Marcella O'Neill : Short Biography

Marcella O'Neill was born November 1830 in Northern Ireland. Per US 1930 Census records for her daughters: Marcella A McCabe and Margaret Loretta McCormick their mother was born in Northern Ireland.  Unfortunately I have not yet found any records proving her town of origin.  She arrived in New York City on March 17, 1851, St. Patrick's Day on a ship called EZ that had departed from Liverpool, England. There was another passenger on the ship named Ed O'Neill, but I don't know if he was related or not.  Marcella married James Archibald Gardner (born James Archibald Gardiner on July 12, 1828 in the Moat, Cornashee, Aghalurcher, Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh, Ireland) on May 13, 1855 at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church at 371 Sixth Avenue, New York, New York.  (The church was very popular with Irish immigrants at the time and is on e of the oldest churches in New York city today). Witnesses to the marriage were Thomas Reilly and Cath Walsh, not sure if they were friends or relatives. Her husband James worked as a Carman and later as a Truckman and the couple lived in the 16th Ward now the Chelsea area of Manhattan and then moved up to West 31st Street the area that is now near Penn Station. 

Marcella O'Neill and James Gardner had eight children:

1. Rebecca Theresa born Feb 15, 1857, died March 5, 1911 in the Bronx, who married Michael McLaughlin, a blacksmith and also an Irish immigrant who was born in 1839 and they had three children: James Joseph McLaughlin born in 1882, Mary R. McLaughlin born in 1884 and Francis M McLaughlin born in 1886;

2. Mary Ann C. Gardner born in October of1859 who died December 26, 1946 in Red Bank, NJ and who married William H. Kane born in 1851 and had one daughter Agnes G. Kane born October 1890 who married Nicholas Raymond Dillon born in 1887.  Agnes and Nicholas had six children and Agnes died in childbirth while having her youngest child Jane Dillon on February 13, 1927 in Rhode Island.;

3. William F. Gardner born August 18, 1860 (I'm not sure if he married, had children or when he died).;

4. Sarah Gardner born in 1863

5. Margaret Loretta Gardner born in 1867;

6 Marcella Aloisuia Gardner born December 7, 1868 who married James J. McCabe born 1862, at St. Francis Xavier Church in New York City on June 29, 1892.  The couple had five children: James J. McCabe, Jr. born October 16, 1893 who died March 1, 1957 in New Jersey, Raymond Patrick McCabe born March 17, 1898 who married Virginia J. Mills born 1898 and the couple had two children Jane Virginia McCabe born in 1924 and Sheila Ann McCabe born in 1929 who married Artie Kelly born in 1927, Raymond or "Ray" McCabe ended up running the McCabe Lathe company that his father James J. McCabe had started.  He lived to be 102 close to 103 years old., Harold Gardner McCabe born October 28, 1895 who died July 20, 1905 as a child, Marcella Elinore Gardner McCabe born November 16, 1902 who died on July 5, 1950 of Tuberculosis sadly.  She was a character according to family.  The last child was Herbert Peter McCabe born April 24, 1907 who went to Notre Dame college and married Mary Frances Mason born in 1909 on September 9, 1933 in South Orange, New Jersey.  The couple had two sons.  James Mason McCabe born in 1939 and Herbert Peter Jr.;

7. Agnes born in 1872.;

8. William F. Gardner 9. Sarah C. Gardner was born September 1, 1862 and who married Peter P. Mooney who was born 1858. The couple had three children: Marie Mooney born March 18,1893 and married Robert Emett O'Rourke born 1889; Paul Mooney born March 18, 1897 and Regina R. Mooney born 16 April 1905; Margaret Loretta Gardner born March 6, 1867 who married a police officer Thomas Francis McCormick born in 1870.  The couple had five children: Clair McCormick born August 1894, Loralie McCormick born July 1895, Loretta Margaret McCormick born Jan 10, 1897 who married Allan Mason Clarke born 1892 and the couple had five children, Veronica McCormick born about 1901 and Gertrude Theresa McCormick born July 19, 1907 who married William Joseph Lynch born in 1907. The couple had five children.

Marcella O'Neill died April 9, 1903 at her home at 425 West 43rd Street, New York City and was age 72.  I hope to learn Marcella's town of origin in Northern Ireland and will try to look at DNA matches in common with known descendants of Marcella O'Neill and her husband James Archibald Gardner.