July 31, 2019
On the above date, I am the living Patriarch of the John Francis Donohoe Family who came from Galway, Ireland in the early 1800’s, became an American Citizen raised his family and his descendants in a town now called Readville and The Readville Manor, a suburb of the then growing city of Boston, Massachusetts.
INTRODUCTION
When my Great-Great-Grandfather, head of the Donohoe Family settled in the now called Town of Readville the early 1870s, the town of Readville was called Dedham, Massachusetts since the City of Boston only extended to Dorchester Lower Mills. The State of Massachusetts had already been divided into different counties, Dedham was in Norfolk County and the City of Boston was in Suffolk County.
The Estate of Daniel Joseph Donohoe’s family came to light as a result of both my childhood living at 17 Buckingham Street, Readville and my son John Clark Hannigan doing legal research of documents filed in Norfolk and Suffolk Counties, as well as, several personal trips to the town of Readville to visit cemeteries where the descendants of John Francis Donohoe are buried in order to verify from the Cemetery Tombstones, the person’s Burial Plot Number, Date of Birth and Date of Death. The cemeteries visited are in Canton, Dedham, and Readville, Massachusetts.
I will address each Generation of the Donohoe family separately and where possible when it reaches my mother, Catherine Rita Hannigan nee Donahue, I will discuss stories that I remember living at 17 Buckingham Street.
JOHN FRANCIS DONOHOE GENERATION
My Son, John Clark Hannigan, was doing a genealogy research on the John Francis Donohoe Family in Readville, when he found and article in the Boston Herald dated 1923 that Elizabeth Wedding nee Donohoe sold property on Chesterfield Street to her sister Mary McGrath nee Donohoe.
This property sale brought back memories that the John Francis Donohoe Family was wealthy that he owned acreage in the town of Readville and the Readville Manor, Massachusetts. John Francis Donohoe also purchased land known as Buckingham Street. He bought the odd number side and the even number side stopped at number 12. That purchase of land also included the Town Block from Buckingham Street to Readville Street to Chesterfield Street to the main road running next to the Providence Railroad track back to Buckingham Street. He also purchased property that included Vaughan Street, Nelson Street and Damarell Street. Down through the Donohoe generations the story was repeated how wealthy the Donohoe family was in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. It was also noted through the generations that John Francis Donohoe Estate was never probated in court.
The following in my conclusion as the current living Patriarch of the Donohoe Family on how the Estate of John Francis Donohoe’s’ Real Estate Property and Wealth [Money] was passed down to family member through the generation. His estate was not probated after his death. His children were the first administrators. It was passed down to each generation. Eventually the Estate Laws were changed, and his estate was probated in accordance with the Estate Law in Suffolk County, Massachusetts in the nineteen fifties.
John married Bridget Gilman in Galway, Ireland and immigrated to America, settled in Readville. His house was located near the intersection of Readville Street and West Milton Street. The following children were born to this marriage.
I believe that at the time of his and his wife’s death, there were no laws that required an estate to be probated. Therefore, the estate remained within the Donohoe Family. His oldest living child Lizzie was named administrator of the Estate which included real estate property and wealth [Money], was passed down to the oldest child to act as the administrator. Eventually, it was passed down to each child until the last child died. Then the administration of the Estate to the next generation.
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The next descendants of the Donohoe family were the grandchildren generation of John Francis Donohoe. This generations family homes were the original family home on Readville street near the intersection of West Milton Street, as well as, 116 Readville Street.
After his father’s death, my Grandfather Daniel Joseph Donohoe built homes on the parcel of land, known as Buckingham Street with old Barracks that he purchased from the Civil War Camp Meigs Army Base in Readville, Massachusetts. He built a two-story family home at 15, where his six children lived growing up. As each child got married, grandfather would build a house for them as a marriage dowry.
When John Donohoe died it appears that Elizabeth Wedding became the Executrix of John Donohoe’s Estate but never probated his Estate, instead she acted as an administer of the estate and property therein. The 1923 Elizabeth Wedding sold of property to her sister Mary McGrath. When Elizabeth Wedding and Mary McGrath died, the administration of the estate and property was assumed by their sister Katherine Butler. I assume the Wedding and the McGrath properties were sold as there was no Donohoe family member to take occupancy.
NOTE 1. When Great-Grand Father John Donohoe died, James and Katherine Butler moved into the family home on Readville near the intersection of West Milton Street. Katherine continued with the administration of her father’s estate and property.
NOTE 2: It should be noted that all the real estate property was occupied by other Donohoe Family Members rent free after John Donohoe died, since there were no mortgages to be paid.
Joseph Donohoe lived in 12 Buckingham Street. When he died, James and Katherine Butler moved out of the family home on Readville Street and moved into 12 Buckingham Street. She continued the administration of her father’s estate and property. I assume that Katherine sold the family residence on Readville Street when James and Katherine move to Buckingham Street.
Meanwhile, my grandfather lived in his Family Home at 15 Buckingham Street, his son John [Joppa] Donohoe lived next door at 11 Buckingham Street, my parents live next door at 17 Buckingham Street, and Daniel the youngest lived in 21 Buckingham Street. 13 Buckingham Street was never built, and 19 Buckingham Street was vacant for years and was torn down. Sisters Mary, Elizabeth [Liz], Margaret [Barb] and Helen had moved out of 15 Buckingham Street when they married. Mary has moved to Biddeford, Maine and later onto Patterson, New Jersey. Helen moved to Canton, Massachusetts and then to California. Elizabeth and Margaret live in the Boston, Massachusetts area.
