Time for a little Grace

“O God! that bread should be so dear, and flesh and blood be so cheap!” Like doves to the ark, o’er the waters we flee, To the land blesse’d of God-America, to thee. Cry of the Famishing Irish, 1853

All told, over 100,000 people are estimated to have died from disease and starvation in County Cork during the famine years of 1846-1850. Nearly 100,00 more emigrated. The great hunger forever changed Ireland’s demographic, political and cultural landscape and delivered “our” Daly, Grace, Butler, Young and Mulcahy families to America.

The early generations of Grace, Daly, Butler and Courtney men in America in the mid-to-late1800’s worked as blacksmiths, carpenters, quarry workers, dyers and general laborers, all occupations that required hard, dirty work under dangerous working conditions. While the women in the family, prior to 1900, are listed as “keeping house” this work was diverse and endless; mending and washing the clothes, preparing meals and on top of this, they would give birth to and raise an average of 4-5 children.

The 1880 U.S. Census notes that William J.
Grace, age 21 and born in Connecticut, was working in Hartford and living with
the family of a co-worker (Elias
Marn). His parents, Michael (b. 1825)
and Catherine Grace (b. 1828), were both from Ireland. By 1886, William was working as a
“horse-shoer and blacksmith” in Meriden (CT).
It was there that he met his bride, Mary Ellen Courtney, who lived with
her parents (Michael and Bridget) just a few houses away from where he lived at
63 Arch Street. After their marriage,
William and Mary moved to New Britain (CT) where he continued his trade
(advertisement) and in 1899 they had a son, William Lawrence Grace.

Michael Daly, born in Ireland in 1835, appears in the Waterbury, Connecticut City Directory in 1876-7 under the occupation of dyer located on Grand Street. He is married to Hannah Mulcahy, who was the daughter of Michael and Ellena (Connell) of Ballyvatta, County Cork, Ireland. Their son Edward Francis Daly was born in 1870 and married Mary Ester Butler whose parents (James and Anastasia) would live with them in their later years.

L- Rhea and Raymond R- Sacred Heart Church – Leamlara, County Cork, Ireland where Hannah Mulcahy was baptized in 1837

GRACE FAMILY LINE

Michael Grace (1825+- Ireland – d. ? CT) – Catherine ?

William Grace (1859 Ct. – ? CT) – Mary Ellen Courtney

Raymond L. Grace (1899 CT – 1962 CT) – Mary “Rhea” Daly (Photograph)

Mary Grace French (1933 -2004) – John S. French

DALY FAMILY
LINE

Michael Daly (1835 Ireland
– 1876 CT) – (Jo)Hanna Mulcahy (1837 Ireland – 1906 CT)

Hanna’s parents were Michael Mulcahy + Ellena O’Connell, Ballyvatta, Ireland

Edward F. Daly (b. 1870 CT – 1937 CT) – Mary Ester Butler

Mary “Rhea” Daly (1901 CT – 1988 CT) – Raymond L. Grace

COURTNEY FAMILY LINE

Michael Courtney (1836 Ireland
– ? CT) – Bridget ? (1849 Ireland – bet. 1900-20 CT)

Mary Ellen Courtney (1863 CT – d. 1923 CT) – William Grace (1862 – 1916 CT)

BUTLER FAMILY LINE

James Butler (1843 Ireland – 1927 CT) – Anastasia Young
(1844 Ireland – 1921 CT)

Anastasia’s parents were Patrick Young + Rose A. Powers, Kildare Ireland

Mary Ester Butler (1867 NY – 1946 CT) – Edward F. Daly (1870 CT – 1937 CT)