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The American/Troy's of Waterford - Geneology Page
From Aglish, County Waterford to Newton, Massachusetts
The Troy family name in Waterford was sometimes spelled De Treo or even Trehy. Our particular clan originates from the rural area of Ballinaparka, West Waterford, not far from the Cork County border, along the River Blackwater. The typical employment in Ballinaparka was at the Villiers Estate, land confiscated by the British and managed by Lord Villier. Irish women were hired for domestic work and men worked as laborers. It is assumed that the Troy family was employed here, but this is not proven. The research obtained dates back to 1802, starting with James Troy, who was born in 1802 and died 29 October 1867 in Ballinaparka. He had at least one brother, Thomas, who died 28 August 1882 at 75 years old. James had at least 3 children, Michael, John, and James Junior. There are also two women who appear in the records, but it is uncertain whether they are spouses or siblings. They are Mary and Margaret Troy. James' son, Michael, is our direct descendant.
Michael Troy was born in 1842. His occupation is listed as laborer, like most of the Irish men during that time period. He married Ellen Hurton on 13 January 1867 at the Whitechurch Chapel. Her father's name was Michael Hurton. James was 25 when they married, and Ellen was 22. They lived in the villages of Ballinaparka and Coolahest, having 8 children:
The family moved to Coolahest, a small town approximately 5 miles from Ballinaparka, in 1880. Sadly, Ellen died there from pneumonia in 1883, 5 days after her 8th child, Edward, was born. She is buried alone in the Whitechurch Cemetery. All of the children immigrated to the United States, except Patrick, who contracted tuberculosis and died at the age of 25. His father, Michael, witnessed his death certificate. Michael never followed his other children to the United States and it is unknown at this time what happened to him after Patrick's death. Michael's death is not recorded at Whitechurch or anywhere in the area, nor is he buried with his wife, Ellen. If he lived past 1905, his death certificate would not yet be released because of the 100 year privacy rule in Ireland which disallows any records less than 100 years old to be released to the public. This is where the family record in Ireland ends. Currently, there are no more Troys residing in Ballinaparka, Coolahest, or any of the surrounding villages. There is still a Hurton family residing in the area, but they claim to be from a different clan and of no relation. According to this Hurton family (who attended church with our family for many years) the last of our relation died of old age in Aglish in the mid 1970's. John and Ann Troy, who kindly provided much of this research, are also not related, but they have been lovely friends. In The United States Some of the following information appears in the U.S. Census records of 1890, 1920, and 1930. U.S. Census records are not always accurate, but I will give the information as it is written. Other information is from the U.S. Immigration Bureau and family members, particularly Kay. *James Francis Troy - immigrated from Ireland in 1888, the first of his family to come the the United States. The 1890 census shows he lived in West Newton. *(There is another Troy family (John Troy) that lived nearby at the time, but it is uncertain whether they were related to James. This family also appears in the 1880 census, showing John Troy was 40 years old at the time, the right age to possibly be James' father's brother). James' sister, Margaret, appears to have immigrated before 1890 as she appears for the first time residing with James and Mary Ellen in the 1890 census. All of the brothers, except Patrick, followed within the next few years. James maintained contact with his father, Michael, and brother, Patrick, by mail. Margaret married a Scollin and lived in West Newton, Massachusetts. Thomas lived in nearby Brighton, Massachusetts, Michael in West Newton, Massachusetts, Edward in Newton Lower Falls, Massachusetts, and John in Everett, Massachusetts. James married Mary Ellen Franey shortly after arriving in the United States. She was a recent immigrant from Kilkenney, Ireland. Mary Ellen was born approximately 1873 and was an only child. Her father's name was Thomas and her mother's name is uncertain. There is a document that shows her mother's name may have been Mary Kennedy, but this is not yet proven to be a factual document. The name Franey means "from France". The family name first appears in Kilkenney, Ireland, in the 12th century. They were once significant landholders and politicians in the Kilkenney region. A castle supposedly still exists that was built by the Franey family. Franey is also spelled Frehne, Fraeney, or Freney. James and Mary Ellen naturalized in 1888. They lived at 160 Allen Avenue, Waban, Massachusetts, for most, if not all, of their married life and raised 8 children (birth dates are from the U.S. Census and are approximate).
James was employed as a gardener, eventually building his own prosperous landscaping and construction business. He also kept a farm, complete with cows, turkeys, chickens, a huge garden, bees, and an orchard. He owned a significant amount of land in Waban, and, upon his death on 16 August 1939, he donated a portion of his land to Saint Philip's Church and to the town for a playground. Mary Ellen worked as a clerk. She died twelve years after James on 20 March 1952 while still residing at their home in Waban. Paula Schmidt September 11, 2005
By bruceandpaula at 2005-11-03 23:17 | login to post comments
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