Martha or Bathsheba?
Elizabeth Cassidy Schuler is my great-great grandmother. She was born October 1849 in New York City. She was the daughter of George Cassidy and his wife Martha. Or was it his wife Bathsheba? This is my attempt to sort through the evidence and determine if Bathsheba Williams and Martha Cassidy are indeed the same person- wife of George, mother of Elizabeth and her brother William and my three times great grandmother.
Let's begin with the 1850 US Census. George Cassidy is living in NY's enumeration district 2, ward #18, George is 31 years old, born in NY and his occupation is recorded as soda water. He is residing with Martha, who we assume is his wife. Martha is 26 years old and born in Ireland. The couple reside with William, age 5 and Betsey, less than one. Also, living with the family is John Williams, a 60 year old carpenter, born in Ireland.
The family remains intact in the 1855 NY State Census. They are residing in the 14th ward of enumeration district 1. George is now 35 and Martha, 30, is documented as his wife. Her birth is listed as 1825 in Ireland. Martha has been a resident of NY for 17 years. William and Betsey, now called Betsey Ann are now 10 and 5 years old respectively. John Williams is no longer living with this family. This is the last census on which Martha Cassidy appears. By the 1860 US Census, George, William and Betsey, now call Eliza are living with a wife named Mary.
A comparison of the information for Mary in the 1860 Census and the previous census information for Martha, it was quickly determined that they could not be the same person. So who is Mary? What happened to Martha?
A marriage record for George Cassidy, a widower and soda water manufacturer, age 39, b. 1819 NY and Mary H. Powers, age 27 single, b. 1831 Ireland is dated 4 August 1858. Martha must have died sometime between June of 1855 (the date she appears in the NYS Census) and the date of George's marriage to Mary.
I have not been able to locate a marriage record for George Cassidy and Martha. I did locate a record for George Cassidy's marriage to Bathsheba Williams. They were married at Forsyth Street Methodist Church on 1 June 1841. Williams? Could this be a connection to the John Williams living with George and his family in the 1850 census? Could John Williams be Bathsheba's father?
Searching NY Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 I found the June 1839 immigration from Londonderry, Northern Ireland for Bathsheba Williams, age 16. She arrives on the Caledonia with John Williams, age 50, a carpenter, Margret Williams, age 50 and James Williams, age 24. This John Williams' native land, occupation and age are consistent with the John Williams living with the Cassidys in 1850. Bathsheba's age is consistent with Martha's. The Williams family coming from Londonderry could explain why Bathsheba Williams and George Cassidy were married in a Protestant church.
A NYC Municipal Death Record for Bathsheba Cassidy is dated 2 July 1857. No cause is listed for her death at age 33. Nor does it list survivors. Her birth, 1824 in Ireland is consistent with the date and place for Martha. The best clue in this record is her address and the place of her death, 85 Crosby Street.
The 1857 US City Directory lists the address for George Cassidy, soda water manufacturer as 85 Crosby Street. A New York Times article dated 29 April 1858 explains that a fire at 85 Crosby Street destroyed the home and business of George Cassidy, maker of sarsaparilla.
I have not been able to locate any evidence that Martha is a nickname for Bathsheba. Could she have just wanted to Americanize her name? Could Martha have been a middle name?
I have not found any birth or baptismal records for William or Elizabeth. I have located a 25 May 1843 baptismal record for a John Matthew Cassidy, who parents are documented as George and Martha Cassidy. The boy was born 31 December 1842 and was christened by Rev. Henry Chase at the NY Mariner's Church. This is the only record I have located for this child. He is not listed on the 1850 census living with the Cassidys. George and Mary go on to have 11 more children over 19 years, with only 5 surviving to adulthood. These Cassidys are all baptized Roman Catholic.
To summarize:
Let's begin with the 1850 US Census. George Cassidy is living in NY's enumeration district 2, ward #18, George is 31 years old, born in NY and his occupation is recorded as soda water. He is residing with Martha, who we assume is his wife. Martha is 26 years old and born in Ireland. The couple reside with William, age 5 and Betsey, less than one. Also, living with the family is John Williams, a 60 year old carpenter, born in Ireland.
The family remains intact in the 1855 NY State Census. They are residing in the 14th ward of enumeration district 1. George is now 35 and Martha, 30, is documented as his wife. Her birth is listed as 1825 in Ireland. Martha has been a resident of NY for 17 years. William and Betsey, now called Betsey Ann are now 10 and 5 years old respectively. John Williams is no longer living with this family. This is the last census on which Martha Cassidy appears. By the 1860 US Census, George, William and Betsey, now call Eliza are living with a wife named Mary.
A comparison of the information for Mary in the 1860 Census and the previous census information for Martha, it was quickly determined that they could not be the same person. So who is Mary? What happened to Martha?
A marriage record for George Cassidy, a widower and soda water manufacturer, age 39, b. 1819 NY and Mary H. Powers, age 27 single, b. 1831 Ireland is dated 4 August 1858. Martha must have died sometime between June of 1855 (the date she appears in the NYS Census) and the date of George's marriage to Mary.
I have not been able to locate a marriage record for George Cassidy and Martha. I did locate a record for George Cassidy's marriage to Bathsheba Williams. They were married at Forsyth Street Methodist Church on 1 June 1841. Williams? Could this be a connection to the John Williams living with George and his family in the 1850 census? Could John Williams be Bathsheba's father?
Searching NY Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 I found the June 1839 immigration from Londonderry, Northern Ireland for Bathsheba Williams, age 16. She arrives on the Caledonia with John Williams, age 50, a carpenter, Margret Williams, age 50 and James Williams, age 24. This John Williams' native land, occupation and age are consistent with the John Williams living with the Cassidys in 1850. Bathsheba's age is consistent with Martha's. The Williams family coming from Londonderry could explain why Bathsheba Williams and George Cassidy were married in a Protestant church.
A NYC Municipal Death Record for Bathsheba Cassidy is dated 2 July 1857. No cause is listed for her death at age 33. Nor does it list survivors. Her birth, 1824 in Ireland is consistent with the date and place for Martha. The best clue in this record is her address and the place of her death, 85 Crosby Street.
The 1857 US City Directory lists the address for George Cassidy, soda water manufacturer as 85 Crosby Street. A New York Times article dated 29 April 1858 explains that a fire at 85 Crosby Street destroyed the home and business of George Cassidy, maker of sarsaparilla.
I have not been able to locate any evidence that Martha is a nickname for Bathsheba. Could she have just wanted to Americanize her name? Could Martha have been a middle name?
I have not found any birth or baptismal records for William or Elizabeth. I have located a 25 May 1843 baptismal record for a John Matthew Cassidy, who parents are documented as George and Martha Cassidy. The boy was born 31 December 1842 and was christened by Rev. Henry Chase at the NY Mariner's Church. This is the only record I have located for this child. He is not listed on the 1850 census living with the Cassidys. George and Mary go on to have 11 more children over 19 years, with only 5 surviving to adulthood. These Cassidys are all baptized Roman Catholic.
To summarize:
- Bathsheba and John Williams immigrate to NY with other family in 1839 from Londonderry, a known Protestant part of Ireland.
- George Cassidy marries Bathsheba Williams in a Protestant Church.
- John Williams is living with George and Martha Cassidy in 1850.
- Bathsheba and Martha's age, birth year and birth place remain consistent through all discovered documents.
- The address 85 Crosby Street is the location where Bathsheba Cassidy died and is the proven business and home address of George Cassidy.
I believe this satisfies the criteria for a reasonably exhaustive search and we can conclude that Bathsheba Williams is Martha Cassidy.
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