Annie Cunningham, Josephine Connors and their children

"Immigrants: we get the job done" -- Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

The story of Mary Connors and Patrick Heath is closely interwoven with that of Mary's siblings, especially her sister Johanah "Josephine" Connors Corkhill and Josephine's daughters. Probably the best place to start is with Mary and Josephine's mother, Annie Cunningham Connors.

Annie Cunningham was born in Ireland in or about 1842, the daughter of Thomas Cunningham and Catherine Heath. (Her name also appears in census records as Anne and Anna, but Annie is what appears on her tombstone.) According to the 1900 US Census, she immigrated to the States in 1860. By 1864, she had married Charles Connors (or Connor or Conner or Conners). Charles had been born in Ireland 1838-1840. According to one of his descendants, he arrived in New York in time to enlist as a private in Company E of the 11th New York Volunteer Infantry, where he served from September 1861 until June 1862. (Charles Connors, findagrave.com)

The census records for 1865, 1875 and 1880 show Annie and Charles living in Brooklyn, where Charles worked as a coachman. I was unable to find them in the 1870 US Census. The Brooklyn City Directory lists a Charles Connors who was a coachman or driver as living at 53 Adams (Ward 2) in the 1864-1865, 1867-1868 and 1868-1869 editions. He's not listed in the 1869-1870 or 1870-1871 editions. In 1871-1872 he's living at 1 Waldron Place, about five blocks from 53 Adams. Waldron Place intersected York between Jay and Bridge. In 1872-1873 and 1873-1874 he was at 133 York, which would have been around the corner from 1 Waldron Place (and may well have been the same building with a different street address).

In the 1874-1875 directory, Charles was listed as living at 123 De Kalb Avenue, near Fort Greene Park and about 1.8 km away from 133 York. By 1875-1876, he'd moved back halfway back in the direction of his old neighbourhood and was living at 245 Navy (Ward 11). The 1881-1882 directory lists him as living at 231 Navy, which is also the family's address in the 1880 US Census.

According to the 1900 US Census, Annie and Charles had nine children. I've been able to find the names of seven:

Charles Sr's mother Johanah, born in Ireland in or about 1820, was also living with the family as of 1880, as well as two boarders.

The gaps in age between Kate and Louise (five years) and between Charles Jr and Johanah/Josephine (seven years) may suggest children who didn't survive. Furthermore, two of the seven known children was deceased by 1900. I believe one of them to have been Louisa Francis Connors, born in Brooklyn in 1871, who died in Brooklyn on October 19, 1885. She's buried in Holy Cross Cemetery. Her death record doesn't list her parents' names, but it does give her address: 446 Hudson Avenue. The Brooklyn City Directory for 1884-1885 lists a Charles Conners, coachman, living at 466 Hudson Avenue. It seems entirely possible that one of the two house numbers, 446 and 466, is a typo.

Mary had married Patrick Heath a year or two earlier, in 1883-1884. I lose track of Kate after 1880. I suspect that she died before 1900.

Charles Sr died in Brooklyn on March 14, 1891, and is also buried in Holy Cross Cemetery under a Civil War veteran memorial head stone.

I had some trouble finding records for the remaining family in the 1892 New York State Census. The 1890 Brooklyn City Directory lists a Charles Conners, driver, living at 258 Livingston. This ought to be in Ward 3, ED 9 in 1892. The 1895 directory lists an Anna Connors "wid. Chas" living at 207 Fulton. This was in Ward 4, ED 9 in 1892. However, the 1893 and 1894 directories list a Chas Connors, driver, living at 213 Adams in Ward 4, ED 10. The 213 Adams address led me to the following family:

The family's last name was misread as "Coumers" when the census records were entered into the FamilySearch database, but the original record is fairly clear.

So, is this "our" Connors family or not? Annie is five years too young for "our" Annie, but that's not unusual for middle-aged women reporting their ages to census takers. Charles is dead on in age for "our" Charles, and it makes sense that he'd take over his father's profession. "Maggie J" is a good fit for Margaret Julia born July 13, 1883.

"John E" is a little more problematic. His age is a good fit for Johanah/Josephine. If the census data were collected during the day, the children would have presumably been away at school. If the census taker misheard either of Johanah/Josephine's names, they might not have realized that the child being referred to was a girl.

This leaves Susie. If this family is "our" Connors, then this is the only record we have of Susie's existence. She would have been born in the gap between the 1880 US Census and the 1892 New York State Census, and I wasn't able to find a birth record for her as I was for Margaret Julia. What's more of a problem is that she doesn't appear with the family in any further censuses. Johanah/Josephine and (Margaret) Julie are still living with Annie in 1900, but Susie, age 18, is not. It's possible that she was married, less possible that she died. We know that Annie still had five children alive in 1900. If Susie was dead, this leaves Kate, last seen in 1880, as the fifth living child.

When I do a seach in 1900 US Census records for Susan or Susie Connors, born in New York 1880-1883, I get exactly one result. It's for Susan Connors born December 1881. She's an "inmate" at the House of the Good Shepherd in Brooklyn, implying that she was a young woman with nowhere else to go, possibly in trouble with the law. The census record notes that both of Susan's parents were born in Ireland. (This would be true for many New Yorkers with the last name Connors at this time.) Susan is gone from the House of the Good Shepherd by 1905.

I found three marriage records for Susie or Susan Connor(s) in the NYC boroughs in 1900-1905. Susie L Conner married Arnold W Kern in Brooklyn on March 25, 1903. According to subsequent census records, Susie Conner Kern was born in 1879-1880 and both of her parents were born in New York. Susan Conners married John Willson in Manhattan on April 6, 1905. I wasn't able to find any further information about this couple. Finally, Susie Connors married William Jagoe in Brooklyn on July 13, 1905. This Susie was born in or about 1882, and her parents were born in Ireland.

According to the US Social Security Death Index, there's a Susie Jagoe born December 20, 1881, who died in New York, New York in July 1972.

It's certainly possible to make up a story about Annie's daughter Susie ending up in the House of the Good Shepherd, then marrying William Jagoe, a widower with a young son. However, without marriage or death records that include parents' names, it's impossible to tell for sure.

On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine exploded in Havana Habour. Two months and five days later, President McKinley declared war on Spain. Although the Spanish-American War ended officially on April 11, 1899, when the Treaty of Paris came into effect, US troops remained in Cuba to support the provisional US military government there.

Six months after the Maine exploded, on August 15, 1898, a young man named Charles C Connors enlisted in the US Army in Brooklyn. According to the enlistment records, Charles was born in Brooklyn in 1873. He was working as a driver. He had brown eyes, dark brown hair and was 5' 4.75" tall. Of the 41 men listed on this page of the enlistment records, ranging in height from 5' 4" to 6' 3", Charles was the third shortest. He was distinctly shorter than both the average height (5' 7.692") and the median height (5' 7.5").

Charles was assigned to the 8th Infantry Regiment, Company D, for what was supposed to be a three-year enlistment. Alas, his military career did not end happily. "Des. April 8/900. App'd June 2/900. Dishon. Disch'd June 20/900. S.O. 39 Dept Havana 1900 at Columbia Bks, Cuba."

So, was this or was this not "our" Charles? It would certainly account for the fact that I can't find "our" Charles in the 1900 US Census.

When "our" Charles registered for the WWI draft, he gave his middle name as Edward and his date of birth as January 16, 1878 - five years younger than he actually was. This would be a sensible thing to do if he didn't want the Army to connect him with a previous dishonourable discharge. He had brown eyes. The colour of his hair was "mixed." (He was 45 by then and might have had some grey?)

Here's the catch, though. On his WWI draft record, "our" Charles is said to be of medium height and build. Unless he was wearing risers in his shoes, it seems to me fairly unlikely that a man of 5' 4.75" would be considered to be of average height.

Unfortunately, the record we have for the 1898 enlistement doesn't include Charles' signature, which would be useful to compare to that on the WWI draft registration.

The 1900 US Census found Annie, Josephine and Julia living at 215 Tillary Street (Ward 5, ED 7) in Brooklyn. What's interesting is that according to the census record, Josephine had been married for two years and had a child. However, there was no child living with the family, and Josephine's last name was given as Connors. She was working as a dry-goods saleswoman.

By 1905, Julia had moved in with her older sister Mary Connors Heath and Mary's husband Patrick at 180 Prospect Avenue in Brooklyn. She was working as a "packer of medicines."

Josephine had married an iron worker named Robert Corkhill. According to the 1910 US Census, they married in 1901. In 1905, they were residing at 653 6th Avenue. Besides Josephine's mother Annie Cunningham Connors and Josephine's brother Charles Connors, there were two Corkhill children: Norman, born July 2, 1902, and Mary, age 6, who was described in the census as Robert's daughter.

Why is Mary apparently two years older than the marriage? And where was she in 1900? She wasn't recorded as living either with Annie, Josephine and Julia or with Robert, his mother Mary and his sister Lucy at 176 12th Street in Brooklyn.

I still haven't discovered where Mary was living in 1900. However, I was able to find out a bit more about the circumstances of her birth thanks to her husband's Petition for Naturalization. Mary was to marry a Greek immigrant. When he petitioned for naturalization in 1928, his petition included the information that Mary ("May") had been born in Brooklyn on November 17, 1898. This led me to the birth record for Mary Agnes Cunningham, born in Brooklyn on that date. Her parents were Patrick Dougherty, 35, and Josephine Cunningham, 18. Both parents were born in the States.

It seems pretty clear to me that Mary Agnes' mother Josephine was in fact Josephine Connors. From the look of it, Patrick was unable or unwilling to offer marriage. Instead, Josephine brought her daughter with her when she married Robert Corkhill. As was typical at that time, he gave the child his own name. He seems to have raised her with no less care than his own daughters.

Annie passed away on February 21, 1909. She appears to have been living with Mary and Patrick Heath at the time, as the address in her death record is 180 Prospect Avenue, Brooklyn.

By 1910, Robert and Josephine were living at 152 23rd Street. According to the census records, they'd been married nine years and had three children, all living. This appears to refer to their three sons: Norman, Charles, born January 23, 1905, and Robert, born July 27, 1907. Josephine's brother Charles Connors was still living with the family. He'd been joined by her sister, Julia Connors, who'd been living with Mary and Patrick Heath in 1905.

Mary Corkhill was conspicuously absent both from the count of children and from the household. She'd been sent to live with her aunt, Mary Connors Heath. She remained with Mary and Patrick Heath for the next ten years.

Robert Corkhill Jr died May 8, 1910. He's buried in Holy Cross Cemetery with his grandmother Annie, who had died 15 month before.

Josephine and Robert had two more children, Julia born in or about 1912 and Helen born February 21, 1914. All four surviving children were living with them in 1915. Charles and Julia Connors appear to have vanished. Indeed, I was unable to find any records for Julia Connors after 1910.

Josephine passed away on December 6, 1916. She's buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, where she shares a headstone with her mother Annie. Robert didn't hesitate to remarry. On June 15, 1918, he married Anna Mary Wood. They had a son, Edwin, born in or about August 1919. By 1920, the family was living at 340 19th Street - all five of them: Robert, Anna, Norman, Charles and Edwin. Josephine and Robert's daughters, Julia and Helen, had been sent to live with Mary and Patrick Heath.

Meanwhile, WWI had come and gone. When Charles Edward Connors registered for the draft on September 12, 1918, he gave his address as 615 East 3rd Street, Brooklyn, and his contact's name as Mrs Mary Heath at the same address. He also gave his own birthdate as January 16, 1878, knocking five years off his age.

I'm not sure whether or not Charles actually lived at his address, as he also said he was employed by E I Dupont Co at Deep Water Point in Salem County, New Jersey. Deep Water Point is on the Delaware River, more or less across the river from Wilmington, Delaware. It would have been a long commute from Brooklyn. WWI had cut the States off from their supply of German chemical dyes. Dupont built a plant called the Dye Works at Deepwater, NJ, where they processed their first successful charge of a dye called sulfur black on July 17, 1917. The plant was later renamed the Chambers Works in 1944. It's still in operation today.

Charles' death record lists his spouse as Lulu B Connors. There's a Charles E and Lulu B Connors recorded in the 1930 US Census as living at 307 72nd Street in Brooklyn. The ages are a bit too young - he was apparently born in 1885, she in 1887 - but otherwise the particulars match up well enough. They'd been married in or about 1923. (They may or may not have been the Charles E "Connerse" and Bertha Kirschbaum who were married in Brooklyn on September 7, 1922.) Charles and Lulu were both born in New York. His parents were Irish, hers were New Yorkers. He was a drydock worker at a shipyard.

Charles passed away on June 22, 1933, in Queens. At the time he and Lulu were living in Brooklyn at 433 82nd Street. Charles' death record lists his year of birth as 1878, consistent with his WWI draft registration. He's buried in Calvary Cemetery.

The 1940 US Census lists a Lulu Connors born in or about 1882 living at 415 74th Street in Brooklyn with a boarder, Mary Dugan. She's widowed and works as a book binder in a printing shop.

Having moved in with Mary and Patrick Heath sometime between 1905 and 1910, Mary Corkhill continued to live with then until 1920. The 1920 US Census records report that she was working as a telephone operator.

On September 13, 1920, Mary married Gustav P Christo in Brooklyn. Gustav or "Gus" was born Constantin Christon in Thebes, Greece, the son of Peter Christon and Catherine Poulos. Most of his US records give his birthdate as May 21, 1891. However, his passenger manifest suggests that he was born in or about 1888. He arrived in NYC on November 1, 1906, aboard the SS Francesca. As of June 5, 1917, he was living in Brooklyn and working as a chauffeur.

Gus filed his Declaration of Intention (to become a US citizen) on November 17, 1924. At that time he and his wife "May" were living at 151 West 54th Street in Manhattan and he was working as a private detective. By June 19, 1928, when Gus filed his Petition for Naturalization, the couple had moved to 138 West 58th Street. He was still working as a private detective. His petition was granted on February 18, 1929.

Mary seems to have kept in touch with the Heath family. For example, the Kingston Daily Freeman published October 9, 1928, reports that Mary and Guy, accompanied by Elsa Ollry Heath, drove up to Rosendale village in Ulster County and stayed there as guests of Elsa's parents. Elsa was married to Mary's first cousin Charles Heath.

The 1930 US Census found Gus and "Marie A" Cristo still living at 138 West 58th Street, but Gus was now working as a head waiter at a restaurant. By 1940, they'd moved to the Hotel Century at 111 West 46th Street, and Gus was managing a restaurant. Which restaurant? For 1940, I don't know. But in 1942 when Gus registered for the WWII draft, he said he was living at 111 West 46th Street and working at the Copacabana at 10 East 60th Street. (Gus also listed his contact not as his wife but rather as "Mrs Heath" at 451 82nd Street in Brooklyn - in other words, his wife's aunt Mary Connors Heath.)

The Copacabana had opened on November 10, 1940. The nominal owner, Monte Prosser, was suspected to have a partner: mob boss Frank Costello. The club was temporarily closed in 1944 due to tax problems and a racketeering investigation. An article published in the Brooklyn Eagle on October 1, 1944, announced that the tax issue had been settled and the club would reopen. After quoting statements from the settlement, the article noted wryly, "It seems to add up to: Costello never had an interest in the club and he's going to give it up."

Unfortunately, as part of the settlement the club agreed to terminate seven specific employees and never to reemploy them. Gus Christo was one of these seven. Whether or not this suggests that Gus had ties to organized crime, I leave to your imagination. In any case, he seems to have found work rather quickly. An ad in the February 23, 1945, edition of the New York Sun for Bradley's Restaurant & Supper Club at 161 East 54th Street directs would-be customers to call Gus Christo for reservations. On May 12, 1945, the Sun reported that "Gus Christo, maitre d'hotel at Bradley's, has been signed by Freddy Lamb to act in the same capacity at the Atlantic Beach 18 Club, Lamb's new spot." Sure enough, in the Nassau Daily Review-Star published June 22, 1945, an ad for Freddy Lamb's 18 Club Restaurant displays Gus' name almost in the centre, immediately after the name of the chef: "Gus Christo, Maitre de, formerly Copacabana."

Gus' career was cut short when he died in Manhattan on July 10, 1946. At the time, he and his wife Marie were living at 1722 Caton Avenue in Brooklyn. Gus was buried three days later in Holy Cross Cemetery.

Mary/May/Marie, listed as Marie Ann Christo on her death record, passed away almost four decades later on October 3, 1984, in Los Angeles.

Julia and Helen moved in with Mary and Patrick Heath sometime between 1915 and 1920, probably after their mother Josephine died in 1916. Robert Corkhill may have felt that he could handle two sons ages 14 and 9 but that two daughters ages 4 and 2 were another matter.

By 1930, both sisters were still living with their Aunt Mary. (Patrick had passed away in 1928.) Julia was doing clerical work for an insurance company.

A note in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published November 23, 1932, announces that "Miss Julia Corkhill pf 432 82d (sic) St. was tendered a miscellaneous shower recently at the home of Miss Agnes Weeks of Locust Manor. The engagement of Miss Corkhill to Harry Walters has been announced." The guests included Julia's sister Helen.

Helen may have been engaged herself at this point, as her marriage to Charles Olson followed shortly, on January 14, 1933, in Manhattan. Charles had been born in Union City, New Jersey, in 1904, the son of Charles Olson and Louise Maison. The 1940 US Census found Helen and Charles living at 10 Cedar Street in Keyport Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, with their three children: Charles, 6, Joana, 4, and Robert, 2. The older Charles was a sales manager with the Singer Sewing Co.

When Robert Corkhill died on June 14, 1940, his obituary in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle described him as the "devoted father of Mrs. Gus Christo, Mrs. Harry Walters, Mrs. Charles Olsen, Norman, Charles, Edwin and Kenneth Corkhill." Norman and Charles were Josephine's sons, while Edwin and Kenneth were Anna's sons.

Norman had married Eva Hildebrand in Brooklyn on April 9, 1922. Their daughter Doris was born in or about 1925. As of 1940 they were living with Eva's parents Rudolph and Eva Hildebrand at 399 Long Island Avenue in Brooklyn. Norman was working as a bookkeeper at a brokerage.

Charles had married in or about 1929. His wife's name was Dorothy. Their daughter Patricia was born in or about 1932. As of 1940 they were living at 19726 122nd "Avenue" (sic) in Manhattan. Charles was working as an officer for a carpet cleaning company.

Edwin and Kenneth (born in or about 1924) were still living with their parents at 348 72nd Street in Brooklyn. Edwin was working in the adm. department of a chemical house.

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In memory of Janet A Werner, 1931-2015