Census Sunday: Anna Keating

Census Sunday is a GeneaBloggers weekly prompt focusing on census records. I chose to focus on Anna Keating (my great great grandmother) since this is National Irish American History Month and the Keatings are from Ireland!

The 1910 Census reveals that 56 year old Anna Welsh is living with 17 year old Michael Welsh on Lloyd Street in Shenandoah in Schuylkill County, PA. She is widowed at this time. The census reveals that she and her parents were born in Ireland. Anna had 11 children; six of them are living still in 1910. She is not employed. Michael is a laborer in the colliery industry. Colliery is the coal mine industry.

I came across an Annie Walsh in the 1900 census (at right) in Shenandoah, Schuylkill County. She is listed as a widow and has four sons living at home. The information is close to my Anna but not exact and since Walsh was such a popular name, I will save it as a possible match. This Annie Walsh is 49, born in February 1851. My Anna was born in 1855. This Anna has four sons: John, Martin, Mike and Thomas. The census reveals this Anna had 10 children and six are living, which again is close but not exact to information already confirmed. This Anna immigrated from Ireland in 1860. My Anna came from Ireland too but I have not determined the year yet. I really do not think this will turn out to be my Anna.

Finding my Anna Keating Walsh in the Census records is proving difficult. The 1910 one mentioned above is accurate. I know her husband Michael Walsh died sometime before 1910 but I have no date yet. The family story is that she immigrated with her family (maybe just siblings ?) to a farm on Ringtown near Shenandoah. The farm was - again as per the family story - taken by the government by eminent domain. However when I visited the Shenandoah Historical Society and the Ringtown Library they did not think the eminent domain story merited truth. So ... a temporary brick wall I have hit.

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