Person in this family
James D. Leahey
This entry is about James D. Leahey (about 1886 – 1 June 1914). For other family members with the same first and family name, see James D. Leahey (29 January 1940 – 18 September 2007), James J. Leahey (27 February 1864 – 10 April 1947).
about 1886 – 1 June 1914
“James D Leahey-” is a malformed duplicate of James Leahey, and very likely the same child baptized Denis Leahey in 1886. The duplicate entry has “NAME James D /Leahey-/” and alternate “NAME James D. Leahey”; the baptism and funeral records align on parents and age but do not explicitly explain the Denis-to-James name change. James was “Aged 28y” and an “Occupation train operator”; he died twelve days after infant Margaret’s “05/20/1914” death. Both entries say “83 W 12th St.”. Bayonne train operator, husband of Barbara Brennan and son of John Leahey and Margaret Mahoney; probably, but not conclusively, the Denis baptized to those parents in 1886.
Proved by a record
James D. Leahey was a Bayonne train operator who married Barbara Brennan in 1904 and died at age twenty-eight on 1 June 1914.
Died at Bayonne, New Jersey, United States
Recorded as: James Dennis Leahey, Denis Leahey
How is this person related?
Andrew John Leahey’s great-grandparent
Gina D. Cacace’s spouse's great-grandparent (by marriage)
Abigail Ann Leahey’s great-great-grandparent
Marie C. Fitzgerald’s spouse's grandparent (by marriage)
Kevin Leahey’s grandparent
Worked out from the recorded parents and marriages. No sex is recorded for anyone in this archive, so the wording stays neutral.
How this person is related to Andrew:
James D. Leahey is your great-grandparent.
Life
James D. Leahey, also represented in family information recorded here as James Dennis Leahey and Denis Leahey, was born in the United States about 1886. A St. Mary Star of the Sea baptism may record him under Denis: "Denis Leahey; birth Apr 3-1886; baptism Apr 11-1886; father John; mother Marg't Mahoney; sponsors Denis Leahey, Anna Leahey." James's later funeral entry also names John and Margaret Mahoney as his parents and gives his age as twenty-eight. This close agreement suggests that the baptized Denis and the adult James were the same person, but no record in this archive explains or conclusively proves the name change.
In 1904, the New Jersey marriage index recorded "BRENNAN BARBARA | LEAHEY JAMES | 24 | 141." The month and place are blank in the index, and the full marriage return has not been obtained.
James and Barbara were living at 83 West 12th Street in 1914. Their infant daughter Margaret died there on 20 May at eleven months old. James died only twelve days later, on 1 June. His funeral record reads: "Aged 28y, Born US, Married, Occupation train operator." A train operator worked on the operation of an urban or railroad train, although the entry does not name James's employer or the type of railway.
The 1912 Sanborn map, sheet 37 (external address omitted for offline reading) shows the house two years before those deaths. Lot 83 held a yellow building marked "2½" and "D": a small two-and-a-half-storey wooden dwelling. A relative can now picture the actual kind of home in which the family lived, while the map itself proves the building in 1912 rather than their occupancy before 1914.
The cause of death for both James and Margaret is still unknown. The answer should be in the New Jersey State Archives series "Death Certificates and Indexes, 1878–1946," reel "394 1914: Kin - Lom" (external address omitted for offline reading), which covers Leahey. The state health report's "MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY TABLE FOR HUDSON COUNTY ... BY SANITARY DISTRICTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING OCTOBER 31, 1914" tabulates typhoid, diphtheria, scarlet fever and tuberculosis for Bayonne, so the epidemic question can be tested against published city-wide data—but that table names neither James nor Margaret and establishes no cause for either person.
The same funeral record says James was buried at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in "Block N, Letter A, N. 20154." A volunteer memorial instead says, "No marker for James. Buried with John and Margaret Hennessey," and gives a different plot description. Until cemetery records reconcile those accounts, the funeral register provides the stronger contemporary burial evidence. The exact identity of the baptized Denis and the full details of James's marriage and burial remain unresolved.
The 1880 census now independently identifies the older John Leahey as Dennis and Ann’s son. Because James’s funeral entry directly names his father as John and his mother as Margaret Mahoney, the John-to-Dennis step in Andrew’s direct line is no longer an inference from a shared grave: it is documented.
How we know this: Documented for marriage, address, occupation, parent names, death, and funeral burial; identification with the Denis baptized in 1886 remains a strong but unproved inference. [1][2][3][4][5][6]
Death and burial
Evidence distinction: [RECORD] means text read from the photographed stone. [COMPILED] means volunteer-typed memorial information and is only a lead.
Find a Grave memorial 207716245
Why this memorial is attached
Matched by exact death date, age, parents John and Margaret Mahoney, spouse Barbara Brennan, and infant daughter Margaret. Find a Grave memorial 207716245 (findagrave.com).
1 Jun 1914 | Parents John Leahey 1861–1887; Margaret Mahoney Hennessey 1867–1910 | Spouse Barbara Brennan Leahey Murphy 1886–1961
[COMPILED] Volunteer-typed memorial fields
These fields are leads, not civil or church records, and do not replace documented dates. Find a Grave memorial 207716245 (findagrave.com).
Name: James Dennis Leahey Birth: 3 Apr 1886 Death: 1 Jun 1914 (aged 28) Cemetery: Holy Name Cemetery and Mausoleum, Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, USA Plot: Blk-D Sec-A Gr-74 1B Family links: Parents: John Leahey 1861–1887; Margaret Mahoney Hennessey 1867–1910. Spouse: Barbara Brennan Leahey Murphy 1886–1961 (m. 1904). Children: Catherine C Leahey Chambers 1905–1970; John Joseph Leahey 1907–1980; George Edward Leahey 1909–1983; James Francis Leahey 1911–1983; Margaret Leahey 1913–1914.
Photograph status: a cemetery-area photograph was downloaded, but it is not a readable headstone record for this person. Find a Grave memorial 207716245 (findagrave.com).
[RECORD] No readable inscription for this person is visible in the fetched photograph.
The photograph is a cemetery-area view and shows no marker for James. The memorial says: ‘No marker for James. Buried with John and Margaret Hennessey.’ Find a Grave memorial 207716245 (findagrave.com).
Conflicts retained
Conflict: The memorial assigns Holy Name, Block D, Section A, Grave 74 1B. The contemporary funeral register instead records Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Block N, Letter A, no. 20154. The funeral register remains the stronger evidence and the conflict is unresolved. Open the memorial evidence (findagrave.com).
Holy Name Cemetery and Mausoleum | Blk-D Sec-A Gr-74 1B | No marker for James. Buried with John and Margaret Hennessey
Family
Parents
Spouse
Children
See this family in the family treeWork and occupation
- train operator
Aged 28y, Born US, Married, Occupation train operator
Citation: Dempsey 1914–1918 [3]
Where they lived
Use the place list first. The map below is optional.
Places listed on this page
- Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey
- Holy Name Cemetery, Jersey City Cemetery or burial place
- Holy Name Cemetery, Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey Cemetery or burial place
- St. Mary Star of the Sea, Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey
- Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey
- New Jersey
- United States
The map could not load. The complete place list is above it.
The pins show approximate places. The line only joins them in time order; it does not prove the route travelled. 2 of the places listed above are recorded only as a county or country, so they are not pinned. Cemetery and burial places have red pins.
Timeline
Born
St. Mary Star of the Sea records: “Denis Leahey; birth Apr 3-1886; baptism Apr 11-1886; father John; mother Marg't Mahoney; sponsors Denis Leahey, Anna Leahey”. [1]
Proved by a record
Baptized
probably, but not conclusively, the Denis baptized to those parents in 1886.
From our family tree - no record found yet
Baptized
“James D Leahey-” is a malformed duplicate of James Leahey, and very likely the same child baptized Denis Leahey in 1886. The duplicate entry has “NAME James D /Leahey-/” and alternate “NAME James D. Leahey”; the baptism and funeral records align on parents and age but do not explicitly explain the Denis-to-James name change.
From our family tree - no record found yet
Born
Death/funeral date: 1 June 1914; address 83 W. 12th Street; burial recorded for Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Block N, Letter A, no. 20154. His age gives a birth in about 1886. [3]
Proved by a record
Born
The precise 3 April 1886 birth belongs directly to Denis, not yet conclusively to James.
From our family tree - no record found yet
Buried
A volunteer memorial calls him “James Dennis Leahey,” gives “3 Apr 1886” and “1 Jun 1914,” and says “No marker for James. Buried with John and Margaret Hennessey.” [4]
From our family tree - no record found yet
Life event
The 1904 New Jersey bride index reads: “BRENNAN BARBARA | LEAHEY JAMES | 24 | 141 | [blank place] | [blank month] | 1904”. [2]
Proved by a record
Died
The James who married Barbara did so in New Jersey in 1904; he died 1 June 1914, aged 28, and was buried at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, block N, letter A, no. 20154. [2]
Proved by a record
Died
The Dempsey register reads: “James | Leahey”; death “06/01/1914”; address “83 W 12th St.”; parents “John/US | Margaret Mahoney/US”; cemetery “HCCC”; notes “Aged 28y, Born US, Married, Occupation train operator, Buried in Block N, Letter A, N. 20154”. [3]
Proved by a record
Buried
A volunteer memorial calls him “James Dennis Leahey,” gives “3 Apr 1886” and “1 Jun 1914,” and says “No marker for James. Buried with John and Margaret Hennessey.” [4]
From our family tree - no record found yet
Died
The James who married Barbara did so in New Jersey in 1904; he died 1 June 1914, aged 28, and was buried at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, block N, letter A, no. 20154. [2]
Proved by a record
Conflicting compiled burial place
The memorial assigns Holy Name and says no marker; the funeral register assigns Holy Cross. [6]
From our family tree - no record found yet
Obituary in the Jersey Journal
An obituary for James Leahey, aged 28, died 1 June 1914, was printed in the **Jersey Journal** of 2 June 1914. The index gives the paper and the date but not the text, which sits behind GenealogyBank's paywall. The Jersey City Free Public Library holds the Jersey Journal on microfilm, and a 1914 obituary of a 28-year-old very often says what he died of.
Proved by a record
Original records
Tap to open a larger copyNew Jersey bride index, Barbara Brennan and James Leahey, 1904
An index is a list that points to where the full record can be found. It matters on this page because it records information connected with James D. Leahey.
Open the larger document
Original source (archive.org)
Machine-read text (may contain errors) · Good machine reading
Automated reading aid only. The human-verified quotations elsewhere in the archive remain authoritative.
BRENGLE EVA RUTHENBECK FRANK 30 T'S'2 N BRENIG JENNIE ; PETERSEN FRIDOLP 27 207 HARVEY 22 463 BRENIZER MAUD OWYER DANIEL 10 50 BRENKO TENIA WASKO PAUL aT 246 BRENNA AMELIA THOMSON HARRIS 42 1.363 BRENNA CONGETTO 0 RADI CE VITO 22 BRENNA LIZZIE DIORIO DANIEL 9 230 BRENNAN AGNES HEASLEY WILLIAM 12 466 LYNCH PATRICK aif oe BRENNAN AGNES MAYER BERNARO 19 361 N N H BRENNAN ANN HINES MICHAEL 2:3 235 BRENNAN ANNA CURRY JOSEPH 6 733 BRENNAN ANNA RUNKLE CHARLES 25 87 BRENNAN ANNIE ROBINSON GEORGE 29 310 BRENNAN BERTHA BLUME CHARLES 3 13:3 N 3 BRENNAN BRIOGET BELL JOHN 2 606 R NA 3 A A ha i ya Pe BRENNAN BRIOGET MURRAY PETER 30 Ly H BRENNAN CATHARINE FARRELL JOSEPH 9 280 BRENNAN ATHARIN MAGH M TIN Z 16 BRENNAN CATHERINE COOGAN HUGH 7 281 RENNAN ATHER E GILM ATR K 49 BRENNAN CATHERINE GRATH PETER ; Lad 158 D 4 BRENNAN CATHERINE MCLAREN CHARLES 20 44 R A 2 BRENNAN DELIA KENNEDY JOHN 15 439 BRENNAN ELIZABETH BOWE PETER aE BRENNAN ELIZABETH MARTIN JULIAN 22.393 BRENNAN EMMA PELE; a EaaNT ES ie eae BRENNAN EVA MEYER CHARLES st Het BRENNAN HELEN MULCAHY JAMES 20 608 BRENNAN JANE CREAN WALTER PHA GEORGE BRENNAN JOSEPHINE FACKLEMAN JULIUS 10 BRENNAN KATHRINE LAFFERTY FREDE BRENNAN Lizzie ae aT CHARLES BRENNAN 0 RR A N 0 §
FamilySearch 1880 United States census collection
A census is a government list of the people who were living in a home. It matters on this page because it records information connected with James D. Leahey.
The full file is not saved on this site.
Original source (familysearch.org)
FamilySearch Holy Name Cemetery card index, 1849–1984
An index is a list that points to where the full record can be found. It matters on this page because it records information connected with James D. Leahey.
The full file is not saved on this site.
Original source (familysearch.org)
Find a Grave memorial, James Dennis Leahey
This old record gives information about the person or family named here. It matters on this page because it records information connected with James D. Leahey.
The full file is not saved on this site.
Original source (findagrave.com)
Grave photograph, John and Dennis Leahey monument
This old record gives information about the person or family named here. It matters on this page because it records information connected with James D. Leahey.
The full file is not saved on this site.
Original source (images.findagrave.com)
Tap to open a larger copySt. Mary Star of the Sea baptism register, Denis Leahey, 1886
This is an entry in a church book, often naming a child, parents, and godparents. It matters on this page because it records information connected with James D. Leahey.
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Original source (hudsoncountynjgenealogy.org)
Machine-read text (may contain errors) · Good machine reading
Automated reading aid only. The human-verified quotations elsewhere in the archive remain authoritative.
No. 55 Name of Date Date of Father’s Sponsors Priest Marriage, etc.
Person and Baptism Name
Baptized Place of Mother’s
Birth Maiden
Name
73 Edward Apr 3 Apr 4 - James Edw. A. Egan
Watson 1886 1886 Mary Egan Martin
Anna Egan
74 Johanna Mar 13 Apr 4 - George Edw. " Married to Paul
Schafer - 1886 1886 Bridget Sullivan Kail - Jan 30 -
Connolly Mary 1909
Fitzgerald in St. Patrick's
- Elizabethport,
N.J. Rev.
Gessner
75 Herbert Ernst Mar 21 Apr 11 - Francis Richard "
- 1886 1886 Ellen Welsh
Walsh M. Ernst
76 James Apr 1 - Apr 11 - Henry James " Married to Jas.
Reickert 1886 1886 Bridget Casey Rickert - Oct
Monahan Bridget 13 1909 in St.
Boyle Mary's A.M.
Egan
77 Denis Leahey Apr 3 - Apr 11 - John Denis "
1886 1886 Marg't Leahey
Mahoney Anna
Leahey
78 Henry Apr 2 - Apr 11 - Thomas John Jones "
McInnierney 1886 1886 Matilda Lizzie
Caldwell Caldwell
79 Margaret Mar 27 Apr 11 - Timothy Henry "
Cronin - 1886 1886 Marg't Dillon
Mitchell Mary
Thomas
80 Anna Lynch Mar 29 Apr 11 - Jeremiah Jas. "
- 1886 1886 Mary Callahan
Callahan Mary
Sullivan
81 James Apr 6 - Apr 11 - Patrick John Boyle "
Sweeney 1886 1886 Marg't Mary
Mulligan Sweeney
82 James Calden Mar 26 Apr 11 - Patrick John Trolan "
- 1886 1886 Sarah Lee Mary
Callanan
Tap to open a larger copySt. Mary Star of the Sea baptism register, George Denis Taylor, 1885
This is an entry in a church book, often naming a child, parents, and godparents. It matters on this page because it records information connected with James D. Leahey.
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Original source (hudsoncountynjgenealogy.org)
Machine-read text (may contain errors) · Good machine reading
Automated reading aid only. The human-verified quotations elsewhere in the archive remain authoritative.
No. 25 Name of Date and Date of Father’s Sponsors Priest Marriage,
Person Place of Baptism Name etc.
Baptized Birth Mother’s
Maiden
Name
55 Mary Feb 20 – Mar 1 – James John A.M.
Anastasia 1885 1885 Mary Egan Shannon Egan
Watson Margaret
Muck
56 William Mar 5 – Mar 8 – James William “
Reed 1885 1885 Margaret Lynch
Qualey Johanna
Qualey
57 George Feb 22 – Mar 8 – Frederick Denis “
Denis 1885 1885 Barbara Leahey
Taylor Weis Anna
Leahey
58 Bertha Feb 8 – Mar 8 – Gustave Ernest “
Sophie 1885 1885 Sophie Holder
Brown Hurber Bertha
Holder
59 Thomas Feb 26 – Mar 8 – Thomas John “
Francis 1885 1885 Helen Higgins
Higgins Driscoll Mary
Driscoll
60 Mary Feb 11 – Mar 12 – Patrick John Wood “
Kavanagh 1885 1885 Mary Julia Wood
Nolan
61 Elizabeth Jan 9 – Mar 12 – Benjamin Thomas “
Herford 1885 1885 Anna Killeen
Cassidy
62 Daniel Mar 6 – Mar 15 – Daniel Michael “
Daley 1885 1885 Helen Healey
Healey Elizabeth
Healey
63 Bridget Mar 6 – Mar 15 – Thomas David “
Hickey 1885 1885 Mary Shay Hickey
Julia Reilly
64 John Mar 9 - Mar 22 - John Daniel “
Francis St. 1885 1885 Elizabeth Hurley
John Macy Helen
NaughtonJohn Leahey memorial with photographed joint Leahey stone
This old record gives information about the person or family named here. It matters on this page because it records information connected with James D. Leahey.
The full file is not saved on this site.
Original source (findagrave.com)
James Dennis Leahey memorial; burial-area photograph but no marker
This old record gives information about the person or family named here. It matters on this page because it records information connected with James D. Leahey.
The full file is not saved on this site.
Original source (findagrave.com)
FamilySearch World War II draft-card image search
This old record gives information about the person or family named here. It matters on this page because it records information connected with James D. Leahey.
The full file is not saved on this site.
Original source (familysearch.org)
Tap to open a larger copy1912 Sanborn map: 83 West 12th Street, Bayonne
This old record gives information about the person or family named here. It matters on this page because it records information connected with James D. Leahey.
Open the larger document
Original source (tile.loc.gov)
Credit: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, Sanborn Maps Collection. Cropped from sheet 37. Licence: Public domain
What the records say
5 of 6 records transcribed.
Record exhibit
register page 55 PDF
This old record gives information about the person or family named here.
Proved by a record
Verbatim transcription currently held in this archive — reproduced in full.
Denis Leahey; birth Apr 3-1886; baptism Apr 11-1886; father John; mother Marg't Mahoney; sponsors Denis Leahey, Anna Leahey. | John/US Margaret Mahoney/US | Denis Leahey; birth Apr 3-1886; baptism Apr 11-1886; father John; mother Marg't Mahoney; sponsors Denis Leahey, Anna Leahey
Record exhibit
Index image
An index is a list that points to where the full record can be found.
Proved by a record
Verbatim transcription currently held in this archive — reproduced in full.
BRENNAN BARBARA | LEAHEY JAMES | 24 | 141 | [blank place] | [blank month] | 1904. | New Jersey Marriage Index, 1901-2016 | The searchable databases and images are all available free online. | BRENNAN BARBARA | LEAHEY JAMES | 24 | 141 | [blank place] | [blank month] | 1904 | James/US | Barbara Brennan/US | BRENNAN BARBARA | LEAHEY JAMES | 24 | 141 | [blank place] | [blank month] | 1904 | BRENNAN BARBARA | LEAHEY JAMES | 24 | 141 | [blank place] | [blank month] | 1904.Show the full recordHide the full recordFull record, about 100 words
| BRENNAN BARBARA | LEAHEY JAMES | 24 | 141 | [blank place] | [blank month] | 1904. | BRENNAN BARBARA | LEAHEY JAMES | 24 | 141 | [blank place] | [blank month] | 1904 | Barbara Brennan, | June 10 - 1886, | June 13 - 1886 | 24 | 141 | CHIL | June 10 - 1886 | Patrick Powers | 83 W 12th St. | BRENNAN BARBARA | LEAHEY JAMES | 24 | 141 | [blank place] | [blank month] | 1904 | 24 | 141
Record exhibit
Dempsey 1914–1918
This old record gives information about the person or family named here.
Proved by a record
Verbatim transcription currently held in this archive — reproduced in full.
James | Leahey | ... | 06/01/1914 | 83 W 12th St. | ... | John/US | Margaret Mahoney/US | HCCC | Aged 28y, Born US, Married, Occupation train operator, Buried in Block N, Letter A, N. 20154. | Margaret | Leahey | ... | 05/20/1914 | 83 W 12th St. | ... | James/US | Barbara Brennan/US | HCCC | Aged 11m, Born US. | Hanorah | Hedley | ... | 12/04/1917 | 23 W 8th St. | ...Show the full recordHide the full recordFull record, about 250 words
| Dennis Leahey/Ire | Ann Galvin/Ire | HCCC | Aged 38y, Born US, Married, Ordered by John Hedley. | Block N, Letter A, N. 20154, | Blk-D Sec-A Gr-74 1B | Owen/Ire | Bridget Jones/Ire | Owen/Ire | Bridget Jones/Ire | James | Leahey | John/US | Margaret Mahoney/US | Aged 28y, Born US, Married, Occupation train operator, Buried in Block N, Letter A, N. 20154 | James/US | Barbara Brennan/US | James/US | Barbara Brennan/US | Aged 28y, Born US, Married, Occupation train operator | Aged 28y | Occupation train operator | James | Leahey | John/US | Margaret Mahoney/US | James | Leahey | ... | 06/01/1914 | 83 W 12th St. | ... | John/US | Margaret Mahoney/US | HCCC | Aged 28y, Born US, Married, Occupation train operator, Buried in Block N, Letter A, N. 20154. | Margaret | Leahey | ... | 05/20/1914 | 83 W 12th St. | ... | James/US | Barbara Brennan/US | HCCC | Aged 11m, Born US. | James | Leahey | ... | 06/01/1914 | 83 W 12th St. | ... | John/US | Margaret Mahoney/US | HCCC | Aged 28y, Born US, Married, Occupation train operator, Buried in Block N, Letter A, N. 20154. | Margaret | Leahey | ... | 05/20/1914 | 83 W 12th St. | ... | James/US | Barbara Brennan/US | HCCC | Aged 11m, Born US. | Margaret | Leahey | James/US | Barbara Brennan/US | Aged 11m, Born US | CHIL | June 10 - 1886 | Patrick Powers | Margaret | Leahey | James/US | Barbara Brennan/US
Record exhibit
James Dennis Leahey memorial
This old record gives information about the person or family named here.
Partly proved
Verbatim transcription currently held in this archive — reproduced in full.
James Dennis Leahey, | 3 Apr 1886 | 1 Jun 1914 | No marker for James. Buried with John and Margaret Hennessey. | Block N, Letter A, N. 20154, | Blk-D Sec-A Gr-74 1B | 3 Apr 1886–1 Jun 1914, | No marker for James. Buried with John and Margaret Hennessey | 1 Jun 1914,
Record exhibit
Book 1 directory
A city directory is an old address book that often lists a person's home and job.
Proved by a record
Verbatim transcription currently held in this archive — reproduced in full.
The exact words from this record have not been typed out yet.
Record exhibit
Find a Grave memorial 207716245 and grave-area photograph
This old record gives information about the person or family named here.
Partly proved
Verbatim transcription currently held in this archive — reproduced in full.
James Dennis Leahey | 3 Apr 1886 | 1 Jun 1914 (aged 28) | Holy Name Cemetery and Mausoleum, Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, USA | Blk-D Sec-A Gr-74 1B | 1 Jun 1914 | Parents John Leahey 1861–1887; Margaret Mahoney Hennessey 1867–1910 | Spouse Barbara Brennan Leahey Murphy 1886–1961 | Family links: Parents: John Leahey 1861–1887; Margaret Mahoney Hennessey 1867–1910. Spouse:Show the full recordHide the full recordFull record, about 100 words
Barbara Brennan Leahey Murphy 1886–1961 (m. 1904). Children: Catherine C Leahey Chambers 1905–1970; John Joseph Leahey 1907–1980; George Edward Leahey 1909–1983; James Francis Leahey 1911–1983; Margaret Leahey 1913–1914. | The photograph is a cemetery-area view and shows no marker for James. The memorial says: ‘No marker for James. Buried with John and Margaret Hennessey.’
Historical context
These background articles explain the places, work, and events in this entry.
Bayonne and the Industrial Waterfront, 1870–1920
The Bayonne in these family records was a new city built around water, rails and heavy industry. Bayonne Township was formed only in 1861, uniting older settlements on Bergen Neck; it became a city in 1869. The…
What Sponsors and Witnesses Can Tell Us
Catholic registers often preserve the people standing just outside a family photograph. A baptism normally names the child, parents, date and sponsors or godparents; a marriage normally names the couple and wit…
A Stillman in Bayonne’s Oil Works
George Hoffman’s 1900 census entry calls him a “Stillman Oil Refinery” and places his family at 36 West 23rd Street in Bayonne. His 1915 funeral entry still gives his occupation as “stillman.” That was not a su…
A Train Operator in Bayonne, 1914
James D. Leahey’s funeral entry records a compact working life: married, American-born, age twenty-eight, living at 83 West 12th Street in Bayonne, occupation “train operator.” He died on 1 June 1914, twelve da…
A Vessel Captain in New York Harbor
The 1918 Bayonne directory lists “Matthew S. Leahey, vessel capt” at 9 Cottage Street. It does not name his boat, employer, cargo or licence. “Captain” may bring an ocean liner to mind, but a Bayonne harbour ca…
What we still don't know
- Did the Denis Leahey born on 3 April 1886 later use the name James D. Leahey?
- What parent, residence, and identity details appear on the 1904 marriage return and James's death certificate?
- Which Holy Cross burial location is correct?
- Obtain James's and Margaret's full 1914 death certificates from New Jersey State Archives reel 394, "1914: Kin - Lom," to learn each cause of death; do not infer a cause from the city-wide health table.
- Obtain the 1904 marriage return and James’s 1914 death certificate to see whether either calls him James Dennis or Denis; until then, retain the name-change conclusion as inference and merge the hyphenated duplicate entry only with an explanatory note.
- Obtain New Jersey marriage file 24-141 and James’s death certificate; either could prove whether baptismal Denis became James D. and resolve the funeral-book plot against the memorial’s different family-tree burial claim.
- Find a Grave assigns Holy Name, Block D, Section A, Grave 74 1B, while the contemporary funeral register gives Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Block N, Letter A, no. 20154. Retain the funeral register as stronger without erasing the memorial claim.
- [HOW TO GET THE CAUSE] His cause of death is not recorded anywhere in this archive. Two routes, both real. First, the obituary: Jersey Journal, 2 June 1914, located exactly, free to read on microfilm at the Jersey City Free Public Library. Second, his New Jersey death certificate for 1 June 1914 in Hudson County, from the New Jersey State Archives at Trenton, which states cause outright — the same office and the same $10 fee as Ann Galvin's and Dennis's certificates already on the list, so one trip or one order could collect all four.
References
- [1] register page 55 PDFBack to citation 1a Back to citation 1b
- [2] Index imageBack to citation 2a Back to citation 2b Back to citation 2c Back to citation 2d
- [3] Dempsey 1914–1918Back to citation 3a Back to citation 3b Back to citation 3c Back to citation 3d
- [4] James Dennis Leahey memorialBack to citation 4a Back to citation 4b Back to citation 4c
- [5] Book 1 directoryBack to citation 5
- [6] Find a Grave memorial 207716245 and grave-area photographBack to citation 6a Back to citation 6b