Part 764g – Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy – The Search For Great-Grandmother Hannah (née Gallagher) Holmes – Episode VII

Good Day,

It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Two hurricanes and one tropical depression are far off in the Atlantic. At present their intended paths leave out the Sunshine State of Florida. Yeah!

My search for elements, hints, and clues of the genealogy of great-grandmother Hannah (née Gallagher) Holmes continues… and continues.

I believe I have found a possible and priceless clue, that all-things-being-equal, and if there is some smidgen of a similar piece out there, we might be on the right track. This could be the great-grandmother Hannah that we are looking for.

Part 762g and Episode V presented the recorded Document in Docket 17 of the Orphans’ Court of Schuylkill County “Real Estate of Hannah Gallagher, a Minor”. This Document is only a transcription of the original Document and was filed 28 October 1878. The other Document in Part 760g, Episode III “Appointment of Guardian for Hannah Gallagher, a Minor”, filed 16 September 1878 was also only a transcription, transcribed in the Docket.

I stumbled upon images of the actual Documents in my continued search; 17 pages. The amazing thing is the image of a possible original signature of “Hannah Gallagher.” The question is “Does someone possibly have something, anything, any paper or letter with great-grandmother Hannah’s signature that we could compare the two?

Here are the images of the original Documents as downloaded from Family Search from the Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 183-1994 Collection.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 763gh – Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy – The Search For Great-Grandmother Hannah (née Gallagher) Holmes – Episode VI

Good Day,

Tuesday night’s supper: Chicken Masala, Aloo Dum, and Kathhal Dopyyaza. The house smells of spices… The one thing of preparing and cooking Indian food; the many, many, many, many, many, many, and many spices. Wednesday night’s supper: Stuffed Zucchini in Marinara Sauce and Mediterranean Corn Pudding. One never knows what type of dish we might be experimenting in this kitchen. Tonight, Sushi. Tomorrow’s menu… Stay-tuned.

The search for the genealogy of great-grandmother Hannah (née Gallagher) Holmes certainly has become an intriguing one.

From the 28 October 1878 filing of the document, "Real Estate of Hannah Gallagher, a Minor", see Part 762g, I realize that I need to examine and research the detailing of her named elder siblings: “John F. Gallagher, Mary A. Gallagher, and Ellen, who intermarried with Lawrence Little, all of full age…” I also believe that it is key to understand what I can about the guardian relationship between James Harley and Hannah Gallagher. (See Part 760g.)

My first question is “Why was James Harley appointed guardian of the minor, Hannah Gallagher?” My next question, “Why wasn’t one of Hannah Gallagher’s elder brother or sisters appointed as her guardian?” Third question – “Is this great-grandmother Hannah?”

I’m not going to try to answer my three questions in this Posting… but I just hope to continue with my research and follow this path. I’ve got to try every door. My trek and search is to determine whether this is great-grandmother Hannah (née Gallagher) Holmes.

Now the 28 October 1878 filing with the Orphans’ Court, the “Real Estate of Hannah Gallagher, a Minor” has now introduced Hannah Gallagher and three elder siblings; John F. Gallagher, Mary A. Gallagher; and Ellen (née Gallagher) Little. From the 16 September 1878 filing, “Appointment of Guardian for Hannah Gallagher, a Minor” we learn that Hannah Gallagher “is a minor child of Daniel Gallagher late of the township of Cass, in said County of Schuylkill, deceased…” The October Filing indicates “That the said Daniel Gallagher died in 1860, and that subsequently the said Bridget Gallagher died intestate…” All-things-being-equal I now search for possible US Censuses in Cass Township in Schuylkill County prior to 1878 and before 1860, which may include, at least the Mother, Bridget Gallagher and her four children, John F., Mary A, Ellen, and Hannah.

As the filing of the documents in the Orphans’ Court of Schuylkill County were in September and October of 1878, my next thought was to see if I could find the closest dated US Census with the intention of discovering the listings of great-grandmother Hannah. Going backwards in time the previous Census would have been 1870.

Eureka!!! And guess what I found? From The National Archives and downloaded via Ancestry.com, Image 5 of 73.

The 1870 US Census for South Cass Township, in the County of Schuylkill, Pennsylvania… dated 29 August 1870. Five members of the Gallagher Family – John, Daniel, Ellen, Mary Ann, and Hannah.

The following is my Clooz 3.0 reporting of the above highlighted 1870 US Census.

Next, the search for a possible 1860 US Census. Stay-tuned.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 762g – Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy – Great-Grandmother Hannah (née Gallagher) Holmes – 1878, A Puzzling Search – Episode V

Good Day,

And now comes the interesting part of trying to solve the puzzle of the life and genealogy of great-grandmother Hannah (née Gallagher) Holmes. Cross-referencing the Docket 17 of the Orphans' Court of Schuylkill County Index, (see Part 761g) I was able to find images of the actual document beginning at Page 336.

The Document beginning at Page 336 is titled Real Estate of Hannah Gallagher, a Minor. And before I continue, I must point out that this research and documentation does not, at this point, confirm that I have discovered the 100% certain genealogy of great-grandmother Hannah. This is one of the doorways that I have opened in my search to prove the Family Line.

According to my read and transcription of this Document, from Docket 17 and filed 28 October 1878, it appears that James Harley, the Guardian appointed, on behalf of Hannah Gallagher, the minor, is conducting a transaction to sell a specific property in the City of Philadelphia. This property at one time belonged to her grandparents Francis and Helen O'Donnell. It appears that as both of Hannah's parents had passed away, her father, Daniel Gallagher in about 1860 and her mother, Bridget (née O'Donnell) Gallagher sometime after, that they had both died without leaving a direct will for the disposition of property.

From my limited understanding and analysis, Hannah and her three older siblings: John F. Gallagher, Mary A. Gallagher, and Ellen (née Gallagher) Little, all were beneficiaries of the property after the deaths of their grandparents and parents. The Document is an explanation of the $600.00 value of the property and the amount that Hannah may have possibly received, $21.43. (I am not a lawyer nor a real estate broker and therefore, I cannot explain how the calculation was figured out.)

The following are the four pages; Pages 336 through and including 339, from Docket 17 of the Orphans' Court of Schuylkill County. I have downloaded from Item 4 of the microfilm FHL [2134782]

And my transcription -

336

Real Estate of Hannah Gallagher, a Minor.

In the Orphans’ Court, held at Pottsville, in and for the County of Schuylkill.

The petition

of James Harley, who was on the sixteenth day of September, A.D. 1878, appointed
by your Honorable Court Guardian of the personal and estate of Hannah Galla-
gher, a minor child of Daniel Gallagher, being over the age of fourteen years. –

Respectfully represents – 

That the said minor is seized in fee 

of one-fourth of one seventh of All that certain lot or piece of ground and
the buildings thereon erected, situate on the south side of Luinard Street, in
the First Ward of the City of Philadelphia, beginning at the distance of one
hundred and twelve feet eastward from the east Ninth Street, con-
taining in front or breadth on the said Luinard Street eleven feet six inches,
and in length or depth southward at right angles with the said Luinard
Street fifty feet, boundend on the north by the said Luinard Street, on the
west by ground now of late of Samuel P, Dutton, on the south by ground
now or late of Robert Clark, Jr., on the east partly by the head of a three-feet
wide alley leading eastward eleven feet six inches to another two-feet wide
alley, leading eastward eleven feet six inches to another two-feet wide
alley leading northward in said Luinard Street, and partly by ground
granted to John N. Reeves. [Being the same premises which Julius F. Vogel
and Adeline R. Vogel, his wife by indenture bearing date the twentieth
day of December, A.D. 1856, and recorded at Philadelphia in Deed Book
R.D.W. Nv. 107, page 342, rc. granted and conveyed to Ellen O’Donnell, wife
of Francis O’Donnell, in fee Subject to the payment of ^a certain yearly ground
or sum of Twenty five dollars and fifty cents ($25.50).

That the title of the said minor is derived by descent as heir-at-law of 

Ellen O’Donnell, her grandmother, and her mother, Bridget Gallagher, to wit:
the said Ellen O’Donnell died intestate, seized in fee of the above described
premises, leaving to survive her her husband, Francis O’Donnell (who has
since departed this life intestate] And seven children being the issue of
the said Francis O’Donnell and Ellen O’Donnell, of whom the said Bridget,
who intermarried with Daniel Gallagher was one. That the said Daniel Gal-
lagher died in 1860, and subsequently the said Bridget Gallagher died intestate,
leaving her surviving a husband, four children, to wit – John F. Gallagher, Mary
A Gallagher, and Ellen, who intermarried with Lawrence Little, all of full
age, and a minor child, Hannah Gallagher.

That all of said children have agreed to sell and convey their undivided 

interest in said property to one Benjamin Durham, of the City of Philadelphia
Carman, at the rate or price of Six hundred dollars, for the whole of said property
in fee, subject to the aforesaid yearly ground rent; and your petitioner is
serious of joining in said conveyance, as the Guardian of the said minor, in order
to make a full and complete title to the said purchase, for the whole of said
premises, the said price offered for the same being a full and ample price for
it, and as he believers more than it would bring at a public sale of the same,
and he also believes it would be for the benefit and interest of the said minor
that said real estate should be sold.

Your petitioner therefore prays that the Court will make an order author-

izing and directing him to sell the said undivided interest of the said
minor in the above described real estate, at private sale, to the said Benjamin
Durham, of the City of Philadelphia, Carman, and be permitted to join in a

337

deed of conveyance to him in fee, for the price or sum above specified.

And he will ever pray, & c.,

James Harley.

Schuylkill County, ss.:

James Harley, the above named petitioner, being duly sworn 

according to law, doth depose and say that the facts set forth in the foregoing
petition are just and true, and are the statement of the said minor’s real estate
are just and true, to the best of his knowledge and belief.

James Harley

Sworn and subscribed before me this nineteenth }
day of October, A.D. 1878. }
J.F.G. Keimscus, J.P. }

Decree:

And now, to wit: Oct. 28, A.D. 1878, upon consideration of the within written
petition and accompanying affidavits, it is ordered and decreed that James
Harley, Guardian of Hannah Gallagher, make sale of the undivided interest of
his ward therein named, in the real estate therein described, at private sale unto
Benjamin Durham, of the City of Philadelphia, Carman, for the price or sum of
twenty-one dollars and forty three cents ($21.43) in cash, her proportionate share,
and that he be authorized to unite in a conveyance of the same with the other
parties in interest unto the said Benjamin Durham, of the City of Philadelphia, his
heirs and assigns, upon payment of the purchase money, and the he enter security
in the sum of $50.00/100.

By the Court

Richard Rahn,

Clerk OC.

Know all men by these presents, that we James Harley, Guardian of the 

person and estate of Hannah Gallagher, a minor child of Bridget Gallagher and Daniel
Gallagher, late of the township of Cass, in the County of Schuylkill, and State of Penn-
Sylvania, deceased, and Solomon Phillips, both of said Count of Schuylkill, are
held and firmly bound to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the sum of Fifty
dollars, lawful money of the United States, to be paid to the Commonwealth of Penn-
sylvania, her certain Attorney and assigns, to which payment, well and truly to
be made, we bind ourselves, jointly and severally, our heirs executors and admin-
istrators, firmly by these presents.

Sealed with our seals, dated the 19th October, in the Year of our Lord one 

thousand and eight hundred and seventy-eight.

Whereas, by virtue of an order of the Orphans’ Court of said County of Schuylkill, 

made the 21 October, 1878, in the year aforesaid, the said James Harley, Guardian
afore- said, sold certain lands in said order mentioned, the estate of the said Hannah
Gallagher, to one Benjamin Durham, of the City of Philadelphia, for the sum of twenty
on dollars and forty-six cents; and the said Court upon the return thereof by the
said Guardian on the twenty-eighth day of October, A.D. 1878, did order and decree
that upon the said James Harley filing in the Office of the Clerk said Court, a bond
to the Commonwealth in the sum of Fifty dollars, with Solomon A. Phillips as his su-
reties, who are approved by the Court, conditioned for the faithful appropriation of
the proceeds of said sale, the said sale should be confirmed.

Now the condition of this obligation is such, that if the said James Harley, Guar-

dian aforesaid, shall faithfully appropriate the proceeds of said sale, then the
above obligation to be void, or else to be and remain in full force and virtue.

398

James Harley, ( Seal )

S. A. Philips, ( Seal )

Sealed and delivered in presence of }
Lewis Garrison, }
J.F.G. Keimscus. }

This bond approved.

By the Court,

Richard Rahn

Clerk O.C.

Jesse A.T. Laws, being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says 

that he is a real estate broker, and has been in the business for twenty years,
and that he is familiar with the value of real estate in the City of Philadel-
phia, and that he has seen the property situate on the south side of Luinard
Street in said City, beginning at the distance of112 feet eastward from the
east side of Ninth Street, containing in from on the said Luinard Street 11 feet
6 inches, and in length or depth Southward at right angle with said Luinard
Street 50 feet, and estimated its value, and believe that six hundred dollars,
subject to said yearly ground rent of $25.50, would be a full price for the same,
and more that it is worth and more than it would sell for at public sell, and
he believes the offer of six hundred dollars is an advantageous one, and that
it would be to the interest of the parties to sell the same for the said sum.

James A. T. Laws.

Sworn and subscribed before me this 25th }
day of October, A.D. 1878. }
James P. Petit. }
( Seal ) }

E.G. Mintzer, Jr., being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that 

he is a real estate broker, and that he is familiar with the value of real estate in
the City of Philadelphia, and that he has examined the property situate on
the south side of Luinard Street, in the First Ward of the City of Philadelphia
beginning at the distance of 112 feet eastward from the east side of Ninth Street,
containing in front on the said Luinard Street eleven feet six inches, and in length
or depth southward of that width at right angles with said Luinard Street fifty
feet, and estimated its value and believes that six hundred dollars, subject to
said yearly ground rent of Twenty-five dollars and fifty cents, would be a
good price for the same, and at the present time more that it would sell
for at a public sale.

E.L. Mintzer, Jr.

Sworn and subscribed before me this 20th }
day of October, A.D. 1878. }
James P. Petit, }
Notary Public. }
(Seal ) }

George Lodge, being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that 

he is a real estate broker, and that he is familiar with the value of real estate
in the City of Philadelphia, and that he has examined the property situate
on the south side of Luinard Street, in the First Ward of the City of Philadel-
phia, beginning at the distance of one hundred and twelve feet eastward
from the east side of Ninth Street, containing in front on the said Luinard Street
eleven feet six inches, and in length or depth southward at right angles with
said Luinard Street fifty feet, and estimated its value, and believe that six
hundred dollars, subject to said yearly ground rent of Twenty five dollars and

389

fifty cents, would be a full price for the same, and more than it would sell for at
a public sale, and he believes that the offer of six hundred dollars is an advanta-
geous one, and would be to the interest of the parties to sell the same for said
price as it is its full marketable value.

George Lodge

Sworn and subscribed before me this 22d }
day of October, A.D. 1878 }
James P. Petit, }
Notary Public }
( Seal ) }

Filed 28 Oct., 1878.

Putting aside the issue of the sale of the property in the City of Philadelphia, I am intrigued at the detail of family relationships and connections that are included in this Document. I will be detailing that information in my subsequent Postings on A Genealogy Hunt, so you will have to stay-tuned.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 761g – Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy – Great-Grandmother Hannah (née Gallagher) Holmes – 1878, A Puzzling Search – Episode IV – Docket 17 Index

Good Day,
The typical daily torrential rains haven’t hit us as yet, but it is overcast and the type of day to snuggle up with either a good book or a decent movie, as long as the power keeps on.

The search and research for great-grandmother Hannah (née Gallagher) Holmes is certainly taking me into types of documents that I would never have expected to have to review. Lesson learned – all types of sources are game in the search for details of the life and times and the genealogy of an ancestor and relative.

Having located Docket 17 of the Orphans’ Court of Schuylkill County, I was pleasantry surprised to discover an Index. Downloaded from Item 4 of the microfilm FHL [2134782] and Page 172, is the G-Index for Docket 17.

And lo and behold, I note two entries for the name Hannah Gallagher.

I presented Page 289, the Appointment of Guardian for Hannah Gallgher, a Minor, including my transcription in Part 760g.

Stay tuned for Episode V. I should have the actual pages starting with Page 336 of Docket 17.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 760g – Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy – Great-Grandmother Hannah (née Gallagher) Holmes – 1878, A Puzzling Search – Episode III – Appointment of Guardian

Good Day,

Following up with my previous posting Part 759g – Episode II, I discovered this document, an Appointment of Guardian for Hannah Gallagher, a Minor from Docket 17 of the Orphans’ Court of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The filing date of the entry was 16 September 1878.

At this point in my research and search, I'm not saying that this is great-grandmother Hannah (née Gallagher) Holmes. This is purely a possibility based on a couple of coincidences. I will be revealing the coincidences in upcoming Episodes of my search for great-grandmother Hannah.

Here is the Appointment of Guardian entry from Docket 17 of the Orphans’ Court of Schuylkill County Register. I downloaded the image from Item 1 of the microfilm FHL [2134249].

And here is my transcription –

289

Appointment of Guardian for }
Hannah Gallagher, a Minor }

To the Honorable the Judges of the Orphans’

Court of Schuylkill County:

The petition of Hannah

Gallagher respectfully represents –

That the petitioner is a minor child of Daniel Gallagher
late of the township of Cass, in said County of Schuylkill, deceased, above the age of
fourteen years, is a resident within said County, and has no guardian to take care
of her person and estate. She therefore prays the Court to admit her to make choice
of a guardian for that purpose.

And she will ever pray, & _____,

Hannah Gallagher

Now, to- int: September 16, 1878, the above petition being read and heard in open
Court, the Court permit the said Hannah Gallagher to make choice of a Guardian.
Whereupon the said Hannah made choice of James Harley, of Minersville, as her
guardian; and the said Court having confirmed said choice, appoint said James
Harley as guardian of said Hannah Gallagher, and direct that he enter in bond
in the sum of Two hundred dollars; and the Court approve of Patrick Duffy, of
Minersville, as surety of said Guardian.

By the Court,

Richard Rahn,

Clerk, O.C.

Filed 16 Sept. 1878.

At this juncture in my research, the question is exactly what is the relationship between Hannah Gallagher the Minor and her chosen guardian, James Harley? I may have found a possible connection in the 1860 US Census, but you will have to stay tuned.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 759g – Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy – Great-Grandmother Hannah (née Gallagher) Holmes – 1878, A Puzzling Search – Episode II – Indexes

Good Day,

As I wait for two blustery events down here in Tampa Bay, Isaac and the RNC, I keep my mind and thoughts fixed on the search and research for information and data of the genealogy of great-grandmother Hannah (née Gallagher) Holmes. Following up with my previous posting Part 758g – Episode I, a number of references to a Hannah Gallagher listed in the Indexes of the Orphans’ Court of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

Before you continue reading, I must make the point that this entries may not refer to great-grandmother Hannah. There are, as I eluded to in Part 758g, some possible coincidences. I am continuing to research and investigate other data to determine whether this may or may not be great-grandmother Hannah.

Here are the Orphans’ Court of Schuylkill County Index references to Hannah Gallagher. The Indexes are a bit confusing, but definitely enlightening once I figured out what was going on.

First from Item 2 of FHL [2134782], the Index.

Next the summary information.

Note that the entry for Hannah Gallagher references the date 16 Sept. 1878 and O.C.D. (sic Orphans' Court Docket) No. 17 Page 299.

Stay tuned for the next Episode.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 758g – Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy – Great-Grandmother Hannah (aka Hanora Gallagher) Holmes – 1878, A Puzzling Search – Episode I

Good Day,

In the course of my genealogy search and research there are many doors that keep opening as I follow down various paths. All this work is my attempt to piece together the generations and re-create the branches of the Family Tree.

A critical branch of the Brunhammer Doherty Family Genealogy and Tree is the branch that provides evidence of the Mitochondrial DNA, mtDNA. This is Andy’s Maternal Line. This line would follow from Andy from his mother, Myrtle Frances Gertrude (née Doherty) Brunhammer, from her mother and Andy’s grandmother Hannah Myrtle (née Holmes) Doherty, from her mother and Andy’s great-grandmother Hannah (née Gallagher) Holmes… And so on…

And this is where I am delving into, and I have walked through a number of doors. At present there are a number of Family Trees that have been placed on Ancestry.com that indicate that great-grandmother Hannah (née Gallagher) Holmes’ parents were Daniel and Bridget Gallagher. The issue is that no source of proof of this relationship has been provided on any of the information accessible through Ancestry.com. I am not discounting the possibility that great-grandmother Hannah’s parents may have been Daniel and Bridget Gallagher. I have been able to discount a similar family unit from the 1860 US Census of Reading, Pennsylvania made up of parents Daniel and Bridget and daughter Hannah Gallagher. It is just a coincidence that this family unit did exist.

I did learn that from related Family History, great-grandmother Hannah’s mother may have died while she, great-grandmother Hannah was a very young girl. The story includes the notion that great-grandmother Hannah’s father may have “disappeared to Canada”. It, the tale, further relates that the very young great-grandmother Hannah was “adopted by a family who may have owned an ice-cream store.” These tales may center on about the Pennsylvania Counties of Carbon and Schuylkill.

And so the focus of attention in my research is to hone in on documentation and data around the early 1850s to and including the 1890s, centering in and on the Counties of Carbon and Schuylkill. In the course of my research I have also discovered and presented the listing of great-grandmother Hannah, also known as Hanora and as Anna, on the US Federal Censuses of 1900 through and including 1930. All this research can be found on earlier Postings of A Genealogy Hunt.

Most recently I have found documentation from the Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Orphan’s Court. As I am not too well tuned into the legal system and names of the specific agencies, I had to look up a definition for Orphan’s Court. Here are ones that I found, online.

Orphans Court

A probate court (also called a surrogate court) is a specialized court that deals with matters of probate and the administration of estates. From Wikipedia.

In some jurisdictions, the court in which adoptions are finalized. An orphan’s court handles estates and trusts of minors and other incapacitated persons. From Nation Adoption Center.

Last night, at the local Family History Center I reviewed two microfilms that I had acquired from the Family History Library from Salt Lake City. The two microfilms: Orphans’ Court Dockets, FHL [2134249] Docket, v. 15-17, 1871-1880 and FHL [2134782] Index, ca. 1811-1935 provided me with an interesting find. The name of the find – Hannah Gallagher. The dates of the Documents – 1878.

I will be downloading, transcribing, and reviewing the Documents. Stay tune for my write up and possible discoveries in my next Posts.

I took a few liberties with the above inserted cartoon by Dale Wilkins entitled “American Maze”. I superimposed the sign reading “Welcome To Genealogy…"

Enjoy,

Jim

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