Next to meeting Josephine, James, and Walter Jr. for the first time, the most touching moment of Ellen's trip to Ireland occurred on Friday, Oct 3, 2008 when she and Walter searched for her great grandparents' (and his grandparents') grave site, Patrick Henry and Catherine Murtagh Henry are the parents of her grandfather, Thomas Henry, and of Walter Jr.'s father, Walter Sr.
When Nana Henry died, Ellen's mom took some photos from 8 Mt. Vernon St., Peabody, MA. Those photos were in my basement here at 1005 Balmoral Drive. I went through the photos before leaving for Ireland. One photo showed a gravestone with a man standing next to it. I did not know who the man was. But the engraving on the gravestone was very clear. It read:
They knew who Patrick Henry was but we were not certain about who Joseph Henry was. They had the letter (dated April 2, 1930) that Walter Henry, Sr. wrote to Grandpa Henry upon the death of their father, Patrick Henry. Within it, Walter Sr. wrote: “I buried him with Joseph in Kilmactigue. Pat Dan was at the funeral.” (Note: Pat Dan was Nana Henry's brother.)
Ellen took the photo to Ireland and the first evening (9/24/08) she met Josephine and James (in Donegaltown), Jo identified the man in the photo as her father. On 10/3/08 when she met Walter Jr. in Swinford for our day of exploration, and showed him the photo. He also verified that it was his dad. Walter Jr. had never seen the gravestone. Ellen had told him about it over the phone about two weeks before she left for Ireland. He did some preliminary investigating about where his grandparents (our great grandparents) were buried but he made no headway. He told me on the morning of 10/3 that there are two cemeteries in Kilmactigue Parish (the old one and the new one). Walter Jr.'s parents are buried in the new one. He had visited the old one between when she spoke with him and when she met him -- and he had no luck (but he had not seen the photo!!!).
And so on 10/3/08, one of their visits was to the old and heavily deteriorating Kilmactigue Parish cemetery, which is adjacent to the Kilmactigue church.
Kilmactigue church. |
The cemetery sign. |
Ellen and Walter prayed at the grave site and we rejoiced that we had connected with our past; that they had been able to pay tribute to our Henry ancestors.
Walter by the gravestone. |
Ellen by the gravestone. |
To quote Ellen, “I was truly moved by this experience. And I am so grateful to Walter Jr. for partnering with me in finding this sacred site.”
Matter #1: Who was Joseph Henry who is buried with Patrick and Catherine Henry?
Joseph Henry (d. 1904) was the brother of Patrick Henry (d. 1883), who was the father of Patrick Henry (d. 1930), who was the father of Grandpa Henry and his eight siblings, including Walter Sr. Therefore, Joseph Henry was Patrick Henry's (d. 1930) uncle. In Walter Sr.'s April 2, 1930 letter to Grandpa Henry about their dad's death, Walter wrote: "I buried him with Joseph in Kilmactigue." We know that at Joseph's death on July 7, 1904 at Carns, Aclare, County Sligo, a Catherine Henry was present. In fact, she was the "informant." NOTE: We do not know if that Catherine Henry was Grandpa Henry's mother -- Catherine Murtagh Henry; OR was the sister of Grandpa Henry's father, Patrick. Patrick had a sister named Catherine Henry (b. 1847; date of death unknown).
Walter Henry Jr. and Josephine Henry McGroary both have told me that Joseph Henry (d. 1904) left the Carns cottages and land to Grandpa Henry's parents, Patrick and Catherine Henry. That is where Walter Jr. lives today. Walter Jr. believes that Patrick, Catherine and the children did not move to Carns until 1904 when Joseph died and they inherited the property. This is supported by a couple of different items in Jim Carlberg's genealogy research:
Matter #1: Who was Joseph Henry who is buried with Patrick and Catherine Henry?
Walter Jr. speculates that Grandpa Henry and perhaps some of his siblings (all in the USA with the exception of Walter, Sr.) sent their mother money for a gravestone to be purchased; and that Walter Sr. sent the photo to show Grandpa Henry the outcome of their having sent the money to honor their father.
Walter Jr. speculates that Grandpa Henry and perhaps some of his siblings (all in the USA with the exception of Walter, Sr.) sent their mother money for a gravestone to be purchased; and that Walter Sr. sent the photo to show Grandpa Henry the outcome of their having sent the money to honor their father.