two to eleven acres, with most within an acre or two of Michael's six. Six acres was probably about the minimum farm size on which a large family like Michael's could subsist.  A granddaughter of Michael informed us that Michael "was not very successful, as he had a very small piece of land and not very productive." ^z4  With yet slimmer prospects ahead for his children, most would emigrate to America shortly after reaching adulthood.

  We don't know anything specific about Michael Devaney's farm in Arraghan, but we know enough to surmise that his house, like most in mid-19th Century rural Ireland, was probably stone, with perhaps a window on the front side and a thatched roof.  The whole family, plus what farm animals would fit (such as chickens and perhaps the milk cow), probably lived in two rooms.  Farm life was hard.  All the children were expected to help out as soon as they were able.  Farm animals were valuable assets, and the loss of one could be catastrophic. Their school years were short compared to ours.  Mary Agnes (Mary Agnes (Devaney) McDonough in 1940) reported having received five years of schooling in the 1940 U.S. Census. Luke's future wife, Nellie Higgins, of Killaster, a townland neighboring Arraghan, reported having received eight years of schooling.  Thomas and Luke would die before 1940, so we do not know for them.  Their schooling would probably have been at a National School in Bellanagare.  The National Schools, started in 1831, were non-denominational.  (Before that, Roman Catholic children were educated in secret hedge schools.)  We can assume that all the Devaney children were educated similarly, with from five to eight years of schooling.  We know that they could all read and write English.

  Bellanagare (also spelled Ballinagare, among other spelling variants), itself a townland, was the nearest town, a mile or so northeast of Arraghan.  It was also, at one time, the name of the Civil Parish, which included a large number of townlands in that area of Roscommon.  That Civil Parish is today called Frenchpark.  Just about everyone in the parish, including Michael's landlord Denis O'Conor, was Roman Catholic.  Their church was in Belanagare, built in 1819 by Denis's father, Charles O'Conor.  Rev. Patrick McDonagh, the Pastor of Frenchpark/Bellanagare Parish, who lived in Bellanagare, baptized all the Devany children except Maria (who was baptized by another pastor).   Rev. McDonagh died in Bellanagare a few months after baptizing the last child in the family, John.

  The Denis O'Conor bog land in Arraghan would probably have provided the turf (peat"logs") all tenants in Arraghan needed for fuel and for the under-roof (the thatch was staked down to the turf, which was fastened to a wooden framework).

  The Devany house was improved late in the 19th Century, probably not long after enactment of the Purchase of Land (Ireland) act of 1885.  It would not have made sense to improve it earlier, since improving it would increase its value and the rent could then be increased.  The Act allowed a tenant to borrow the full amount of the purchase price (equal to 17½ years rental) and repay it at 4% over 49 years.  We know from the 1901 and 1911 Census returns that the Mary Devaney house had three windows in the front, three rooms, and two outside structures, one of which was a "cow-house" in 1911, at which time Mary had no stable, coach house, harness room, calf house, dairy, piggery, fowl house, boiling house, barn, turf house, potato house, workshop, shed, store, forge, or laundry in 1911. Perhaps the second outside structure was torn down between 1901 and 1911. The walls may have been cement or stuccoed cinder block, but the roof would probably still have been thatched.

  Thomas emigrated to America around 1886, at age around 21, with Luke following him around 1888, also at age around 21.  They both settled in Orange, New Jersey, near Newark, probably joining others from Roscommon who had settled there earlier.  Bridget probably emigrated too, since she doesn't appear to have married or died in Roscommon.  Thomas married in 1890, to Bridget Barry.  Luke married in 1891, to Nellie Higgins, who too emigrated in 1888, from Killaster, a townland neighboring Arraghan.  Mary Agnes emigrated around 1893, at age around 19.  She too went to Orange, where she worked as maid for a few years and in 1905 married Charles McDonough, a carpenter there.  Thomas, Luke and Mary Agnes all lived out their lives in Orange.  John emigrated in 1900, at age 19, with Nellie's sister Mary Anne Higgins, whom he married in 1903.  They settled in Glen Ridge, which neighbored Orange.

  Michael Sr. died in January of 1896, at age 76 according to the death record, of "debility and old age."

  At the time of the 1901 Irish Census Mary, a farmer, was the head of the household in Arraghan.  Patrick, now 29, also a farmer, was there with her.  We don't know where Mary's son Michael was that year.

  Patrick, at age 30 in 1903, married Winifred Hester, also of Arraghan and a year younger, daughter of Michael and Margaret (McDermot) Hester.  In 1906, perhaps unable to support his family at home, Patrick left for America, before their third daughter was born.  He worked as a coachman in Montclair (near Orange), and by 1927 had brought all three daughters to America, returning to Ireland, and Winifred, shortly after accomplishing this.

  At the time of the 1911 census Michael, farmer, was the head of the household in Arraghan.  Michael married in November of that year, at age 33, to Mary Forde, a year older, of Rathkineely (a couple miles east of Arraghan), daughter of Patrick Forde, farmer.  They had likely been living with Mary, and likely continued to do so. They had two children before Mary died, in October of 1915 at age 79, "probably [of] acute bronchitis."  Like Patrick, Michael spent 20 or so years in America and returned to Ireland.

  Afterword


  We'll finish up with brief summaries of the stories of the children of Michael and Mary.  These, too, are based on records, which too are included in the records history mentioned at top.  The more detailed stories, in rough and data-heavy form, appear in that records history.

  Thomas F. Devaney, born 16 Nov 1865, was probably the first of the children to emigrate to America, at around age 20. His "live wake," also called an "American wake," the leave-taking ceremony, would have been held the night prior to his journey in 1886. ^z3 He probably settled right away in Orange, NJ, following earlier emigrants from his area of Roscommon. He started as a laborer, and by 1891 was working in a hat factory. On 15 Jan 1894, at St. John's R.C. Church in Orange, he married Bridget M. Barry, daughter of Michael and Margaret Barry. Bridget had emigrated from Ireland in 1885. Thomas and Bridget raised five children in Orange: William, b. 22 May 1892; Thomas Francis, b. 15 Jan 1894; John Michael, b. 6 Nov 1896; Louis Luke, b. 7 Sep 1899; and Mary Madeline, b. 11 Jan 1902. In 1900 they were living in a rented house at 1 Valley Road; by 1910 in a house which they owned at 62 Beach Street; and by 1930 in a house which they owned at 470 Fairview Avenue, which is where they remained from then on. Around 1916 Thomas started work as a custodian at City Hall, which seems to be what he did to the time of his death. Thomas's niece, Anna L. Devaney, brother Patrick's daughter, a nurse at St. Mary's Hospital, lived with Thomas's family for many years. Thomas died 27 Mar 1931, at age 65. Bridget died in 1947. They lie buried in St. John's Cemetery, in Orange.

  Luke F. Devaney, born 26 Jan 1867, emigrated to America around 1888, at age around 21, settling, like Thomas, in Orange, NJ, and like Thomas, starting as a laborer and soon thereafter a hatter in a hat factory. On 3 Feb 1892 at St. John's R.C. Church in Orange he married Ellen ("Nellie") Higgins, daughter of Thomas and Mary (Coll) Higgins. Nellie had emigrated from Ireland around the same time as Luke. Luke and Nellie raised eight children in Orange: Mary Edith, b. 17 Sep 1893; Michael Joseph, b. 19 Mar 1895 (d. 19 Jun 1896 at age 1 year, 3 months); Veronica M., b. 3 Feb 1899; Ellen, b. 12 Apr 1897; Frances, b. 26 Jan 1901; Thomas Leo, b. 3 Jul 1903; Louis Alfred, b. 11 May 1905; and Walter Edmund, b. 4 Sep 1907. Around 1904 Luke joined the Orange City police force, as a patrolman. The family lived at 15 Langdon Street from around 1904 to around 1915, 20 Waverlay Place from then to around 1921, and 483 Fairview Avenue from then on, in a house which they owned. Mary Edith died 21 Jan 1919 in the Spanish flu epidemic, the last person in the county to die of it. Son Thomas, who would go with Luke after church on Sunday mornings to places where Luke patrolled, recalled that his father, with a good sense of humor and an ability to speak passable Italian, was well loved by those on his beat. He was upright with everyone and well respected. Around 1929 he was clubbed with his own billy club by a gang of youths (whom he knew) while trying to break up a riot. They'd cracked his head open, rendering him unconscious for a long time, resulting in strokes. No longer able to walk his beat he was given desk jobs, serving as a detective in 1930. He retired in 1931, and died 23 Jun 1933, at home. The youths who had beat him came to his house while he on his death bed and asked for his forgiveness, which he gave. Nellie died 13 Mar 1949, in Orange. Luke and Nellie lie buried in St. Johns Cemetery in Orange.

  Bridget Devaney was born 30 Nov 1868 in Arraghan and baptized 3 Dec at Bellanagare R.C. Church. We have found no marriage record nor death record for her in the Castlerea civil registration district, and are currently assuming that she left for America in the late 1800's. We have yet to determine what became of her.

  Mary Ann Devaney, born 2 May 1870 in Arraghan and baptized at Bellanagare R.C. Church the next day, died two days after that, on 5 May 1870, at age three days, "delicate from birth," in Arraghan.

  Winifred Devaney, born 13 May 1871 in Arraghan and baptized 19 May at Bellanagare R.C. Church, died on 29 July 1871 in Arraghan, at age 10 weeks, "delicate from birth."

  Patrick Devaney, born 23 May 1872, was the only one left living with his mother on the farm in Arraghan in June of 1901.  On 8 March 1903 Patrick married Winifred Hester, 29, daughter of Michael and Margaret (McDermott) Hester of Arraghan. They had three children, all born in Arraghan and all daughters: Anne, born 3 April 1904; Margaret Jane, born 13 June 1905; and Mary Kate, born 14 August 1906.  The civil birth registration record for Mary Kate notes that Patrick was in America at the time of her birth, working as a coachman.
   Patrick, age 35, can be found in the 1910 federal census living in the household of Sarah Joslin, at 51 Washington Street in Montclair, NJ, where he was working as a coachman, probably from the time he arrived in the U.S.   One of numerous ads in newspapers of the time gives us an indication of how Patrick ended up in this situation: "Coachman Wanted---To live on place must be a good driver and experienced horseman ..."  A private family coachman's duties often included gardening and all-around handyman work.  In addition to her coachman, Mrs. Joslin, a wealthy widow of age 77 at that time, had an Irish maid.  Sarah Joslin was extremely active in charitable affairs, and particularly fond of the St. Vincents's Baby Hospital and Nursery across the street, run by the Sisters of Charity.  She often visited there.
   Patrick's objective in coming to America seems to have been to provide for his wife and daughters and to bring his daughters to America upon their reaching adulthood.
   At the time of the 1915 New Jersey State Census, Patrick, age forty, was still Mrs. Joslin's coachman.  Mrs. Joslin died the next year.  An obituary described her as "Quiet and unassuming, shunning the public gaze, many only knew her as 'that dear old lady who rides in a closed carriage with the sorrel horse'—'the dear old lady in black' whose widow's cap and veil wreathed a face ever serene and peaceful."  Her estate had an estimated value of $80,000, most of which was bequeathed to various local charities.  She bequeathed her home to the baby hospital, stipulating that it be used for sheltering children who have grown too old to be cared for at the nursery.  To the Sisters of Charity in charge of the the hospital and nursery she bequeathed her books, and to the institution itself the sum of $5000. There were specific bequests totaling $11,000 to a score of friends scattered all over the country.  We don't know if Patrick was mentioned by name in the will, but he stayed on at 51 Washington Street up to 1924, as coachman and laborer, presumably serving the Sisters of Charity.
   In 1920 he paid ship passage for Anne, his eldest daughter, who came to join him at 51 Washington Street.  Anne did not stay there long, if at all (since it was not his house, Patrick may not have been able to accommodate her).  By 1922 she was working as a nurse at St. Mary's Hospital, in Orange, and residing there.  By 1927 she was living with Patrick's brother Thomas and his family, where she remained at least as long as Thomas lived (he died in 1931).    In 1923 Patrick paid passage for Mary Kate, age 16, who came to join him at 51 Washington Street.  We currently do not know what became of Mary Kate.    In 1927 Patrick's daughter Margaret Jane came to join him at 346 Hayward St. in Orange, which was the address for Patrick's sister Mary Agnes (Devaney) McDonough.  Margaret, who spelled her name "DeVaney," soon found a job, married Thomas Mahon in 1931, and raised a large family.
   Soon after having brought all three daughters to America, Patrick returned to Ireland.  He and Winifred were living in Frenchpark, County Roscommon, at the times of their deaths, 10 Feb 1951 for Patrick and 1 Aug 1955 for Winifred.  They lie buried in Cloonshanville Abbey Graveyard, in Frenchpark.  Daughter Anna, who too by then had returned to Ireland, erected their tombstone.
  Shorten this story?

  Mary Agnes Devaney was born 8 Aug 1874 in Arraghan. She emigrated to America around 1893 at age around 19 and probably settled in Ward 4 of Orange, NJ, right away. She was a servant in the Edwin Timpeon household at 14 Fairview Avenue there in 1900, and a servant in the Edgar Rummler household at 215 Lincoln Avenue there on 1 Jun 1905. Two weeks later, on 15 Jun, she married Charles Michael McDonough, probably in Orange. They raised five children in Ward 5 of Orange, at 50 Hayward Street, and 346 Hayward Street by 1930. All were daughters: Mary, b. Aug 1906; Alice, b. Oct 1907; Emily, b. May 1909; Dorothy, b. Jul 1910; and Elsie, b. 1916. Charles spent his whole working life as a house carpenter, working for wages, apparently for T. A. Edison & Co. on Valley Road, West Orange. Mary's middle name, Agnes, shows up in just one record of those we've found—Charles' 1918 World War I draft registration card. The 1840 federal census informs us that Mary had five years of schooling in Ireland. Charles died in 1938, and Mary in 1950. They lie buried in Saint Johns Catholic Cemetery, in Orange.

  Michael Devaney, born 10 May 1878, was the only one living with his mother on the farm in Arraghan in June of 1911, at age 34. Later that year, on Nov. 29, in the R.C. Church of Bellangare, he married Mary Forde, daughter of Patrick Forde, farmer, of Rathkineely, a couple miles east of Arraghan. It was the first marriage for both. Their first three children, sons Patrick Joseph, Michael Vincent, and John Joe, born 18 Mar 1913, 20 Sep 1914, and 1 Jun 1918, respectively, were all born in Arraghan. Michael was still a farmer there, probably still in the family farm, which his mother presumably left to him when she died, on 5 Oct 1915. Their last child, daughter Mary Theresa, was born 12 Jan 1921 in Bellanagare, indicating that Michael may had sold the farm in Arraghan by that time. We've been told that Michael spent 20 years of so in America, and also that son John Joe came to America and went back to Ireland, so it may be that the whole family sailed to America in the 1820's and returned to Ireland in the 1840's. We have yet to find any record of them in the U.S. Mary died in Bellanagare on 4 Sep 1953, at age 76, with son Joseph, of Gortnagoyne, a mile and a half east of Arraghan, serving as the informant on the registration of her death. Michael died 4 Aug 1966 in Gortnagoyne, at age 88, with Joe again registering the death. Michael's tombstone stands in Drummin Cemetery, in Bellanagare, shared by son Patrick Joseph and his wife Una. We don't know Mary's name does not appear on the tombstone. Judy's cousin Michael Devaney (1948-2007) visited their son John Joe in Bellanagare in 1990, at which time John's health was beginning to fail. By 2007, when we (Judy, Conrad and Judy's cousin Mary Lou (Devaney) Sutphen and her husband Bill) visted Bellanagare, John had died. We met town historian John Martin at the local pub, and were told that John was a character, always the life of the party. Playing the lead in town plays, he'd read the script for the first time on the way to the playhouse, and then ad lib at the play, throwing off the rest of the cast to the delight of the audience.

  John Joseph Devaney, born 14 Mar 1880 in Arraghan, emigrated to America on the steamship Oceanic at age 19 in May of 1900, accompanied by Katie Higgins, 22, and Mary Higgins, 21, whom we presume were sisters of Nellie Higgins, Luke's wife. He was joining Luke at 14 Fairview Avenue in Orange, NJ. Interestingly, Luke actually lived at 102 Nassau Street in Orange at this time, and it was John's sister Mary Agnes who lived at 14 Fairview Avenue, as a servant for the Timpeon family. Also, this Mary Higgins who accompanied John may have been the Mary Higgins that John would marry—either this Mary Higgins or the Mary Higgins at 55 Remsen Street in Brooklyn, NY, that Katie Higgins was on her way to join—we're not sure. On 1 Sep 1903, in Brooklyn, John, who was living in Luke's household at 15 Langdon Street in Orange at the time, married Mary Ann Higgins (sister of Nellie), who was then living at 65 Remsen Street in Brooklyn. They were married by Rev. James E. Bobier, pastor of St. Charles Borromeo R.C. Church there, either in the church or in the rectory. In 1905 John, single, was listed in the NJ state census as a servant in the household of Patrick Higgins, Mary Ann's brother, in Glen Ridge, near Orange. And Mary Ann may have been a Mary Devaney, single, age 24, a servant in the household of Edgar F. Rummler, designer, at 215 Lincoln St, Orange Ward 4. Why John and Mary are both listed as single at this time is a mystery. Their only child, son John Howard Devaney, who would henceforth go by "Howard J.", was born 30 Oct 1907, in Glen Ridge. In 1910 John was a coachman for a private family. He and Mary were living at 242 Baldwin St. in Glen Ridge, in a house that they owned, mortgaged, in which they lived for the rest of their lives. By 1915 John was a city janitor, possibly at a school. By 1920 he was a "commercial traveller" for a cream separator company. By 1930 they'd paid off the mortgage on the house, which was valued at $9000. Howard was by this time a Glen Ridge policeman, working under his mother's brother, William P. Higgins, the police chief at the time. John was now operating a stationary steam engine at a public school. By 1940 he was a custodian at Montclair High School. In that year's federal census we also learn that John and Mary had both had eight years of schooling in Ireland. John registered for World War II draft in 1940, at age 62. He had also registered for the WWI draft in 1918 at age 38. John died 22 Jul 1955, at age 75, in Glen Ridge. An obituary tells us that he retired in 1949 after 32 years as head custodian at Mt. Hebron School in Upper Montclair. He also served as a Glen Ridge volunteer fireman for 20 years, and was a member of the Foresters of America, in Orange. Mary Ann died 28 May 1957, at age 83. She'd been a member of the Rosary Society of Sacred Heart R.C. Church in Bloomfield. They lie buried in Immaculate Conception Cemetery, in Bloomfield.

  More detail on all these stories, in data-heavy form, may be found in the records history mentioned up top, for those who might be interested.

References:
  z1. "The Parish of Kilcorkey," by Peg Cahill, informant: James Finnerty, age 80, Knockroe, Co. Roscommon; The Schools' Collection, Volume 0244, Page 156; School: Bellanagare; Location: Bellanagare; Teacher: Seán Mac Dochair.  From "The Schools' Manuscripts Collection" of 1937-38, some 100,000 primary schoolchildren from over 5,000 schools collecting lore and local history from neighbors, parents and grandparents.  Dúchas © National Folklore Collection, UCD is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
  z2. "The Landlord", by John James Kelly, of Arraghan, Belanagare, Co. Roscommon, informant: Mary Kelly, Arraghan, age 90.  The Schools' Collection, Volume 0244, Page 013.
  z3. "American wakes." [Encyclopedia.com, link.]
  z4. Letters to Judy in 1971/1972 from her aunt, Ella (Devaney) McCarthy (1897-1985), daughter of Luke b. 1867.
  z5. Cite Judy's interview of her father.

Images:
   Ireland Provinces, Counites, Parishes map, National Library of Ireland. This map leads to Belanagare and Frenchpark (Kilcorkey) Catholic Parish records, 1865 to 1880. (Higher resolution copies can be found at Ancestry.com, "Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915">".)
   Killaster/Tully/Arraghan area ca. 1837:   This is an annotated version of a low resolution composition of two sheets (sheets 15 and 21) of the 1837 6-inch-per-mile Ordnance Survey maps for Co. Roscommon. For higher resolution versions see National Library of Scotland sheet 15 and sheet 21.
   Present-day picture of a house in Tully: Photograph taken by Conrad Terrill, July 2007, with permission from Dennis Higgins.
   Luke and Nellie (Higgins) Devaney family, from Judy's collection, colorized by MyHeritage.    Michael Devaney b. 1948 and John Joe Devaney b. 1918, in Bellanagare, 1989. Michael was a brother of our collaborator, Mary Lou (Devaney) Sutphen. From Mary Lou's collection.

Acknowledgements:
   We appreciate the enthusiastic collaboration of Judy's cousin Mary Lou (Devaney) Sutphen, who with her husband Bill led us around Bellanagare, showing us points of interest and introducing us to numerous relatives there in July 2007.  John Martin, a retired school teacher and the local historian, whom we all met at The Corner House, a pub in Bellanagare, told us a great deal, including the story of John Joe Devaney b. 1918 (son of Michael b. 1878), after he'd returned to Ireland.

If you know of other records, stories, pictures, etc., pertaining to the Michael and Mary Devany story, please let us know (contact Conrad at cwterrill@comcast.net).  We'll be happy to work with you.