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Note: s Dennis being identified as uncle to Dennis "Houlahan," one of the heirs named in his will, along with his brother, Richard McCarthy. Because of these land transactions and their dates (detailed below), it is believed that John and Dennis McCarthy were the first McCarthy family immigrants from Ireland. They appear to have immigrated sometime prior to 11 October 1839, a numbers of years before their brother-in-law John Houlihan arrived in about June, 1847 and sister Margaret McCarthy Houlihan arrived with their children in 1848. While it is not yet confirmed, it is also believed that parents Patrick & Catherine McCarthy arrived later, likely in the late 1840's: no Patrick McCarthy or McCarty appears in the 1840 census; a John McCarthy is listed in Toby Township, Armstrong Co., PA, pg. 113 which MAY be the "right" John, with Dennis living in the house, although there was 1 male 16-20, 2 males 20-30 and 1 female 20-30 in the house and not all can be identified.
John & Denis McCarty (sic) initially appear in Butler Co., PA land records (Deed Book N, page 204) 11 October 1839 when they purchased 127 acres of land in Donegal Township from Sarah Catnack for $265. This transaction was recorded May, 1842.
In the index of Butler Co. naturalizations, Dennis McCartney and John McCarthy appear in Vol. 1, 1844. I obtained the papers and, unfortunately, very little information is provided. John McCarthy, native of Ireland, filed his intentions for citizenship at Butler, Butler Co., PA in 1841 (it appears to be 14 December), as did his brother Dennis. John signed his paper with his signature. A second declaration was filed by John McCarthy of Butler Co., PA at Clarion, Clarion Co., PA 3 Oct. 1842, although this paper is now included in the Butler Co. file and was written on paper pre-printed with Butler Co. identifiers. He again signed it as well as the grant of naturalization which follows, dated 28 Oct. 1844, accompanied by a statement signed by Michael Sweeney of Butler Co., PA and also dated 28 Oct. 1844 that he knows that John McCarthy has lived within the US for 5 years and in PA for one year. Jacob Mechling, Jr was the prothonotary signing.
An indenture dated 25 September 1847, John McCarty (sic) of Clearfield Township, Butler Co purchased 110 acres in Clearfield Township from Samuel & Mary Thornburgh for $1,000 (recorded Feb., 1870, Deed Book 24, pg. 175). Several months later, on 6 November 1847, Dennis & John McCarty (sic), both of Sugarcreek Township, Armstrong Co., were involved in what appears to have been an exchange of land with Samuel Thornburg - 106 acres in Clearfield Township, Butler Co. to the McCartys for 83 acres in Donegal Township, Butler Co. to Thornburg (part of the same land purchased by John & Dennis in 1839); recorded 25 Feb. 1851 in Armstrong Co. Deed Book S, pg. 174.
[NOTE: According to Dr. Ralph Crandall in "Shaking Your Family Tree," "Sometimes many years lapsed between the time when the grantors signed the deed and the grantee (who was responsible for recording it) finally had it entered in the town or county deed book. Sometimes it was not recorded until an heir wished to sell the land many years later and needed to establish a clear title. Thus a deed might appear in the record book decades after the grantor had died..."]
John McCarthy appears in the 1850 census as a 37 year old farmer, born in Ireland, living in Clearfield Township, Butler Co., PA with his 20 year old PA-born wife, Margaret. His real estate was valued at $1,000. John "McCartey" & Margaret Burns were married 3 Jan. 1848 at St. Patrick's Church, Sugarcreek, Armstrong Co., PA. Did John have an earlier marriage? A John McCarthy married a Julia Hanlon 10 Oct. 1844 at St. Patrick's, per St. Patrick's records. There was, however, another John McCarthy in Butler & Clarion counties at this time; this John married Mary Agatha Burns (related to Margaret?) at St. Patrick's church 16 Feb. 1847. It may have been this John who married Julia Hanlon in 1844 as a first marriage.
In an indenture dated 3 July 1854, John and Margaret McCarthy of Clearfield Township, Butler Co., sold 2 small pieces of land totalling 7 acres in Clearfield to Michael McDonnell for $122. This was part of the land John obtained from William (sic) Thornburg 25 Sept. 1847. (Recorded 5 July 1854 in Butler Co. Deed Book V, page 124)
John "McCarty" appears in the 1860 census in Butler Co., still in Clearfield Township. He was a 47 year old farmer, with real estate valued at $2500 and personal property at $460. He could neither read nor write. Margaret was 27 and daughter Bridget, at school, was 8 years old.
The last land transaction I've located in Butler Co. for John and Margaret "McCarty" is an indenture, written 16 Feb. 1870, in Deed Book 24, page 292. In that transaction, they sold 104 acres in Clearfield Township, Butler Co. for $6,000. This was the same land that John had obtained from Thornburgh in Sept., 1847. With this sale, they appear to have sold their family farm.
I located John, Margaret & daughter Bridget in the 1870 census in Pittsburgh. There John, now, 55, was listed as a "tavern keeper" living in the 10th ward; Margaret was 40 years of age. Four boarders were also living with them. At the 1880 census, John, 66, saloon keeper & Margaret, 50, were living in Pittsburgh on Plum Alley. Also living in the house were Johanna Deely/Delea, 19, from Ireland, a servant, and boarders Peter Dorain, 28 and Frank McStein, 22. (her mother, Ellen Norris Deeley, was living in the home of Patrick McCarthy - John's father - at the 1850 census.)
On 18 April 1998, I visited St. Mary's Cemetery, Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh and visited the gravesite of Richard & William McCarthy, John's brothers, in Section N, Lot 3. There I found no marker for Richard or William, but a white stone tablet, lying flat, incised "John McCarthy, Born in Co. Cork Ireland 1813, Died Dec. 22, 1880." While worn, the writing is still very legible; no date of birth is shown, only the year. With both brothers Richard and William buried in this grave, I think there's no doubt that this John is the "right" John McCarthy. Other burials in Lot 3 are of the Dunn family; there are no other McCarthy tombstones. John McCarthy's wife re-married after his death, in 1886, to a John Dunn, tavern-keeper, perhaps the successor (or colleague) of John in his business. John Dunn's date of death is also inscribed on wife Margaret (Burns) (McCarthy) Dunn's tombstone in Section U of the same cemetery. John McCarthy's daughter Bridget married a Dunn and John's McCarthy's brother's son, Cornelius McCarthy, married an Emma Dunn in 1894; several McCarthy-Dunn family relationships.
In the Pittsurgh Estate Index I located the estate of John McCarthy, Margaret McCarthy, executrix. The reference is Proceedings Index Vol. 27, pg. 294, Block 2. His will is recorded in Will Book Vol. 23, pg. 190. I read the will dated 7 Feb. 1879, submitted 27 Dec. 1880. In it wife Margaret is named as executrix and sole heir. No one else is mentioned, suggesting that daughter Bridget was deceased at this time. Letters Testamentary and the Proceedings Index indicated that John died 23 Dec. 1880, rather than the 22 Dec. date shown on his tombstone.
___________________________________________________________________________________ TOWNLAND PARISH Wholehan Jerry Knucknagehy Ross Cork 1834 Mccarthy John Knucknagehy Ross Cork 1834 Mccarthy Knucknagehy Ross Cork 1834 Wholehan Knucknagehy Ross Cork 1834
The above entry from the 1834 Tithe Applotment Books shows a close association between McCarthy and Wholehan(the spelling of the surname in the baptismal records of the children of John and Margaret. Could this John McCarthy be Margaret's elder brother?
Note: The eldest known son of Patrick and Catherine McCarthy, John McCarthy was identified from various joint land purchase/sale transactions in Butler and Armstrong counties, PA with Dennis McCarthy - thi
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