the irish ancestry of the hurley family of metcalfe & ottawa

24 Pages·2007·1.63 MB·English

THE IRISH ANCESTRY OF THE
HURLEY FAMILY OF
METCALFE & OTTAWA

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INTRODUCTION

On my Father’s side of the family, THE HURLEY’S, I never knew my
Grandparents, John Hurley and Isabella McCaffrey, nor my Great
Grandparents, James Hurley and Mary Brannen, since they all passed from
this world before I was born in 1942. I never knew my Uncle Simon Peter
Hurley, Dad’s brother, who died in Ottawa in 1938. Fortunately, Uncles
Jim, Jack, Dennis and Dan Hurley and Aunt May McEvoy (Hurley) survived
well into the later 1900s for me to get to know them. All of these folks,
who lived, loved, and died in the Metcalfe, Osgoode and Ottawa areas of
the Province of Ontario are the focus of this document of the Irish
Ancestry of the Hurley Family of Metcalfe and Ottawa.

On my Mother’s side, THE VACHON’S, the French side of the family, I did
know my Grandparents for many years, and most of my Mom’s brothers
and sisters, and it seemed that during my years at home with my parents,
it was the Vachon side of the family who we saw most. I have already
developed an Ancestry document for that side. It was a relatively easy
task with the information and documentation I already had in my
possession. Having done and experienced that, I was eager to go to work
on the Irish Ancestry of my Father, William Joseph Hurley, to learn more
about them and the area in which they resided.

Unfortunately, in my younger years of living with my parents, I only
picked up little tidbits of information from my Dad concerning my
Grandparents and Great Grandparents. I knew that they came to Canada
from Ireland and that they lived on a farm in Metcalfe where my Dad, his
five brothers and sister were born. I knew that my Father’s Mother had
died at a young age when my Dad was only 6 years old and my Aunt May
McEvoy (Hurley) was only about 3 years of age. Living with Dad gave me
the additional insight that they must have been very “Irish” because my
Father never ceased with his talk and dreams of visiting his Father’s
homeland in Cork, Ireland. Dad also had a little of the Irish brogue in his
speech pronouncing the word “food” as “fud” and “roof” as “ruf”. At least
a month before St. Paddy’s Day every year, and months thereafter, my Dad
would be singing all the old favourite Irish songs around the house and
stating praises of Ireland – the place - he called his Homeland.

My Father’s love of the Irish, their history and traditions, very much so
rubbed off on me. I can tell you that today, as an adult in my 60s, I’m
very much the character of the Hurleys, look very much like the Hurleys,
and though a real honest to goodness Canadian, I am very proud to call
myself Irish. I too celebrate St. Patrick’s Day every year long before it
arrives and long after it passes. Thus, moving past my younger, more self-
focused days, I became quite anxious and curious to find all the
information that I could on the Hurley Family of Metcalfe and Ottawa.

To start this wonderful project, I had some documentation passed on to
me by my brother John Gerald Hurley of Hawkesbury, Ontario, where
James Hurley and his wife Mary Brannen and children first settled in a
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one-storey log house when they immigrated to Canada from Ireland about
1860. This documentation consisted of Census Canada Records of their
residences for the years 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 and some typewritten
extracts from the Churches of Our Lady of the Visitation, South
Gloucester and St. Catherine’s Church, Metcalfe recording the baptism
and birth dates of my Father, my Aunt and my Uncles. I also had my own
personal memories of my Uncles and Aunt Hurley.

Although, I have 3 elder brothers and 2 elder sisters, it seems that I had
the best recollections on this side of the family. I also knew that my
1st cousins McEvoy and Hurley could be a possible good resource. I
subsequently spent countless hours of searching Ancestry.com, Ships
Passenger Lists, and local historical publications on Metcalfe and Osgoode
at the Public Library without too much in the way of additional
information. My wife, Sheila and I visited the cemeteries of Our Lady of
The Visitation, South Gloucester, St. Catherine’s and Union Cemetery in
Metcalfe, Notre Dame in Ottawa, and St. Francis Xavier in Brockville,
Ontario. We took some pictures there of the gravestones and the inside
and outside of the Churches where significant events of family members
happened. These visits were productive, satisfying, emotional and
spirtual.

In the end, the best resources were the census records, the visits to the
graveyards and churches and the most productive of all, the memories,
documentation and pictures provided by my 1st cousins McEvoy, in
particular, from Patrick McEvoy of Snake Island Road and Philip McEvoy
of Philnor Street, both of Greely, Ontario (Osgoode). I would highly
recommend these types of resources to anyone wanting to trace their
ancestors. Concerning a flavour and feel for the Metcalfe and Osgoode
areas and the Irish influence in those areas, I found that the Website of
Michael Daley and Al Lewis, “Bytown or Bust”, definitely gave me the
inspiration I needed to want to search for every little piece that I could
get on my family. My strongest inspiration, of course, was wanting to pass
this information along to my own Children, Grandchildren and their
Descendants. I truly hope that they will cherish this document.

Ronald P. Hurley
Nepean, Ontario
2006

Ron Hurley
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JAMES HURLEY
1st Gen.

- married -
James Hurley Mary Brannen
1809 – 1880s 1811 – 1890s

James Hurley was born in Cork, Ireland in 1809 and he married Mary Brannen
in Ireland in 1840. Mary was born in Ireland in 1811. Mary Brannen and
James Hurley gave birth to 2 daughters and 2 sons in Ireland: Mary Hurley
(1842); Ellen Hurley (1844); John Hurley (1846); and Dennis Hurley (1848). It is
believed that James, Mary and their 4 children emigrated to Canada in 1860 as
their son John Hurley was 14 years old when they arrived.

The James Hurley family first appears in the 1861 Census of Canada which
indicates they were living in a one-storey log house in East Hawkesbury
Township, County of Prescott, Ontario. Subsequent to that, the 1871 and 1881
Census records show they settled on farmland in Metcalfe, Ontario, Osgoode
Township, Lot 40, Concession X1.

It seems that James Hurley died between 1885 and 1891 as he and his wife
Mary attended the marriage of their son, John to Isabella McCaffrey in October
1884 and Census records of 1891 do not include his name. Those records do
indicate that his wife Mary ( as a widow) was then residing with their son
John Hurley and his family in Metcalfe. From the Census records of 1901, it is
concluded that Mary Hurley (Brannen) died between 1891 and 1901. Although
no records have been found to confirm it, it seems that both James and Mary
were buried in St. Catherine’s Cemetery, Metcalfe.

NOTE:
Despite many hours of searching on-line records such as: Ancestry.com; Family
Search of the Mormons; Ships Passenger Lists; Cemetery Records etc., no records
could be found to confirm or refine the dates of birth of James, Mary and their
children; the date of marriage of James and Mary; the exact date of the family’s
arrival in Canada; nor the exact dates of death of James and Mary.

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HURLEY LAND IN METCALFE

Extract from Belden’s 1879 Atlas of Carleton County, Osgoode
Township Shows Lots 37, 38, 40, 41, 42 and 43 of Concession X1
and the portions owned by James Hurley Lot 40, his son Dennis
Hurley Lot 41, and his son John Hurley Lots 37, 38, 42, and 43.

The Hurleys attended St. Catherine’s Catholic Church, Metcalfe
William Joseph Hurley and May Hurley were baptized there !

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JOHN HURLEY
2nd Gen.

- married -
John Hurley Isabella McCaffrey
1846 – 1916 1861 – 1905

John Hurley was the third born child of James Hurley and Mary Brannen. John
was born in Ireland in 1846 and was 14 years old when his family emigrated to
Canada.

John Hurley married Isabella McCaffrey, daughter of John McCaffrey and
Ellen Ryan, October 12, 1884 in Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic Church,
South Gloucester, Ontario. Isabella was born in Canada in 1861 in
Vankleek Hill, Ontario.

Isabella and John gave birth to 6 sons and 1 daughter in Ontario, Canada:
James Henry Hurley and his twin brother John David Hurley (1885);
Simon Peter Hurley (1888); Dennis Jerome Hurley (1891); Daniel Patrick Hurley
(1895); William Joseph Hurley (1899); and Mary-Anne Jane (May) Hurley (1902).

John and Isabella Hurley and family had their own farm in Metcalfe, Ontario,
Lots 42 and 43, Concession X1, Osgoode Township. Isabella died of
tuberculosis March 10, 1905 at the age of 42 years. Her funeral was held at
St. Catherine’s Catholic Church, Metcalfe. John Hurley died of sudden heart
failure April 30, 1916, at the age of 71 years. He had been suffering from heart
disease for two years. Isabella and John were buried in the St. Catherine’s
Cemetery, Metcalfe.

NOTES:
Dates and causes of death for Isabella McCaffrey and John Hurley were taken from
their death registrations as seen on Ancestry.com at the Public Library.
John Hurley signed the death certificate for his wife Isabella, and John Hurley Jr.
signed the death certificate for his father John.

This document focuses on the descendants of John Hurley and Isabella McCaffrey.

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Our Lady of the Visitation Church in South Gloucester
Where John Hurley and Isabella McCaffrey Were Married
October 12, 1884

Gravestone of John Hurley and Isabella McCaffrey
and son Simon Peter Hurley
St. Catherine’s Cemetery, Metcalfe

NOTE:
The actual year of death of John Hurley was 1916. As well, Census records
would seem to indicate that the year of his birth was 1846.
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JAMES HENRY & JOHN DAVID HURLEY
TWIN BROTHERS
3rd Gen.

James Henry Hurley John David Hurley
1885 - 1961 1885 - 1956

Jim and Jack Hurley, twin brothers, were the first born children of John Hurley
and Isabella McCaffrey. They were born June 22, 1885 in Metcalfe, Ontario
and baptized in Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic Church, South Gloucester.
Jim and Jack chose to live a life of bachelorhood.

After the death of his parents, it was Jack (also known as John Jr.) who took
over the Hurley farm and the raising of his younger brothers and sister. When
the family had grown, Jack purchased a small house on a parcel of farmland in
Osgoode Station from his younger sister May McEvoy (Hurley) and her husband
Gus. He grew and sold a crop of strawberries, raspberries and potatoes on
that land. Jack also took care of the Priest House at the St. John Enniskerry
Catholic Church in Osgoode. John David Hurley died of colon cancer at the
age of 71 years, August 22, 1956, and is buried in the St. John Enniskerry
Cemetery.

Jim lived most of his single life in Ottawa in the neighbourhood of St. Patrick’s
Basilica. He was a jolly, happy-go-lucky sort of fellow. It was recalled that
Jim loved to eat his soup with chocolate marshmallow cookies which he
would finish with the remark, “That was damn good soup!” Pat McEvoy
recalled that at the time of his father Gus McEvoy’s death, February 1, 1945,
Jim took the bus from Ottawa to Highway 31 and Snake Island Road, then
walked the 3 ½ miles to the McEvoy household, on a bitterly cold winter day,
carrying 2 bags of groceries for the McEvoy family. The groceries included
‘chocolate marshmallow cookies’.

Jim would often visit his younger brother William in Ottawa. At those times,
Jim and William liked to enjoy a couple of draft beers at the local hotel or go
across the river to Quebec to play the horses at the Connaught Race Track.

James Henry Hurley died September 16, 1961 and is buried in the Notre Dame
Cemetery, Ottawa (Section 35, Lot 194).
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PAT MCEVOY’S RECOLLECTIONS OF UNCLE JOHN DAVID HURLEY

Uncle Jack was the most predictable man I think I’ve ever known. You could
literally set your watch by him, and many people did ! In those pre-television
days, we searched for our own amusement and entertainment on Sunday
afternoons. At precisely 12:30 p.m. some of us children would watch from
“our hill” as Uncle Jack came striding around the bend in the road that we
knew as “the turn” and we could describe his progress and even broadcast it -
like it was a horse race. “He’s coming around the turn,” he’s reached the Pee
Pot (which was hung on a telephone pole), he’s up to the short post, he’s at
the bridge, he’s at the shack.” “Go tell Mom . . . he’s coming up the hill !” Like
she hadn’t heard the broadcast, and of course the broadcast ended before
“he” got any closer. In those days we always wanted to sponsor a match-race
of Aunt Gertie with her fast little short steps and Uncle Jack with his long
strides. We knew better than suggest it in front of our imaginary competitors.
Uncle Jack would arrive, quietly read some of the newspaper, discuss the
news, and any news of family members; give people the benefit of his
“opinions”, gathered throughout a thoughtful week, and what we thought then
was a long lifetime. Then the “cards” would come out and the strenuous
competition was on – no quarter was given and none was expected. This was
serious competition and you played “to win”.

Uncle Jack was known to be opinionated, somehow the fact that he was the
eldest meant that he could give his opinion on everything and to everybody.
He didn’t “beat around the bush” nor go behind anyone’s back. You got his
message directly. For instance, we can all remember how he got a card game
back in order and on track by asking a simple question: “Are we going to talk
or play cards?” – right to the point ! He didn’t seem to think we were multi-
taskers. It was time to get serious.

In the last few years I have come to realize Uncle Jack was not “old and
wise”, just wise !! And the reason people resented his opinions was because
he was right most of the time and hit-the-nail-on-the-head, pretty well all of the
time. I mentioned earlier, Uncle Jack was so precise you could literally set
your watch by him. He used to keep house for Father Maloney and work
around St. John’s Church, when I was small. One of his tasks was to ring the
church bell at 12 noon and 6 in the evening. People said The Angelus Prayer,
but for farmers working with horses, it was often a signal to leave the field
and come in for dinner and supper. In those pre-television times, CBC radio
used to give a time signal each day . . . At the beginning of the long dash ------,
it is precisely one o’clock. Farm families could set their watches and clocks
accurately, but in our community most farmers and families would depend on
Uncle Jack to ring “The Bell”. He did everything that precisely.
For Uncle Jack, there was only one way to do things, that was – do the task
right the first time, and as well as you could. For example, if he cut wood in
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the bush, every little limb that was cut off had to be piled up neatly. It didn’t
matter that these branches would rot away in five years and you wouldn’t be
cutting wood in that area until it grew up in thirty years. Uncle Jack took
longer, but he left it clean and did it right.

Uncle Jack had his own pet phrases or descriptions which you learned if you
listened carefully. I remember him telling my mother about his experience on
a train when he traveled one Christmas. It seems he was being jostled around
by some woman, and always being direct, he let her know it wasn’t
appreciated, with those immortal words: “Get off my back, you Old Blister !”
Then there was another story of a Gypsy lady who arrived at Uncle’s little
house after a Metcalfe Fair. As she climbed through a hole in the fence, he
had already decided that this was one old bachelor who didn’t need what she
had to offer. With a pitch fork in his hand, he yelled out at her, “Get back over
the fence, You Old Blister.” I think today they teach – simply say, “No.” I like
Uncle Jack’s phrasing and emphasis better.

As I said earlier, Uncle Jack would give you his opinion, direct and to the
point. I still recall him talking to my mother about a nice field of grain Phil had
grown, west of our house and barn. He had just arrived on a Sunday afternoon
when he asked my Mom, “Who stooked that field of Oats?” He then proceeded
without any prompting to say how all the stooks were in line, and how well it
was done. I don’t think my brother Pete and I walked on the ground much for
the next week. Excuse me, 55 years later, I’m still getting tears in my eyes,
thinking about it. If you get a compliment from Uncle Jack, it means
something, you earned it, but that was the kind of respect, I’ve had for him
too.

Uncle Jack (John David) Hurley, in vest & tie left end of table, seated
next to his nephew John Hurley, Christmas Dinner at Brother Bill’s 1953
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