6 Heads Are Better Than One

A group of us took our first walk through St. Patrick's Cemetery this morning assessing how to approach the daunting task before us.  The problem is this, our database of Irish Civil War veterans has about 600-700 names.  Many of these contain lot numbers.  My initial thought was we'd walk through identify the names on the list, have lunch, and go home.  Reality check!  Within the first few minutes we found stones that are not on the list.   Hmmm, I thought this list was pretty complete.  Those who have visited St. Pat's will know that there are few if any records dating from this period, driving anyone doing genealogy a bit crazy. 

Luckily I am smart enough to surround myself with people with talents greater than my own.  Donna has been working with Mercy Way and has a mission of identifying the resting places of Irish immigrants who came to Lowell and have no marker.  Eileen is our tech guru, a self proclaimed geek.  She stood by graves and used GPS to mark locations.  Mo has collected info in Civil War vets and has done extensive work in St. Pat's.  Steve is with Sons of the Union Civil War Veteran's, a national organization dedicated to collecting the resting places of CW vets.  Dick not only knows CW history, but thankfully has an index file in his head and gave much good advice on how to proceed with such a task.

We have short term goals and long term.  Right now it's a lot of leg work, then a lot of paper work.  If you're interested, please drop a line.  We need to hear if you think our efforts are worthwhile, and your thoughts on maybe where to go.  Again, this year's cemetery tour will be interesting and taking new routes we haven't explored before.

Gathering Data

I tend to get obsessed easily.  One of my obsessions used to be with eBay.  Luckily I have gotten it under control.  Oh it started rather simply with Lowell postcards.  From there I got into heavier items like advertisements of Acre businesses.  Then I started noticing that I was betting on items I already had.  Those of you who are "collectors" probably empathize with what I say.  Things are in better control now, but recently my old demons came back to haunt me.  In a moment of weakness I went to eBay and what did I find, but a deed for a parcel of land in the Paddy Camps!!!  I lost control.  My initial bid was a simple $10.  It quickly went to $20, then doubled and doubled again.  Before I knew it I was pushing the "confirm bid" button for $110.  For those of you who know me, I need you to promise you will never share this info with my wife.  I simply left off the last zero when I told her the price.  But it's mine, and it's a beauty.

Which leads me to the topic, where was the Paddy Camp?  More correctly it should be where were the Paddy Camps?  The Camps were "probably" (Please note every time I share new information I now say "probably'"  That's what you get for hanging around archaeologist.) in several locations, likely on Lowell Street, possibly near Merrimack Street,  probably on St Pat Church property.   There is an interesting case that went to the Supreme Court on who owned the land, the Irish squatters or to whom the deeds were passed.  Soon many of the "camps" grew and merged.  So if you're looking for one definite location- sorry.
The Dig this summer may uncover more of the story.

Thank goodness we have some careful readers.  The date for an initial cemetery walk to search for Civil War graves was incorrect.  The correct date is MONDAY, JUNE 27TH AT 9 am.  Again be prepared for heat, walking, and being frustrated.

Lastly, another passing to report of another Lowell historian, Catherine Goodwin.  Many, many years ago Catherine and John were good enough to take me under their wings and walked St Pat's Cemetery with me.  They helped me see the work that had to be preserved.  A couple of months ago Catherine asked if I would promise to do a CW tour of St Pats.  She told me it wouldn't happen for a while, but she wanted me to promise her it would be done.  The work we are doing now in the CW search is all because of her and her insistence that the Irish be recognized in Lowell's Civil War cemetery.  Requiescat in pace.

HELP WANTED!!!

We've gotten to the point with our research that we'd like to start the next step.  We're looking for volunteers who could do a very preliminary walk of the cemetery with us on MONDAY, JUNE 27 at 9 am.  If it's much later in the day the sun really bakes the area, so the earlier the better.  Our goal for the first walk will be to just see what Civil War stones are visible.  Those who can attend might want to bring a broom or dust broom to move some clippings away.  Wear a hat and bring your water bottle. 

Please send a quick email if you can attend or would be interested in future walks.

We're also trying to gain more followers.  Folks are wondering when posts are made.  The easiest way is by signing up.  I'm not vary tech-savy to teach you how, but play around with it.  If anyone can give step by step directions, please post under comments.

We've only just begun....... (Or- What the heck did we get into?)

I mentioned a recent find Walter made identifying hundreds of Civil War graves at St Pat's Cemet..  He took photos of each page, one by one.  Walt, Eileen, and myself have transcribed the entire list of 650 names (over 1 weekend).  When you get history fanatics going, they just can't stop.  One would think that would be enough, but no.  Now we want to know more about these vets.  The plan is to identify their resting places (maybe using GPS).  Done?  No way!  Along with that, we'd like to get a little bio about each vet by checking City Directories and obits.  The final product will be a real tribute to those who might have been forgotten over the decades. 

A goal would be to place a flag at each site for next Memorial Day.  With that many graves it will take a team of volunteers.  (Hint, hint)  I saw that some groups in other cemeteries have actually placed grave markers (from the Vets Admin).  There is some cost involved as far as placing the stone, though the stone is free.  But that will take paperwork and time filling out all those forms  (Hint, hint)

Just quickly looking over the spreadsheet of the names, breathes life into some of the names.  You won't believe how many immigrated to America and joined the ranks.  The young men in their teens who died, and even some in their 40s.  Why?  Why did these "new" people pick up weapons and go to war?  On the day the 16th Mass left Lowell, they attended Mass at St. Pat's.  At the elevation of the host, the officers lifted their swords in salute.  Some came home and resumed their lives, a few deserted in the face of battle, and some came home and were laid to rest.  Lest we forget.

Hey folks, we've had 1500 readers.  Don't be afraid to share your thoughts.  I'll tell you, it's a good feeling knowing you're helping to preserve the deeds of those who came before us.  Join in!

Who is this man, and what is he doing???

This is Dan Lynch from UMass Amherst.  He showed up with his two trusty volunteers to do some archaeological work in preparation for this summer's upcoming dig.  The tool he's using is a GRP (Ground Penetrating Radar).  The team spent hours laying out grid lines.  (Now I know why I never became an archaeologist.  They have the patience of Job.)  Then Dan walked the entire front yard of the church, inch by inch, every single step, for hours and hours.  Get me drift?  What does it do?  Well, Dan takes the info recorded by the computer and the red box that is being dragged, and when he downloads the data he gets a good idea if and what might be under the ground.  Isn't technology amazing?  (But tedious)  We got there at 9:30 and I left at 5:40 and Dan and Julie were still hard at work.  The data will answer some questions like what is under there, and where should the dig continue.  As soon as I hear from Dan, I'll let you know what the news is.

Things are really moving pretty fast in our work of deepening the story of Lowell's Irish.  One of our readers, Eileen, has an interest in veteran records at St P Cemet..  We hope to reconstruct a d-base of Civil War and WWI burials.  Especially as this is the anniversary of the CW, we thought it appropriate.  From there our favorite historian, Walter, recalled seeing a list that would prove interesting.  Because of Walt's memory we are reconstructing a d-base of Irish CW vet burials at St P Cemet!  What a great way to honor those men.  It's a massive job, but one that is worthy. 

On a final note I just learned of the passing of one of Lowell's best researchers of Irish history, Kay Curran.  I've known Kay since I was a kid, and she always had a tidbit of info she'd share.  We walked cemeteries, traveled to Archdiocesan Archives, and teased each other with who had the best new fact.  She loved being Irish, the Acre, and St. Pat's.  Requiescat in pace.

Decoration Day

(11th Mass. Monument at Gettysburg)

This being Memorial Day I went to St Pat's Cemetery.  I usually go to do research, but today I went visiting.  As I was walking around I thought back several years ago when I came across a great stone.  To be honest I didn't discover it.  As usual one of the people on a tour said, "Hey, did you ever see......"  That's how I get a lot of leads.  Anyway, in the back of the cemetery, near the St. Vincent lots is a very large, well preserved, marble tablet.  It has a great image of a soldier carved on it.  It's the grave of Patrick Deery, age 29, killed July 2, 1863, at Gettysburg, a member of 11th Regiment Mass Volunteers.  Whoever paid for his stone wanted him to be remembered.  The stone is inscribed with all the battles in which he took part and ends in a touching epitaph.  "It was upon the battle he breathed his last breath for freedom and for country.... promoted from the ranks below to the ranks on high."  It must have cost a fortune, but was the last tribute to a loved one.

At the same time I received an email from a Civil War reenactor commenting on our attempt to uncover Irish CW vets.  He commended the need for research like this.  In this the anniversary year of the Civil War, it is very appropriate that this be done.  We already have a couple of volunteers doing a research list.  My goal is to go into the cemetery and identify as many CW graves as we can.  (Any volunteers?)  Maybe next year we could have flags on them as were placed at the graves of other vets?  Our cemetery tour this Fall will have a special remembrance this year for CW vets.

It's nice to think Patrick Deery hasn't been forgotten entirely.  Let's assure we can do likewise for others.

Follow Up

I am so, so, so technically naive.  AJ asked a question.  I attempted to post an answer, but ended up erasing material.  A 12 year old could probably navigate this better than I.  Allow me to give a little more info-

St. Patrick's Cemetery has a great website (http://www.stpatrickcemetery.com/)  John Burns, the webmaster, has done a great job.  For those doing research on internments since 1895, this is the place to go.  It also has some good history.  John also has done an amazing job with work dealing with Keith Academy.  He and I will be publishing A LOT more data on inscriptions and internments BEFORE 1895.  I would like to get a couple of volunteers to do some research on Irish Civil War burials to include in this Fall's tour.  Any takers?  Email me.

So, AJ, look at the site.  I think she's there in the list.  The folks at the cemetery will pinpoint the lot for you.  It would greatly benefit this site if we have more folks sign up.  Email to your friends.  I won't ask for money, I promise, but I've got plans and I need to show folks there is legitimate interest.

What is it???

Is it a piece of modern art? No.  Is it a piece of space debris?  No.  Is it a souvenir from the lunar landing? No.  Give up? 

Those of you who know your Irish history of Lowell will know the name Hugh Cummiskey.  Hugh was the preeminent leader of the Irish population in its first generation.  A native of Crossan, County Tyrone, Hugh was the moving force of the Irish population.  He was a beer brewer, then labor leader, constable, store owner, labor leader, founder of St Patrick Church, and a year later, one of the founders of the Catholic Cemetery (Later known as St. Patrick's).  Hugh had 5 daughters, some who became nuns.  In his later years he referred to himself as a "gentleman."

His resting place remained a mystery.  That is until Lowell's foremost historian, at least in my opinion, and myself started snooping around.  (I love watching CSI.)  No matter where we went, we hit brick walls.  It looked like Hugh would never be found.  That's when Detective Walter went into high gear and found the key piece of evidence that pinpointed his grave.  A little surprisingly there was no marker.  Was it because of finances? Vandalism?  Someone forgot?  No one knows.  We raised funds with the help of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, St. Pat's parishioners, and the cemetery and erected an appropriate stone that reflects what Hugh might had known at his time.

Ok, so what does that have to do with the picture?  Well, one part of the Dig with Queen's and UMass is that a team from Lowell will be going over to Tyrone to do a dig on the Cummiskey homestead this summer!!!!   Just to think that we've uncovered artifacts from Hugh's time period in Lowell, and Dr. Donnelly has discovered the remains of the Cummiskey home in Crossans.  It sounds like a Ken Burns documentary to me.  Dr. Donnelly was kind enough to bring a piece of Hugh's homestead over from Crossans, and in the Fall, when we do the annual cemetery tour, we'll put that rock, pictured above, in Hugh's resting place.  Requiescat in pace, Hugh.

P.S.- Walter and I have been building a currach that we are going to sail across the Atlantic so we can join the team digging in Ireland. 

Got ideas to share or questions you'd like answered?  Write a comment.

News from St Pat's Cemetery

This past April, Dr Eileen Murphy (Dr Donnelly's wife) and Dr Lyn McKerr from Queen's Uni in Belfast spent a couple of days with me in the cemetery.  Eileen was given all the data we've collected over the years (about 150 inscriptions from slate and marble stones and about 10,000 interment names not listed in cemetery records).  This is all work that had been sitting around and few folks have benefited from it.  Part of me said it was going to be a dissertation, but those days are long gone.  When our friends from across the pond saw it, they took a major interest in it.  The 3 of us spent 2 days from dawn to dusk in Yard 1. 

There have always been rumors that there are Irish burials in Old English.  We checked records and made  an interesting side trip to OE, but there is no evidence of such.  You never know though if there were burials, but just not recorded.  It  turns out the 2 days we spent were the 2 coldest in April.  We kept the car running so we could warm up and made multiple trips to Dunkin's for coffee.  Our Irish friends had never gone through a drive-up for coffee!  Though I have spent hours working with the data, Eileen and Lyn made some great observations.  The plans are to write an article for publication in an historical journal.  New photos of the ancient stones and a better analysis of the data will add yet another piece of the puzzle to Lowell's Irish story.

To be honest though, the best part of their trip was a visit to Parker's Maple Barn in NH where they bought over $70 in maple syrup.  Go figure!

I'm Back!!!

Ok, it's been a few weeks, ok months, mea culpa.  Let's skip the guilt, it's a wasted emotion anyways (but being Catholic it will come back to haunt me).  I was "urged" to start posting again by events that have happened this week.  To be honest LOTS has been happening with our "rediscovery" of Lowell's Irish past.  I promise to add more later.  But for now let me say what has most recently happened.  I was called a few weeks ago by Lowell Nat'l Park and was told I was being awarded an excellence in historic preservation award.  I asked if it could be mailed to me, but alas they said I had to be present to accept it.  I did not want to, but then I thought of all the good folks who have done work in the cemetery and have never been acknowledged.  So I went.  The award is for the continuing work we're doing at the cemetery.  For over 15 years we've been cleaning, recording, researching, and giving tours of the burial ground.  At times it's done in the broiling sun, other times in the cold (Wait until I tell you about this past April!).  So to all of you who spent time on a tour or spent time on your knees cleaning the stones- this one is for you!  Thank you.  I am preparing to resurrect the volunteer group (Get it- resurrect- cemetery- never mind.) since the good folks in Ireland plan on big things dealing with the research we've done.  At the ceremony on Thursday, a few people asked about the blog!  Hmm, I thought no one was reading this.

Then today Doors Open asked St Pat's Church to do tours and present some of the artifacts from last summer's dig.  I thought I'd hang around and a dozen people would show up.  From the first moment folks began showing up.  By the time we were supposed to close we had about 100 visitors and had to stay open for an extra hour.  The number rof Lowellians who had never been in the church amazed me.  And the folks who haven't been in Lowell for decades who came back had great stories to share.  What a fantastic event!!!  And once again, more than one person asked about the blog.  Who would of thought?

For those of you who haven't heard, the folks from Queens will be back the week of August 8th.  More info to follow.  If you could, please forward this to family and friends.  I apologize for the lapse, but if interest continues, I'll be sure to be more consistent.