Mary Reynolds was born on March 26, 1880 at Omoa Square, Cleland, Shotts Parish to Mary Lafferty (1855 - 1932) and Richard Reynolds (c1848 - 1917). [See Section RS-6-1 for family background.]
John Kennedy was born about 1881, probably in Lanarkshire to Jane Dickie and Bernard Kennedy.
1881 I suspect this is his family in the census at 31 Watsonville Rows near Motherwell [but enumerated in Hamilton] in a house with one windowed room.
Rel. Mar. Age Occupation Birthplace Bernard Kennedy Head Mar 35 Coal miner Lanarkshire, Wishaw Jane do. Wife Mar 36 Ireland Sarah Ann do. Daur 14 do. Mary Jane do. Daur 11 Scholar do. Theresa do. Daur 9 do. do. Helen do. Daur 8 do. do. Agnes do. Daur 5 do. Lanarkshire, Motherwell Francis do. Son 1 do., do. 1891 The Kennedys were living at 41 Logans Rows, Motherwell in a house with one windowed room.
Rel. Mar. Age Occupation Birthplace Barney Kennedy Head Mar 45 Coalminer Lanarkshire, Wishaw Jane do. Wife do. 46 Ireland Ellen do. Daughr Unm 17 Bolt maker do. Agnes do. Daughr Unm 15 Bolt maker Lanarkshire, Motherwell Francis do. Son 11 Scholar do. John do. Son 8 do. do. James do. Son 6 do. do.
1901 On Thursday, October 31, John and Mary were married at the RC Chapel, Stane, Cambusnethan after Publication according to the Forms of the Roman Catholic Church. The marriage was registered No.40 at Stane (District of Calderhead) on November 2.
John was a Bachelor, he gave his age as 20, occupation Coal Miner and usual residence as 41 Logans Rows, Motherwell. His parents are recorded as Bernard Kennedy, Coal Miner (deceased) and Jane Kennedy, m.s. Dickie.
Mary was a Spinster aged 21, occupation Domestic Servant and residence Roshall Cottage, Shotts. Her parents are recorded as Richard Reynolds, Coal Miner and Mary Reynolds m.s. Lafferty.
The celebrant was Hugh Kelly and the witnesses were Bernard Carty [possibly the husband of Mary's sister Ellen] and Mary Ann Reynolds [probably her cousin, aged 17, daughter of William Reynolds and his first wife, the late Catherine Hillon].
1901 Mary was born at 1h0m a.m. on Sunday, November 24 at 60 Logans Row, Motherwell to John Kennedy, Coalminer and Mary Kennedy m.s. Reynolds who married on November 1[sic], 1901 at Shotts [sic]. Her birth was registered No.1480 at Dalziel on December 6 by John Kennedy, Father.
1912/13 John Kennedy went to the USA some time before Mary and the children but as yet I have been unable to confirm when. I have checked what I thought was the obvious candidate but found insufficient detail to confirm that this was "our" John.
1913 Records on the Ellis Island Foundation website show the arrival of Mary (age 33), Mary (11), Jane (4), Sarah (2) and Catherine (11 months) at New York on Monday, December 1 by the Anchor Line steamer Columbia which left Glasgow on November 22. Their closest relative in the land whence they came given as Mother, Jane Kennedy, (looks like) Banann Buildings, Motherwell.
Mary is described as 5'4", fair complexion, fair hair and blue eyes; the children were all of fair complexion, fair hair and blue eyes. All were in good health with no deformities or distinguishing marks. Mary was born in Cleland, daughter Mary in Motherwell and the three younger children in Shotts [allegedly].
John had paid for the passages, Mary arrived with $15, the children had nothing. They were going to join an aunt Mary Clusker and husband John Kennedy of 1722 2nd Street, Springfield, Illinois. (There is another address 2169 South 16th Street scored out.) They had a letter from John dated November 10, 1913 at Springfield.
[View manifest — Left hand page — Right hand page — lines 14 - 18.]
Chambers's Encyclopaedia has the following entry –
"Springfield, capital of Illinois, U.S.A., is the fifth largest city of that state and lies 180 miles south west of Chicago. It became the capital in 1825 and is notable as the home of Abraham Lincoln. Springfield is a spacious, regularly planned city, its public buildings lying to the west and its industrial plants and railway yards to the east of the city centre. Corn, wheat and flour, products of the surrounding district are marketed. Coal-mining dates from 1867 and supports a number of varied manufactures including stoves, boilers, watches and shoes. Springfield is served by seven railways. Population (1880) 19,746; (1920) 59,183; (1940) 75,503."
SS Columbia was built by D. & W. Henderson & Company on the Clyde in 1902 for the Anchor Line. She was 8,292 gross tons, 503 feet long, 56 feet wide and had triple expansion steam engines driving twin screws to deliver a service speed of 15 knots. She could carry 1,303 passengers with 345 in first class, 218 in second and 740 in third.
She was used on the Glasgow-New York service and renamed Columbella in 1914. During the war, she served as an armed merchant cruiser being returned to her owners in 1919 and reverting to Columbia. After further Glasgow-New York service, she was laid up in 1925 before being sold to the Byron Line in 1926 and renamed Moreas. After a short Mediterranean-New York service she was again laid up in 1927 and scrapped in Italy in 1929.
All of which leaves me wondering about the gap between Mary (age 11) and Jane (4).
