My 4th Great-Grandfather Mahoney was a sea captain in the great age of sail. He brought a set of four chocolate cups and saucers home to his wife, my 4th Great-Grandmother from the now Irma ravaged island of Guadeloupe in the Leeward Islands, West Indies.
The lovely chocolate cups have now been passed down to me. They were a fixture in my childhood dining room hutch and I remembered my grandmother, Nora, telling where they came from. It sounded so exotic, imagining a sea captain from Lubec, on the far downeast coast of Maine, braving a sea voyage to those far away islands. He was originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, but unfortunately I don't know much more, not even his first name, but I have his image preserved in a tin type.
I thought of the chocolate cups and saucers this morning when I heard the island Guadeloupe mentioned on the news.. Hurricane Irma has caused and is still causing such horrific destruction. A small tribute to the damaged island of Guadeloupe seemed fitting along with my many prayers today. The tin types are of course my relatives, Mary Marston Mahoney and Captain Mahoney, the backdrop, one of my oil paintings.
I retired from public school teaching after happily spending twenty eight years playing in Kindergarten. Now I fill my days watching cat antics, taking endless...
Betsey, this is a very touching and thoughtful post regarding your ancestors, your heirloom cups, and the devastation wrought by Hurricane Irma. I love genealogical searching and went on Ancestry.com to see if I could figure out your 4th great grandfather's first name. I've found someone I feel strongly is yours -- James Alfred Mahoney -- married to Sarah Maria Marston. He was a sea captain, was born in Belfast, MAINE -- not Belfast, Ireland -- in about 1839 or 40. There are census, marriage (1864) , and death (1920) records. I need to get off Ancestry and 365 and go visit my mom. But I will put together anything I find that you don't already know.
@mcsiegle Thank you so. James Alfred was the son of Captain Mahoney, and Sarah was his wife. Their son Eugene was my grandmother's father. He was indeed born in Belfast, Maine, but it's his father's name I need. My mother taped Mary Marston's info on the back of the tin type, but on his it just says Captain Mahoney. My grandmother spoke of him being from N. Ireland as were quite a few folks in the early settlement days of Lubec. Many were from Rathlin Island, arriving in the late 1830s. I've checked Ancestry too. I keep hoping I might find something following the Marstons.
I have a wonderful rolling pin with handles carved out of a pine branch by James Alfred and letters he wrote to my
grandmother when she was a teenager and young adult. He died the year she was married.
You are so kind to be interested and I love the community spirit here. I post here and on blipfoto. I've posted for over 7 years, eevery day there and many of us migrated here when it looked like blip was doomed. It recovered and is owned by members now, but I stayed here as well. xxxBetsey
I have a wonderful rolling pin with handles carved out of a pine branch by James Alfred and letters he wrote to my
grandmother when she was a teenager and young adult. He died the year she was married.
You are so kind to be interested and I love the community spirit here. I post here and on blipfoto. I've posted for over 7 years, eevery day there and many of us migrated here when it looked like blip was doomed. It recovered and is owned by members now, but I stayed here as well. xxxBetsey