Bernard McCormick

     Bernard McCormick was born circa 1830 at County Antrim, Ulster, Ireland.^2,3,4,5,6 He was the son of Edward McCormick and Barbara McDonnell.¹ Bernard McCormick was the godparent at the baptism of Ann McCormick on 1 March 1846 at Parish of Drummaul, County Antrim, Ireland; 1 March 1846 Ann of John McCormcik and Ellen Mallaghan, Antrim, Sps Bernard McCormick and Barbara Macaulay.⁷

     Once upon a time, prior to 1851, Bernard caught the ferry from Larne in Antrim and crossed the North Channel of the Irish Sea to Stranraer, south of Ayr city. Like thousands of Irishman before him and thousands after him, he crossed the channel looking for work. I suspect that he knew Owen O'Hara in Antrim. He became a boarder in the O'Hara house and married Owen's eldest daughter, Ellen. Bernard and Ellen spent about 20 yrs in Ayrshire moving from village to village, wherever there was work. In Dernconner, in the Parish of Auchinleck, they lived near the Daniel Harrigan and Hugh O'Hara families. Bernard and Ellen had five children born in various villages in the county of Ayr. John, the first born in 1851 in Ayr and Angelo the last in 1867. About 200 miles south in Dudley, Worcestershire, England, another Irish immigrant family were beginning a family. Thomas Grady, a shoemaker from County Clare, Ireland, and Ann McCloskey, were married in 1851 and their first born son, William, was born in 1854 in Dudley. William and Bernard never met but, in time, William would become his son-in-law. The following excerpts are taken from the ninth edition of The Encyclopaedia Britannica published in 1894 which was at one time in the possession of William Grady. This is an American reprint of the 1875 edition. The following historical sketchs of Ayr city and Ayrshire should reflect the region as Bernard and Ellen knew it.

Ayr, County of, or Ayrshire, a Scottish county, bounded by Wigtownshire and the stewartry of Kirkcudbright on the S; by Kirkcudbright, Dumfries, and Lanark on the E; and by Renfrewshire on the N. On the W. it has a coast line extending to 70 miles on the Irish Sea and the Firth of Clyde. The county contains 1149 square miles, or 735,262 acres. The middle part, which is the broadest, is about 26 miles across. There are six rivers of some note in Ayrshire--Stinchar, Girvan, Doon, Ayr, Irvine, and Garnock. Or these the Ayr, from which the county and county town take their name, is the largest. It rises at Glenbuck, on the border of Lanarkshire, and after a course of 33 miles, falls into the Firth of Clyde at the county town.....There has been no lack of agricultural enterprise in Ayrshire. With a moist climate , and generally, a rather heavy soil, draining was necessary for the successful growth of green crops....Early potatoes are now extensively grown in some localities. The farmers on the coast lands of Girvan and West Kilbride are first in the market, and the next supplies come from the friable lands about Ayr and St. Quivox. A considerable extent of ground is cleared in June for the Glasgow market; and, in dropping seasons, good crops of turnips follow....Carrots and mangolds are cultivated more extensively than in any other Scotch county....Wheat generally follows green crops in the lower parts of the county, though barley is coming more into use than in former times on light land.....
The iron trade of Ayrshire has risen to great importance. The manufacture has long been carried on at Muirkirk, although the iron had to carted long distances to Ayr and Glasgow before the introduction of railways. Immense fields of Ironstone have been opened up within the last quarter of a century; and there are now 33 furnaces in blast within the county, producing about 330,000 tons per annum. The works are all conncected with the three great companies, namely, William Baird & Company, the Dalmellington Iron Company and Merry and Cunningham....The antiquities of Ayrshire are not of much note. There are cairns in Galson, Sorn, and other localities; a road, supposed to be a work of the Romans, which extended from Ayr, through Dalrymple and Dalmellington, towards the Solway; camps attributed to the Norwegians of Danes, on the hills of Knockgeorgan and Dundonald; and the castles of Loch Doon, Turnberry, Dundonald, Portencross, Ardrossan, etc. There are interesting remains of the celebrated abbeys of Kilwinning and Crossraguel; and the ruins of the little church of Alloway, amid the lovely scenery near the birthplace of Burns, have become more famous from their associations than many great works of architectural genius.....
The rural population of Ayrshire is decreasing but the mining population has increased, and the towns are growing.....
Ayr, the capital of the above county, is situated at the mouth of the river of the same name, and about 40 miles S.S.W. from Glasgow. The spot has probably been inhabited from a remote antiquity. Nothing, however is know of its history till the close of the 13th century, when it was made a royal residence, and soon afterwards a royal burgh, by William the Lion....During the wars of Scottish independence the possession of Ayr and its castle was according to tradition, an object of importance to both the contending parties. In Blind Harry's Life of Wallace they are frequently mentioned, and the scene is laid there of one of the patriot's greatest exploits; ....Ayr proper lies on the south bank of the river, and is connected with Newton and Wallacetown of the north by two bridges, the Old and the New. the "Twa Brigs" of Burns.....Ayr has a general trade of considerable value. Large quantities of timber are imported from Canada and from Norway; coal and iron are the chief exports.....
Railways converge upon Ayr from the north, east, and south, opening up a connection with all parts of the country. Previous to 1873, its municipal boundary on the north was the river, but an Act of Parliament was obtained in that year by which the boundary was extended so as to include Newton-on-Ayr and Wallacetown, and made the same as that of the parliamentary burgh. In 1871 the population of the extended burgh was 17,851. Though thus conjoined with Ayr for the parliamentary and municipal government, and forming with it in reality one town, Newton and Wallacetown were formerly each quite separate. The former is a burgh or barony of very ancient erection. The original charter has been lost; but it is traditionally said to have been granted by King Robert the Bruce in favor of fourty-eight of the inhabitants who had distinguished themselves at Bannockburn. About two miles east of Newton is the village of Prestwick, the headquarters of one of the most flourishing golf clubs in Scotland....

The following from a more recent account:
Ayr, burgh, administrative center of Kyle and Carrick District, Strathclyde Region, southwestern Scotland, on the Firth of Clyde, at the mouth of the Ayr River. Ayr is a regional agricultural market and a popular resort with a well-known racecourse. It is also a coal-exporting seaport with some fishing activity. Manufactures include machinery, metal products, and textiles. Crossing the Ayr River here is a 13th-century bridge celebrated in a poem by Robert Burns, who was born nearby in the village of Alloway and who is commemorated here by a museum. A settlement existed on the site as early as the 8th century. It was made a royal burgh in 1202, and during the Middle Ages it was an important port. Before 1975 Ayr was the county town of the former county of Ayr. Population (Kyle and Carrick District, 1991) 113,572.
Ayrshire, former county, southwestern Scotland; Ayr was the county town. Ayrshire became part of the kingdom of Scotland during the 11th century. Invading Norwegians were defeated here at the Battle of Largs in the 13th century. Among the landmarks of Ayrshire is the early 14th-century Turnberry Castle, family seat of the leader of the struggle for Scottish independence, Robert Bruce. The Scottish national poet, Robert Burns, was born in the county at Alloway. The county's industrial growth in the late 19th century was aided by its coal deposits. In 1975 Ayrshire became part of the newly created Strathclyde Region.
Auchinleck: Today this is an upland coal-mining village 3 mi N. of Old Cumnock on the A76 from Kilmarnock to Dumfries. Some 3 mi to the west is Auchinleck House, the family seat of the Boswells since early in the 16th century. The present house was built for Alexander Boswell, Lord Auchinleck, (father of the more famous James Boswell) in the 1760's.⁸

Bernard McCormick was enumerated with Owen O'Hara on the census of 30 March 1851 at Whitletts, St. Quivox, Ayrshire, Scotland, as Bernard McCormick. He is unmarried and 20 years old. He is a lodger in the household and works as a coal miner.⁹

Bernard McCormick married Ellen O'Hara, daughter of Owen O'Hara and Isabella McCashin, on 25 October 1851 at Ayr, Parish of Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland.¹⁰

Bernard is head of household on the census of 7 April 1861 at Cronberry Rows, Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland, as Bernard McCormick. Bernard is married and 31 years old. He is a coalminer and was born in Ireland. Enumerated with him were John McCormick, Edward McCormick, Daniel McCormick, Ellen O'Hara and Isabella McCormick.¹¹ John O'Neel is indicated as a boarder in this household. He is unmarried and 20 years old. He was born in Ireland. On 5 Jul 1862, John O'Neil is the informant for the birth of Ann McCormick, daughter of Bernard and Ellen. John O'Neil is noted as a cousin. It is probable that John O'Neel and John O'Neil are one and the same. On 2 May 1844, John of John O'Neil and Ellen McCashin was baptized at St. MacNiss' Catholic Church in Randalstown, County Antrim. His parents lived in Carngraney. Ellen McCashin is a strong candidate as a sister to Isabella McCashin. If this is the case Ellen O'Hara McCormick and John O'Neil would be 1st cousins.¹¹

Bernard McCormick was found on a passenger list on 10 September 1869 at New York Harbor, New York City, New York County, New York. S.S. Europa arrived from Glasgow at the Port of New York 10 Sept 1869.¹²
Bernard immigrated on 10 September 1869 to Castle Garden, New York City, New York County, New York.¹³
If family lore is to be trusted, it appears that Bernard may have displayed a non-traditional attitude towards marriage during his first year in Mercer County. While his wife, Ellen, and his children were still in Scotland, he fathered a child in Hickory Township. Notes from Mary Grady Lenski indicate that Bernard McCormick trained driving horses while he lived in Shenango Township.¹⁴



When Bernard arrived at NYC on Sept 1869 he was more than likely met by one of the Harrigans. The McCormicks and Harrigans were neighbors in Dernconner and Bernard is living in the Daniel Harrigan household in the 1870 Mercer County Census. It took only a day on the train to get from NYC to Sharon, PA and once there, Bernard began work as a coalminer. It was just over a year before he sent for the rest of the family. It must have been quite a change for Bernard, coming from the bleak upland coal regions of Ayrshire to the fertile banks of the Shenango River.
Hickory Township, the second largest in the county, and one of the wealthiest in point of mineral resources in the northwestern portion of the State. The physical features of the township form an agreeable study. Nowhere in the county can a richer or more picturesque expanse of upland and vale, of hills rising from surrounding plains, and of valleys nestled down among the elevations be seen. The pasturage afforded by the lands lying along the banks of the Shenango River is unsurpassed anywhere in the vicinity, and the soil, fertile and mellow, ranks the township among the most productive regions, agriculturally speaking, in Mercer County. Added to these are the valuable internal treasures of rich coal deposits, that give employment to hundreds of the township's population....St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, located immediately north of Hickory Corners, had its inception in the settlement in that vicinity of a few German Catholic families, between 1845 and 1860, who principally engaged in mining coal (Bernard's daughter, Anna, and Daniel Harrigan's son, Hugh, were married at St. Rose in 1880)..... Rev. Andrew Skopez is believed to have been the first priest who held services in the settlement (Fr. Skopez baptised Bernard's daughter, Mary Ellen).....
In 1869-70 a Catholic Church was built in Neshannock, and the first service held therein by Father Hartmann, of St. Rose Parish, in 1870 The mission was then placed under the charge of the pastor at Sharpesville, and so remains up to the present. The building was a frame, but not a very substantial structure, It was blown down early in 1887, and has not been rebuilt, and it is not very probable that it ever will. The mission embraces only a few families, and services are held in private houses." These notes are from an 1888 publication, not long after the widow Ellen McCormick left for Kansas. The Neshannock Catholic Church registers reveal this church to be attended by many of the same families that later migrate to Scammon. The Harrigans, O'Haras, McCormicks, Ferns, Bradys, Rices, McFaddens, Ryans and others were all active in this modest structure which borders Hickory and Shenango Townships, just a few miles from Bethel.
Neshannock, the original terminus of the Sharpsville railroad, was formerly of considerable importance, but like it sister villages, which have depended for their prosperity upon a business that was likely to be temporary, it has receded. It has supported the usual complement of dry goods and grocery stores, public schools, hotel and post-office and has furnished communicants for four different religious organizations, Methodist, Catholic, United Brethern, and Baptist, three of which were supplied with church edifices. The Baptists were accustomed to meet in the school building.
The McCormicks lived outside of West Middlesex in Shenango Township, only a couple miles from Neshannock. The Old Catholic Cemetery of Neshannock is probably where Bernard is buried. This abandoned cemetery is located on the west side of Neshannock Road, 1/10 mile south of Virginia Road. It is will off the road behind a fence and in a wooded area. The cemetery was visited by Sally Dufford about 15 years ago when there were approximately 50 stones. Only 4 remain. Neighborhood children apparently have carried them away. (1) Edward Ferry d Feb 29, 1872 age 39y (2) Thos. McCana nd Co F 28th Pa Inf (3) Martha Daily d. Sept8, 1871 in her 80y (4) Daniel son of D. &T. Harrigan d Mar or May 21, 1873 age 2y 10d
The last reported, Daniel, would be the young son of Daniel Harrigan, who Bernard knew so well.¹⁵

Bernard was enumerated with Daniel Harrigan on the census of 14 June 1870 at Hickory Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, as Barny McCormick. Bernard is 41 years old and works as a coal miner. He was born in Ireland.¹⁶

Bernard McCormick filed his declaration of intent at the Court of Common Pleas in Mercer, Mercer County, Pa on 2 Sep 1873.^17,6 Bernard McCormick was naturalized on 20 September 1875 at Court of Common Pleas, Mercer, Mercer County, Pennsylvania.^17,18 He died circa 1879 at Mercer Co, Pennsylvania. There is no documentation of Bernard's death. Ellen is a widow by the 1880 census. Oral tradition indicates that he died when his daughter, Barbara, was seven years old. This would be around 1879. It is quite likely that Bernard was buried in the Neshannock Catholic Cemetery since this was the church they attended. The cemetery has been vandalized and ravaged over time. Four headstones are all that are remain. One story passed down from Mary Grady Lenski is that Bernard and his son, John, were murdered after returning from a meeting of the "Royal Hibernian Society". If there is any truth to this is would be the "Ancient Order of Hibernians" rather than anything royal. I don't put too much stock in this story. Mercer County did not have any tradition of Molly Maquire activity; that was more to be found in Schuylkill County. It may be that Mary Grady Lenski was confusing an incident which took the life of a Fern who was murdered near Shenandoah in Schuylkill County in the 1870's. Oral tradition indicates that John McCormick, Bernard's first born son, was murdered in Mercer County, possibly the result of a robbery.¹⁹