2021-Jan-01
I hope this
update finds you and your families well during this continuing coronavirus
pandemic. We are hunkered down, safe and
healthy here in Connecticut but, quite honestly, are going more than a little
stir crazy at this point. This update
should have been issued near the beginning of this pandemic, but somehow, while
isolating at home for large stretches of time, I have fallen further behind in
getting things done. My apologies and while
there is a limited amount of news about our Brady ancestors, hopefully this
update will occupy you for at least a brief period of time.
Scott
While I still am confident this is a photo
from the wedding of George Francis Hennessy and Irene Cecelia Brady who were
married in New Britain, Hartford, Connecticut, USA, on 1914-Aug-17 some of my
identifications were certainly incorrect.
While I thought George’s mother, Bridget
Hennessey (née Woods), was in the photo a review of several Ancestry.com trees
indicate that she died in 1907, about seven years before the wedding. That led to some revision. I now think the female behind George’s (sitting
center) right shoulder is in fact Ethel Beatrice Herlth / Cohen (née Brady),
the maid of honor. This is, in my
opinion further supported by an additional photo shared by Jackie Ciccone.
This photo also appears to be from the same
event. In the back row, second and third
individuals from the left, appear to be Timothy Joseph Hennessy and Ethel, the
best man and maid of honor. I believe
George, the bride groom, is the on the far left of the back row. I have a feeling the woman in the black
dress, 5th from the left in the same row could very well be Catherine
S. Brady (née Moffitt), Irene’s mother. You
may notice the photo has been colorized.
Look for more on that later in this update.
If anyone has any other identifications or
corrections please let me know.
New Photos
Jackie Ciccone, the wife of Brion Ciccone the adopted son of Valentine Robert Ciccone and Rita Alice Ciccone (née Hennessy), has shared some additional photos on her Ancestry.com Jackie Brown Ciccone family tree in addition to the above photo. A couple of my favorites are included below after being colorized at the MyHeritage.com site.
This is the best picture I have seen of Catherine S. Brady (née Moffitt), who is standing behind the two boys. Her husband John Michel Brady is on her right, with a young Rita Alice Ciccone (née Hennessy) to his right. The dog’s name is unknown.
Based on the
clothing, and assuming Rita is 10 to 12 years old in this photo, the picture
would have been taken about 1925-1927. If
that time frame is correct, the two boys could be grandchildren Lloyd John
Hearth and John Michael Brady (left to right), although there are other
possibilities. I believe the woman on
the right side of the photo is a sister of Catherine’s, likely Ellen F. “Nellie”
Moffitt, who was enumerated as living with the family as late as the 1920
census. If it is Nellie, it is the first
image of her I’ve seen. The photo was definitely
taken by the front stoop of the Brady family home at 9 Holcomb Street, Hartford,
Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
An additional image, possibly from the wedding day, of Rita Alice Ciccone (née Hennessy) on 1953-May-25 in Danville, Independent Cities, Virginia, USA. The unidentified woman to the right may be her maid of honor / witness.
The Poppy Bridge
My sister, Collen Marie Santaniello (née Brady), is a middle school science teacher. Due to the COVID-19 shutdown of school systems, she recently created an online lesson on technology and engineering systems by asking students to study a bridge they had crossed. She required students to select a bridge, describe the type of construction and encouraged the addition of any personal stories about the bridge.
She provided
this example to her students:
“The Arrigoni
Bridge in Middletown, Connecticut, is a bridge I have crossed often and is my
favorite bridge. It is an arch bridge and
that was chosen to fit the curve of the Connecticut River in Middletown and
because it was very strong. At the time
there was no other way but ferry to cross from Middletown to Portland. This type of bridge was used for its
decorative properties (arches) that would increase tourism in the area. My family calls this, “Poppy’s Bridge” after
my father, who was an electrician for the Connecticut Department of
Transportation. He would have to climb
up there and fix the lights up at the top (See attached phots). They ate lunch up there too!. This bridge reminds me of him every time I
see it!”
To
change/repair the aerial navigation lights on top of each span’s arch – which
are located approximately 180 feet from the surface of the river, dependent on
the current tide – the electricians used their truck’s ladder to reach the
mounted vertical ladder located about 20 feet above the roadway. The proper climbing angle for ladders is 15°
off vertical, which makes for a more ergonomic and safe climb. Climbing 70 feet of vertical ladder is very
tiring and certainly less safe. The
mounted access ladder had a fall protection system where each climber would
attach his/her safety harness. Harold
said they often didn’t clip in as it was a “pain” to have to unclip and
reattach the harness where the system was mounted to the bridge structure,
about every 10-15 feet. You might guess
that a lot of his visits to the top of the bridge took place before OSHA
regulations were created!
Note: I would love to include additional stories about other relatives. They stories can be any subject – a funny story, a favorite pastime or hobby, a brush with fame or infamy. While seemingly mundane to us, these insights into an ancestor are very rare and highly appreciated. They really personalize the individual and add so much more to their memory that the standard date of birth, date of death, place of burial, that so often is the only information included in a family tree. Please feel free to contact me with any story you may want to share.
Newest Michael John Brady Descendant
During a
mostly forgettable year, there was one exciting new addition to the Brady
family tree, when, in 2020-Jul, George Scott Giuseppe Bard was born at Boston,
Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA, to Peter Kule Bard and Rachel Ann “Rae” Brady.
Wesley Robert Brady, Sr.
Wesley Robert Brady, Sr., was the great grandson of Michael John
Brady, our first Brady in the United States.
He was born in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, USA in 1933-Jun to Earl
John Brady, Sr., and Evelyn Doris Brady (née Evitts). Wesley married Rosaria Lucille “Sadie” Brady
(née Guarnaccia) in 1952-Aug. They
resided in Colchester, New London, Connecticut, USA, where they had two
children – Mary Lu and Wesley, Jr.
Wesley was a carpenter and operated W.R. Brady & Son Building
Contractors for many years. Wesley was a
corporal with the 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion in the U.S. Army
and a Korean War veteran. Wesley died in
2002-May.
Maryssa Beth
Edele (née Reed), Wesley’s granddaughter, was kind enough to allow us to share
the cover of this U.S. government publication entitled “Our Weapons” issued circa
1953/54 featuring Wesley aiming a bazooka.
The image has been colorized at the MyHeritage.com site.
Online Access to Historic New Britain Newspaper Fills In Tree Branch
Recently the Library of Congress Chronicling America digitized
newspaper project (chroniclingamerica.loc.gov)
added a run of “The New Britain Herald” to their online archive. While the run currently only extends to the
early 1920s, it is fully searchable and a totally free resource.
Using this digitized version of the “The
New Britain Herald”, I was able to flesh out the family line for Francis James
Brady.
I previously knew that Francis James
Brady was the son of Francis Edwin Brady and the grandson of Michael John Brady
– our first Brady in the United States – and that he was born in New Britain
about 1900 and was on the censuses until 1940.
The articles
provided at Chronicling America provided the first clues for his wife, children
and grandchildren. These clues, as well
as Ancestry.com hints, led to Michael Mulcey providing the photo of Francis
James Brady and his wife, Rhea Gertrude Brady (née Metty) included here.
A number of
interesting stories were revealed, like how in 1915 Francis played the
Minuteman in his elementary school production of Heroes of `76 or regarding the tragic automobile accident that
killed Francis’ son, William Francis Brady, while he was serving in the U.S.
Navy in Virginia.
While there
is still much to be added to his story, we now have an outline from which to
conduct additional research.
The attached Outline
Descendant Report for Francis James Brady includes the individuals that have
been added to that branch of our tree.
If you are interested obtaining articles about Francis and his
descendants, email me at bradyjordanfamilytree@gmail.com
Colorizing B&W Photos
James Denis Brady and Bridget
Ann Brady (née Cummins) with granddaughters, circa 1911
As previously mentioned, there is a new process for adding color to older B&W photos. I have had a chance to use two online colorization applications. ColouriseSG (colourise.sg) and colorize powered by DeOldify at MyHeritage.com (www.myheritage.com/incolor) are both currently free services with simple interfaces.
You simply
load your B&W or sepia toned images into the application and wait. In seconds a colorized version of the image
is created that can then be downloaded.
Even with
these limitations, the colorization process can add a warmth to these old
images. Try it with your images.
I’m including several images that
have been though the colorization process.
Photos (top to bottom): Lillian
Agnes Queenin (née Brady) and Francis Edwin “Frank” Queenin, circa 1925; John
Michael Brady from Dau’s Blue Book for Hartford, Conn. 1922; and Eileen Mary Brady
(née McEvoy) and Harold Benedict Brady, Sr. circa 1930
Here is
hoping that 2021 helps restore some normalcy to our lives and ends the
hardships so many have experienced during 2020.
I plan on
visiting some of the Brady graves in Mount St. Benedict Cemetery, 1 Cottage
Grove Road, Bloomfield, Hartford, Connecticut, USA during the year and will
provide a date and time for a fall visit at which I would invite all to attend.
Again, thanks
for you patience and assistance and, as always, please contact me with any
questions or information you may have about our ancestors. I may not have the answers but we can
certainly work together on finding them.
If you need
copies of back issues, email me at bradyjordanfamilytree@gmail.com,
my new genealogy only email address, or check out brady-jordangenealogy.blogspot.com.