The  Berry Family 

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Overview

Charles Berry
Bridget Berry
Patrick Berry
John Joseph Berry
Anthony Berry
Martin Berry

References
 

My major interests are Anthony Berry and Martin Berry, who held the farmland in Garryedmond which was taken over in the 1880s by my grandfather John Foy.   The secondary interest is in Father Berry the Redemptorist priest and Helen and Sammie Berry who lived in Kansas and were well known by clan members. 

I briefly describe the roles played by Charles Berry of Illinois, Bridget Berry Cosgrove of Illinois and Kansas, Patrick Berry of Illinois and Kansas, and John Joseph "J.J." Berry.  These lead up to a fragmented history of Anthony Berry.  The Martin Berry family receives full treatment  elsewhere.

Historians estimate that 250,000 Irish left County Mayo during and shortly after the Great Famine.  This may well have included Berrys, Foys, and Currys, but our records about this are incomplete.    Census records show many Berry and Curry names in many states, but it is difficult to tie them directly to our family records.

However, we do know that many of our Berrys settled in Illinois, in farm territory near Eagle Township, LaSalle county, post office Streator Illinois as well as Peru Illinois.  There seems to have been a migration pattern from Ireland to the Chicago area, and from there to Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, and later Kansas.

Charles Berry (1804 - 12 Feb1872)   married   Penelope "Nappy"  Prendergast (1804 - 18 June 1876).  The couple had five children: John, Anthony, Mary, Patrick, and Dora, all of whom were born in Ireland.  The family emigrated to America about 1852.  Charles obtained his first homestead land in Illinois in September 1860.  His is listed as living in the town of Eagle, county of LaSalle, Illinois in the 1860 census.  His children are noted as Anthony, Mary and Patrick.  He is listed on the same census page as Michael and Mary Berry, also farmers, whose six year old child Maria was born in Illinois.

 Charles' sons Anthony and Patrick continued farming in the LaSalle county area of Illinois, and are mentioned in census records through 1910, and some descendants are listed in the 1920 and 1930 census records.  Anthony Berry received his first land for $1 an acre in 1869.  In 1870 he married Anne Prendergast (abt 1840  -  23 Sep 1923) in Peru, Illinois.

Several other Berry families farmed in the LaSalle area, but I am uncertain as to their relationship to our family focus. 

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Bridget Berry (baptized 29 June 1843 - died  Kansas after 1930) arrived in the USA in 1865.  Her husband Richard Cosgrove (Ireland abt  1835  - Dickinson KS before 1910)  had come in 1863.  Both migrated to an area which was peopled with Berrys and Cosgroves.  The Illinois Marriage Records indicate there was a wedding between a Richard Cosgrove and Bridget Berry on April 29, 1966, but the 1870 census records contain two such couples in Eagle Township.   In any event, the Cosgrove couple are listed on the same page as Charles Berry family.

Bridget and Richard are next found in the Kansas State census for 1875.  They are listed in Dickinson County, Jefferson Township, Abilene post office..  Richard is classified as a farmer.  A Costello family is listed on the same page.  The Costello name is common in Garryedmond, but I haven't found any relationship. 

The couple are listed in the US 1880 census in Kansas, Dickinson, Banner Township, as well as the 1900 census for the same territory.  They indicate they have been married 30 years, and stipulate the 1863 and 1865 USA arrival dates. Bridget is 53 and and Richard 65. 

Bridget Cosgrove then appears in the 1910, 1920 and 1930 US census records as  a housekeeper for Father Thomas O'Reilly and his sister Jennie in Dickinson, city of Abilene.  See Curry Family >> Potpourri for further information about her..

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Patrick Berry (Kilcolman, Co Mayo baptized 30 May 1844  -   abt1906)  married Margaret Hughes (Ire abt 1846 -  abt 1919).  Although Patrick Berry was not found in the 1870 census for Illinois or Kansas, his family lived in Illinois as evidenced by the census records for 1875 and 1880 in Abilene Kansas:

The Patrick Berry family is also found in the Kansas State 1885 census:

Another Patrick Berry is found in Decatur County in the 1885 census.  Relationship undetermined.

The family moved to Kansas City, Missouri for a time where our Patrick pursued his work as a grocer.

I next located our Patrick and Bridget living with their son James in Tampa in 1905.  Patrick is listed as 63 years, Margaret 60 and James 33.  The trio are stated to have come to Kansas from Missouri.  Patrick's occupation is listed as merchant.   The official site is named Marion County, Blaine Township, but the Post office is noted as Tampa. 

Margaret Berry became Sister Rose Mary of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth.
     Bridget Berry became Sister Vincent Marie of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth.
     Catherine Berry became Sister Antela of the  Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth.
     Margaret and Bridget were twins.

A Patrick Byrne, born in Pennsylvania, can be found in the 1875 and 1880 census records on the pages near Pat and JJ Berry.  He is probably a brother of Jane Francis Byrne who married JJ.  Berry.  Pointers to the Byrne family can be found in the reference section

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John Joseph "JJ" Berry (Ireland 1847 - Wichita KS 1933)  was baptized 10 Feb 1847 as listed in the Kilcolman Roman Catholic Registers of Baptism.  He came to the USA on the steamship City of Boston, shipping out of Liverpool and arriving in New York City 15 May 1865.  He worked on a farm in Pennsylvania for several years.  Because of ill health, he was advised to do lighter work and to remain out of doors as much as possible.  He purchased a team of horses and peddlers wagon and came west, probably stopping in Illinois near Charles Berry before moving on to Kansas.  While selling goods, he met Jane Frances Byrne (        -       )  in Chapman, Kansas and married her.  They settled in Abilene Kansas where JJ established a general merchandise store with his brothers.  After a serious fire which destroyed the business, the family moved to Prairie Dog, Decatur, Kansas, at the northwestern edge of Kansas near the Nebraska border.  Patrick Berry went with John to Prairie Dog as did Anthony Berry, newly arrived from Ireland.

Their daughter Mary was called "Minnie" and later married Patrick Aloysius Berry, son of Martin Berry and Bridget Foye.  Since both families were Catholic,  the assumption that John Joseph was a brother or even first cousin of Martin Berry must be challenged.  They were probably more distant cousins.

We don't know what happened in Prairie Dog, but all our Berry families returned to the Abilene and Tampa areas.  Unfortunately the 1890 census records were destroyed by a fire in Washington DC.  They would have furnished important information to us about the Berrys.  John Joseph and Jennie Berry had ten children.

1. Mary or "Minnie" Berry married Patrick Aloysius Berry.  Their children are listed under the Martin Berry page.

2. John Berry Jr married Nancy Payne Lindsey, lived in Tampa on a farm, later moved to Wichita.  He died 22 March 1927

3. Thomas Berry died at the age of three 4 Dec 1881.  He is buried in Abilene KS

4. Jane Francis Berry married Harry Edmund Wilde 20 June 1906 and moved to Birmingham Alabama

5. Margaret Berry marred James McHale Hanagan.

6. Cecelia Berry married Harry Ignatius McHenry in Tampa KS June 1906

7. Gertrude Berry became Sister Jane Francis of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Wichita.

8. Bridget Rose Berry married Jan Finn in Tampa Kansas in 1929

9. Joseph Berry married Ruth ?.

10. Agnes Frances Berry became Sister M de Chantal of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Wichita
     

The author of the paper from Dodge City indicates that John Berry went into the real estate business in and around Abilene and Tampa Kansas.  They made their home in Kansas City, Missouri for a few years before moving to Tampa.  Mrs. Berry died 21 Marc. 1898 and was interred in the Catholic cemetery which was given by JJ  Berry, a section of his farm near Tampa.  JJ died 8 December 1933 and was buried also in the Tampa cemetery.  JJ married Mary Kelly of Kansas City a couple of years after his wife's death.  After Mary Kelly's death, he married Cecelia Kerrigan.

I was not able to locate John in the US census records for 1910 or 1930 in either Kansas or Missouri, but I did find him in 1920:

Both of Bridget's parents were born in Ireland. This record is inconsistent with the account mentioned above.  

A Patrick Byrne, born in Pennsylvania, can be found in the 1875 and 1880 census records on the pages near Pat and JJ Berry.  He is probably a brother of Jane Francis Byrne who married JJ.  Berry.  Pointers to the Byrne family can be found in the reference section

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Anthony Berry (baptized Claremorris 1832 - Prairie Dog, Decatur County, Kansas 1888)
married Bridget Conway (Claremorris 1832 - Kansas 1906 ) in Claremorris on 2 January 1858. Anthony's whereabouts remained a mystery to me for six years until the census records of the state of Kansas became available.  He left his farm in Garryedmond, Claremorris in early 1884 to go to the USA.  Patrick Foy of Lower Garryedmond took over the farm and lived in Anthony's house while he tore down Martin's house and built a new two story house which was available by 1891 and still stands today..  He then moved into the new house and demolished Anthony's house.  Anthony and Bridget had these children:

1. John A Berry (Claremorris Kilcolman baptized 12 Dec 1858 - KS 1935) married Bridget Hughes (1866-1918)

2. Mary Berry (baptized Claremorris Kilcolman 5 Aug 1860 -   KS1938 )became Sister Mary Zita of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Kansas

3. Margaret Berry (baptized Claremorris Kilcolman 14 June 1863 -  KS 1924) became Sister Mary Lucretia of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Kansas

4. Francis Berry (baptized Claremorris Kilcolman 15 Feb 1865 -  ? 1890)

5. Honor Berry (baptized 9 Sep 1866 - Kilcolman 3 Oct 1869)

6. Patrick Berry (baptized 12 Apr 1868 -   KS or MO abt 1920)  a widower in 1920 census

7. Bridget Berry (baptized Claremorris Kilcolman 15 May 1870 - Claremorris 14 May 1871)

8. Anthony Berry Claremorris Kilcolman 14 Feb 1874 -   1906 )

9. Honoria or Anna  Berry (baptized Claremorris Kilcolman  1 Nov 1876  - KS 1955)  became Sister Sebastian or Sister De Chantel — order unknown

10. Catherine Berry (baptized Claremorris Kilcolman 18 April 1880  -    )  married Charles Boles, and after becoming widow, married John Gogan. 

I found Anthony's family in Kansas in the state 1885 census.  Apparently he had joined John Joseph and Patrick Berry, his cousins to journey to the far northwestern corner of Kansas close to the Nebraska and Colorado borders.  But he is classified as a farmer, while the others classified themselves as merchants.

There are only six children listed.  Mary and Margaret presumably have already entered the convent, and Bridget and Honor died before leaving Ireland.  The census indicates that Anthony and his family came directly from Ireland to Prairie Dog.

Widow Bridget Berry appears with her remaining family in the 1895 Kansas state census.  She is listed on the same page as P J Byrne, who may have been closely related to Jane Byrne who married John Joseph Byrne.  Perhaps she received some help there.  P J's occupation is listed as hardware so he may have remained in Abilene and restarted the business which was ruined by the fire.

Widow Bridget Berry again appears with her remaining family in the 1900 census:

Both Bridget and Anthony died in 1906.

It's easy to trace the trail of John A Berry, Anthony's oldest son.  He is listed with the family in Prairie Dog in 1885.   By 1895 John had married Bridget Hughes, returned to the Abilene area (Dickinson County, Garfield), and by the time of the US census of 1900 operated a farm in Dickinson County, Willowdale Township, where he remains for the censuses of 1910, 1920 and 1930.

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 References

►Berry Family History Report traces the Berry family including births, marriages in Ireland.  It was compiled around 2002 and received from John Foy of Garryedmond

► An Incomplete Basis for the Byrne-Berry Genealogy--1964.  I received this ten page typewritten document from Marilyn Maloney Walsyk who told me it was in the possession of her brother, Foye Moloney.  It was most likely compiled by one of the Berry women who became a Sister of Saint Joseph, who referred corrections, additions etc. to her at Saint Mary of the Plains College,  Dodge City, Kansas — now out of existence.

►US Census 1860 Illinois > LaSalle > Eagle® Charles Berry
►US Census 1870 Illinois > LaSalle > Eagle® Charles Berry
►US Census 1880 Illinois > LaSalle > Eagle ® Patrick Berry
►US Census 1880 Illinois > LaSalle > Eagle ® Anthony Berry
►US Census 1900 Illinois > LaSalle > Eagle ® Patrick Berry
►US Census 1910 Illinois > LaSalle > Eagle ® Patrick Berry
►US Census 1920 Illinois > LaSalle > Eagle ® Raymond Berry
►US Census 1830 Illinois > LaSalle > Eagle ® Joseph Carroll (Goldie Berry widow)

►US Census 1870 Illinois > LaSalle > Eagle ® Richard & Bridget Cosgrove  
►KS Census 1875 Dickinson >Jefferson ® Richard & Bridget Cosgrove
►US Census 1880 Kansas > Dickinson > Banner ® Richard & Bridget Cosgrove
►US Census 1900 Kansas > Dickinson > Banner ® Richard & Bridget Cosgrove
►US Census 1910 Kansas > Dickinson>Abilene ® Bridget Cosgrove
►US Census 1920 Kansas > Dickinson>Abilene ® Bridget Cosgrove
►US Census 1930 Kansas > Dickinson>Abilene ® Bridget Cosgrove

►Kansas Census 1875 > Dickinson County > Abilene > ® Berrys: JJ, Patrick,
►US Census 1880 Kansas > Dickinson>City of Abilene ® Berrys: JJ, Patrick,
►Kansas Census 1885 Decatur > Prairie Dog ® Berrys: JJ, Patrick, Anthony
►Kansas Census 1905 Marion County > Blaine > Tampa ® Patrick Berry
►US Census 1920 Kansas > Marion County > Tampa® John Berry

Census records for the Anthony Berry family
►Kansas Census 1885 Decatur > Prairie Dog ® Berrys: JJ, Patrick, Anthony
►Kansas Census 1895 Dickinson > Abilene  ® Mrs. Anthony Berry
►US Census 1900 > Dickinson County > Abilene ® Bridget Berry (widow)
►Kansas Census 1905 > Dickinson County > Abilene > ®  Bridget Berry

 ►Kansas Census 1895 Dickinson > Garfield  ® John A Berry
►US Census 1900 > Dickinson County > Willowdale ® John A Berry
►US Census 1910> Dickinson County > Willowdale ® John A Berry
►US Census 1920 > Dickinson County > Willowdale ® John A Berry
►US Census 1930 > Dickinson County > Willowdale ® John A Berry

Census records for Patrick Byrne, brother of Jane Frances Byrne Berry,  may be found at
►Kansas Census 1875 > Dickinson > Grant > Abilene post office  ® Patrick Byrne
►US Census 1880 Kansas>Dickinson>City of Abilene ® Patrick Byrne
►Kansas Census 185 > Dickinson >  Abilene   ® P J  Byrne
1910 living in Kansas City MO with daughter Jean F Cushing
1920 living in Kansas City MO with daughter Winnifred Hocker
1930 living in Kansas City MO with daughter Margaret H O'Brien,

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 most recent revision:    7 October 2007

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