Revised Burke Family Tree

 Burke  No Responses »
Sep 282012
 

As I was looking through some of my Burke records, I realized that I had my great-grandfather's social security application. This clearly lists his mother as "Anna Brady". His birth and death certificate say "Maria Brady". I am betting that her name was probably "Maria Anna Brady" but went by Anna Brady. I'm betting that she first married Henry Howard, who either died or she divorced, and then married Anthony Burke. Henry Howard was Amelia Howard's brother. She was mother of Bishop Burke. Anthony Burke was Joseph Burke's brother. He was the father of Bishop Burke. Anthony Burke's death certificate listed his deceased wife as "Anna Howard." So here's my tentative, revised Burke family tree. My great-grandfather and Bishop Burke were first cousins by blood (Burke) and step cousins by marriage through Henry Howard.

Information about the Burkes from St. Stephen’s RC Church (now St. Clare’s)

 Burke  No Responses »
May 102012
 

When I found the obituary for my great-great-grandfather, Anthony Burke, it listed that his service was going to be in St. Stephen's RC Church in Buffalo. That church is now St. Clare's, so I wrote them asking if they had any information.

Someone wrote back and said, "I was able to take some time today to look into the request you've made on April 24th. Anthony Burke is recorded in our Death Register, no age was written, said he died on January 3, 1931 from heart condition, I found it interesting that under the priest name whom celebrated the funeral mass it read, Rev. Joseph Burke, (was his brother a priest)"

It's almost certain that this "Rev. Joseph Burke" was the person who later became Bishop Burke of Buffalo. He would have been in his mid-forties around that time. He became Bishop in the 1950's and died in 1962.

She also said, "Also found death record of Peter J. Burke, died March 15, 1928, age 75, reason for death read hardening of the artieries, under priest again read Rev. Joseph Burke, I think this might be the brother, because a different priest name is on the others registered on that page."

That is probably Anthony's brother Peter. So now I have a birth year and death date to see if I can find some more information about the Burke family.

Unfortunately, there was no information (so far) from them about Maria or Anna (Brady) Burke.

Our relationship to Bishop Burke

 Brady, Burke  No Responses »
Apr 242012
 

Growing up, I always heard stories that we were somehow related to Bishop Burke. He was Bishop of Buffalo from 1952 until his death in Rome in 1962 while attending the Second Vatican Council. Finding my great-great-grandfather's death certificate has given me some confidence about the relationship between my family and the Bishop.

It appears that Anthony Burke was the brother of Joseph Burke, the father of Bishop Burke. I knew that they were close – possibly first cousins – based on correspondence my aunt had from the Bishop. Joseph Burke's death certificate only listed his father as Patrick, his mother was unknown. My great-great-grandfather, Anthony's death certificate lists his father as Patrick and his mother as Ann McNulty. It's likely they were brothers, making my great-grandfather and the Bishop first cousins.
 
But my mother also said they were "more than first cousins". I think now that was more by marriage than blood. Bishop Burke's mother was Amelia Howard. Her brother was Henry Howard, who was the first husband of Anna Brady, who appears to have been both sister-in-law and second wife to Anthony Burke. (Another possibility is that Anna Brady and Maria Brady are the same person, though that seems less likely for several reasons I posted about before.)
 
So Bishop Burke's father, Joseph, was my great-grandfather's uncle. And Bishop Burke's mother, Amelia, was my great-grandfather's step-mother's sister-in-law. Not quite "two brothers married two sisters" either but it makes some more sense now.

relation between Bishop Burke and Arthur Burke

invitation to my great-grandparents from the Bishop

papal blessing of my great-grandparents from Bishop Burke

Death certificate for my great-great-grandfather, Anthony Burke

 Burke  No Responses »
Apr 242012
 

My great-great-grandfather, Anthony Burke was born 14 Dec 1849 in Ireland and died 3 Jan 1931 in Buffalo.

His death certificate lists his wife as Anna Howard. The mother of great-grandfather, Arthur Burke, from his birth certificate and death certificate, was Maria Brady.

The 1905 NY Census listed an Anna Howard living with an Arthur Burke; both were living with Thomas and Laura Sullivan. Anna was listed as a "mother-in-law" and Arthur was listed as "stepson" of the head of house, Thomas Sullivan, on the census. The 1910 US Census lists the same family, now with an Anna Burke listed as "mother-in-law" and an Arthur Burke listed as "brother-in-law" to the head of house, Thomas.

That Laura Sullivan was born Laura Howard, daughter to Anna Brady and Henry Howard, based on her death certificate. Anna Brady married and became Anna Howard and gave birth to her daughter Laura Howard in 1873. Hence her being listed as "mother-in-law" on the census.

One likely possibility is that Anna Brady and Maria Brady were sisters. Anthony married Maria and they had Arthur, my great-grandfather. Maria died while Arthur was still a child. Anna's husband Henry must have also died young. Then Anthony married his sister-in-law Anna, his decreased wife Maria's sister. Following tradition, she would have retained her married name and been known as "Anna Howard" when she married my great-great-grandfather, even though she was born Anna Brady.

So the "stepson" on the 1905 NY Census for my great-grandfather is for his relationship to Anna, not his relationship to Thomas. And he is a brother-in-law of sorts to Thomas – more of a step-brother-in-law. That would help explain my mother's claim that "two brothers married two sisters and then two of them married each other when their spouses died". It's not quite that, but the story makes some sense. 

It is possible that Maria Brady and Anna Brady are the same person, not sisters – as in, Maria Anna Brady first married Henry Howard and then married Anthony Burke. That seems unlikely to me given the story my mom told about the Burkes. And it does not jive with the "stepson" notation on the 1905 census. But until I find birth, marriage, and death certificates for Maria Brady and Anna Brady, this will need to remain a possibility.

Oh, and I believe that the Mrs. Anna Fleming, listed as informant, is Anthony's sister Anna G. Burke, who died in 1962. Given that Anthony died at 81 years old, Anna must have been both a lot younger than Anthony and died very old. Also, assuming this is his sister, then there is very high confidence about the parents names (Patrick Burke and Ann McNulty); Joseph Burke's death certificate listed Patrick but the mother was unknown.


Obituary for my great-great-grandfather, Anthony Burke

 Burke  No Responses »
Apr 192012
 

I went to the Buffalo library downtown and searched for obituaries. I found one for my great-great-grandfather, Anthony Burke.

He died 2 Jan 1931. His wife predeceased him and her name was Anna. It's still unclear if her name was Maria Anna, since "Maria" was the name on Arthur's birth certificate, or if Anna was his second wife and Maria was his first wife (and if the two of them were sisters). One sibling was Anna (Fleming), who was still alive at the time of his death, and could have possibly lived until 1962 (Anna G. Burke). Siblings who died before him were Patrick, Peter, Joseph (probably the father of Bishop Burke), Michael, Jane, and Mary.