The Irish Bridget: Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930

266 Pages·2014·9.109 MB·English

by  Margaret Lynch-Brennan

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Lynch-Brennan, Margaret. The Irish Bridget : Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930, Syracuse
University Press, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nyulibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3410176.
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2020-07-17 14:01:05.
The Irish Bridget
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Irish Studies
James MacKillop, Series Editor
Lynch-Brennan, Margaret. The Irish Bridget : Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930, Syracuse
University Press, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nyulibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3410176.
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2020-07-17 14:01:05.
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Lynch-Brennan, Margaret. The Irish Bridget : Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930, Syracuse
University Press, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nyulibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3410176.
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2020-07-17 14:01:05.
Th e
I r i s h
Bridget
Irish Immigrant Women in
Domestic Service in America,
–
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.sserP With a Foreword by Maureen O’Rourke Murphy
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Syracuse University Press
Lynch-Brennan, Margaret. The Irish Bridget : Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930, Syracuse
University Press, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nyulibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3410176.
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2020-07-17 14:01:05.
Copyright © 2009 by Syracuse University Press
Syracuse, New York 13244-5290
All Rights Reserved
First Paperback Edition 2014
14 15 16 17 18 5 4 3 2 1
∞The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper
for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.
For a listing of books published and distributed by Syracuse University
Press, visit www.SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu.
ISBN (paper) 978-0-8156-3354-9 (cloth) 978-0-8156-3201-6
(e-book) 978-0-8156-5267-0
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hard-cover edition as follows:
Lynch-Brennan, Margaret.
The Irish Bridget : Irish immigrant women in domestic service in
America, 1840–1930 / Margaret Lynch-Brennan.—1st ed.
p. cm.—(Irish studies)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8156-3201-6 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Domestics—United States—History—19th century. 2. Domes-
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ytisre I. Title.
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Lynch-Brennan, Margaret. The Irish Bridget : Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930, Syracuse
University Press, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nyulibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3410176.
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2020-07-17 14:01:05.
For my loving husband,
John David Br(cid:5)ennan
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Lynch-Brennan, Margaret. The Irish Bridget : Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930, Syracuse
University Press, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nyulibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3410176.
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2020-07-17 14:01:05.
MARGARET LYNCH-BRENNAN began her career as a classroom
teacher. Over time she taught at the middle school, high school,
and graduate levels. For many years she served as an administra-
tor with the New York State Education Department working on
issues related to civil rights, high school reform, and professional
development for teachers. Since completing her Ph.D. in Ameri-
can history at the State University of New York at Albany, she
has published numerous essays and presented at conferences in
the United States, Germany, Australia, and Ireland. She retired
from the New York State Education Department in January 2008
and now works as an independent scholar; she is a member of the
National Coalition of Independent Scholars.
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Lynch-Brennan, Margaret. The Irish Bridget : Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930, Syracuse
University Press, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nyulibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3410176.
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2020-07-17 14:01:05.
(cid:5)
Contents

Illustrations ix

Foreword, MAUREEN O’ROURKE MURPHY xi

Preface xv

Introduction xvii
1.
Home Life in Ireland 1
2.
From Ireland 22
3.
To America 40
4.
The World of the American Mistress 60
.devre 5. The Work World of the Irish Bridget 84
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.sse 7. Was Bridget’s Experience Unique? 151
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esuca Works Cited 185
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10 Index 209
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Lynch-Brennan, Margaret. The Irish Bridget : Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930, Syracuse
University Press, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nyulibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3410176.
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2020-07-17 14:01:05.
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Lynch-Brennan, Margaret. The Irish Bridget : Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930, Syracuse
University Press, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nyulibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3410176.
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2020-07-17 14:01:05.
(cid:5)
Illustrations

Annie Walsh frontispiece

1. Ellen O’Loughlin 2

2. Nora McCarthy and Mary Hayes 10

3. Hannah Collins 15

4. Catherine (Katie) Murray Manley 26

5. Catherine (Kathleen) Mannion 49

6. Mary Malone McHenry 54

7. Mary Anne (Mollie) Ryan’s passport 56
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.sserP 10. Letter on Lizzie Bracken’s character 86
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ix
Lynch-Brennan, Margaret. The Irish Bridget : Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930, Syracuse
University Press, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nyulibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3410176.
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2020-07-17 14:01:05.