Ellen McNamara

     Ellen McNamara was born in May 1842 at County Mayo, Ireland.

Joseph Lieberman writes: In recent years something turned up by someone from the Mellet family researching his County Mayo origins that had to do with ours as well: the identity of Grandmother Grady's birthplace, Ballindine, a village two miles south of the little town of Claremorris in West Central Ireland.

Her Aunt (Cottie), Katherine MacNamara (b. 1804 in Ireland, d. 1882 in Saint Claire, PA) had married Parick Mellet in Ballindine's Church of Saint Joseph in Crossboyne RC Parish, County Mayo, on Jan. 15, 1825. Since this was the bride's parish, it would have to be that of the McNamara family and , perhaps, of the Mullins as well.^2,3 She was the daughter of Patrick McNamara and Ellen Mullins.¹

Ellen McNamara married Thomas Steeds Sr at England. Joseph Lieberman: Ellen MacNamara Steeds Mellet Grady was married three times, first to Thomas Steeds, an English Protestant from a family somehow involved in shipping or shipbuilding. After she emigrated from Ireland to England, probably during or soon after the potato famine in the 1850's, they met in Liverpool where she worked as a clerk in a tobacco shop. Although fluent in both English and Gaelic, Ellen identified herself for a US censor as being illiterate, like both her second and third husband, since the English Army of Occupation forbade the education of their generation of Irish Catholics.

Perhaps because of his family's objection to their marriage, the couple went to live in Louisiana. Thomas was employed there as an overseer of a plantation near New Orleans. They had three children, Thomas Jr., Margaret and Catherine.

When yellow fever decimated the Irish immigrants in New Orleans, Ellen buried her two little girls, Mary (sic) and Catherine. Alone in Louisiana except for young Thomas, Ellen contacted her Aunt Cottie who invited her niece, once the war was over, to join her family in a "patch" called Darkwater in Eastern Pennsylvania.¹

Ellen McNamara married Henry Mellet at Ashland, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Joseph Lieberman writes: Aunt Cottie's husband, Patrick Mellet, introduced the widow Steeds to his younger County Mayo-born brother, Henry, working in the anthracite mines near Ashland, PA. Ellen took a second husband, setting up a household that included her son Thomas Steeds, Jr. 14, and an 8 year-old nephew, English-born John MacNamara who might have been an orphan. Months before Henry and Ellen's first and only child, Ellen Mellet, was born, he was killed in a mine accident in 1868.¹

Ellen is head of household on the census of 27 July 1870 at Ashland, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, as Ellen Mellet. She is enumerated as a 34 year old white female born in Ireland and her occupation is keeping house. Enumerated with her were Ellen M. Mellet, Thomas Steeds and John McNamara.⁴

Ellen McNamara married Thomas Grady, son of Michael Grady, on 7 November 1870 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Ashland, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Witness to the wedding are Michael Donahue and Catherine Horan. A Michael Donahue lives adjacent to Thomas as indicated by the 1870 (Ashland) census. He is a coal miner and his wife is Rosa Ann. The 1890 census for widows of Civil War soldiers list a Roseane Donahue of Ashland.⁵

Ellen was enumerated with Thomas Grady on the census of 1 June 1880 at Shenandoah, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, as Ellen Grady. Joseph Lieberman writes: By 1880, Thomas and Ellen Grady were living in Shenandoah, not far from Ashland. Aunt Cotties's married son, Martin Mellet, lived there as well as did other of Ellen's first cousins, the Kehoes. It could have been that among her Mayo kin she could count on emotional support if her husband was one of the "wild ones" as she implied, who came from County Clare.. She is listed as a white female aged 45 years. She is a the wife and keeps house. She cannot read or write and was born in Ireland. Both of her parents were also born in Ireland.^6,1

Ellen McNamara is head of household on the census of 11 June 1900 at Shenandoah, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, as Ellen Grady. Ellen is enumerated as a 58 year old white female born in Ireland in May, 1842. She is a widow and gave birth to 7 children with 4 surviving. She immigrated to the States in 1858 and has been a resident for 42 years. Both of her parents were born in Ireland and she works as a housekeeper. Enumerated with her were Francis J. Grady, John Walsh Curtin, Elizabeth Grady, Anna Curtin, Evelyn Curtin, Charles Curtin and Thomas J. Curtin.⁷

Ellen was enumerated with John Walsh Curtin on the census of 25 April 1910 at Shenandoah, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, as Ellen Gray. She is listed as a 71 year old mother-in-law born in Ireland. She gave birth to 7 children and 4 survive. She is a widow and immigrated to the States in 1860. Her father and mother were both born in Ireland.⁸

Ellen was enumerated with John Walsh Curtin on the census of 22 January 1920 at Shenandoah, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, as Ellen Grady. Ellen is enumerated as an 80 year old white mother in law born in Ireland. She immigrated in 1859 and both of her parents were born in Ireland. She can read and write.⁹

Ellen McNamara died at Shenandoah, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania; Joseph Lieberman: The last twenty-five years of her life, John Curtin kept her in the bosom of his family in a comfort and security such as she had never know. Ellen MacNamara had survivied the English occupation of her country, the Irish potato famine, the American Civil War, and a yellow fever epidemic. She buried three husbands and two children, raised a nephew along with five stepsons, two daughters and two sons of her own, neither of whom she ever saw again after as young men, they left Shenandoah.

Instead of boasting to her grandchildren of having survived so many trials and traumas, few of which she ever mentioned, what Grandmother Grady wanted them to know, and perhaps always remember about her, was that "never in my life did I ever burn a loaf of bread".¹ Ellen was buried at Annunciation Catholic Cemetery, Shenandoah, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania..¹