The Broderick Family’s 2nd decade as immigrants

At the end of the 1870’s, major changes had happened to the family. Lawrence had lost his life in a foolish dispute fueled by alcohol and had been buried in Mount Calvary Cem., in Hyde Park, MA. His wife Catherine Jordan Broderick was left with three small children, ages 4, 2 and 6 months. This must have been a difficult time for her as I’m sure there was no insurance payment to help smooth the way.  However, the 1880 census shows that the Broderick matriarch had immigrated and was now living with her dead son’s family. Unfortunately, this census doesn’t give the year of immigration so there is no way to be sure which of the many Catherine Brodericks, who entered the country, she is. It also shows that living in this household is a Catherine Fitzgerald who was 69 and a town pauper. Perhaps she received some stipend from the town to care for this woman. Catherine Jordan Broderick was employed at a hair factory, which doesn’t sound like a pleasant place to be.

So in:

1880 – Catherine Boyle Broderick is living with her daughter-in-law, Catherine Jordan                        Broderick and her children, in Hyde Park, MA.

          Matthew and Bridget Broderick were living at 211 Everett St. in East Boston, MA. He             was a railroad worker.

          Catherine Broderick and Michael O’Brien were living at 164 Everett St., East Boston,             MA. Michael was a laborer.

          Mary Broderick and Patrick O’Brien were living in Hyde Park. He was a stone mason.

          Mary Broderick O’Brien d. Aug. 10, 1880, from dysentery. She was buried in Mount              Calvary Cem., Hyde Park, MA. She left behind her husband and 6 sons.

          At the end of the year, 1880, of the five Broderick siblings who had immigrated, only             three were still living, the oldest, Michael, and the two youngest, Matthew and                       Catherine Broderick O’Brien. Nothing much has been found about Michael.

1881 – Matthew and Bridget Sheehan Broderick were living on Homer St., East Boston, MA

          Patrick J. O’Brien, son of Catherine Broderick and Michael O’Brien was b. in April                 1881.

          Mary Ellen Broderick, daughter of Matthew and Bridgeet Sheehan Broderick was b.               May 10, 1881, in East Boston.

          Matthew Broderick, son of Matthew and Bridget Sheehan Broderick  d. Aug. 13 1881             from dysentery, in East Boston. He was buried in Mt. Calvary Cem., Hyde Park, MA.

          Michael Broderick purchased a cemetery plot in Mt. Calvary, Hyde Park, MA and had           his brother, Lawrence, moved to the new location. Dec. 22 1881

                                                Part of downtown Hyde Park, MA

1882 –

1883 –

1884 – Matthew and Bridget Sheehan Broderick were living at 653 Saratoga St., East                        Boston, MA.

          Catherine Broderick, daughter of Matthew and Bridget Sheehan Broderick was b.                 Sep 22 1884 and she d. Sep. 24, 1884 from pulmonary collapse. She was buried in               Mt. Calvary Cem., Hyde Park, MA.

1885 - Matthew and Bridget Sheehan Broderick were living at 621 Saratoga St., East                       Boston, MA

          Catherine Boyle Broderick d. Jul 10 1885, at age 67, from pericarditis, in Hyde Park,              MA. She was buried with her son Lawrence in Mt. Calvary Cem. Hyde Park, MA.

          Katie, daughter of Matthew and Bridget Sheehan Broderick was b. Dec. 27, 1885 and           d. Dec 28 1885 of cyanosis, in East Boston MA. She was buried with her sister and               brother in Mt. Calvary Cem., Hyde Park, MA.

1886 – Martin O’Brien was b. Dec 14 1886 in Boston, MA.

1887 – Lawrence Joseph Broderick b. Jan 3 1887 at 621 Saratoga St., East Boston, MA. He             was the son of Matthew and Bridget Sheehan Broderick.

1888 – Michael O’Brien b. Jun 17 1888 in Charlestown, MA. He was the son of Michael and              Catherine Broderick O’Brien.

          Michael O’Brien (Sr.) d. Sep 11, 1888 of peritonitis. He was living at 1204 Tremont                 St., Boston MA at the time of his death.

         

                                                 East Boston, MA  Piers Park

At this point all known facts for this decade come to an end. Since there is no 1890 Federal census to refer to, the movements of the family are unknown until 1892 when we find Matthew and Bridget Sheehan Broderick living at 17 Sea St. in Lynn, MA and they remained there until 1899.  We do know that Matthew continued to work for the railroad and became an engineer in charge of laying out the tracks for the B. R. B. & L. (Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn) railroad as it made a loop through Winthrop. It is also known that my grandfather Patrick John Broderick, who used the name Jack, attended a parochial school associated with St. Joseph’s Church in Lynn, MA. Sometime after his brother Lawrence was b. in 1887, they moved from East Boston to Lynn.

                                                   Overhead view of Lynn, MA

At the end of the 1890’s comes the personal brick wall established by my gt. grandmother Bridget Sheehan Broderick. It has taken the better part of 30 years to unfold the information presented in this and the first blog, on this family.

Suffice it to say, the turn of the century brought out hard feelings that lasted for many years.