The Genealogical History of Victoria County ……This paper was sent to me by Maureen MacLean in 1996
By
Rev. D. J. Rankin, P.P.,
Iona, CB
Father Kiley of Gloucester, Mass., has written the Kiley history and in the
words of Father Rankin, "is very helpful in every way.")
THE KILEY FAMILY OF BADDECK, C.B.
James Kiley (or Keiley as the same was spelled in those early
days) was born in County Waterford, Ireland, about the year 1780. He came, a
young man, to America and settled in Baddeck, C.B. He married, rather late in
life, Sarah Fortune, a native of Wexford, Ireland. She was a sister to the
Fortunes, Walter and James, who lived in Lake O Law,C.B. A widowed sister, a Mrs
Mary Hall, came with her from Ireland and settled in North Sydney.
Six children were born to James Kiley and Sarah Fortune. John,
the oldest, was born June 21, 1832. Thomas lived only to his seventh year.
James married Mary Dennison Baddeck. He was engaged in farming until 1873 or
about that date, when he left the farm to do business as a general merchant.
After some few years, he moved with his family to the United States, making his
home in St. Paul, Minn. He and his wife have since died, but some of his
children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are still living in the Western
United States. Mary Kiley married Michael Hartigan, a native of Baddeck and a
neighbor. Many children were born to them. Some married and settled in Cape
Breton; others went to the United States, where several generations of their
descendents still live. James Hartigan of Whitney Pier, C.B., and Mrs. Alex
MacDonald of Dominion, C.B., are of this family.
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Mary Keiley
Sp. Michael Hartigan
David Hartigan We haven’t located him yet.
Catherine Hartigan Hannie kept in touch with these cousins in 70’s
Sp. Roderick MacNeil
Bridget Hartigan died in childbirth with her first child who also died
Sp. Mr. King
Sarah Hartigan Found these cousins in 98 through the Doyle research
Sp. Dennis Tompkins
William Hartigan from his obit, we know of 3 children
Sp. unknown
James Hartigan This line has no living descendants.
Sp. Alexanderina MacKay
Mary Ellen Hartigan Haven’t contacted them yet.
Sp. Alexander MacDonald
Elizabeth Hartigan
Sp. Archibald Bernard MacDougall
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Patrick remained on the old homestead. He married Margaret MacNeil of Iona.
The two eldest of their children died young. John A. Kiley, now of Flint, Mich.,
and Mrs. Sarah MacDaniel, widow of the late George MacDaniel of Margaree belong
to this branch of the family. Bridget Kiley married James Doyle of Margaree and
lived there until 1883, when they moved with their family to Codroy, Nfld. She
has since died, but her husband, James Doyle now in his ninety-sixth year, still
takes a keen interest in all the questions of the hour. In 1931, his Alma Mater,
St. Francis Xavier University conferred on him the degree of Doctor-of-Laws,
Honoris Causa, he being at that time the eldest living graduate of the college,
and the only living member of its first class. The children of James Doyle and
the Bridget Kiley have gone into the third and fourth generations, and for the
most part live in Newfoundland.
John Kiley, the oldest of the Kiley family, was twice married.
In 1861 he married Eliza MacDaniel, the youngest daughter of Myles McDaniel of
Margaree. She had previously married Martin Coady, who had died in 1859, leaving
a daughter who became the wife of Moses Doucette of Grand Etang, Inverness
County, who for some years represented his County in the Provincial Government.
Five children were born to John Kiley by his first wife. She died in 1872. In
August 1873 he married Margaret McGarry of Lake O Law, the daughter of Dennis
McGarry and Mary Doyle. Four children were born of this marriage. The first, in
1875, lived only long enough to be baptized. In June 1887 John Kiley left
Margaree, where he had lived from 1861, and returned to his native Baddeck. Here
the two youngest of the family were born.
James, Myles, Sarah, Patrick,
Rebecca, and Moses were born in Margaree; Mary and Dennis, in Baddeck. Baddeck
being the original home of the Kileys, this family instinctively regard it as
their native heath. As these children grew to manhood and womanhood, they went
one by one to the United States, chiefly to Boston and vicinity, where they took
up various occupations, and finally settled in Somerville, Mass.
James, the eldest, learned the blacksmith trade at which he
worked for several years. In 1890 he went into business for himself and laid
the foundation of what is now the J.A.Kiley Company, manufacturers of truck
bodies at Somerville, Mass. He married Mary Collins of South Boston. They had
six children: Mary, John, Albert, Helen, Myles, and Agnes. Two of his sons, John
and Albert, are now associated with him in this business.
Patrick worked with this establishment for some time, and later
began a business of his own. He married Johanna Comerford of Somerville. Two
children, Edward and Eleanor, were born to them. Their mother died while these
children were yet quite young.
Sarah married Frank McHugh. The McHughs lived in Dorchester,
Mass. Their only living child is Sister Mary Edna, a Sister of Mercy in the
Manchester, N.H., Community. Sarah died in December, 1929.
Rebecca, who was always an invalid lived only a few years after the family
moved to Somerville.
Mary has for some years been employed in the Massachusetts Registry of
Motor Vehicles. She did not marry. She still lives in Somerville, exemplifying
in her life the possibility of being in the world and not of it.
Myles worked for a number of years as a plumber which he later gave up to
study for the Priesthood. He made his classical studies at St. Laurent college
near Montreal. In Sept. 1895 he entered St. John's Ecclesiastical Seminary at
Brighton, Mass., and was ordained a Priest Dec. 21, 1900. He served for several
years as an assistant at St. Ann's, Gloucester, and at St. Frances de Sales,
Roxbury, Mass. In January, 1918, he was appointed Parish Priest of Help of
Christians Parish, West Concord, where he remained until November, 1922, when he
was given charge of St. Ann's, Gloucester, where he still presides.
Moses worked for some years with his brothers in the carriage-building
trade in Somerville. Later he entered St. Laurent College where he began his
studies for the Priesthood. After completing his classical course and one year
of Philosophy, he entered St. Mary's Seminary of Baltimore, graduating from the
Philosophical Department of this school in 1907. He was adopted by the
Archbishop of Chicago, and in the fall of 1907 went to begin his studies
(Theological) at the American College in Rome. He was ordained to the Priesthood
in June 1911. He returned shortly after to America, and in August of the same
year began his duties as an Assistant to the Pastor of St. Agnes Parish, South
Side, Chicago. Five years later he was given charge of the work of caring for
homeless men. Later he became Diocesan Director of Catholic Charities, which
office he conducted until February, 1926, when he was appointed Spiritual
Director of the American College in Rome. He was made Private Chamberlain in
1925, a Domestic Prelate in 1926.
He remained in Rome eight years. In
February, 1934, he was nominated Bishop of Trenton, N.J..
His consecration
took place at the Church of St. Susanna in Rome March 17, 1934. He was
installed as Bishop of Trenton May 8, 1934, where we hope he may be able to do
much for the glory of God and the good of souls. He was born at Margaree, N.S.,
November 13, 1876.
Dennis, the youngest of the John Kiley family, after going to Somerville,
worked for a while for the Boston Elevated as a streetcar conductor. he left
this work to enter the Postal service in Lexington, Mass. Later, wishing to
improve his condition, he entered St. Laurent College where he remained to
complete his classical course, and then studied for two years at St. Mary's,
Baltimore. His friends still hope that some day he may resume his studies.
John Kiley made several visits to his sons and daughters in the United
States before deciding to live there permanently. In 1907 he went with his wife
and settled near his family in Somerville, Mass. His wife, an exemplary
Christian woman, died August 22, 1909. Prayer and Prudence were her
characteristic virtues. She ruled mildly and firmly. She was impartial in her
treatment of children and step-children. These virtues were appreciated, and
bore fruit in the filial affection which in an unusual degree bonded all members
of the family.
John Kiley lived for seventeen years after the death of his wife, the last
few years in Dorchester, Mass., with his daughter Sarah, Mrs. Frank McHugh. He
died April 23, 1926, in his ninety-fourth year. He was active until within a
few months of his death.
He was conscious to the end, and when he died, full
of years and merit, one of Nature's noblemen passed from earth to Heaven.
During his life he did his best to inspire his children with high ideals of
faith and morals. In memory he stands out an exemplar of virtues natural and
supernatural. He was always known to be an honest and upright citizen and an
exemplary Christian.
He and his good wife had many trials and hardships during life. They had
also many consolations. Posterity, we think, will honor them as well for their
own natural and Christian virtues as the reason that their son has been honored
with the plentitude of........................