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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: franoc22 on Sunday 13 September 15 13:47 BST (UK)

Title: William Gaffney, Vaudeville Act USA
Post by: franoc22 on Sunday 13 September 15 13:47 BST (UK)
My Great Grandfather Michael Gaffney born in Dublin in 1859 had a Brother who story has it was on Vaudeville, he had 7 brothers who were John, Henry, Hugo, Lewis, Richard, William Christopher.  We think it was William (Born in Liverpool 18/05/1870)who had a Vaudeville act. His Parents were Louis and Mary Anne Gaffney he also had 3 sisters.   I have found a newspaper report of a William Gaffney who was part of an Act but could anyone advise on how I could check if it is my great Uncle William Gaffney, We believe that the Family went to America before 1867 but came back to Liverpool.  We do not have any idea of when William went to America, or if any of the older Brothers stayed in America when the whole family went there before 1867, I am new to family history searching and would not know were to start in America

Thank you

Fran
Title: Re: William Gaffney, Vaudeville Act USA
Post by: Margaret March on Sunday 13 September 15 15:10 BST (UK)
Ancestry and FindMyPast both have passenger lists for people travelling between UK and USA so you might find the family listed on there coming and going.

Have you found them on any census records in the UK to fx what years they were abroad?
You can google his name too to see what come up adding Vaudeville to narrow your search.

Ancestry also has the US census records so you might find the family on one of those and then track them through to coming back.

Margaret
Title: Re: William Gaffney, Vaudeville Act USA
Post by: Margaret March on Sunday 13 September 15 15:15 BST (UK)
I have looked for the birth registration for William Gaffney and cannot see one in Liverpool for 1870.

Where did you get the date and place of birth from?

JUst thinking if he was born in Liverpool then the family are back by then. Have you got places and years of birth for any of the others?

Margaret
Title: Re: William Gaffney, Vaudeville Act USA
Post by: franoc22 on Sunday 13 September 15 15:40 BST (UK)
3 Brothers Richard 1867, William 1870 and Christopher1874 and 2 sisters Mary Anne 1873 and Elizabeth 1878 were Born in Liverpool The older Children were born in Dublin My Great Grandfather was born in 6 Fade Street Dublin in 1859. Elizabeths (1878 ) descendant told me that they migrated to America but did not like it there so come back to England and settled in Liverpool they did not have any dates. so it could be any time between 1862 (as Lewis was born in Dublin 1862) and 1867 as Richard the next child was born on 23rd June 1867 in Liverpool

Thanks
Fran
Title: Re: William Gaffney, Vaudeville Act USA
Post by: franoc22 on Sunday 13 September 15 15:44 BST (UK)
Sorry I forgot to say that Williams Birth was found here:  ancestry.co.uk/Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1802-1906
 :)  Fran
Title: Re: William Gaffney, Vaudeville Act USA
Post by: Margaret March on Sunday 13 September 15 18:15 BST (UK)
There's an L Gaffney listed in the 1860 US census Year: 1860; Census Place: Faribault, Rice, Minnesota; Roll: M653_573; Page: 490; Image: 496; Family History Library Film: 803573

Pat Laughlin   31
Mary Laughlin   25
Mary Laughlin   7
Cathe Laughlin   4
Thos Laughlin   2
L Gaffney   25

It shows he is married and occupation labourer. Could this be Louis? Not sure all the family would have gone and come bck as that would have been expensive so maybe only Louis went?
Margaret
Title: Re: William Gaffney, Vaudeville Act USA
Post by: Margaret March on Sunday 13 September 15 18:18 BST (UK)
Thinking about what you are looking for it doesn't sound to me as though the article you have found is your relative because he was born after the family came back from USA.

What date is the article and where did you find it?

Margaret
Title: Re: William Gaffney, Vaudeville Act USA
Post by: Margaret March on Sunday 13 September 15 18:21 BST (UK)
In 1881 William is here RG11/3657/24 p 41 in Liverpool with mother and siblings

Mary A. Gaffney   44
Michael Gaffney   20
William Gaffney   11
Christopher Gaffney   6
Elizabeth Gaffney   3

They are living at 43 Beresford St and Mary is listed as a widow.

Margaret
Title: Re: William Gaffney, Vaudeville Act USA
Post by: Margaret March on Sunday 13 September 15 18:24 BST (UK)
This could be William as  crew member on a ship in 1901
W Gaffney age 31 b Liverpool
aboard the Majestic
Official Number:   97763
Ref: 387CRE/557

Margaret
Title: Re: William Gaffney, Vaudeville Act USA
Post by: Margaret March on Sunday 13 September 15 18:39 BST (UK)
Mary is here in 1891 Class: RG12/2944/122 p57. The transcription shows just her but the image shows Henry age 36 and Christopher age 17 with her as well as Elizabeth Gaffney age 63 but no relationship given.

They are living at 48 Sherriff Street.

Margaret
Title: Re: William Gaffney, Vaudeville Act USA
Post by: Margaret March on Sunday 13 September 15 18:47 BST (UK)
I cannot see the baptism you found can you put up the link please/
Margaret
Title: Re: William Gaffney, Vaudeville Act USA
Post by: Margaret March on Sunday 13 September 15 18:58 BST (UK)
Brother Michael is also on a crew list
Michael Gaffney
Age:   22
Birth Year:   1862
[1859]
Birth Place:   Dublin
Event Date:   1884
Port of Registry:   Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Ship Name:   Pharos
Official Number:   81385
Reference Number:   387CRE/674

So maybe he stayed in the US.
Margaret
Title: Re: William Gaffney, Vaudeville Act USA
Post by: franoc22 on Monday 14 September 15 20:41 BST (UK)
Thank you for your help the 1881 Census is the right Gaffney Family they did come back from USA and William was born in Liverpool but went back to the USA when an Adult, the paper I found a William Gaffney in was http://cdsun.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/cornell?a=d&d=CDS19171010.2.45.3#  the Act was Called"The Four Entertainers," a vaudeville act consisting of Lloyd A. Bailliet, Will- iam Renaud, William Gaffney and Jack. Shannon, This was from 1917 :-)
Title: Re: William Gaffney, Vaudeville Act USA
Post by: Margaret March on Tuesday 15 September 15 07:30 BST (UK)
Thank you for your help the 1881 Census is the right Gaffney Family they did come back from USA and William was born in Liverpool but went back to the USA when an Adult, the paper I found a William Gaffney in was http://cdsun.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/cornell?a=d&d=CDS19171010.2.45.3#  the Act was Called"The Four Entertainers," a vaudeville act consisting of Lloyd A. Bailliet, Will- iam Renaud, William Gaffney and Jack. Shannon, This was from 1917 :-)

The last census we can see in the US is 1940 and there is a William Gaffney living as a boarder in Wayne, Detroit with a family named Doylee but is doesn't give his occupation - not surprising as he is 70 years old so no doubt retired.
The only thing I can suggest is that you google for theatrical information/agents and make enquiries as to any records that might be held for the period you are looking at.
Linking people up to random bits of information is always going to be very difficult unless you have some other clues.
I also suggest to start a family tree for the Gaffney name and fill in as much detail as you can which can give 'sideways' clues to the person you are looking at such as another relative living in the US.
Margaret
Title: Re: William Gaffney, Vaudeville Act USA
Post by: hanes teulu on Tuesday 15 September 15 08:32 BST (UK)
New York Newspapers   www.fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html

"Gaffney" listed as a member of the quartette 1916-18 but a not listed in an item in the Schenectady NY Gazette 1925)