The Children of Bartley and Judy Lacey: Valentine Lacey

This is the sixth post in my continuing series about the Lacey family of Rossadillisk, Ireland. Thus far, I have written about our earliest known Lacey ancestors, Bartholomew "Bartley" Lacey and Judith Corbett. I've also shared information about their two eldest children, Mary Lacey and Mark Lacey, and their descendants.

This post is devoted to Bartley and Judy's third child, Valentine Lacey, and his descendants. This line is special to me because one of the first people I connected with about the Laceys when I began to research them was a descendant of Valentine Lacey. Beth Kelly was Valentine's great-granddaughter and we shared a number of helpful emails about the family. Neither of us had known about each others' family lines, and we had fun sharing details. Sadly, Beth passed away a couple of years ago. I'm sorry that I never got to meet her in person, but am so grateful for all the wonderful information she shared about our mutual ancestors. 

Valentine Lacey

Valentine was born in Rossadillisk sometime between 1841 and 1850. Beth told me Val's birth year was 1850, based on church records she found while on a visit to Clifden, where Rossadillisk-area baptisms were recorded. However, in the 1901 and 1911 Irish census, Val's birth year is recorded as 1843 or 1841. With no solid proof of any specific date, I can only say that Val was one of the elder children of Bartley and Judy Lacey. 

In about 1872, Val married Anne Toole. She was the daughter of Martin Toole of Rossadillisk and his wife Mary (surname unknown). Val and Anne grew up together, and in the tiny community of Rossadillisk, their families would have known each other well. Anne's name is sometimes recorded as Anna, and her surname is sometimes recorded as O'Toole. As I related in my post about Mary Lacey, the daughter of Mark Lacey who married Patrick Toole, the Toole families in this area seemed to use Toole and O'Toole interchangeably. Val and Anne had eleven children together.

1. Thomas Lacey (b. 15 Nov 1873 in Rossadillisk)
2. Mary Lacey (b. abt. 1878 in Rossadillisk; m. in 1900 Michael J. Cosgrove, son of Stephen Cosgrove and Mary Conneely)
3. Bridget Lacey (b. 1879 in Rossadillisk)
4. Michael Joseph Lacey (b. 1886 in Rossadillisk) 
5. Margaret "Maggy" Lacey (b. 1887/1888 in Rossadillisk)
6. Delia Lacey (b. 1888 in Rossadillisk; d. 1937 in Pittsburgh, PA)
7. Ellen Lacey (b. abt 1890 in Rossadillisk)
8. Catherine "Katie" Lacey (b. 1892 in Rossadillisk)
9. Roseanne Lacey (b. 1895 in Rossadillisk; d. in Rossadillisk)
10. Valentine Lacey (b. 1897 in Rossadillisk; d. 1973 in Rossadillisk)
11. Martin Francis Lacey (b. 1899 in Rossadilisk; d. 1986 in Pittsburgh, PA; m. in 1929 Anna Flaherty, daughter of Martin Flaherty and Ellen Mulkerin.)

Valentine died sometime between 1911, when he appears in Irish census records, and 1920, when his son Michael lists his father as deceased in a U.S. Passport application. Anne died in September 1936, per a civil death registration filed in Clifden.

The Children of Valentine Lacey and Anne Toole

Thomas Lacey

We don't know much about Thomas Lacey. He was born on November 15, 1873, per an Irish birth record that identifies his parents as Val Lacey and Anne Toole. After that, he is found in the 1901 and 1911 census records, living with his parents in Rossadillisk. He is listed simply as "farmer's son." In 1911 he is 31 years old and unmarried. I can find no records for him after that time.

Mary Lacey

Mary Lacey's life story has been difficult to untangle. There are a lot of conflicting records related to her family. The one thing we know for sure is that Mary married a man named Michael J. Cosgrove. Beth Kelly told me this in our initial correspondence, and the single record I can find that absolutely belongs to Mary confirms this. On July 3, 1900, Mary Lacey and Michael Cosgrove signed their marriage certificate in Mahoning, Ohio. Mary certifies that she is 23 years of age and the daughter of Valentine Lacey and Anna O'Toole. Michael certifies that he is 25 years old and the son of Stephen Cosgrove and Mary Conneely. At the time of the marriage, Michael lived in Pittsburgh and was a fireman. From there on out, there's a confusing tangle of conflicting records that would have Mary and Michael moving back to Ireland, or living out their days in Pittsburgh, or suggest that Michael died in World War I. Beth Kelly told me that Mary settled in New York City after her marriage, but I can't find the Cosgroves there.

The Michael Cosgrove who died in World War I was from County Wexford and Mary's husband Michael Cosgrove was from Cleggan, County Galway, so I think we can dismiss that theory. In Pittsburgh, there was a laborer named Michael Cosgrove who married a Mary Jordan, and it'd be easy to assume that this Michael and Mary Cosgrove were our relatives if you just glanced at the census records without tracing them further. While there's not enough proof to say for certain, I think that our Michael and Mary Cosgrove may have returned to Ireland shortly after their marriage in 1900. Michael is listed in his parents' household in Cleggan in the 1901 Irish census, although families did sometimes claim adult children who were living overseas in their census reports. Mary is not listed with either the Lacey or Cosgrove families in that same census. I found a baptism record for a Mary Cosgrove, daughter of Michael Cosgrove and Mary Lacey, in Claddaghduff in 1902. In 1911, Mary Cosgrove and Ellen Cosgrove, granddaughters, are found living in the household of Mary Lacey's father, Valentine Lacey. It's very strange that I can't find Michael, Mary, and their children in a residence together at any point, and I have no idea what became of young Ellen and Mary Cosgrove. This family definitely needs more research.

Bridget Lacey

We don't have much to go on for Bridget, either. She was born on November 12, 1879 in Rossadillisk. She appears as a 17-year old in her parents' household in the 1901 census. After that, I can find no concrete evidence of her. I suspect that she died sometime between 1901 and 1911. In the 1911 census, Anne Toole Lacey reports that she had 11 children, but only 10 are living. With all the other Lacey children accounted for in 1911 except Bridget, it seems likely that she is the child who is no longer living.

It's also possible that she married and/or emigrated, but I can't find proof. Bridget Lacey was a surprisingly common name at that time, both in Ireland and in U.S. cities with high concentrations of Irish immigrants.

Michael Joseph Lacey

Michael was born on either May 14 or August 14, 1886 in Rossadillisk. This was nearly seven years after the birth of the next-oldest Lacey child, Bridget Lacey, an unusual gap. There is a baptismal record for a Michael Lacey, son of Val Lacey and Anne Toole, in Claddaghduff in 1882, and that date would make more sense in the chronology of the family. However, in all the later records associated with Michael, including census records, military records, and naturalization records, his birth is recorded as 1886. It is possible there was another Michael Lacey born to Val and Anne who died, and then the Michael born in 1886 was named for him. I have no proof of it, though, and Anne's statement in the 1911 census that she had 11 total children makes this questionable. 

Michael is found in both the 1901 and the 1911 Irish Census living with his family in Rossadillisk. However, he was not in Ireland in 1911 and it's unclear why his family claimed him. On August 19, 1907, Michael departed from Queenstown, Ireland for the USA, arriving there on September 4, 1907. In immigration records, Michael stated that his passage was paid by his sister. This could have been his sister Mary Lacey Cosgrove, who had arrived in America before 1900. It could have also been the sister he was traveling with, Delia. Michael indicated in immigration paperwork that he was going to Homestead, Pennsylvania, where his cousin Martin King lived. In the 1910 U.S. Census, Michael is shown living with Martin King and his wife Mary, both Irish immigrants, and their five children. There was quite a large group of family members associated with the Rossadillisk Laceys living in Homestead and working in Pittsburgh-area steel mills by that time. Like his cousins, Michael got work as a laborer in a steel mill.

On February 23, 1918, Michael enlisted in U.S. Army Company I, Transportation Corps. Information is sparse about his unit. It appears to have been a newly-conceived group that was responsible for maintenance and management of the Army's fleet of trucks. By World War II, the Transportation Corps would be a large and finely tuned operation, but in World War I, it's difficult to find information about their assignments. Army records indicate that Michael and his unit shipped out to Europe on August 31, 1918, and returned to America on August 16, 1919. Michael was honorably discharged from service on August 23, 1919. 

In February 1920, Michael filed naturalization paperwork in Pennsylvania. That same month, he applied for a U.S. Passport and stated that he planned to return to Ireland in March to visit his ailing mother. He is found in the 1920 U.S. Census in June of that year, living with his "cousin-in-law" Andrew Connelly in Homestead, so it appears that Michael may not have departed as scheduled. In March 1934, Michael's mother, Anne Toole Lacey, applied for Michael's veterans benefits, assisted by notary public Henry Connolly and witnessed by Marguerite Connolly and Francis Murphy in Clifden, Ireland. In November 1934, a service record for Michael Lacey was validated in America, perhaps in response to the request by Anne Lacey. Michael's signature does not appear on either of these documents, causing me to suspect that he died prior to Anne's request for his benefits. I cannot find a death record for him either in Ireland or America, however.

Margaret "Maggy" Lacey

Maggy Lacey was born around 1887/1888 in Rossadillisk. She's found there in the 1901 Irish Census with her family. In 1908, Maggy sailed from Queenstown, Ireland to America. Arriving in New York on September 5, 1908, on the ship Lucania, Maggy stated that her closest relative was "Mr. V. Lacey" near Cleggan, Ireland (her father, Val Lacey) and that she was headed to Homestead, Pennsylvania. Her sisters, Mary and Delia, and brother, Michael, had all emigrated to the Pittsburgh/Homestead area in previous years. On the immigration records, Maggy's occupation is listed as "domestic." 

In 1910, Maggy is found in the U.S. Census, in the household of John and Caroline Powell and their two children. On that census, Maggy is listed both as "servant" and as "cook, private family." John Powell was the manager of a roofing company and he owned his home at 5732 Darlington Road, in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood.. His neighbors held jobs like insurance broker, engineer, secretary at a chandelier company, and vice president of a gas company. Nearly all the homes on the street included at least one servant. After 1910, I cannot find Maggy in any records. It's unclear whether she married, moved, or died. In my correspondence with Beth Kelly, she never mentioned Maggy, and it seems that if Maggy had remained in the Pittsburgh area, Beth and her family would have known her. I will continue looking through records to see if I can determine what happened to Maggy.

Delia Lacey

Delia Lacey was born on December 22, 1888 in Rossadillisk. She would have been very close in age to her sister Maggy. She is strangely absent from the 1901 Irish Census, when she would have been about 12 years old, and in which her parents and siblings appear. 

The records associated with Delia give different dates for her arrival in America. The 1910 Census says it was 1909, but naturalization records indicate that it was September 4, 1907, aboard the ship Carmania. This is the same date and ship name associated with her brother Michael's arrival in America, and it makes sense that they would have traveled together. I cannot find Delia's name on the manifest, however. 

Beth Kelly told me that Delia was a housemaid for a wealthy family in Pittsburgh's East Liberty neighborhood, but in the 1910 census, she is found living in the Pittsburgh home of Katherine McIver as a lodger. Katherine owned a grocery store, and she took in young lodgers. There were six of them in the McIver home, mostly immigrants. Some, like Delia Lacey, worked in the grocery store, but others worked in laundries, candy factories, and for the railroad. 

By 1920, Delia's fortunes had changed. In that census, she can be found living in the home of Murt and Katey Salsburg at 190 Richland Avenue in Pittsburgh. This is not East Liberty, but an upscale area of Homewood. Neighbors on Richland Lane included John Wesley Beatty, an accomplished artist and the first director of Pittsburgh's Museum of Art and William Coleman Carnegie, the nephew of the great industrialist Andrew Carnegie. Murt Salsburg was 79 years old in 1920 and retired. His wife Katey was 70. Also in the home was Joseph M. Salsburg, the 32-year old son of Murt and Katey. The Salsburgs employed three Irish immigrants as domestic staff, who all appear on the 1920 census: Katherine McCarten, a 50-year old nurse who was likely tending to the elderly Salsburgs, Delia Lacey, age 32 and the family's cook, and Kath Lacey, age 23, the family's chambermaid. Yes, that is Delia's younger sister Catherine, often called Katie, working in the same home. 

Delia died on August 22, 1937 of tuberculosis, at the age of 48. The death notice, posted in the Pittsburgh Press on August 24, noted that services would be held at St. Teresa Church, and the wake at the home of her brother Martin, at 4110 Harvey Park in Homestead.

Ellen Lacey

Beth Kelly told me that this Lacey sibling was named Eileen, and that she married a man with the surname King. On the 1901 Irish Census record, the only concrete evidence I've been able to find of her existence, her name is listed as Ellen. Ellen is a much more common name in this part of Ireland than Eileen, so I'm inclined to believe her name was Ellen. After this mention in 1901, I cannot find any definite information about Ellen/Eileen Lacey King. The one hint is that on June 26, 1910, an Ellen Lacey arrived in New York aboard the ship Arabic. The immigration record says that she was 18 years old, from Cleggan, Ireland, and that her father was Val Lacey. She was going to Brooklyn. If this is our Ellen Lacey, she was likely headed for domestic work, as the immigration record noted that her occupation was servant. If Ellen's sister Mary Lacey Cosgrove had, in fact, settled in New York, this might also explain her destination.

I cannot find any information about a marriage between Ellen and anyone with the surname King. In 1948, an Eileen Lacey married a Thomas King in New York City, but that Thomas was born in 1920, about 30 years after our Ellen Lacey, so I don't believe this is the right couple. All attempts to locate Ellen in Ireland or in New York have come up short. I'll keep searching.

Catherine "Katie" Lacey

Katie was born about 1892 in Rossadillisk. She appears in the 1901 and 1911 Irish Census records with her family. On August 21, 1916, Katie arrived in New York aboard the ship St. Paul. She may have been traveling with several friends or cousins from the Cleggan area, Mary Toole (age: 21; father: Thomas Toole), Ellen Feeney (age: 24; father: Patrick Feeney), and Bridget Feeney (age: 18; father: Patrick Feeney). Mary Toole was headed to Braddock, Pennsylvania. Ellen and Bridget Feeney were headed to Homestead, Pennsylvania, as was Katie Lacey. If I'm reading the record correctly, Ellen and Bridget were going to the home of their brother, Thomas Feeney, at 504 Hazel Street. Katie also lists this as her destination, stating that Thomas Feeney is her cousin. Unfortunately, I don't know where Thomas fits in the family tree. Katie had an aunt Mary Lacey who married Patrick Feeney, and their son Patrick Feeney raised his family in Pittsburgh. It would make sense that Katie would be going to see members of this family, but there wasn't a son or grandson named Thomas. Like the King family, the Feeneys seem to be always surrounding the Laceys, but I can't quite pinpoint the connection.

In the 1920 U.S. Census, Katie can be found living in the home of Murt and Katey Salsburg at 190 Richland Avenue in Pittsburgh, working as a domestic servant alongside her sister Delia Lacey. Katie was 23 at this time and unmarried. After 1920, I cannot find her in further records. Beth Kelly never mentioned to me that Katie married, so I suspect she died unmarried. I'll continue trying to find more information.

Roseanne Lacey

Roseanne was born in January 1895. Beth Kelly told me that Roseanne was disabled. I believe she always lived with her parents and did not marry or emigrate. She appears in the 1911 Irish Census with her parents in Rossadillisk, and I have no records for her after that time. 

Valentine Lacey

Valentine, called Val, was born in 1897. He was baptised on July 18th of that year. Beth Kelly told me that Val remained in Rossadillisk with his parents. This makes sense, as I can't find any records for him after 1911. He does not appear to have married. 

After many generations, Valentine was the last Lacey to live in the family home in Rossadillisk. Beth Kelly told me that when she visited Rossadillisk in the late 1980s she met the family that lived in the old Lacey house. Their surname was Murray, and they bought the home after Valentine Lacey's death in 1973.

Martin Francis Lacey

Born October 4, 1899 in Rossadillisk, Martin was the youngest of Valentine Lacey and Anne Toole's children. He is found in the 1901 and 1911 Irish Census with his family. On February 25, 1921, Martin arrived in New York aboard the ship Carmania. On the ship's manifest, he is noted as being from Rossadillisk, Ireland and that his mother is Anne Lacey. Beth Kelly told me that Martin spent his first 5-6 years in America in New York City. He worked for a transportation company, operating a street car. After that, he moved to the Pittsburgh area and settled in Braddock. Like so many of his Lacey relatives, he got work in a steel mill. Starting as a laborer, he was employed by Edgar Thompson Steel Works for 44 years.

On November 28, 1929, Martin married Anna Flaherty, the daughter of Martin Flaherty and Ellen Mulkerin. Anna's parents were Irish immigrants. Her parents had come separately to America from the Clifden area,and married in Pittsburgh in 1895. Anna was born on February 26, 1905 and grew up in Pittsburgh. She attended Iron City College and got a degree in shorthand, graduating in 1921. Beth Kelly told me that Anna worked as a secretary for a lawyer before her marriage to Martin Lacey.

Martin and Anna had six children together:

1. Regis Thomas Lacey (b. 1932; d. 1999)
2. Mary Elizabeth Lacey (b. 1933; d. 1998; m. Donald R. Kelly, son of Arnold Kelly and Margaret Mayfield. They had six children.)
3. Etheldreda Lacey (b. 1936; d. 2020; m. Patrick J. Huber, son of Sylvester Huber and Grace Weisen. They had four children.)
4. Ellen F. Lacey (b. 1937; d. 2008; m. Robert G. Miller. They had four children.)
5. (Living) Lacey
6. (Living) Lacey

Martin Lacey died in Munhall, Pennsylvania on April 14, 1986. Anna Flaherty Lacey died in Munhall on August 2, 1989.

Valentine Lacey and Anne Toole's children either stayed in Rossadillisk or emigrated to Pittsburgh or New York City. When I corresponded with Beth Kelly, she indicated that there was a big group of Lacey descendants and various cousins in Pittsburgh. They had never heard about our California branch of the same family, so it was exciting to make that connection. I do hope to make it to Pennsylvania and meet my Lacey cousins someday.