MAURICE HICKEY

Maurice (or Morris) Hickey was a farmer's son — the child of Thomas Hickey and Ellen Allen. He was born in 1838 in a small thatched cottage on a farm by Lough Gur. The cottage where he was born is not still standing, but the land is still owned by the Hickey family today.

The land has belonged to the family as far back as anyone can remember, and the Hickeys are thought to be one of the oldest families in the town. Lough Gur is a magically beautiful lake and a townland in the parish of Knockainy in County Limerick.

Maurice was christened in the parish church of Knockainy on December 26, 1838. He had three brothers - Patrick, Thomas, and John; and five sisters — Mary, Catherine, Bridget, Mary, and Ellen.

 

At age 20, Maurice left for America. He sailed on the ship Cynosure with his younger sister, Ellen. The passenger list shows:
 

7 September 1857    Cynosure    Liverpool to New York

They came to Chicago in 1857 and Maurice found work as a laborer on the railroad. His older brother, Thomas and his family had settled in Chicago earlier.
   

Marriage certificate for Maurice Hickey and Margaret Leddin

Maurice married Margaret Leddin on February 5, 1872 in Chicago. They had four children — Ellen, Mary, Margaret, and Joseph. Maurice's sister, Bridget also came to Chicago, and married John Farrell. Ellen Hickey and John Hickey also acted as sponsors at the baptisms of Maurice's children.

 

Maurice's work on the railroad took him to Pueblo, Colorado, to build a spur line. The couple were saddened when their four-year-old daughter, Ellen, died there. His daughter, Mary was born there in 1878.
   

1880 census, Chicago

Chicago in the 1860s

The family returned to Chicago by 1880 and Patrick and Mary Ellen (Margaret) were born there, and baptized in Providence of God Church. The family lived at 55 Wright in Chicago. Maurice became a naturalized citizen.

By 1900, they moved to 403 W. Polk Street. Mary worked as a cashier at Marshall Fields, Margaret was a dressmaker, and Joseph was a laborer like his father.

 

Maurice returned to Lough Gur in Ireland only once, to see his family and friends. He died on July 1, 1914, at the age of 76, in Cook County Hospital, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery.
   

Death certificate for Maurice Hickey

Obituary notice of Maurice Hickey (Chicago Daily Tribune, Thursday, July 2, 1914):

 

Maurice Hickey, beloved husband of Margaret, nee Ledden, father of Mrs. John J. Carey, Margaret and Joseph Hickey. Funeral Friday at 9 a.m. from late residence, 3634 W. Polk St. to Presentation Church, carriages to Calvary.

Maurice was buried in Calvary Cemetery:

Cemetery records from Calvary show that Maurice was buried with his wife Margaret, son Joseph, daughters Ellen and Margaret, and Margaret's husband David Hayes. There is also a note that "Thomas Hickey & 5 others" were moved here from the Old Cemetery. Thomas is Maurice's brother. No other information is available about the five others buried there, who were moved there 30 November 1868 from the Old Cemetery, so must have died before 1868.

This may be a photograph of Maurice Hickey. The photo was taken by John J. Carey, Maurice's son-in-law. John took pictures of his family in Chicago from the time he got his Brownie box camera in 1900 until he moved to San Francisco in 1919. John and Maurice's daughter, Mary became engaged in 1903 and they were married five years later. John took many pictures of his family, and also pictures of Mary's mother and sister. Carey family members have been able to identify most of the family photos printed from the negatives, but not this one, making it more likely that it was a member of Mary's family. The negatives from this early photography were inherited by James A. Carey, Maurice's grandson. The negatives, of course, were not marked, so it has not been possible to obtain a positive identification. Maurice died seven years before James was born, so he never met his grandfather. The three-piece style of suit is appropriate for time period of 1900-1914, possibly purchased in the 1890s. The brick building in the background is much more likely to be in Chicago, as brick buildings were less common in San Francisco in the years after the 1904 earthquake. The man in the picture was older, and may have had mobility problems, necessitating the cane. John's father died in 1897 at the age of 56, before John purchased the camera, and this man seems to be older than 56. This man is more likely to be in his late sixties or seventies. Since Maurice died in 1914 at the age of 76, he was of the correct age to be the man in the photo. His facial bone structure is similar to his daughter Mary's, and grandson James. It seems likely that John would have taken a picture of his father-in-law, as he took many pictures of other family. The identification is not certain, but all of these factors point to the man in the photograph being Maurice.