Our McDevitt Great Grandparents:

Jeremiah McDevitt

Born March 20, 1862, lived in Donegal, Ireland and came from a well-to-do family.

Margaret Shield

Born January 1863, lived in County Cork (?), Ireland.

Jeremiah immigrated to Philadelphia in 1884.  Margaret immigrated to Philadelphia in 1883.  They were married in Philadelphia on September 6, 1886.  He lived at 309 Noble Street and was a Morocco Dresser.

She lived at 23 Chatham Street and was “in service” when they married (per marriage license).

They had eight children per the 1910 Census. (Two had died - James L, the oldest child born in 1887 died on Labor Day, 9/9/1909; the other death was Batnas (?),maybe in child birth (?) but before 1900.

The 2^nd oldest child was our Grandfather, Patrick Joseph McDevitt.

Jeremiah died 4/16/1941 and Margaret died on 5/13/1925.

Frank Jones

Born 18XX in England (?), but immigrated to Massachusetts in 18XX.

Rose Catherine Gallagher

Born 1860 in Manchester, England.  Her mother was born in Ireland; her father in England. She immigrated to Philadelphia 1880 or earlier (per 1880 Census). She was a servant in the Solomon Weiner home at 1710 Gratz St. in the 1880 Census.

Frank and Rose probably were married in 1881/82 in Philadelphia. Their 3rd oldest child was our Grandmother, Elizabeth Jones.  Rose died in 1898.  Frank gave the four youngest girls away to local people, apparently because he could not raise them.  Our Grandmom was given to a German couple who owned a farm in Chester, Delaware County.

Sometime later (190x?), the oldest daughter, Celia, had lost track of her sisters but tracked them down.  Elizabeth was the last one that she found. So they became a connected family again.

Frank died sometime between 1901 and 1911.

Jeremiah and Margaret's surviving six children were:  Mary (b. 1891) married to Frank Gail; Alice (b. 1893) married to Joseph Carr; Elizabeth (b. 1897) married to Frank Nichter and to William Needham; Marguerete (b. 1902) married to Harry Hart; William (b. 1904) was married, but annulled (see 1930 Gail Census), and of course, Patrick, our Grandpop (b. 1889).

Frank and Rose's five children were:  Celia (b. 1883) married Andrew Devine; Anna (b. 1886) married John Earley; Nell (b. 189X) married  XXXXXX; Rose (b. 1898) married Everett Bridgeford , then Bill Huff; and, of course, Elizabeth Rose, our Grandmom (b. 1891).

There is a family plot in New Cathedral Cemetery, Section P, Range 6, Lot 45, that contains eleven McDevitts; Great Grandparents Jeremiah and Margaret; Grandparents Patrick and & Elizabeth; Patrick's brothers James L. and William, his sister Alice and Alice's husband and son Joseph Carrs, Elizabeth's son Francis Nichter, and Grandmom McDevitt's first cousin John Gallagher.

I do not know where the Gallagher Great Grandparents family lived and died (maybe mostly in England?); but the Jones Great Grandparents family lived in Massachusetts and were wealthy.  I've heard that Great Aunt Celia visited their home in Massachusetts but was not acknowledged by her Grandmother - apparently because Frank Jones was disinherited for marrying an Irish Catholic.

I do not know where 'Chester' Marie is buried.

NOTE:  See our McDevitt Great Grandparents' homes below. You can follow Jeremiah from1900 thru his 1930 homes & Census Sheets.  Our McDevitt Great Grandparents and Grandparents, and a good many of their kin, lived their lives in St. Annes and Nativity BVM Parishes.

Our McDevitt Grandparents:

Patrick McDevitt

Born April 10, 1889 in Philadelphia, Patrick was employed as a glassblower at Gill & Company at York and Thompson Streets - just a short walk from his homes.  He had brown eyes and black hair was of medium height and slender build, when he registered for the WW I Draft on June 5, 1917.  Sometime in the late 1930s or early 1940s, he switched jobs to Hemberger Coal Company at 7th & Ruscomb Streets.  He was 5' 11" and weighed 170 pounds. with a 'ruddy' complexion, when he registered for the WW II Draft on April 27, 1942.

Elizabeth Jones

Born May 10, 1891 in either Philadelphia or Chester.  I know very little about her other than she was a beautiful young lady.  I do know that she was one of five children (all girls) and that her father gave the four youngest away when their Mom died at an early age in 1901.

Elizabeth was given to a German couple who had a farm.  She eventually moved to Philadelphia and sometime between 1908-1910 boarded in a home at 2806. E. Indiana Avenue - just two blocks down Richmond St. from where Big Daddy lived - 2727 E. Cambria Street.  I assume they met ‘in the neighborhood'?

Patrick and Elizabeth were married on Wednesday, December 27, 1911 - probably in Nativity BVM.  Great Aunt Celia Devine acted as her Guardian (because both their Mom & Dad had passed away).  Their first house was at 2864 Gaul Street, (see house below) but they probably lived in his parents' house for a while before.  When they married, she lived at 3268 E. Gaul St. and was a mill hand and he lived at 2727 E. Cambria Street and was a glass worker (per marriage license).  3268 Gaul is 1½ blocks north of Allegheny and only two blocks from Nativity Church - so I'm fairly sure that's where they were married.

Our Grandmom, Elizabeth, died on February 25, 1936 from cancer of the brain.  She, apparently, suffered a head injury when she was living with the German couple - which caused the tumor in her brain.  She went blind about two  years before she passed away.  She loved the beach and Grandpop would take her there during those two years.  She is buried, as stated above, in New Cathedral Cemetery.  I wish I had known her!

Our Granddad, 'Big Daddy", died on July 20, 1956, from the results of working as a glassblower and in a coal yard.  He joined our Grandmother in New Cathedral Cemetery.  All of his children and grandchildren have fond memories of him - he was a really nice person who always had a smile and liked to sing.  I especially remember his Christmas 'platforms' (he would work all year to produce next year's version).

Big Daddy married "Chester" Marie in 1942.  She was from Chester City in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, thus the McDevitt nickname for her.  She remarried after Big Daddy's death (see photo & text on Home Page and in McDevitt Family Tree Page).  She died in 1985.

Where our Great Grandparents & Grandparents lived:

(Pictures taken on May 4, 2008 except where noted).  They all lived in St. Anne & Nativity Parishes in Philadelphia.  Addresses taken from Census records - click on them below.)

NOTE:  Jeremiah lived at 309 Noble St. and Margaret lived at 23 Chatham St. when they were married on September 6, 1886.  His occupation was Morocco Dresser (I think he worked with Moroccan leather, possibly in a handbag/shoe store or factory?) and she was a maid ‘in service'.

Jeremiah's St. where he lived
in 1886 when married

309 Noble St.-would have been along this block (pic taken 1930)

This block no longer exists.  It's a parking lot.  Noble Street ends at 290 now.

Grandmom at 23 Chatham - It's either a wrong address number OR this block no longer exists.

Click to see 1900 Census

Jeremiah and Margaret (Maggie) McDevitt's Home #1

Great Grandparents' 1900 Home - 2630 E. Thompson St.

Jeremiah & Maggie lived here with five of their children in 1900: James, Patrick, Mary, Alice, & Elizabeth. Margaret (1901) and William (1904) may have been born in this house. Jeremiah, who was 37, worked as a Day Laborer; James, who was twelve in 1900, was employed as a glass worker!  James died on Labor Day,9/9/1909 accidently while on a picnic with Big Daddy & our future Grandmom.  He was just 21 yrs. old.

Note: The Duffy Grandparents, John and Mary, moved to 2649 Thompson Street, practically across the street, in 1905-having just moved from Brooklyn.

Did the families know each other? Also, Grandmom Duffy's sister, Margaret, and her family lived at 2664 Thompson St. at this same time.

Click to see 1910 Census

Great Grandparents 1910 home #2 was at 2727 E Cambria St., right off of Richmond Street.  See picture of this home on the Home Page.  They lived here with six of their children: Patrick, Mary, Alice, Elizabeth, Margaret, & William.

Big Daddy lived in this house when he married Grandmom.  Did they spend their first few years of marriage here? 

Note:  See the Home Page - for photos of this house and Grandmom's boarding house, where she lived when they were married.

Francis and Mary (McDevitt) Gail lived in this house in 1917 when he registered for the WW I Draft.  As noted below, they also lived in the Gaul Street house of Jeremiah.

Francis Gail's WW I Draft Registration Card - 1917

Note: address is same as McDevitt's 1910 house

Click to see 1920 Census

Jeremiah and Margaret (Maggie) McDevitt's home #3

Great Grandparents' 1920 Home - 3161 E. Gaul Street

(Note: the flower pot is original to the house)

Our GreatGrandparents moved here in 191X.  In 1920, they lived here with three of their children:  Alice, Margaret, and William.  Mary and Francis Gail also lived here at this time.  Great GrandMom Margaret died here from diabetes on May 13, 1925.  Sometime after, Jeremiah moved in with Big Daddy at 2402 E. Clearfield Street.

Note:  see 1930 census below: Francis and Mary Gail and other family members continued to live in this house.

NOTE:  In the 1930 Census, the following lived in the 3161 E. Gaul St. house after Great Grandfather Jeremiah moved to Big Daddy's:

Francis Gail and Mary McDevitt Gail; William McDevitt, Big Daddy's brother (married to an Emma McClatchey from Nativity, but the marriage was annulled) (he died in January 1939 at 35 years); and nephews, James and William Nichter, ages 11 & 9 (Great Aunt Elizabeth and Francis Nichter's children - they gave them to Mary to raise - she had no children).  Their first son, Francis, died in April 1918.

NOTE:  Also, Great Aunt Alice Carr gave a daughter, Alice, to Great Aunt Margaret and Harry Hart to raise (but not in this house).

Click to see 1930 Census for the Gails.

Francis Gail's WW II draft registration card-1942

Click to see 1920 Census

Patrick and Elizabeth (Lizzie) McDevitt's Home

Grandparents' Home - 2864 E. Gaul St.

Our Grandparents were married October 27, 1911 from the 2727 E. Cambria St. house and sometime later, in 191X, they moved into this house.  Grandmom had boarded at 3268 E. Gaul Street before marriage - about one block North of Aramingo Avenue.  Grandpop worked as a glass worker at Gill & Co.  By this time, 1920, Margaret, Rose, James, Marie and Mildred were born.

Grandpop's WW I draft registration card-1917

Click to see 1930 Census

Patrick and Elizabeth’s Home #2 on May 4, 2008

Grandparents 1930 Home - 2402 E. Clearfield Street

2402 Clearfield-on 8/29/1951 - how it looked then

It was a store-front home with a Bakery next door on the corner

Big Daddy and Grandmom moved to this house in 192X.  Eventually all nine children lived in this house.  Great Grandpop Jeremiah also came to live in this house with our Grandparents around 192X – some time after Great Grandmom Margaret died.

Grandpop worked as a glass blower at Gill & Co., (see picture of the plant & 1917 Draft Card), a 5 to 6 block walk.  He worked there since before 1910 until 193x (his brother, James, also worked there - but died in 1909).

Grandpop operated an Oyster House here, then a Hosiery Store, and then a Pool Hall (thus the store-front window - Big Daddy built this.  It originally had been a porch-front).

Jeremiah moved in with Great Aunt Marguerite and Harry Hart in 1940/41.  They lived at 903 Scattergood Street at Summerdale Avenue.  They had no children.  He died there in April 1941.  He was sitting on a basket at a nearby dump and apparently had a heart attack.  When his body was found by the police, they said "he wasn't eaten too bad by the rodents".

Gill & Co Glass Works -- York & Thompson Streets

Where Grandpop worked as a Glass Blower

Not sure that this is the actual building - but it is at the actual intersection where Gill and Company was located.  (See WW I Draft Registration).  Big Daddy made the glass cover for gas street lamps (see pic on the right).  (Uncle George Hill also worked here for a few years).  Big Daddy lost his job when electric street lights became the 'thing' and he got a new job at Hemberger Coal Co. (See WWII Draft Registration).  Both jobs were bad for his health!  He eventually died from upper respiratory problems

The picture above shows a glass blower at Gill & Co. blowing an ornamental lamp shade.  I don't know when the picture was taken. But it had to be when Big Daddy worked there.  He worked there from 190X to 193X.  The colored lady helping the glassblower could probably be the lady who worked with, and was good friends, with Big Daddy.  He often would bring her home for dinner.  The family would kid him about 'his colored girl friend'.

Jim Duffy had a patient at Episcopal Hospital who worked with Big Daddy at Gill's.  He said Big Daddy was a 'big supervisor' at Gill's.

Note: No Census available after 1930

Patrick and Elizabeth's Home #3 (no Census)

Grandparents' 193X Home
3177 Aramingo Avenue just south of Allegheny Avenue

Our Grandparents moved here from the Clearfield Street house in the early 1930s.  Grandmom passed away from a brain tumor on February. 25, 1936 in this house (she lost her sight due to the tumor).

Patrick and Elizabeth's Home #4 (no census)

Grandparents' 193X home - 2651 E. Agate Street

They moved to this house from 3177 Aramingo Avenue, sometime in the 1930's (shortly after Grandmom died) with his children and Great Grandpop Jeremiah.  Grandpop married Step Grandmom Marie while living here in 1942 (see his 1942 WW2 Registration below).  They moved to Marie's house in Chester in 1952 because of his illness.  He died at Chester Marie's house, 128 E. 22nd Street, Chester, Pa. on July 20, 1956.  He was laid out in Aunt Marie Mill's house and buried from St. Anne's Church. See Obituary.

Note:  during WWII, Joe Shields Jr. & Ray Kelly Jr. lived here with their mothers, while their fathers served in the War.

Rose and Gerald Duffy & family moved here in 1952.

Grandpop's WW II draft registration card-1942

This bottom part of the card may not be Grandpop's

128 E. 22nd St., Chester, Pa.

'Chester' Marie's house where Big Daddy passed away.

The home on the right was where Big Daddy & Chester Marie moved to in 1952 - and where he passed away on July 20, 1956.  (Note:  this is a Google Earth photo Mar 2009.)

Grandpop's Obituary in Chester Times 07/21/1956

Gas street light with glass cover (as made by Gill & Co.)