Census Sunday - Coakley Families in Clinton County, Ohio

I've just started investigating my possible link to the Coakley families in Clinton County, Ohio, so decided to see what I could find out from the census records. My Coakley-Creeden link is through Julia Creedan's parents listed on her baptismal record and death certificate. Her parents were given on both records as Patrick Creedan and Mary Coakley. Julia is the sister of my great-great-grandfather Timothy Creeden.

A 1915 history of Clinton County, Ohio says that the first Roman Catholic mass celebrated in Clinton County, Ohio was in August 1852 and had ten attendees: Michael Devaney, wife, and daughter, Timothy Coakley, Patrick Creedon, Jeremiah Coakley and wife, Catherine Knaughton, and two young men whose names were not recorded.

I didn't have any luck finding Coakleys in the 1850 census for Clinton County, so went on to the 1860 census.

1860 Census - Wilmington, Clinton County, Ohio

Both Coakley families are living together or next to each other. Tim and Catharine are from Ireland, while their children were all born in Ohio. Jerry, Mary, and their daughter Mary were all born in Ireland. They are living in Wilmington in Clinton County. There is also a Dennis Coakley with wife Mary, daughter Mary and infant son Dennis. A Catherine Coakley was living with a Fisher family.

1870 Census - Wilmington, Clinton County, Ohio - Timothy Coakley and family

By 1870, the families were no longer living together and Timothy and Catherine had three more children. Jerry and Mary are living nearby and both families are still in Wilmington. I couldn't find their daughter Mary in this census.

1870 Census - Wilmington, Clinton County, Ohio - Jerry and Mary Coakley

In the 1880 census, the families are back together. Timothy and Catherine have had two more children, John and Thomas.

1880 Census - Wilmington, Clinton County, Ohio

In the 1890 census, I found a Mary Burns, listed as the former widow of Dennis Coakley. Dennis was killed in battle on March 16, 1865 in Avarysboro, NC. This abstract was taken from a notice in The Clinton Republican on April 7, 1865: DIED, Dennis Coakley, of the 79th Reg. Ohio Vol. Leaves wife and 2 small children. Dennis' widow Mary was in Xenia, Greene County, Ohio in this census.

1890 Veteran's Schedule - Xenia, Ohio

1890 Veteran's Schedule - Xenia, Ohio

In 1900, I found Timothy Coakley with his family and a Timothy Coakley that was living alone. They were all still in Wilmington.

1900 census - Wilmington, Clinton County, Ohio

1900 census - Wilmington, Clinton County, Ohio

Of interest in the 1900 census was the immigration year which was given as 1860 for Timothy. His wife Katherine didn't list a year, but said she had been in the US for 27 years or since about 1873.

1900 census - Wilmington, Clinton County, Ohio

In the 1910 census, Timothy Jr. is living with his father who is now a widower. John and Elizabeth are also living with their father.

1910 census - Wilmington, Clinton County, Ohio

This time Timothy's immigration year is given as 1836! Well, it wouldn't be a typical census record without some discrepancies.

In the 1920 census I found four of the brothers and sisters living together. Interesting that none of them are married! While I think this is the same family, their ages are off by at least a decade.

1920 census - Wilmington, Clinton County, Ohio

By the 1930 census, Elizabeth has married John Ford and her two brothers are living with them. Elizabeth's age at her first marriage is given as 43 and John's is 26, so he has been married before.

1930 census - Wilmington, Clinton County, Ohio

In the 1940 census, John Coakley is living with Amelia Murphy, a widow. The Ancestry.com index listed his relationship to her as "boarder", but it looks more like "brother" to me. John and Elizabeth Ford are listed on the same page of this census in Wilmington.

1940 census - Wilmington, Clinton County, Ohio

As usual, once I find some answers, I have more questions! Who was Amelia Murphy? What happened to the children of Dennis Coakley and what information would his Civil War records provide? Are there any Irish or immigration records available for these families? My next step will be to see what records I can find beyond the census records.

Sources:

• Ancestry.com. 1860-1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]
• History of Clinton County, Ohio by Albert J. Brown, published in 1915 by B.F. Bowen & Co.