FitzMaurice of Matheau

In the second half of the 19th century, my Great Grandfather FitzMaurice lived on a farm in Matheau (pronounced as Ma-tay with accent on second syllable), County Limerick, Ireland. Matheau was located about 15 miles from New Castle West, Co. Limerick. Since I have no record of my great grandfather's baptismal name, I have designated him only with the symbol [M].

Since two of his sons (John Joseph and Timothy) each named their eldest son "John Aloysius" and three sons named their only daughter "Mary", it seems likely that [M] was named "John Aloysius" and that his wife was named "Mary".

[M] had at least four children:

 

M1.

Henry FitzMaurice, who emigrated to Chicago IL before 1891.

Henry [M1] was listed in the Chicago City Directory for 1891 and was in Chicago on 26 Dec 1897 to be the godfather at the baptism of his nephew, Thomas Henry FitzMaurice [M3.2].

CHICAGO CITY DIRECTORY
1891 Fitzmorris Henry, lab. h. 3039 Pitney ct.

 

M2.

John Joseph FitzMaurice (Jul 1867—15 Oct 1935), who emigrated to Chicago in 1885. On 14 Sep 1892, he married Honora Mulvihill (b. 13 Jan 1868 in Ballinloughane [derived from the Gaelic, Baile an Locháin, meaning "town of the small lake"], Co. Limerick; d. 19 Mar 1951 in Chicago). Nora was the daughter of Mary Flood and Patrick Mulvihill.

Nora's last residence in Ireland was in New Castle West, Co. Limerick.

Although they had resided only 15 miles apart in Ireland, John and Nora first met in Chicago. They were married in Chicago (probably in Holy Family Church) and resided in Chicago for the remainder of their lives.

I have found no record of the date of this photo. Considering the apparent ages of John and Nora, I would guess that the photo was taken circa 1915.

Stories and Data re John Joseph FitzMaurice

John and Nora had three children:
  M2.1 John Aloysius FitzMaurice (29 Jul 1893—27 Nov 1954) who married Laura Margaret Curran (21 May 1899—2 Oct 1971) on 21 July 1919 and had 10 children.
Biography and photos.
    M2.1.1 Mary FitzMaurice
(18 May 1920 — 20 Mar 1921)
After being under the care of a physician for five days, Mary died of Gastro Enteritis at 1 pm on 20 Mar 1921.  This would not be a deadly disease today.  It could be quickly cured with penicillin.

Mary was buried in Mt. Carmel Cemetery at 10 am on 22 Mar 1921.
    M2.1.2

Loretta Mildred (FitzMaurice) Hlavin
(16 Jan 1922 — 27 May 2002)
On 9 Jan 1939, Loretta married 1stly Francis Peters (10 May 1918 — Oct 1979) in a Catholic church. They had three children:
M2.1.2.1 John (b. 12 Jul 1939)
M2.1.2.2 Walter (b. 6 Oct 1940)
M2.1.2.3 Thomas (b. 19 Feb 1942)

Circa 1948, Loretta
married 2ndly Joseph Martino
(12 Jan 1925 — 28 Feb 1990) in a civil ceremony. Joseph adopted his three stepsons. Since then, they have always used "Martino" as their surname.  Loretta and Joseph were subsequently divorced, remarried, and divorced again circa 1959 or 1960.

On 22 Aug 1965, Loretta married 3rdly Kenneth J. Hlavin (27 May 1927 — 25 May 2003) in a civil ceremony.  After Loretta obtained an annulment of her first marriage, Loretta married  Ken in Visitation Church (Elmhurst, IL) circa 1978 or 1979. Veronica and Dolores were witnesses.  The date was either 21 July or 9 August (the dates of Loretta's mother's civil and religious marriages).


This photo was taken in 1990 on Loretta's 25th wedding anniversary.

More photos of Loretta.
    M2.1.3

Dolores Ethelrita (FitzMaurice) Laurie
(23 Nov 1923 — 21 Jan 2002)

On 20 Nov 1943, Dolores married John Roger Laurie (22 Sep 1921 — 13 Aug 1984) at St. Francis of Rome Church in Cicero, IL.

This photo was taken circa 1944. Veronica commented that she always loved this picture and the green blouse that Dolores was wearing.

Dolores and John had five children:
M2.1.3.1 John Gerald (b. 1 Aug 1945)
M2.1.3.2 Gerald Thomas (b. 1 Nov 1947)
M2.1.3.3 Michael Patrick (b. 20 May 1952)
M2.1.3.4 Mary Anne (b. 25 Jun 1954)
M2.1.3.5 Nancy Susan (b. 3 Sep 1957)

Biography and Photos
    M2.1.4

John Aloysius Patrick FitzMaurice
(b. 26 Aug 1926)

On 18 Jan 1958, John married Patricia (nee Cunningham) (17 Jan 1923 — 15 Feb 2001).
Patricia had three children by a previous marriage:
M2.1.4.1 Brehon Mason Herlihy (b. 27 Feb 1943)
M2.1.4.2 Christiana Cunningham-Adams (b. 1 Jun 1945)
M2.1.4.3 Robert Patten Herlihy (b. 8 Sep 1946)

John and Patricia had two children:
M2.1.4.4 Elizabeth Fitzmaurice Elliott (b. 3 Dec 1958)
M2.1.4.5 Eric FitzMaurice (b. 31 Aug 1960)
    M2.1.5

Thomas Vincent FitzMaurice (b. 4 Nov 1927)

On 25 May 1963, Thomas was Ordained in
St. Raymond's Cathedral, Joliet IL. He is now
Rev. Terence Thomas FitzMaurice, O.S.B.
 

More photos and biographical timeline for Terence.
    M2.1.6

Veronica Patricia Barbara FitzMaurice
(b. 6 Mar 1929)

Veronica worked for Illinois Bell and successor companies for 35 years. This photo shows her in 1951 at age 22, the first time that she won the Miss Voice contest (in which all operators competed). She won the contest again in 1954, the last year in which it was held. There was no contest in 1952 or 1953.

On 22 Apr 1977, Veronica married Walter Francis Watts (16 Mar 1922—11 Aug 2005). Witnesses were Veronica's sisters, Loretta and Dolores.
    M2.1.7

Francis Michael Fitzmaurice, M.D.
(b. 27 May 1930)
On 3 Nov 1956, Francis married LaVerne Frances Lamers (3 Feb 1935 — 8 Oct 1997) in Holy Cross Church, Kaukauna, WI.

Francis and LaVerne had seven children:
M2.1.7. 1 Laura Sue (b. 1 Nov 1957)
M2.1.7. 2 Kathleen Anne (b. 17 Nov 1958)
M2.1.7. 3 Kevin John (b. 19 Oct 1959)
M2.1.7. 4 Eileen Elizabeth (b. 12 Dec 1960)
M2.1.7. 5 Marion Margaret (b. 10 Apr 1962)
M2.1.7. 6 Robert Michael (b. 4 Jun 1963)
M2.1.7. 7 Suzanne (b. 27 Jan 1966)
    M2.1.8

Loyola Terrence "Mike" Fitzmaurice
(b. 31 Jan 1932)

On 22 Nov 1957, Loyola married
Patricia Eldredge (b. 24 Jan 1932).

Patricia and Loyola have four children:
M2.1.8.1 Jean Marie (b. 1 Jan 1958)
M2.1.8.2 Ellen Dorothy (b. 15 Jul 1959)
M2.1.8.3 Michael Eldredge (b. 19 Dec 1960)
M2.1.8.4 Thomas Curran (b. 29 Sep 1962)
    M2.1.9 Joseph FitzMaurice
(b. c. Apr 1933; lived one or two days)
    M2.1.10

Gerald Emmett Robert FitzMaurice
(9 Jun 1934 — 18 Apr 1971)
He was called "Emmett" by his parents and siblings but was called "Gerry" by everyone else.
Circa Oct 1956, Emmett married Mary Therese O'Connor (1 Oct 1940 — 18 Apr 1971).


This photo was taken c.1970.

Emmett and Mary Therese had six children:
M2.1.10.1 Gerald Robert (b. 19 Apr 1957)
M2.1.10.2 Mary Therese (b. 19 Apr 1958)
M2.1.10.3 Karen Patricia (b. 14 Aug 1959)
M2.1.10.4 Christine Anna (b. 19 Apr 1961)
M2.1.10.5 John Aloysius (b. 19 Apr 1963)
M2.1.10.6 Margaret Anne (b. 15 Jun 1964)
  M2.2

Mary Veronica Agnes FitzMaurice
(14 Oct 1895—5 Aug 1984)
She was always called "Veronica" by her parents and siblings. When she became a nun, Veronica took the name "Sister Mary Saint Mildred B.V.M." Later (following the new custom of the Order) she reverted to the name "Sister Mary Veronica FitzMaurice B.V.M."


Biography
  M2.3

Henry Emmett I. FitzMaurice (28 Nov 1897—4 Dec 1937)
who never married.

Biography and Photo

 

M3. Timothy FitzMaurice (c. Apr 1875—c. Jan 1941) who emigrated to Chicago IL in 1892. On 17 Oct 1894, he married Ellen "Nellie" Sheehan
(b. c. Jun 1876; d. c. 1930), and had nine children.:
  M3.1 John Aloysius FitzMaurice (Mar 1896—c. 1955)
who married and had two children.
  M3.2 Thomas Henry Patrick FitzMaurice (5 Dec 1897—23 Sep 1956) who married Anne Suchanek (b. 20 Jul 1903) on 8 Aug 1922 and had 7 children.
  M3.3 Timothy II (b. Jun 1900; died as a baby)
  M3.4 Mary Fitzmaurice (11 Aug 1903—Dec 1970)
who married Robert Piper but had no children.
  M3.5 Michael Joseph Fitzmaurice (13 Jul 1905—Sep 1971)
who married Lubitza Sorich (30 Apr 1920—Jul 1981) and had four children.
  M3.6 Timothy III (b. Apr 1910; died as a baby)
  M3.7 William Fitzmaurice (b. May 1911)
who married Bernice and had four children.
  M3.8 Henry Fitzmaurice (b. Jul 1913)
who married and had three children.
  M3.9 James FitzMaurice (died as a baby)

 

M4.

Michael FitzMaurice (born before 1884; died June 1932)
who married Mary Agnes O'Riordan (d. 11 Nov 1929).

Michael [M4] and Mary Agnes resided at 113 Richmond Road, Drumcondra, when the Bremen landed on Greenly Island (13 Apr 1928).

Michael [M4] and Mary Agnes had four children:
  M4.1

Louis Fitzmaurice (prob. died or emigrated before 26 Sep 1965), manager of a department store in Dublin and Scoutmaster of the Fairview Catholic Boy Scouts.

Louis m. Lil Anderson in 1926. The maiden name of Lil's mother was MacSweeney.

In Nov 1982, Mrs. L. Fitzmaurice resided at Cullin Mhuire, Rathdown, Greystones, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.217
  M4.2

James M. Christopher Fitzmaurice (6 Jan 1898 — 26 Sep 1965) who (on 12-13 Apr 1928) flew as co-pilot of the Bremen on the first east to west transatlantic flight.

"James said that his family could trace the Norman lineage from which they were descended."208 I hope that some viewer of this page can locate a copy of the document. The copy kept by his uncle, John Joseph FitzMaurice [M2], has been accidentally destroyed by fire.

James married Violet "Bill" Clarke on 6 Jan 1919 (divorced c. 1930) and had one child:
M4.2.1 Patricia Fitzmaurice (born c. May 1921)
    M4.2.1 Patricia Fitzmaurice (c. May 1921-- 11 Aug 2001)
married 1stly, c. 1938, Haydn Mortimer Jones (kia in WW-II in 1940) and had a son:
M4.2.1.1 Terence Jones

Patricia married 2ndly Michael Selwyn-Jones (d. c. 1982; brother of first husband) and had two children:

M4.2.1.2 Haydn Selwyn-Jones
M4.2.1.3 Edwina Selwyn-Jones

In April 2000, Patricia (Fitzmaurice) Selwyn-Jones [M4.2.1] resided in Aylesbury (England).
  M4.3 Patrick Leo Fitzmaurice
(Died in January, perhaps in 1920)
  M4.4 Mary "May" Fitzmaurice (d. 11 May 1987)
In Nov 1982, Miss M. Fitzmaurice resided at Main St., Croom, Co. Limerick, Ireland.217

 

Patriarch of the FitzMaurices of Matheau
1. I note that the name "Henry" was used by the FitzMaurices of Matheau even though they knew that "Henry" was the name of the Earl of Kerry during the genocide64 of the 1840's. This suggests that they were descended from one of the English Peers and prone to excuse the behavior of the English during the genocide.
2. On the other hand, John Joseph FitzMaurice [M2] forbade his daughter to wear a yellowish ribbon because the hue was too much like orange. His sons also expressed negative feelings toward the English.
3. The greatest similarity of first names is with the family of John FitzMaurice (5th Lord) through his son Gerald, ancestor of the FitzMaurice family of Duagh. I note that the families of both the 5th Lord and [M] used the names Henry, James, John, and Thomas for their children and grandchildren.
4.

Two sons of the 5th Lord (John FitzMaurice) were named Gerald and Robert. Is it only a coincidence that the daughter-in-law of John Joseph [M2] named three of her sons

  • Robert Francis FitzMaurice,
  • Gerald Loyola FitzMaurice, and
  • Emmett Gerald Robert FitzMaurice?
5. The distance between the present cities of Duagh and Athea is about six miles.
Although the evidence is thin, I suspect that [M] and his descendants are part of the network of FITZMAURICE families descended from John FitzMaurice (the 5th Lord of Kerry) through his son Gerald FitzMaurice and the FitzMaurices of Duagh. There is little hope now of ever finding records to confirm the relationship.

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