Beginning the Berminghams

Beginning here to research and write about my daughter's ancestors on her father's side. following her direct line, the Berminghams.

Athough there are signs of Berminghams in Elmira earlier than 1880, the U.S. Census of that year is the first proven instance, thus far.  (Some of the collateral families are seen in Elmira or Bradford County PA earlier with proof.  They will be written about, too.)

                                                                                    

Timothy "Birmingham," 45 years old, and his wife Mary, 32 were enumerated while living at 830 McDonald St.  They had two children:  Jane, 6 and Daniel, 4.  Both parents were born in Ireland; the children were born in "New York" - whether that was referring to the state or the city is not specified. 

Many years later, when Daniel married for the second time, his mother's maiden name was recorded on the marriage license as "Kavanaugh."

(Yes, Daniel's second wife was a "Chocolate Dipper"!)

The 1880 Census didn't ask as many questions as later ones did, but Timothy's occupation was noted as "Laborer."  

Tim and Mary had three other children prior to Jane and Daniel, but none of them lived to be recorded in 1880.  A list of deaths in Elmira on Joyce Tice's "Tri-Counties" website includes three "Birmingham" children - Thomas, Mary Ann, and John, whose parents are "Tim and Mary", with the address shown as McDonald St. for two of them.

https://www.joycetice.com/death/deathsb4.htm

Some day in the not too distant future, I hope to request their death certificates from Chemung County.  It would confirm that their parents were Tim and Mary Kavanaugh, and where they were born.  Meanwhile, I am confident that at least two of the children were Tim's, because of the street name.  Mary was a common first name, so interested to know if that Mary is Mary Kavanaugh.