#MeetMyImmigrants: James Francis McGuire

James Francis McGuire was born 16 April 1859 in Upper Kilmacow, a townland in Kilmacow, County Kilkenny, Ireland. He was 1 of 31 3x-great-grandparents that was foreign-born. In Ireland, he worked as miller. He married Mary Ann Kenneally in 1883, and their first child, my 2x-great-grandfather, Patrick was born (very) shortly after. James immigrated to the UAS around 1891, and his wife and children soon joined him in Jersey City. At least one, if not two, of his siblings also immigrated, settling in Jersey City. James and Margaret had seven children - five in Ireland and two in New Jersey. James worked as a laborer on the railroad, and later became a carpenter for the Erie Railroad. He was widowed in 1898, but remarried in 1904, to Margaret (Drewes) Foley. He lived in Jersey City the entirety of his life in America. He never naturalized as an American citizen, as far as I can determine. At the time of his death, he had 20 grandchildren and 24-great-grandchildren. He died in 1952 at the age of 93. Quite a legacy!

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View James's original post on Facebook.

Document from New Jersey State Archives.