Mary Joanna (Britt) Oldham, 1869-1909
MARY JOANNA (BRITT/BRETT) OLDHAM was born on 8 November
1868 in Boherstooka, Parish of Ballyanne, County Wexford, Ireland to parents
John Britt, a farmer, and Johanna (Murphy) Britt.[1] She was baptized in the Roman Catholic
religion on the same day in the Diocese of Ferns,[2]
likely at Rathgaroge Church. Rathgaroge
Church is a part of the Diocese of Ferns, and is just a 15-minute walk from
property on which Mary’s grandfather Moses Britt was a tenant in 1853.[3]
Boherstooka, also documented as Baurstooky or Baurstooka, is
a very small townland of farms, even today, and is only 170 acres in total.[4]
Per Griffith’s valuation done in 1853, there were only 6 occupants in the whole
townland of Boherstooka, one of whom was Moses Britt (grandfather of Mary).[5]
Mary was the third child of five children to John and
Johanna (Murphy) Britt:
- Moses Britt was born 1 March 1866 in Ireland, immigrated to New York in May 1888, then died 17 January 1935 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was married to Anastasia Teresa McGinn in 1894 in Philadelphia, and they had five children.[6]
- John Britt was born 27 April 1867 in Ireland.[7] It appears that he lived out his life in Boherstooka as a farmer, marrying Bridget (unknown maiden name), and having at least two children. No death certificate has been found for John yet.[8]
- Edward Britt was born 14 June 1870 in Ireland.[9] No further information is yet known about Edward.
- Bridget Britt was born 30 January 1872 in Ireland.[10] No further information is yet known about Bridget.
According to the 1900 census, Mary immigrated to the U.S. in
1891.[11] A passenger record for Mary Brett [sic],
22 years old, “spinster,” from Ireland, indicates that she sailed on the SS Samaria,
arriving in Boston on 13 July 1891.
All of the information on this record aligns with Mary Britt, except her
“intended destination.” Although this record states that she was planning to
stay in Boston, it is probable that she went to Philadelphia where her brother
Moses lived[12],
and where she then met her future husband Arthur. Prior to her marriage to Arthur Oldham, she
worked as a domestic and lived at 1319 N. 19th Street, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, which was about a mile from where Arthur lived.[13]
Not much more is known about Mary’s life. There are very few records that document any
of her activities.
Mary and Arthur were married on 22 November 1892 in
Philadelphia. The marriage license
stated that Mary was born on 8 November 1871, 3 years after her actual birth
year, resulting in the appearance that she was only 21 years old, instead of
her actual 24 years.[14] She probably wanted to appear younger to her
new husband.
Arthur and Mary started their family in 1893, giving birth
to William John Oldham, Sr, then Richard John Oldham in 1895. In 1897, they had their third son, and named
him Arthur E. Oldham. Sadly, this Arthur
died at 10 months old, in July 1898, of “convulsions.”[15] Mary had another boy in 1899, and they
re-used the name Arthur E. Oldham, as was common at the time.
Mary’s father John Britt immigrated from Ireland about 1895,
and was living with Arthur and Mary at the time of the 1900 census.[16] Her father passed on 6 October 1904 of
tuberculosis,[17]
and then Mary also passed of tuberculosis just 5 years later on 15 August 1909.[18] She is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, Yeadon,
Pennsylvania, in section 12, range 7, lot 70.[19] There is no headstone to mark her burial
location.
[1]
Ireland, County Wexford, New Ross
superintendent registrar's district, birth registration for Mary Britt, born 8
November 1868; digital image, IrishGenealogy.ie (https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1868/03417/2253562.pdf
: viewed 3 April 2021). Her birth
location was found via her father’s obituary:
"Died," Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Inquirer, 9 October 1904,
p.7, col.2, John Britt; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/169009530/
: viewed 23 May 2021).
[2] Old Ross, Diocese
of Ferns (County Wexford, Ireland), "Baptisms, June 1868 to Dec
1868," Mary Britt, 8 November 1868; image, NLI.ie (https://registers.nli.ie/pages/vtls000634007_018
: viewed 6 April 2021).
[3]
Joanna’s
father John Britt’s marriage record provides her grandfather’s name. See Rathgarogue Roman Catholic Church, New Ross Superintendent
Registration District, County of Wexford marriage record, p.430 (1865), no. 47,
file no. 08259564, John Britt and Johanna Murphy; image, IrishGenealogy.ie (https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1865/11576/8259564.pdf : viewed 18 April 2021).
[4] Irish Townlands
website (https://www.townlands.ie/
: viewed 22 May 2021), County Wexford > Ballyanne Parish > Boherstooka
Townland.
[5]
Griffith’s Valuation, database
with images (http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=placeSearch
: accessed 23 May 2021) > Boherstooka > Occupants.
[6]
For birth date and place, immigration
date, four of the five children’s birth dates and names, see “Pennsylvania,
U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1795-1931,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2717/
: accessed 23 May 2021) > Circuit Court > (Roll 031) Petition Numbers
1001-1750 > images 113-114, Petition for Naturalization, Moses Edmond Brett,
7 February 1908. For death date, see
Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, death
certificate no. 165 (1935), Moses Brett; Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/5164/images/42342_646933_0735-01773
: viewed 23 May 2021), image 214. For
marriage date and spouse name, see “Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriage
Index, 1885-1951,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2536/
: accessed 23 May 2021), search for Moses Brett. For fifth child’s birth date and name, see
Pennsylvania, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Birth no. 27739
(1908), Anna Brett.
[7] For birth date
and place, see “Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61039/ : accessed 23 May 2021) > Ferns > Old
Ross > 1863-1880 > image 15, John Brett.
[8]
1911 Census of Ireland, Wexford County,
Ireland, household return (Form A), Ballyanne District, Boherstooka Townland,
house 2, John Britt; image, National Archives of Ireland (http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai003592812/
: viewed 23 May 2021). John lived with
wife Bridget, and children John and Johanna, in Boherstooka, at the time of
this census.
[9]
For birth date and place, see “Ireland,
Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61039/ : accessed 23 May 2021) > Ferns > Old
Ross > 1863-1880 > image 22, Edward Brett.
[10]
Ireland, County Wexford, New Ross
superintendent registrar's district, birth registration for Bridget Britt, born
30 January 1872; digital image, IrishGenealogy.ie (https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1872/03258/2194135.pdf
: viewed 23 May 2021).
[11] 1900 U.S. census, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
population schedule, Philadelphia, ward 15, enumeration district (ED) 0290,
sheet 4B, dwelling 539, family 84, Arthur Oldham; image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7602/images/4115189_00643
: viewed 20 November 2020), image 8.
[12] Per brother
Moses’ Petition for Naturalization, he filed his Declaration of Intent in 1893
with the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
See “Pennsylvania, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1795-1931” >
Circuit Court > (Roll 031) Petition Numbers 1001-1750 > no. 1086; image, Ancestry
(https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2717/images/31311_137339-00112 : viewed 24 May 2022).
[13] Philadelphia
County, Pennsylvania, Affidavit of Applicant for Marriage License, file no.
56058 (1892), for Arthur E. Oldham and Mary J. Brett; Family History Library
microfilm 004287299; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-67H7-8
: viewed 13 December 2020), images 832-834.
[15]
City of
Philadelphia, return of a death, death certificate no. 495 (1898), Arthur E.
Oldham; Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XXX9-PFT : viewed 11 March 2021).
[17] City of Philadelphia, return of a death, death
certificate no. 24113 (1904), John Britt; Philadelphia City Archives and
Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6619-BHP
: viewed 24 Nov 2020), image 126.
[18] Pennsylvania Department of
Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, death certificate no. 80712 (1909), Mary
Oldham; Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania; image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/5164/images/41381_2421401696_0851-02794 : viewed 24 Nov 2020), image
2794. See also obituary: "Died,"
The Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Inquirer," 18 August 1909, p.7, col.4,
Mary Oldham; image, newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/169047097 : viewed 12 March 2021).
[19] Holy Cross Cemetery (Yeadon,
Pennsylvania), "Burial Register, 1890-1910," page 534 (1909), Mary
Oldham; image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2451/images/42154_329909-00351 : viewed 25 Nov 2020), image 570.
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