John Grady

Considering that we have the DNA line, and that there is quite a bit known about the Grady lineage in Ireland, it is a pity that we have hit such a wall with John. I will present what is known from the records at the present time, as well as the information culled by Boston genealogist, R. Andrew Pierce.

According to the family Bible and John’s marriage, John was born on 7 Sep 1805, probably in Grafton MA since his marriage record indicates that he is “from” Grafton. Though current research seems to indicate that John may have been born in England between 1790-1800–see following paragraph)  Mr. Pierce has shed some light on this after a thorough search of the Grafton records:

“There is no evidence of any Gradys/O’Gradys being in Grafton from 1800-1830, in vital, census, probate, or land records. Since further evidence indicates that John might have been in Boston as early as 1823 and had relatives there, perhaps he was only working in Grafton  at the time of his marriage.”  Note: Mr. Pierce also thought that the birthdate was incorrect (handwriting in the Bible seemed to be added later) and that he was probably born overseas, making John the immigrant.  The 1830 and 1840 censuses  indicate that John O’Grady was born between 1790-1800. His children probably estimated his age in the Bible.”

MARRIAGE

At any rate, on the 23 Oct 1827, John married Mary Jane Rachel Gray in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston. The Rev. P. Byrne was the officiant.

A note about Patrick Byrne: At the time, Benedict Joseph Fenwick (founder of Holy Cross College) was appointed (10 May, 1825) as the 2^nd Catholic Bishop of Boston (he took possession of his see on 3 Dec), there was only one Boston pastor: Rev. P. Byrne and three churches in the huge diocese that stretched all the way into Maine.

The intention to marry record from 22 Sept. 1827 in Grafton, says that John O’Grady is from Grafton and MJR Gray is from Boston. The witnesses were David L. Brown, Esq. and Mrs. Cecilia Brown. ” My Note: David Brown, b. 1751,  was a prominent artist from England who emigrated about 1816 and died in 1836.  Rebecca G. has discovered through Cecilia’s obituary, that Cecilia was born Cecilia Webb, born to Samuel Webb, the noted music composer.

Holy Cross Roman Catholic Cathedral, or should I say the old Holy Cross Church (1803-1862), because it was demolished in 1862. The current cathedral is in Boston’s South End. The Old Holy Cross Church on Franklin Street (a couple of blocks from where MIT is today) was designed in Italian Renaissance style with “naive charm” (wikiwand) by Charles Bulllfinch without asking a fee, the church was the first Roman Catholic church in Boston. The year after John and Mary Jane Rachel were married, Pope Pius VII created the Diocese of Boston and the church became a cathedral and was enlarged. However, the population continued to swell and  the area had become a commercial center, not deemed appropriate. The last Mass was celebrated in 1860. Finally, I quote directly from the wikiwand article: In 1950, an engraved tablet was placed adjacent to the St. Thomas More Oratory entrance at 49 Franklin Street. It reads: “Near this site stood THE CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS, established 1803 by Jean Lefebvre de Cheverus, First Catholic Bishop of Boston; Missionary to the Penobscot Indians; Friend of President John Adams; Advisor to our State Legislature; One of America’s noblest priests. He stood by the bedside of Catholic and Protestant alike. This tablet placed by a group of Protestant Businessmen, 1950.”

CHILDREN

Their first daughter, Mary Cecilia was born 7 Aug 1828 in Boston. She was baptized at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on 3 Sept. 1828 by Fr. William Wiley. The godmother was Cecelia Mary Brown (See above paragraph).  On 16 Jul 1851, Mary Cecilia would marry William Harris. She’d die of asthma one month later, at only 23 years of age. Mary Cecilia is buried in the family plot at Greenwood. Her last residence is listed as Pearl and High Streets, Brooklyn.

A huge Thank-you goes out to the Boston Diocese archivist, Robert Lally-Johson in Braintree, MA for locating and sending copies to me of the baptismal records for the first two children.

Second child born to John and Mary Jane Rachel was Mary Theresa, born  3 December 1830 in Boston. She was baptized by Fr. William Tyler in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Dec. 30, 1830. The godparents were Thomas Mooney and Mrs. (E?) Stansbury. Mary Theresa would die 21 years later in 1851. Her last residence was Pearl Street, Brooklyn.

The 1830 US census tells us that the family lived in Boston, Wd. 8, Suffolk, MA.   The name is simply recorded a “Grady” without the O preceding it. John is head of a household that includes 1 Male under 40, 1 female under 5 (Mary Cecilia b. 1828), and 1 female 30 – 40 yrs. (Mary Jane Rachel b. 1804). There is a Thomas Gray living in the same area listed on the census sheet.  Could this be Mary Jane’s father (as stated on her death cert)? See Mary Jane’s page.

The Boston City Directory says that John O’Grady, laborer, lived on Sister Street in 1830 and again a John Grady, a laborer, listed in the 1831 Boston City Directory. The name is listed twice, the second time as O’Grady. It’s probably the same person. He resides on Sister Street. Rebecca figured out that Sister Street went right through the current Bank of America building from Franklin (which was Berry/Bury/Channing) to Matthews (which used to be Round Lane). Her information is documented.

John’s first son and third child was John David William was born 23 Sept. 1832 in Mass., according to the 1850 census in North Carolina, according to the 1855 state census. Mr. Pierce notes that his 1880 census indicate that both parents were born in England. JDW would marry Elizabeth Wingham in 1858.

From Mr.Pierce: “1834 Boston City Directory: O’Grady, John, clerk, Morning Post, home 688 Washington St. (had our John changed his occupation ?Or was this another one? We believe our John was a teacher in 1840, an educated man, so it seems likely the newspaper clerk is the right one.”

Again, info. from Mr. Pierce: “No baptisms were found for the younger Grady children, indicating that (1) the Gradys may have moved away from Boston, or (2) began attending the new St. Mary’s Church, which was founded in 1834, but did not begin its baptismal register until 1836. I noted these records of possibly related people:

February 15, 1823. Baptized Jon Grady, son of William T. Grady and Anna  Maria Doyle. Sponsors John Grady and Cecilia Grady. As of today, we do not know IF William is a brother of our John, but suspect that he is!

May 15, 1831. Married Henry Mulhollen to Mary Ann Cecilia Grady. Witnesses Patrick Dolan and Eleanor Walsh. ” Again, this Mary Ann Cecilia MAY be John’s sis, but as of today, we have found no documentation.

Great Grandfather, Joseph Benedict Fenwick Grady was born 3 Sept. 1834 in Mass. We have found, as did Mr. Pierce, Benedict Joseph Fenwick, a Jesuit and educator, was the Catholic bishop of the archdiocese of Boston then (Carolyn went to a Jesuit college). Please check out his page for more information. Photo at right is of the Bishop.

From the 1835 Boston directory: O’Grady, John, house on Mechanic Place. Probably this is a different guy and our family most likely had moved to NYC by then. I list it here as a possiblity. Therefore, sometime between 1834 JBF’s birth in Boston and when Charles Ignatius was born in 1837, the family moved to Brooklyn.

The next child, Charles Ignatius was born 1 Jul 1837, in New York City (Manhattan). We have not found his records yet.  Most likely he was baptized at St. Peter’s. Charles Ignatius would go on to marry Agnes Servoss.

From Mr. Pierce: “The 1838 NYC (Manhattan) directory shows John Grady, teacher, Barclay (Street), home: 151 Reade St. This was perhaps our man. Barclay Street was the home of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, the oldest in the city and home of the first catholic school in NY. St.Peter’s Free School. A baptism might be checked for Charles there. Unfortunately, the records are not available currently….I keep checking back, though.

Notes about St. Peter’s: (from  Frederick Wertz blogpost Researching Irish Ancestors in New York State, 16 Mar 2018 ,

Two more daughters were born: Mary Elizabeth 30 Oct. 1839 in Brooklyn. Mr. Pierce notes: ” The baptism register of St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church, Brooklyn (in print from 1839, also now a database on Ancestry.com) notes that Mary O’Grady, daughter of Jame (sic) and Jane (Gray) was baptized 17 Nov. 1839, sponsor Catherine Fitzgibbon.” My note:  Not sure if this is the present Episcopal (Anglo Catholic) church at 199 Carroll Street, Brooklyn, or is it the St. Paul’s Catholic at 234 Congress St? At any rate, Mary Elizabeth died at 17 years old, in 1856.

The 1840 US census for Kings county, Brooklyn’s second Ward,”Plymouth near Jay” lists John O Grady head of a household that included 1 male under 5 (Charles Ignatius b. 1837), 2 under 10 ( John David William b. 1832 and Joseph BF b. 1834), 1 who was 40- 50 yrs.(John b. 1790-1800), 1 female under 5 (Mary Elisabeth b. 1839),  2 females 10-15 yrs Mary Cecilia b. 1828 and Marie Theresa b.1830), 1 female 30-40 yrs (Mary Jane Rachel b. 1804).

Notes from Mr. Pierce: (from http://bklyn-genealogy-info.stevemorse.org/Directory/1840.html) 1840-41Brooklyn: O’Geady (sic), John, teacher, Plymouth near Jay (another directory spells it “O’Gready”) …..This definitely establishes OUR John Grady as a teacher since the 1840 US census matches him with te man at “Plymouth near Jay.” Did he also work, (perhaps at “off” times) as a laborer?

The seventh and the youngest child, Maria Jane was born 29 Jul 1842; she only survived one year. Mr. Pierce found no baptism for her at St. Paul’s. She died 23 Oct. 1843, one month before her father.

John died 9 Nov 1843 (acc. to Grady family Bible), probably in Brooklyn. Mr. Pierce noted that “Unfortunately, Brooklyn, a separate town from NYC at that time, did not record deaths until the 1860s. Nor did John have a probate record in Kings County (the index is online at Family Search.org).

 See Mary Jane Rachel’s story for more info on this family.