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"Anne Sullivan" and "Helen Keller"

"Anne Sullivan" and "Helen Keller"

Posted: 22 Apr 2012 1:23PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Sullivan, Keller


Hello,

About a week ago someone on one of the Lists made me think about "the Miracle Worker." I looked on-line and saw a brief-biography of Anne SULLIVAN. In the paragraphs it was mentioned that she grew up in what is now Agawam, MA. But, while still a child, she went to live at the Tewksbury State Hospital. I became curious about that. Agawam is in Western MA near the CT border and definitely not near Tewksbury. So, I requested a book about her from the library. What I picked up the book on Friday, I was surprised to see a book from the 1930's. I was more surprised when I started reading about Joanne "Annie" SULLIVAN and her Irish parents and her childhood. Talk about "telling it like it is." The author, Nella Braddy, told as many unpleasant details as she could. And, I've only gotten through the first 2 chapters. It is really a history book, discussiong the many people from Ireland arriving in MA just after the "Irish Famine." It discusses where they lived and why in MA. Thomas and Alice (CLOHESY) SULLIVAN arrived to live with or near other SULLIVAN family members. Alice was very young and didn't have family or friend of her own, but she was likable and soon made friends. Thomas was a tall, rugged, hardworker, outdoors-type person who soon became a drunk, etc. They had Joanne "Annie" and then 2 more children. But, Alice had an accident in the home, and she never recovered from her injuries well. She died young. One of her daughters died at 5 from a disease. Her only son was born a cripple. And, Annie became an unruly, temper-tantrum, .bad child. as some considered her.

After Alice died, the father could not take care of his kids, and all the hardworking neighbors / relatives tried to help. But they had problems of their own. Soon one family took in Annie and another family took in her disabled brother, Jimmy. But that didn't work out, so the decision was made to send them to the only "Almshouse" available. So they were put on a train to head to Boston and then to Tewksbury. I won't continue with the unpleasant details of what the "Tewksbury State Hospital" looked like at that time. But the 2 young children were put in the only room available for children who were not really sick - right beside the "Death Room" - where patients were placed when they knew the patients would be passing within days. But, Annie didn't mind so much, as it was in this place that she found out what .love. was.

The book is called: "Anne Sullivan Macy: The Story Behind Helen Keller" from 1938. And, I recommend it as a history book especially around the late 1800's MA. Oh, I forgot to mention that Annie developed a disease as a young child which caused her to become .legally blind. *

Betty (near Lowell, MA)

(on Lists and Boards for 10 yrs.; now an Admin for 9 Lists and 3 Boards)

*
It was even mentioned that "hoof and mouth disease" was causing problems with people at that time.

(FYI: Just as Annie's disease was not treated because the family could not afford to call in a doctor, it was around 1912 when my paternal grandmother went sledding one winter, crashed into a tree, and got a head injury. Because her single-parent mother also could not afford to call in a doctor, my grandmother's injury was not treated, and she also became .legally blind.)

Re: "Anne Sullivan" and "Helen Keller"

Posted: 22 Jun 2012 11:06PM GMT
Classification: Query
Anne actually lived in Feeding Hills, MA. There is a statue in her and Helen's honor in front of one of the schools, probably where the hospital was located.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AnneSullivan-Feeding_Hill...

Re: "Anne Sullivan" and "Helen Keller"

Posted: 23 Jun 2012 10:50AM GMT
Classification: Query
Thank you for sharing that. Which library did you use? I'm in Nashua

Re: "Anne Sullivan" and "Helen Keller"

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 12:51AM GMT
Classification: Query
I apologize, Anne Sullivan was born in Feeding Hills. The Anne Sullivan Memorial - Marker and Statue dedicated to Helen Keller's "Teacher", is on the corner of Springfield and South Westfield Streets.

Re: "Anne Sullivan" and "Helen Keller"

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 12:35PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi Nancy,

I got it through the Chelmsford Library. I got extra busy during June and never had a chance to finish browsing through it. I'll try this weekend and hope to return it on Monday.

Betty

Re: "Anne Sullivan" and "Helen Keller"

Posted: 6 Aug 2012 1:02AM GMT
Classification: Query
"Water" - the monument dedicated to Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller was created by world-class sculptor and long time Tewksbury resident Mico Kaufman. The 1st in the series of 3 is on the grounds of the Tewksbury Town Hall, the 2nd is in Feeding Hills. It seems that he hasn't created the 3rd yet, a natural guess would be placing it in Ivy Green, AL where the relationship began or perhaps at The Perkins School for the Blind where Anne and Helen both studied.

Off topic but Mico Kaufman is a fascinating guy. He and my husband's favorite HS teacher happened to be close friends and I never forgot his name. He has several works in Tewksbury and Lowell.

Re: "Anne Sullivan" and "Helen Keller"

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 3:55PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hello Betty,

After reading the information about Annie Sullivan which you supplied to Ancestry.com’s message board on 22 April of this year, I wanted to see if I could find where in Ireland Annie’s parents, Thomas Sullivan and Alice Clohesy were married. If Annie had been born in 1866, and if she were the eldest child of the Thomas and Alice, I figured her parents would have been married sometime between 1860 and 1864.

I found what I believe to be the marriage index for Thomas and Alice at the Irish Family History Foundation (IFHF) website for County Limerick. This index shows that Thomas Sullivan and Alice Clohesy were married in the Hospital & Herbertstown Catholic Church in 1862.

The home page for the IFHF can be found at: http://www.rootsireland.ie/

The index follows:


1 match for the search criteria: Sullivan (plus variants) Thomas 1862 Parish: HOSPITAL & HERBERTSTOWN (RC)

Record Type: Marriage Records for Co. LImerick
Surname: Sullivan
First Name: Thomas
Spouse's Surname: Clohesy
Spouse's First Name: Alice
Father's Surname:
Father's First Name:
Mother's Surname:
Mother's First Name:

Year: 1862

Parish/District: Parish: HOSPITAL & HERBERTSTOWN (RC)
____


Next I looked for but didn’t find any children of Thomas Sullivan and Alice Clohesy who may have been baptized in Limerick or in other Irish counties, prior to Thomas and Alice leaving for the United States.

Moving ahead eight years in time I found Thomas and Alice Sullivan and three of their children in the 1870 U.S. census, living in Agawam, Massachusetts. The census shows that 30 year old Thomas was employed as a laborer and that the value of his personal estate at the time was $100. The census shows that he and his 28 year old wife Alice were from Ireland. The enumeration further shows that Thomas could not read and write, but that Alice could only read.

The children in the household, all born in Massachusetts, are 4 year old Anna; 3 year old Nellie; and 1 year old James.

I had wondered why Annie’s parents gave her the middle name of Mansfield. The 1870 census may answer this question, as the family had lived near the Mansfield, Massachusetts Post Office.

The census transcription blow is from Ancestry.com:


1870 U.S. Census


Page No. 42}

SCHEDULE 1.-Inhabitants in Town of Agawam, in the County of Hampden, State
of Massachusetts, enumerated by me on the 3 day of August, 1870. Darwin H. Bunnell, Ass't Marshal

Post Office: Mansfield Mass

Name, Age, Sex, Color, Occupation, Value of Real Estate, Value of Personal Estate, Place of Birth,
If born within the year state month of birth, Cannot Read, Cannot Write, Male Citizen of U.S. 21
years of age and upward

Thomas Sullivan, 30, Male, White, Laborer, $0, $100, Ireland, Cannot Read, Cannot Write
Alice Sullivan, 28, Female, White, Keeping House, Ireland, Cannot Write
Anna, 4, Female, White, At Home, Mass
Nellie, 3, Female, White, At Home, Mass
James, 1, Male, White, At Home, Mass

Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Agawam, Hampden, Massachusetts; Roll: M593_616; Page: 21B; Image: 47; Family History Library Film: 552115.
____


I then looked for the birth record for Joanne (Annie) Sullivan at the Latter Day Saints (LDS) website at www.familysearch.org

I found what could be Annie’s birth record at the LDS. But, if this record does pertain to Annie there is an error in it. Information from her biography shows that Annie was born Johanna Sullivan on April 14, 1866.

The LDS birth index and accompanying link for her birth registered in Agawam, gives the birth of a Johanna Sullivan recorded in April of 1866. The day in April is not listed. But, the birth record shows her parents were Thomas Sullivan, a farmer, and Anna C. Sullivan, (not Alice), both of Ireland.



The birth index is below:


"Massachusetts, Births, 1841-1915," Johanna Sullivan, 1866

Name: Johanna Sullivan

Event: Birth
Event Date: Apr 1866
Event Place: Agawam, Massachusetts

Gender:
Race: White
Registration Date:
Registration Place:

Christening Date:
Christening Place:
Christening Age:

Death Date:
Death Age:

Father: Thomas Sullivan
Father's Birthplace: Ireland
Father's Age:

Mother: Anna C. Sullivan
Mother's Birthplace: Ireland
Mother's Age:

Volume/Page/Certificate Number: v 187 p 1
Film Number: 1428038
Digital Folder Number: 4275260
Image Number: 5

Source Citation
"Massachusetts, Births, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FXHY-2TK : accessed 31 Aug 2012), Johanna Sullivan, 1866.
____


To view a copy of the original Agawam birth register for Johanna Sullivan, go to the familysearch link at: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12339-19922-3?c...

I can’t be sure if the above pertains to Johanna, daughter of Thomas and Alice, but the clerk who recorded the birth may have incorrectly listed Alice as Anna. But that’s only a guess on my part.

I then located the LDS birth index and copy of the birth record for “Elen” Sullivan, daughter of Thomas Sullivan and
Alice “Clarissy.” Elen was born in Agawam on 6 July 1867. This would be the Nellie Sullivan in the 1870 census noted earlier:


"Massachusetts, Births, 1841-1915," Elen Sullivan, 1867:


Name: Elen Sullivan

Event: Birth
Event Date: 06 Jul 1867
Event Place: Agawam, Hampden, Massachusetts

Gender:
Race:

Registration Date:
Registration Place:

Christening Date:
Christening Place:
Christening Age:

Death Date:
Death Age:

Father: Thomas Sullivan
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:

Mother: Alice Clarissy
Mother's Titles & Terms:
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:

Volume/Page/Certificate Number:
Film Number: 1428039
Digital Folder Number: 4341186
Image Number: 5

Source Citation
"Massachusetts, Births, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FXZ6-JGM : accessed 30 Aug 2012), Elen Sullivan, 1867.

____


A copy of the original Agawam birth register entry for Elen Sullivan can be found at the familysearch link at: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11047-18829-23?...

You’ll notice in the birth register that the recorder had originally listed the child as Thomas, but crossed out Thomas and added the name “Elen.” Because of this mixup, Elen’s gender is listed as “Male” rather than Female.

I then located the death index for 6 year old Nellie Sullivan’s at the LDS website. Nellie died in Agawam on 15 May 1873. Her parents are listed as Thomas Sullivan and Alice, both of Ireland:


"Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910," Nellie Sullivan, 1873

Name: Nellie Sullivan
Gender: Female

Burial Date:
Burial Place: Agawam
Death Date: 15 May 1873
Death Place: Agawam, Hampden, Massachusetts

Age: 6
Birth Date: 1867
Birthplace: Agawam

Occupation: Child

Race:
Marital Status:
Spouse's Name:
Father's Name: Thomas Sullivan
Father's Birthplace: Ireland

Mother's Name: Alice
Mother's Birthplace: Ireland

Indexing Project (Batch) Number: B07552-0
System Origin: Massachusetts-EASy
Reference Number: it8 v1 p26 n13

Source Film Number: 960202 =

Source Citation
"Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FC9L-1YD : accessed 30 Aug 2012), Nellie Sullivan, 15 May 1873; citing reference it8 v1 p26 n13, FHL microfilm 2028187.
____


A copy of the Agawam death register entry for Nellie Sullivan can be found at:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11665-46722-78?...

The death register shows that Nellie died of “Brain Fever.”

I then located the LDS birth and death indexes for a John Sullivan, son of Thomas and Alice Sullivan. The birth index shows that John was born in Agawam on 15 June 1873. I hadn’t read anywhere that Thomas and Alice had a son named John, and so I’m wondering if I have the correct Sullivan family.

The birth index for John Sullivan is below:


"Massachusetts, Births, 1841-1915," John Sullivan, 1873


Name: John Sullivan

Event: Birth
Event Date: 15 Jun 1873
Event Place: Agawam, Hampden, Massachusetts

Gender:
Registration Date:
Registration Place:

Christening Date:
Christening Place:
Christening Age:

Death Date:
Death Age:

Father: Thos. Sullivan
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:

Mother: Alice
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:

Volume/Page/Certificate Number:
Film Number: 1428076
Digital Folder Number: 4212534
Image Number: 770

Source Citation
"Massachusetts, Births, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FX4C-P6X : accessed 31 Aug 2012), John Sullivan, 1873.
____


A copy of the Agawam birth register entry for John Sullivan can be found at:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11854-169204-26...


Next is the death index for John Sullivan, who died in Agawam on 15 August 1873. He was the son of Thomas Sullivan and Alice. John’s age at death is listed as “0.” His death would have occurred only three months after the death of Nellie Sullivan.


"Massachusetts, Deaths, 1841-1915," John Sullivan, 1873


Name: John Sullivan

Event: Death
Event Date: 15 Aug 1873
Event Place: Agawam, Massachusetts
Residence: Agawam

Street Address:
Gender: Male
Age: 0
Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Child

Birth Date:
Birthplace: Agawam

Estimated Birth Year: 1873

Burial Date:
Burial Place:
Cemetery:

Father: Thomas Sullivan
Father's Birthplace: Ireland

Mother: Alice
Mother's Birthplace: Ireland

Film Number: 960202
Frame Number:
Digital Folder Number: 4221417
Image Number: 372

Source Citation
"Massachusetts, Deaths, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NWSP-CJT : accessed 31 Aug 2012), John Sullivan, 1873.
____


A copy of the death register entry for John Sullivan can be found at the familysearch link at: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11665-46722-78?...

Next is the death index for Annie Sullivan’s mother, Alice. Alice died in Agawam on 19 January 1874 at the age of 30. The index also shows that Alice’s father was Owen “Cloesey.”


"Massachusetts, Deaths, 1841-1915," Alice Sullivan, 1874

Name: Alice Sullivan

Event: Death
Event Date: 19 Jan 1874
Event Place: Agawam, Massachusetts
Residence: Agawam

Street Address:
Gender: Female
Age: 30
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Housekeeper

Birth Date:
Birthplace: Ireland

Estimated Birth Year: 1844
Burial Date:
Burial Place:
Cemetery:

Father: Owen Cloesey
Father's Birthplace: Ireland

Mother:
Mother's Birthplace:

Spouse:

Volume/Page/Certificate Number: v 265 p 313
Film Number: 960204
Frame Number:
Digital Folder Number: 4221419
Image Number: 336

Source Citation
"Massachusetts, Deaths, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N7P2-4YX : accessed 29 Aug 2012), Alice Sullivan, 1874.
____


A copy of the original Agawam death register for Alice Sullivan can be found at: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11118-1764-71?c...

The death register shows that Alice was born in Ireland, and that her occupation was “Housekeeper.” The register also shows that she died of consumption.

Alice’s death record shows that her father’s name was Owen “Cloesey.” With this basic information I wanted to see if I could locate her baptism index at the IFHF website. I figured if Alice had been married in County Limerick, she likely was born and baptized there as well. I searched for Alice’s baptism index, first in the Hospital & Herbertstown Catholic Church, where she and Tomas Sullivan were married in 1862.

I found a baptism index that may refer to Alice. This index shows that Alice was baptized in the Hospital & Herbertstown Catholic Church in 1841. Her LDS death index gives her estimated year of birth as 1844, which means that Alice was actually a few years older than 30 when she died in 1874.

The IFHF search engine accepted Owen as the first name of her father. But, the indexes do not automatically provide the names of the parents in birth and baptism indexes. You either have to know the names of the parents (in this case Alice’s death record listed Owen as her father), or you have to guess as to what their first names were, or you have to find out what their names were through additional research.

The initial baptism index I located for Alice Clohesy is below. You’ll see that it does not include the name of her mother:


1 match for the search criteria: Clohesy (plus variants) Alice 1841 Parish: HOSPITAL & HERBERTSTOWN (RC)

Record Type: Baptism/Birth Records for Co. Limerick
Surname: Clohessy
First Name: Alice
Father's Surname: Clohesy
Father's First Name: Owen
Mother's Surname:
Mother's First Name:

Year: 1841

Parish/District: HOSPITAL & HERBERTSTOWN (RC)
____


I took several guesses as to what the first name of Alice’s mother was. The IFHF search engine accepted Ellen as the first name of Alice’s mother. The revised index follows:


1 match for the search criteria: Clohesy (plus variants) Alice 1841 Parish: HOSPITAL & HERBERTSTOWN (RC)

Record Type: Baptism/Birth Records for Co. Limerick
Surname: Clohessy
First Name: Alice
Father's Surname: Clohesy
Father's First Name: Owen
Mother's Surname:
Mother's First Name: Ellen

Year: 1841

Parish/District: HOSPITAL & HERBERTSTOWN (RC)
____


Guessing maiden names in these indexes can be tedious and likely unsuccessful. At this point I went ahead and purchased the baptism transcription for Alice from the IFHF for County Limerick, as the transcription would tell me what Ellen’s maiden name was. The transcription shows her maiden name was Keogh. The transcription also spells Owen’s and Alice’s surname as “Clohessy.” The transcription further shows that Alice was baptized on 26 November 1841, and that the sponsors, that is, godparents of Alice, were Daniel and Margaret McCarthy.

The IFHF baptism transcription for Alice is below:


Church Baptism Record


Name: Alice Clohessy

Date of Birth:

Date of Baptism: 26-Nov-1841

Address:

Parish/District: HOSPITAL & HERBERTSTOWN

Gender: Unknown

County: Co. Limerick

Denomination: Roman Catholic

Father: Owen Clohessy

Mother: Ellen Keogh

Occupation:


Sponsor 1: Dan. McCarthy

Sponsor 2: Mgt. McCarthy


Notes:
____


Betty, I can’t be 100 percent sure that the above baptism record pertains to Annie Sullivan’s mother Alice. But based on the LDS death index and death register showing that Alice’s father was Owen, and also because Clohesy/Clohessy is not a very common surname in Ireland, I believe there is a very good chance that Alice’s parents were Owen Clohessy and Ellen Keogh.

Next I wanted to see if Owen Clohessy and Ellen Keogh had any more children. I found the IFHF baptism index for one other child who was named Mary. Mary was baptized in the Hospital & Herbertstown Catholic Church in 1844:


1 match for the search criteria: Clohesy (plus variants) Mary 1844 Parish: HOSPITAL & HERBERTSTOWN (RC)

Record Type: Baptism/Birth Records for Co. Limerick
Surname: Clohessy
First Name: Mary
Father's Surname: Clohessy
Father's First Name: Owen
Mother's Surname: Keogh
Mother's First Name: Ellen

Year: 1844

Parish/District: HOSPITAL & HERBERTSTOWN (RC)
____


I also found the IFHF marriage index for Owen Clohessy and Ellen Keogh. But, their marriage was not recorded in the Hospital & Herbertstown Catholic Church. The index instead shows their marriage took place in the Knocklong & Glenbrohane (Limerick) Catholic Church, in 1838:


1 match for the search criteria: Clohessy (plus variants) Owen 1838 Parish: KNOCKLONG & GLENBROHANE (RC)

Record Type: Marriage Records for Co. LImerick
Surname: Clohessy
First Name: Owen
Spouse's Surname: Keogh
Spouse's First Name: Ellen
Father's Surname:
Father's First Name:
Mother's Surname:
Mother's First Name:

Year: 1838

Parish/District: Parish: KNOCKLONG & GLENBROHANE (RC)
____


To view a Catholic parish map for the eastern portion of County Limerick, go to the Irish Times website link at:
http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/browse/counties/rcmaps/li...

On the map you’ll see that the parish of Hospital was a big parish, located on the border with County Tipperary. This is the parish in which Thomas Sullivan and Alice Clohesy were married in 1862, and also the parish where Alice was baptized in 1841. Just south of the Parish of Hospital, you’ll see the Parish of Knocklong & Glenbrohane. This is the parish were Owen Clohessy and Ellen Keogh were married in 1838.

Going back to American records I found 14 year old Anna Sullivan residing in the State Alms House, Tewksbury, Massachusetts. The census does not show that her brother James was there with her however. There are several census pages of inmates in the almshouse, but in the transcription below, I’ve only included the superintendent of the almshouse and his family, as well as Anna Sullivan.

The superintendent is 75 year old Thomas J. Marsh. His 76 year old wife Nancy is listed as a matron in the almshouse. Thomas and Nancy’s adult children and their spouses are also shown to be working in the almshouse. One of these adult children, for example, is their 41 year old daughter Helen, who is listed as a physician in the almshouse.

The census transcription from Ancestry.com, follows:.



1880 United States Federal Census


Page No. 33

Supervisor's Dist. No. 60

Enumeration Dist. No. 378

SCHEDULE 1.-Inhabitants in Tewksbury, in the County of Middlesex, State of Mass.

enumerated by me on the 17th day of June 1880.

M.F. Spaulding
Enumerator

State Alms House, Officers & Attendants

Name, Color, Sex, Age, Marital Status, Occupation, Birthplace, Place of Birth of Father, Place of Birth of Mother

Thomas Marsh J, White, Male, 75, Married, Superintendent, New Hampshire, N.H., N.H.
Nancy F. Marsh, White, Female, 76, Wife, Married, Matron, New Hampshire, N.H., N.H.
Helen M. Marsh, White, Female, 41, Daughter, Single, Physician, Massachusetts, N.H., N.H.
Thomas J. Marsh Jr., White, Male, 49, Son, Married, Asst. Supt. New Hampshire, N.H., N.H.
Helen E. Marsh, White, Female, 41, Dau-inlaw, Married, Massachusetts, Maine, N.H.
Harry W. Marsh, White, Male, 19, Grandson, Single, Student, Massachusetts, N.H., Mass.
Charles B. Marsh, White, Male, 39, Son, Married, Clerk, Massachusetts, N.H., N.H.
Sarah F. Marsh, White, Female, 40, Dau-inlaw, Married, Massachusetts, Mass., Mass.

Anna Sullivan, White, Female, 14, Single, Massachusetts

Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Tewksbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts; Roll: 539; Family History Film: 1254539; Page: 500C; Enumeration District: 378; Image: 0481.
____


Betty, I hope you’ve found this information as interesting as I did.

Best Wishes,

Dave Boylan

Re: "Anne Sullivan" and "Helen Keller"

Posted: 25 Apr 2014 9:09PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi Dave,

Thanks so much for all this fantastic info!
I'm currently working at the Anne Sullivan Centre in Dublin and find the background really interesting.
We provide residential care and outreach services to adults who are Deafblind and thought it was a fitting tribute to name our organisation after Annie.

I'm currently working on a research project to discover the number of people who are Deafblind in Ireland and identify gaps in service provision. As part of promoting the project, I have been explaining to interested parties, including some local newspapers and radio stations who Anne was. In the event that I have an opportunity to discuss Anne's life further at any stage I would be delighted to mention the research you've conducted and give you the credit you deserve.

As a side note, seeing as this is a website dedicated to Ancestry, I should mention that my mother's maiden name is Boylan and all of her Dad's family are from Co. Leitrim. Perhaps our connection goes further than a mutual interest in Anne Sullivan!

Kind Regards,
Laura

Re: "Anne Sullivan" and "Helen Keller"

Posted: 24 Jun 2014 11:15PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hello Laura,

Many thanks for your response of 25 April and your kind words in connection with the research about Annie Sullivan. I hadn’t received a notification from Ancestry.com that you had replied and I just today found your response after having Googled information about Annie and her parents to see if there were any further articles or books being published about her and her family.

I’ve been to your beautiful website Laura, The Anne Sullivan Foundation for the Deafblind. I live in Thomspon, Connecticut, USA, but when next I visit Ireland I would love to stop by and say hello and view the marvelous work you are doing.

Also Laura, we are probably cousins through the Boylans. My Boylans came from right next door to Leitrim, that is, they are from County Cavan, from around the Virginia area of the county.

Once again Laura, many thanks for your reply and generous words. I wish you and The Anne Sullivan Foundation for the Deafblind all the best for the good work you are doing.

God Bless.

Dave

Re: "Anne Sullivan" and "Helen Keller"

Posted: 5 Feb 2015 7:44AM GMT
Classification: Query
What wonderful work!

RE: you wrote "I had wondered why Annie’s parents gave her the middle name of Mansfield. The 1870 census may answer this question, as the family had lived near the Mansfield, Massachusetts Post Office."

... I can share that the PO was not Mansfield, MA, rather, it was Westfield MA...Mansfield MA is much closer to Boston. Westfield is right next to Agawam.

Also, as I have never seen the supposed Baptismal certif that cites the middle name of Mansfield, I have to wonder if she inserted it herself as a way to Anglicize herself a bit...many of my Irish ancestors did that....
Best Wishes,
Ann Bergin

PS also, I found a book that states she was baptized as Johanna Sullivan See https://books.google.com/books?id=zIAMr12mYiYC&pg=PA4&am...
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