Family of Denis Ahern and Ellen Fitzpatrick

Denis Ahern, born to John Ahern and Catharine Ahern at Ironmines in Mallow, Co. Cork, baptized on Sunday, the 6th of January 1828 at St. Mary's in Mallow (sponsors: Timothy Brian and C. Sullivan), died due to asthma and senile changes on Monday, 28 November, 1898 in Arlington, Massachusetts, buried in St. Paul's cemetery in Arlington. He married Ellen Fitzpatrick on Sunday, 16 March 1851 at St. Mary's in Mallow, Co. Cork (witnesses: John Cronan and Dennis Fitzpatrick).

Ellen Fitzpatrick, born to Dennis Fitzpatrick and Annie Mahoney at Ballydineen, in Doneraile, Co. Cork, baptized on Friday, 6 July 1832 in Doneraile (sponsor: James Barret), died due to pneumonia on Thursday, 8 December 1910 in Arlington, buried on Sunday, 11 December 1910 in St. Paul's cemetery in Arlington.

Dennis and Ellen Ahern and their two sons, Patrick, aged 5 and John, aged 1, came to Boston from Ireland on the S.S. Western Empire, a ship of 1,397 tons with 328 passengers on board. The vessel was owned by Spragie, Soule & Co. of Boston and sailed regularly between Liverpool, from where it left on 24 August 1857 under the command of Capt. H. Harlow, and Boston, where it tied up at Constitution Wharf at the foot of Hanover Street in the North End on the afternoon of Friday, 25 September.

It wasn't until Sunday, 27 September that the family cleared customs and immigration and came ashore. It's assumed that they came to West Cambridge (later Arlington), Massachusetts and moved in with Ellen's brother, Patrick Fitzpatrick, where they appear in the 1860 census. In the 1859 tax records for Arlington there's a Dennis Aharn [sic] listed as having paid $1.50 in Town, County and State taxes.

Their children were:

1. Patrick J. Ahern, baptized 4 April 1852 at St. Mary's in Mallow (sponsors: Timothy Mahoney and Anne Fitzpatrick), immigrated on Sunday, 27 September 1857 to Boston, died due to chronic nephritis on Wednesday, 13 October 1910 in Arlington, buried in St. Paul's cemetery in Arlington. He worked as a watchman at the Mystic Water Works and never married.
2. John P. Ahern, baptized on Sunday, 13 May 1855 in Mallow at St. Mary's in Mallow, Co. Cork (sponsors: Maurice Roche and Mary Aherne), immigrated on Sunday, 27 September 1857 to Boston, died due, presumably, to cancer of the stomach on Tuesday, 26 January 1932 in Arlington, buried on Thursday, 28 January 1932 in Mt. Pleasant cemetery in Arlington. He never married.
3. Dennis J. Ahern, born 12 August 1858 in West Cambridge [Arlington], baptized 14 August 1858 at St. Peter's in Cambridge (sponsors: Patrick and Margaret Fitzpatrick), died due to a chronic arteriosclerotic heart on Monday, 1 April 1935 in Arlington, buried on Thursday, 4 April 1935 in Mount Pleasant cemetery in Arlington. He married Margaret E. Lane on Thursday, 28 August 1884 in Arlington.
4. Jeremiah Ahern, born 13 September 1860 in West Cambridge, baptized 23 September at St. Peter's in Cambridge (sponsors: John Fitzpatrick and Ellen [Lane] O'Brien), died due to diarrhea on Thursday, 3 October 1861 in Arlington, buried in Metropolitan City Cemetery in Cambridge.
5. Catharine A. Ahern, born on Tuesday, the 1st of July 1862, in West Cambridge, baptized at St. Peter's in Cambridge 13 July (sponsors: John Ahern and Ellen Nagle), died due to interstitial nephritis on Saturday, 1 October 1921 in Arlington, buried in St. Paul's cemetery in Arlington on Monday 3 October 1921. She never married.
6. Daniel Ahern, born 28 February 1864 in West Cambridge, baptized 1 March 1864 at St. Peter's in Cambridge (sponsors: William Quinn and Catherine Ahern). On the day Daniel was born, a Sunday, his mother's brother, Patrick Fitzpatrick, was struck down and killed by a carriage in Boston. At the time, the Aherns and Fitzpatricks were living together on Lake Street, and a sad household it must have been to hold a christening in the midst of a wake.
7. William A. Ahern, born on Thursday, 6 April 1865 in West Cambridge, baptized 9 April at St. Peter's in Cambridge (sponsors: Dennis Fitzpatrick, and Ellen J. Ahern), died due to chronic nephritis on Thursday, 26 December 1901 in Arlington, buried on Saturday, 28 December 1901 in St. Paul's cemetery in Arlington. He worked as a farm laborer and never married.
8. Francis A. "Frank" Ahern, born on Wednesday, 22 January 1868 in Arlington, baptized 23 January at St. Peter's in Cambridge (sponsors: Patrick Ahern and Julia Fitzpatrick), died due to chronic endocarditis on Friday, 14 April 1916 at 21 Webster St. in Arlington, buried on Sunday, 16 April 1916 in St. Paul's cemetery in Arlington. He married Ellen E. "Nellie" Fermoyle (aged 22) on Sunday, 14 September 1890 in the church of St. Malachy's in Arlington (witnesses: Patrick Ahern and Matilda Fermoyle).
9. Thomas M. Ahern, born on Monday, 4 April 1870 in Arlington, baptized 8 May at St. Peter's in Cambridge (sponsors: William Neil and Ellen Roche), died presumably of a heart attack, found dead in his home at 47 North Union St. on Tuesday, 19 June 1934 in Arlington, buried on Thursday, 21 June 1934 in Mt. Pleasant cemetery in Arlington. He graduated from Arlington's Russell Grammar School in June of 1885, and was a teamster in 1898, later worked for the Town of Arlington and never married.
10. George Edward Ahern, born on Tuesday, 1 July 1873 in Arlington, baptized 5 July at St. Malachy's (sponsors: John Roche and Ellen Mahoney). Died due to cerebral hemorrhage and vascular disease on Saturday, 23 August 1947 on North Road on Bearskin Neck in Rockport, Essex County Massachusetts, buried on Wednesday, 27 August 1947 in Mt. Pleasant cemetery in Arlington. He married Lena Josephine Mannix on Sunday, 8 October 1905 at St. Agnes (witnesses: Charles G. Barry and Eva F. Hamall).
11. Edward Ahern, born on Saturday, 31 July 1875 in Arlington, baptized 2 October at St. Malachy's (sponsors: John Mahoney and Catherine Roche), died due to cholera infantum on Monday, 7 August 1876 in Arlington, buried in Malden, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

This page copyright © 1999 by Dennis Ahern.

visitors have accessed this page since April 2, 1998.