Catherine Tobin Curran (Curreen) Flynn : Short Biography

Catherine Tobin was born in the townland of Curradarra, in the parish of Aglish, Co. Waterford in 1817. It’s believed her father was Michael Tobin and her mother was Mary, if we follow Irish naming patterns; her second born son was Michael and her first born daughter was Mary. Her brother James’ first born son was also Michael. It’s known that James is her brother and its believed that she had at least *three other brothers, Patrick, Thomas, and Michael and possibly a sister, Ellen.
 
According to church marriage records, Catherine married William Curreen (the family name later changed to Curran) 3 Feb 1842 in the Aglish Roman Catholic church, with the ceremony officiated by Father John O’Meara and witnessed by John Curreen and Michael Tobin.

Catherine and William resided in the townland of Ballycullane and had three sons; Thomas born/baptized 17 Jan 1843, Michael born/baptized 12 Sep 1844, and James born/baptized 6 Dec 1846. All were baptized in the parish of Dungarvan, Co. Waterford.

The family immigrated towards the start of the famine years in 1847 on the Fidelia, arriving in New York 6 Oct and settling in Yonkers. Catherine and William had three more children; Mary born 6 Sep 1849 and baptized on the 9th, Catherine born 8 Jul 1852 and baptized on the 11th,  and John born 18 Apr 1853 and baptized on the 20th. These three children; Catherine, Mary and John all died before 1860. Catherine's husband William died in late 1853 or early 1854 and Catherine was left with three young children to raise on her own. On 2 Jul 1854, she married Patrick Flynn, a family friend. She and Patrick had four more children; Mary Eleanor born 20 Jan 1858 and baptized on the 22nd, Catherine born 27 Nov 1860 and baptized the same day, John Jackson born 6 Oct 1861 and baptized on the same day, and Joseph born 20 Nov 1864 and baptized on the 21st. On 12 April 1869, her son Michael died. The family was still in Yonkers in the 1870 census.

In 1871 Catherine and Patrick with their children, Mary, Catherine, John, and Patrick, moved to Stemple Ridge, Preston County, West Virginia, signing a land deed dated 6 Sep 1871 for half of the land owned by **Thomas Curran. Patrick died 20 Feb 1883. Catherine’s son Patrick died 11 Aug 1891 of Typhoid fever while on a trip to San Francisco, CA.

Catherine died sometime after Aug 1891 and before 1900. However, no record of Catherine’s death can be found. She is not listed on the 1900 census nor is she listed in her daughter Catherine’s obituary in Sep 1902.
All of the above is verified by records are on file.

* This is surmised by the fact that Michael Tobin was a witness to Catherine and William’s marriage in Curradarra, and that a Thomas Tobin immigrated with Catherine and her family in 1847. Patrick Tobin and Michael Tobin are living at the same address as Catherine and her family in Yonkers in the 1850 census;  (Catherine’s future husband, Patrick Flynn is also living in the same household at this time). Patrick Flynn is a sponsor for the baptism of Catherine and William Curran’s daughter, Catherine. Patrick Tobin is a sponsor for the baptism of Catherine and Patrick Flynn’s daughter, Mary Eleanor.

** In a letter from Thomas Curran to Catherine’s daughter Mary in 1902 he signs himself, Uncle Thomas Curran. Through research and DNA it is high certainty that Thomas Tobin changed his name at time of arrival when he immigrated with Catherine and William Curran in 1847 for some unknown reason. He disappeared after arrival with no further records found and Thomas Curran shows up in 1850 in West Virginia. All Tobin DNA matches have  descendants of Thomas Curran; no Curran descendants match with him.