Murrin/Moran Family of Birmingham
Several weeks ago Peter Douglas Murphy contacted us about our McClosky family line, as he is trying to tie his family tree in with ours. You may recall our great-great grandmother was Bridget (née McClosky) Murrin, wife of James Murrin. Peter believes his ancestor, Mary (nee McClosky) Cunnea or Quinn, was Bridget’s sister. His primary interest is researching family lines that link back to Kilcar Civil Parish in County Donegal, and he is actively creating a list of McClosky descendants who share the same DNA. Our family line shows it does have DNA linkage with Peter’s family. Kilcar Parish is adjacent to Upper Killybegs Parish, and family lore suggests our ancestors lived in Killybegs Parish. However, we also know our family tree includes relatives who either lived in Kilcar or married into Kilcar families. So it is possible that part, if not all, our Donegal ancestors may have originated in Kilcar.
We have many people on this website who research different family lines. Let us know if you have researched the Murrin/McClosky family tree.
We have collected a number of historical items related to the Murrin/Moran family of Birmingham, Alabama. Barney and his first wife, Alice Power, had three children - Alice (born about 1876), James (born about 1878) and Kathryn (born 1879). Barney and his second wife, Kate Askin, had two children - Mabel or Mary Belle (born 1889) and Barney Jr. (born 1890). In Illinois this family spelled their surname Murrin; however, they spelled it Moran in Alabama.
An 1884 Birmingham City Directory shows Bernard Moran owned a boarding house in Birmingham on the southeast corner of 4th Street and 20th Avenue. One news article suggested he owned a saloon (see below), but he may have had other business interests including a grocery store. Barney died a wealthy man.
Weekly Age; Birmingham, Alabama; April 13, 1892, page 1
A news item dated 1894 listed a Moran family who participated in St. Paul Catholic Church's bazaar. We know the Murrin/Moran family were members of this church. The following article describes a dance attended by Katie and James Moran.
Date: Sunday, February 10, 1895; Paper: Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL) Volume: 21 Issue: 81 Page: 10
Mabel Moran's name appears on the Powell School Honor Roll.
Powell School Honor Roll
Date: Saturday, December 18, 1897; Paper: Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL) Volume: 23 Issue: 284 Page: 5
The Powell School is the oldest free school in Birmingham, originally designated as a 'white only' school. Below is a 1908 photograph which shows the school and its tower. Originally constructed as a grade school in 1873, it was converted to a high school in 1883. We suspect all of Barney Moran's children attended this school.
It is so sad when a child dies before his or her parents. Barney and Alice Moran's daughter, Alice, died in 1901 due to injuries received in a horse and carriage accident. From an item found in a Belvidere, Illinois, newspaper we learned young Alice suffered for three weeks before dying. The next three obituary articles appeared in Birmingham newspapers.
Date: Friday, January 4, 1901; Paper: Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL) Volume: XXVII Issue: 180 Page: 8
Date: Saturday, January 5, 1901 Paper: Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL) Volume: XXVII Issue: 181 Page: 2
Date: Saturday, January 5, 1901 Paper: Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL) Volume: XXVII Issue: 181 Page: 6
St. Paul’s Cathedral
The Birmingham Church Directory (1896, pages 38 - 48) lists the church's male members (no females or underage children listed). Two names of interest appear on St. Paul's parish list - Barney Moran and James Moran. Who was James Moran listed in this Directory? Was it Barney’s son or another person? Bridget Murrin Brennan’s last will and testament suggests she had another brother named James. Although a Pat McClosky was living in Birmingham at the time, his name is not listed as a parishioner. There is a J. McClusky listed in the directory though. In 1871 there were few Catholics living in Birmingham, but a few citizens met shortly after and discussed building a Catholic Church. The first priest guiding this new flock was Father McDonough.
Mabel Moran Wharton and her Family
Mabel Moran's death certificate lists her parents as Barney P. Moran and Mary Belle Askin. (From Barney's marriage license we learn his second wife was named Kate Askin.) According to Alabama State death records, Mabel died on July 18, 1950, in Birmingham, Jefferson County. However, she is not buried in Alabama. Mabel is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery located in Lebanon, Wilson County, Tennessee. You may wonder why she is buried in Tennessee. It is because her husband's family are all buried there.
Isaac "Ike" and Mabel Wharton had 2 daughters: Katherine Margaret Wharton 1910-1983 and Mabel Rhea Wharton 1913-1993.
Isaac Rhea Wharton Tombstone
Isaac Wharton died in California and is buried beside his wife, Mabel, inside the Wharton family plot in Tennessee. Isaac was born on February 20, 1876, and died on November 22, 1955, in San Francisco County, California. We suspect he lived with one of his daughters who lived in Marin County, California. Isaac and Mabel Wharton's daughters were all born in Alabama, but both died in California. Daughter, Mabel Rhea Wharton, was born on January 29, 1913, and died on October 10, 1993, in Marin County. Daughter, Katherine Margaret Wharton, was born on July 16, 1910, and died on August 7, 1983, in Marin County.
Surprisingly, Katherine Wharton is also buried in Tennessee too, possibly beside her parents.
Equally surprising was finding Mabel Moran’s gravestone in Cedar Grove Cemetery too. Mabel married Edward Phillips, whereabouts unknown. The Phillips family lived in California, where Edward worked as an engineer. The only child we know Mabel bore died in infancy, perhaps shortly after birth.
Our Lady of Sorrows Cemetery
This small cemetery is located adjacent to Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Birmingham. There are approximately 80 bodies buried there in one mass grave. According to this cemetery's website, these "bodies were relocated from another cemetery". We’ve seen this gravestone before but assumed it referenced Barney's first wife, Alice Power Moran. Now we think this grave stone marks the gravesite for Barney's daughter, Alice. You might ask how is that possible since young Alice was buried in Southside Catholic Cemetery.
The puzzle was answered in an online history for a Birmingham priest named James Edwin Coyle, who served as parish priest at St. Paul's Catholic Church beginning in 1904.
On August 11, 1921, Father Coyle was shot in the head on the porch of St. Paul's Rectory by E. R. Stephenson, a Southern Methodist Episcopal minister and a member of the Ku Klux Klan. There were many witnesses. The murder occurred just hours after Father Coyle had performed a secret wedding between Stephenson's daughter, Ruth, and Pedro Gussman, a Puerto Rican she had met while he was working on Stephenson's house five years earlier. Gussman had also been a customer of Stephenson's barber shop. Several months before the wedding, Ruth had converted to Catholicism. The Klan was very powerful in the South during the early 20th century, and Pastor Stephenson's defense was led by Hugo Black, who later became a US Supreme Court Justice. Stephenson was found not guilty due to temporary insanity. Obviously, the Catholic Community sensed injustice with this verdict.
How does this story fit in with our family history? It doesn't or at least not directly. Father Coyle was buried in Southside Catholic Cemetery too, the same cemetery where Alice Moran was buried. In 1936 his remains were later relocated to Elmwood Cemetery. Why? Father Coyle's on-line web history includes further information about Southside Cemetery, which says human remains were moved out of this old cemetery to make way for a city development project. The Alys Stephens Center, home of the Alabama Symphony, sits atop the old Southside Catholic Cemetery. That's why I believe Our Lady of Sorrows Cemetery is young Alice Moran's final resting place. Her mother is buried elsewhere.
Above: Father James Coyle (left); Alys Stephens Center (right)
One last comment about this gravestone. Patrick McClusky's name is listed too. Barney and Kate (Askin) Moran's wedding Witnesses were Patrick and Mary McClosky. Is this where Barney's Best Man is buried?
Barney Murrin's Wives
Barney's wives were Alice Power and Kate Askin. The Birmingham City Library maintains a database for Oak Hill Cemetery in Birmingham. It is one of the oldest city cemeteries in Birmingham, established in 1871, and officially opened in 1873. One interment record lists 'Allice B. Murrin' who was buried there on a July 23, 1886 (lot reference 1310, block 13' lot 10). Barney married Kate Askin in November of 1887. The photograph below shows how this cemetery appeared in 1919.
Oak Hill Cemetery Listings
The following was taken from an online database maintained by the Birmingham Public Library in Birmingham, Alabama. Two burial plots indicate Moran burials. I had seen this database information previously but ignored it since it showed Barney Moran was buried there on April 28, 1885. Our Barney Murrin (Moran) died in 1903, and figured it was another family line. Kelley and Crawford families buried their relatives in the same plot. From Peter’s documents we discovered this anomaly confused the Kelley and Moran families later. The Kelley family didn’t know why Morans were buried in their family plot. The Moran family didn’t know why Kelleys were buried in their family plot. The Kelley and Moran families weren’t related. Adding to this confusion were two members of the Crawford family buried in Barney’s plot too.
Peter Douglas Murphy sent us additional cemetery documents which proved this burial plot belonged to our cousin, Barney Murrin (Moran). Barney may have sold part of it to the Kelley clan but no record exists. Barney’s burial plot can be found in Oak Hill Center on Block 13, Lot 10.
Two maps appear below. The map to your left shows the location of two Burial Lots - Lot 10 and 03. Lot 10 is Barney’s family burial plot, and Lot 03 includes the remains of an elderly Bridget Moran and Kate Power. More on that later. The map to your right shows where Barney’s burial plot is located in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Block 13, Lot 10 Burials
1. Allice Murrin. Interred July 23, 1886. Cemetery records suggest her body was later moved to Illinois.
2. James Moran. Interred July 28, 1921. James died a week earlier in California and his body was shipped east for burial in the family plot.
3. Willie Moran. Interred May 2, 1885, and he was 4 years old at time of his death. William was Barney’s father-in-law, William Power.
4. Barney Moran. Interred April 28, 1885. Records indicate decedent was 32 years of age at time of death.
5. Infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Phillips. Interred January 14, 1939. Mrs. Edward Phillips was born Mabel Rhea Wharton, daughter of Isaac and Mabel Moran Wharton.
6. Dorah Murrin. Interred June 2, 1886, and was 7 months old at time of death. She died a month before her mother, Alice. Barney’s mother-in-law was Deborah (aka Dorah) Power.
7. James Murrain. Interred September 2, 1885, aged 90 years. Cemetery inscription states he was German, but we assume it was a mistake. The Murrin family Bible shows our James Murrin died on September 15, 1885. A grave marker for our James Murrin appears in the St. James Cemetery, Belvidere, Illinois. Was James’ body moved later?
8. Dorothy Gibbs. Interred July 30, 1912. Records suggest Dorothy’s ancestors were Crawfords.
9. Mrs. Catherine Kelley. Interred July 30. 1912.
10. James Kelley. Interred February 27, 1882.
11. Michael Kelley. Interred September 29, 1896.
Where is Barney’s second wife, Kate Askin? Unknown. Perhaps her body was moved north as well.
Block 13, Lot 03
This lot is cattycorner from Barney’s burial plot.
1. Bridget Moran. Interred November 4, 1883, and she died of old age. (The Murrin family Bible shows our Bridget Murrin died on November 30, 1883. Bridget’s gravestone appears in St. James Queen of Angels Cemetery in Belvidere, Illinois. Did Bridget die in Alabama and her body was moved north later?)
2. Kate Powers. Interred October 25, 1883, and she died of asthma.
3. W. Austin. Interred July 21, 1888. Epitaph: Beloved One Farewell.
4. Roy Daniel. Interred February 28, 1985.
5. Mrs. Eliza O’Brien. Interred July 10, 1873, and she died of cholera.
Wharton Family Tree
ISAAC RHEA8 WHARTON (MARGARET TAYLOR7 DAVIS, LOUISA JANE6 TAYLOR, ISAAC5, THOMAS EDWARD4, ISAAC3, ISAAC2, WILLIAM1) was born February 20, 1876 in Lebanon, TN, and died 1955 in San Francisco, CA. He married MABEL MORAN July 28, 1909 in Birmingham, AL. She was born September 24, 1889 in Birmingham, AL, and died on July 18, 1950, in Birmingham, AL.
More About ISAAC WHARTON and MABEL MORAN:
Marriage: July 28, 1909, Birmingham, AL
Children of ISAAC WHARTON and MABEL MORAN are:
i. KATHERINE MARGARET9 WHARTON,
ii. MABEL RHEA WHARTON, b. Private; m. EDWARD PHILLIPS
Finally… Patrick McClosky
Peter Douglas Murphy reminded us about someone we have not discussed recently - Patrick McCloskey. Patrick’s name appears in Barney and Kate Murrin’s marriage record as one of the witnesses. You may recall Barney Murrin and Kate Askin were married at Belvidere on December 4, 1887. In the 1880 US Census for Birmingham, Alabama, a Pat McCluskey (aged 30) was listed living in the Barney Moran (Murrin) residence as a boarder. In 2008 a Murrin family researcher, Bethany Waterbury, asked us if this Patrick was Barney's Best Man. We still don't know the answer for sure, but it is probable. It is interesting that another boarder by the name of ‘Cath McCluskey’ is also listed in this census. Pat worked as a police officer and Catherine worked as a cook. Is Catherine in this census record Patrick's first wife, sister or other relative?
1880 US Census; Birmingham City; Beat No 21; Jefferson County; Alabama; Page 13; Supervisor's District No. 2; Enumeration District No. 75
Marriage Record
Jefferson County, Alabama, recorded a marriage license issued to Patrick McClosky and Kate Canaday on October 4, 1893. (Source: Ancestry.com. Alabama, Select Marriages, 1816-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2014. Original data: Alabama, Marriages, 1816-1957. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.)
1900/10 US Censuses
The 1900 US census for Birmingham, Alabama, indicates Pat and Kate McCloskey were married for ten years. This census also shows Kate bore no children. Ten years later the US Census reported Pat McClosky had 7 children but only 5 survived. This is probably an error since we do not see any children living with Pat and Kate in the 1900 US census. What else do we learn? Kate Canaday McClosky immigrated to America in 1885. That's why we know she wasn't living in the Barney Moran residence in 1880. Also, Pat immigrated to America in 1865. Kate Murrin McGonigle's census record shows she immigrated about the same time, either 1866 or 1868, depending of which document you read.
1910 US Census; Birmingham, Jefferson County; Alabama
Patrick McClosky Death
Jefferson County, Alabama, recorded Patrick's death on March 12, 1913. He was 72 years old at the time of his death. The record says his parents were Mack McCluskey and Mary Crawford McClusky. The surname, Crawford, appears commonly in Donegal records, including a reference in Barney Murrin’s burial plot. Mack is probably a nickname, possibly shortened from McClosky.