Researching Timothy J. Mahoney – born in Ireland and died in New Jersey in 1921

Timothy Mahoney's Death Certificate. Source:: New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, Trenton, NJ. — Timothy Mahoney’s Death Certificate. Source:: New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, Trenton, NJ.

I’m always so excited when I get a genealogy record back in the mail, and I recently received the death certificate for Timothy J. Mahoney. He died in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey on May 22nd, 1921. His parents were listed as John Mahoney and Bridget Buckley, and he was born in Ireland in 1865. From census records it is likely that he was born earlier than that. As per the policy of the New Jersey Department of Health, the cause of his death was redacted. The turnaround from New Jersey was under three weeks.

My sister and I have been researching this Timothy Mahoney for quite some time. He just seemed to fit into our Mahoney clan, since his children had similar names to our grandmother’s family. We still don’t know where in Ireland our Mahoney family came from. I’m hoping that either his gravestone or an obituary will add more information.

What we do know is that he married Mary Bohan, on September 1st, 1899 in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Mary was born in in Ireland, age 23, estimated birth year of 1866.

New Jersey, Marriages, 1670-1980," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZGV-2LZ : 31 March 2016), Timothy Mahoney and Mary Bohan, 01 Sep 1889; citing , Middlesex, New Jersey, United States, Division of Archives and Record Management, New Jersey Department of State, Trenton.; FHL microfilm 495,710. — New Jersey, Marriages, 1670-1980,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZGV-2LZ : 31 March 2016), Timothy Mahoney and Mary Bohan, 01 Sep 1889; citing , Middlesex, New Jersey, United States, Division of Archives and Record Management, New Jersey Department of State, Trenton.; FHL microfilm 495,710.

In the 1898 Newark, New Jersey Holbrook Directory, Timothy Mahoney was listed as a tailor. My sister and I had been interested in looking up the NJ directories from 1898 since that was about the year that our great-grandfather, John Mahoney, had moved with his family from Brooklyn, New York to Harrison, New Jersey. There were no Mahoney’s listed in the Harrison or Kearny, NJ directories for 1898. From what we found out, John Mahoney didn’t move until after he was held for questioning in the death of Patrick Gilligan in November of 1898, in Brooklyn. Possibly he moved to New Jersey since his brother, Timothy, was living there.

Source: Holbrook's Directory for Newark, NJ, 1898. — Source: Holbrook’s Directory for Newark, NJ, 1898, copied at the New Jersey Archives, Trenton, NJ.

Timothy Mahoney had immigrated from Ireland in 1884 and Mary Bohan in 1889. From the 1900 Federal Census, Timothy Mahoney was born June 1861 and his wife, Mary, in May 1865. His occupation was Tailor. They had been married 11 years, and they had four children, all living: John, Timothy, Michael, and Jeremiah. [Source: http://www.ancestry.com, Year: 1900; Census Place: Newark Ward 1, Essex, New Jersey; Roll: 962; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0009; FHL microfilm: 1240962].

In the 1910 and 1920 Federal Census returns, Timothy Mahoney continued to be listed as a tailor in Newark. Mary Bohan Mahoney died of an accidental poisoning on April 6, 1933, aged 61 years, 9 months, and 9 days. Using the age calculator at ancestry.com, Mary’s birthdate was Wednesday, June 28th, 1871. Since her estimated birth year from her marriage record differs, it is still unclear if this date is correct. They were both buried at the Holy Sepulchre Roman Catholic Cemetery, in East Orange, NJ. Timothy and Mary Bohan Mahoney’s children were: John (1890-1984); Timothy (1895-1968); Michael (1897-1908); Jeremiah (1899-1971); Bridget Margaret (1901-1995); Lawrence (1904-1966); and Honora “Nora” (1909-?) [Sources: http://www.findagrave.com and http://www.ancestry.com family trees].

I recently saw this quote, “Your life is made of two dates and a dash. Make the most of the dash.” ~ author unknown. When researching family history it is all about what happened during that dash. Good luck searching for your roots!