My Family Genealogy

The Holmes Family

My Family Genealogy

I have been searching the web for clues to the family history. If any of my information seems to match up with your family's history, please email me at familytree@phoebeholmes.com .

The two main branches are the Irish side and the Italian side of my family. The Irish names I'm researching are O'Hanley, Healy, O'Hern. The Italian names I'm researching are Rizzuto, Talarico.

The Irish Side

The O'Hanley's (updated 8/31//01)

According to what we have pieced together (through family legend and other people researching the Scottish Clearances), our O'Hanleys originated in County Roscommon, Ireland, but at some point moved (or were moved) to South Uist, Scotland. I have been able to trace them there for at least three generations, so there were in Scotland for at least about 100 years. In Scotland, the name was spelled "O'Henley", and for one generation in Canada, the name was spelled "O'Heanley".

The O'Hanley's were part of the Scottish "Clearances", were sent from Scotland about 1849 to Canada. I have read that these families were put on ships, the ships captains were given orders sealed in envelopes that were not to be opened until they were two days out at sea. So these people got on ships not knowing if they'd end up in Canada, Australia or who knows where else. Why were they "clearanced"? Apparently, the land these families farmed was good grazing land, so it was taken away from them, they were evicted, so that Colonel Gordon, who purchased the estate of Clanranald, could set up a more profitable sheep farm. I have also found an 1841 census of South Uist, where a John and Mary O'Henley were listed (along with their children), John was listed as a farmer (as opposed to cottar or crofter), and a town name, I think Stoneybridge, was listed next to their name. Stoneybridge is the town just north of Bornish, South Uist, Scotland. The ship they traveled on from Scotland to Canada was called the "Tuscar" (possibly spelled "Tuskar".)

My mother and I traveled to Ontario to where the O'Hanley's once were. We were able to find the church, St. Columba, plus the cemetery, and a person with a wealth of knowledge (thank you Alice!). To find out more information about the O'Hanley's, click here.....

To see pictures of our O'Hanley's, click here...

The Healy's (updated 8/31/01)

The Healy's are a hard line to trace. We can only really start with my great-great-grandfather, James Healy, who was born around 1841. He had a brother Peter who was two years younger. Their mother's name was Mary Healy (possibly born a Morrison.) They lived in Co. Clare, Ireland, until the famine. James had older brothers who were sent to Australia, his father was imprisoned, if he had sisters, they are unknown to us.

Mary, James and Peter left Clare sometime during the famine, and went to Liverpool. Eventually, James and Peter emigrated to the U.S., before 1871. James settled in Chicago, married Mary O'Hern, had several children, one of which was my g-grandmother, Mary Ann Catherine Healy (who married Ronald Donald O'Hanley.) He brought his mother Mary over to the U.S. at some point. Peter went out west, to Colorado where he sold the latest "medicines". At some point, his letters stopped coming and his fate is unknown to us still.

I have learned from my grandmother that James and Peter were sent by their mother to Chicago as teenagers, which means they emigrated sometime during the late 1850's most likely. They were sent to live with a family named Nash, who we do not believe were relatives, but then again, who knows? Also, my grandmother said that her father was born near Spanish Point, Co Clare, which if true, could narrow things down for us.

To see pictures of the Healy's, click here...

The O'Hern's

Again, it's really sketchy. We do know that Mary O'Hern came over with at least one brother, Thomas O'Hern, when she was about 12 years old, and they settled in Chicago. We're not sure when she was born, but we do know she died in 1919 (judging from pictures, she was probably in her 60's.) Mary O'Hern married James Healy.

On the family memorial where they are buried, there are other names that add to the confusion...there is a Margaret O'Hern, who died in 1901, a Patrick O'Hearn who died in 1900, and a Clarence Ahern (3 yrs old) who died in 1896. They are relatives, but we're not sure where they fall in line with the others.

To see photos of Mary O'Hern, click here...

The Italian Side

Rizzuto (updated 8/31/01)

My great-grandfather was Carmine (Carlo) Rizzuto, born March 16th, 1870, in the commune of Colosimi in the Province of Cosenza. He was a member of the Italian army from 1891 to 1893. He married a Rose Talarico and they emigrated with two of their children around 1900. They were in Philadelphia for a time, but then settled in Chicago before 1912. Carmine died in 1941.

After looking at the army documents of Carmine's, I thought his father's name might be Felixe or Felice. However, Carmine himself left me a clue to his father's name. You see, Carmine kept a little leather book in which he wrote the birth dates of every one of his children and their names, which was then translated from Italian to English by one of my mom's Rizzuto cousins. As I was looking at the photocopies of the book and translation, I found that my mom's uncle Phil was named Filipe (which we already knew), but in Carmine's book, it was written out the way his father's name looked to be spelled out on the army documents. The "p" was written in such a fashion, it almost looks like a "c". So I have come to the conclusion that Carmine named his first son Filipe after his father, Filipe Rizzuto. His mother's name is still not certain, but looks like Mirabelli Saverio. It is said that his father was a traveling merchant and that Carmine traveled with his father.

Talarico

My great-grandmother was born Rose Talarico, born about 1875 in Milan, Italy. She had two brothers who emigrated to Canada, George (or the Italian equivalent) and Ross (born Rosario) Talarico. Her father's name was Giovanni (John) Talarico. Rose died in 1941.

To see pictures of Carmine and Rose, click here...