New McFadden mystery: Charles McFadden

Margaret McFadden (abt 1840-1905) listed the family members in her statement to her parents (Edward (abt 1804-1887) and Alice Collum  (abt 1804-1886) McFadden) application for John McFadden’s (abt 1842-1863) Civil War pension application that they had another brother, Charles (?-?), that I was unaware of. 

Margaret McFadden applicant, sister of John McFadden, late (?) Co. K, 36^th Reg, Ohio 2. Deceased. That she has lived near her father since I was married over 12 years. I am his only daughter (applicants). There was three of my brothers, Charles, John & Dennis (abt. 1847-1924). Charles went to Utah before the war of 1861 – not heard from him for over 12 years & we suppose he is dead. Dennis is living but away from home since before the war of 1861 and did not since contribute any support to father and mother. John was a good boy & man to provide for and help father and mother, he contributed to their support by his labor and earnings before the war and lived with them until he enlisted into the service which he was killed.

Alice Collum McFadden, John’s mother stated essentially the same thing. The one thing she added was that Charles was in the army when he left.

…Dennis, John and Margaret; (?) Charles left before the late rebellion, went to Utah, I have not heard from him since he left when he was with army going to Utah. I suppose him dead…

 So far I have not found anything to indicate if Charles enlisted or if any Ohio units went to Utah before 1861. I have also not found any leads on a Charles McFadden in Utah during and after the Civil War. Right now, this is the only mention of him I have found and I am not sure of the best way to proceed. Unfortunately, this pension file also mentions that the McFadden’s house burned and with it pictures and letters from John and likely information on the rest of the family.

Compiled service record, John McFadden, Pvt., Co. K, 36th Reg, Ohio 2; Carded Records, Volunteer Organizations, Civil War; Records of the adjutant General’s Office, 1780s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

52 Ancestors-Week #4-Margaret McFadden Ferry

Margaret McFadden (1845-1905) was the sister of my great grandfather Dennis McFadden (1847-1924).  According to family stories, when Dennis and his brother John arrived in America circa 1852, they stayed with a sister who was already living in Ohio.  She was also said to have been married to a man named Dennis or Daniel Ferry.

No information so far has been discovered about her life in Ireland, her immigration and her eventual residence in Ohio.  The earliest record of her so far comes from several newspaper notices published at the time of her death in 1905.



Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio, 1905 Sep 30

                                               Dangerously Ill                                                                                                          
                                              Mrs. Margaret Ferry is lying danger-
                                              ously ill at the home of her daughter,
                                              Mrs. Herman Schildhauer, of Bucking
                                              ham street.
 



Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio, 1905 Oct 7

                                                      Mrs. Margaret Ferry
                                                   Mrs. Margaret Ferry died at the
                                                home of her daughter, Mrs. Herman
                                                Schildhauer, No. 349 Buckingham
                                                street, Saturday.   The deceased was
                                                aged 60 years and leaves three sons
                                                and two daughters and one brother
                                                besides a circle of friends.   Funeral
                                                services will be conducted at St. Fran-
                                                cis de Sales church Monday at nine
                                                o'clock  and the remains will be laid
                                                to rest in the Cedar Hill cemetery.
                                                
Here is her Find A Grave memorial at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Newark Ohio. 



 

                                                                   CARD OF THANKS
                                                    We wish to express our most sin-
                                                 cere thanks to our friends, relatives
                                                 and kind neighbors for the many acts
                                                 of kindness and sympathy shown us in
                                                 our sad bereavement in the loss of our
                                                 rearly (sic) beloved mother, Margaret Mer-
                                                 ry.  We wish to thank the employees of
                                                 the B & O machine shop, the Royal
                                                 Neighbors of America, and Neighbors
                                                 for their floral offerings.  Mr. and Mrs.
                                                 Herman Schildhauer.
                                                                                       


Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio, 1905 Nov 25

      
                                                                      Wills Probated
                                                  The wills of Margaret Ferry, de-
                                                  ceased of Newark, and Jacob Benner,
                                                  deceased. of Hartford, have been ad-
                                                  mitted to probate.                          



Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio, 1906 Apr 11

                                                                      Probate Court
                                                  ...Margaret Schildhauer has been ap-
                                                  pointed executrix of the last will and
                                                  testimony of Margaret Ferry, de-
                                                  ceased, of this city.   Bond, $2000(?).

                                              ADMINISTRATORS DOCKET
                           No. 1505 Estate of Margaret Ferry      late of Newark
                           Licking County, Ohio (Decedent died,    Oct. 7th 1905
                           Margaret Schildhauer  Executrix  P.O. Address, Newark Ohio         

With this I was able to order the probate records for Margaret Ferry.  I have not transcribed the full document yet, but I have pulled out some key information that will help me continue my search into this line.

Her probate file states that she died on 1905 Oct 7 in Licking County, Ohio.  It also includes a transcription of her will which names several family members, their relationship to Margaret and where they lived at the time, if known:

1. Margaret Schildhuaer, daughter, Newark, Ohio, 349 Buckingham
2. Daniel Ferry, brother, Crooksville, Ohio
3. Dennis Ferry, brother, unknown.
4. Katie Ferry, sister, unknown, Portsmouth, Ohio, where last heard of.

 The link between Margaret Ferry and Dennis McFadden is indirectly supported by this notice published in 1919:

 

Evening Independent, Massillon, Ohio, 1919 Oct 1

                                             Mr. and Mrs. Dennis McFadden
                                          of Pittsburg returned this afternoon
                                          after visiting their niece, Mrs. Her-
                                          man Schildhauer, of West Charles
                                          street.




Sources:

Cousin Kathleen, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, to Elizabeth, letter, 2 January 1997, sharing unsourced and uncited genealogical information on Dennis McFadden; Personal Correspondence, 1997; McFadden Family; McFadden File; privately held by Daniel Sample, [ADDRESS WITHHELD], Stafford, Texas.

Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio, NewpaperARCHIVE.com

Evening Independent, Massillon, Ohio, NewspaperARCHIVE.com.