Charles McCarthy (b. Abt. 1813, d. August 22, 1901)
Charles McCarthy (son of Daniel McCarthy and Mary Powers)19, 20 was born Abt. 1813 in Antrim, Ireland, and died August 22, 1901 in Antigo, Wisconsin. He married Sarah McNally.
Notes for Charles McCarthy: Charles McCarthy was born about 1813, possibly near the coast of southern Ireland, southeast of Cork, where a McCarthy clan lived. His father's name was probably Daniel. His mother, Mary, may have lived in the adjoining county of Waterford where there was a Powers clan.
Sometime around 1845, during the great potato famine, Charles emigrated to the United States. His younger sister Fanny, who was born in 1823, and perhaps other family members accompanied him. He ultimately landed in Rhode Island where he met and married Sarah McNally, sometime between 1845 and 1847. Sarah had been born in Belfast and had probably come to this country with her family. She may have had an older sister named Hanna who later married a Mr. Devlin. The McNally family was living in Pawtucket at Pleasant View, and were considered somewhat "cultured", when Sarah met Charles. They probably attended St. Mary's Catholic Church there.
Charles and Sarah lived in Providence, Rhode Island until 1850. Here they had three children: Mary, Hanna, and Daniel, and then moved to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. They are listed on the July 30, 1850 census. Charles was working as a laborer and Fanny was living with them. They spent almost the next 50 years in the general area and had six more children: Charlotte, Helen, Sarah, Charles, Michael, and Edward.
Charles and Sarah certainly must have worked hard their first ten years in Wisconsin. By 1860, they had purchased a farm at Francis Creek. The family was listed on a census with the real estate valued at $800.00, the machinery at $80.00, and the livestock at $90.00. The farm totaled 40 acres, 30 of which was cleared and improved. They owned two milk cows, a team of working oxen, four other cattle, and three swine. It is interesting that they had no horses. Travel must have been difficult and infrequent. By July 1860 they had produced 115 bushels of wheat, 30 of rye, 200 of oats, and 22 of beans, as well as 300 pounds of butter and five tons of hay. Being good Irishmen, they had also harvested 250 pounds of potatoes. Eight of the children were at home with Edward not yet being born. The six oldest children were attending school. Fanny had apparently moved away, possibly to "Summit" in Juneau County.
The 1870 census shows the real estate to have appreciated to $1400.00 and the personal property to $375.00. Hanna and Mary were not listed on this report and had apparently moved away.
By 1880, Charles and Sarah were still farming along with their daughter Sarah, and sons Charles and Edward. The other children had presumably married and/or moved away.
In 1887 the farm was rented to Frank Hapel. However Charles and Sarah still lived there along with their youngest daughter Sarah, who was now thirty-one. Sometime around 1893, Charles' wife, Sarah, passed away and he went to live with his son, Charles, in Antigo. The elder Charles died there on August 22, 1901. Charles Jr. passed away 13 years later.
It was probably during the period of the Francis Creek residency that the McCarthy name was changed to McArthey. The story goes that there were so many families with the McCarthy name living in the area that Charles was not getting his mail and he therefore changed the spelling. This is somewhat confirmed by a review of the census records for Manitowoc and adjoining counties. In any event, it is during this era that the McArthey name begins to sporadically appear. Thereafter the McArthey name is often misspelled or ignored in official records. In one instance, a 1927 legal settlement for a cloud in a property deed in Rhode Island, the McArthey name is referred to as an alias.
Children of Charles McCarthy and Sarah McNally are:
Mary McArthey, b. Abt. 1847, Rhode Island, d. Bef. 1927, Branch, WI.
+Hanna McArthey, b. Abt. 1849, Rhode Island, d. Bef. 1927, Manitowoc, WI.
+Daniel H. McArthey, b. November 12, 1849, Providence, Rhode Island, d. February 15, 1893, Oconto, WI.
+Charlotte McArthey, b. Abt. 1852, Francis Creek, WI, d. 1925, Oconto, WI.
Charles McCarthy (b. Abt. 1813, d. August 22, 1901)
Notes for Charles McCarthy: