Davey Family in US
by John F Mann (as of 11-18-2011)
based on history by John E Mann
John E "Jack" Mann has developed basic historical information back to the early 1800s. Additional research by this reporter has been developed and is continuing. Link between Mann and Davey families is discused below - this question will be added to final exam!
Contents
James Davey and Bridget Rock
Andrew Cornelius Davey and Annie Golden
Hugh Davey and Ellen Jennings
Patrick Davey and Maria (Mary)
Andrew C Davey and Elsie Mann
Extended families of those listed above are also noted.
James Davey and Bridget Rock
James Davey (born 1825 in Ireland) and Bridget Rock (born 1827 in Ireland) were married about 1849 in Ireland. Listed below are five children born in Ireland before the family sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to New York City. However, not much else is known about James and Bridget
Andrew Cornelius Davey, born December 1851
Hugh Davey, born September 21, 1852
Patrick Davey, born about 1853
James Davey Jr., born about 1855
Elizabeth Davey, born about 1856
Per 1880 US Census, Andrew is listed as 22 years old, living with brother Patrick (age 27) and family (wife Maria; age 26 and daughters Winnefred; age 2 and Mary; age 1) at 351 East 12th Street in "New York" (Manhattan). Andrew is noted to be working as "grocery clerk" along with "boarder" James Reilly.
However, per 1900 US Census, Andrew is listed as 49 years old, with birth in "Dec 51". For the 1900 census, Andrew was head of household and likely providing the information. For the 1880 census, information was most likely provided by brother Patrick or his wife Maria since they were head of household. Considering also that information about birth in the 1900 census is more specific, it is reasonable to conclude that Andrew was born in 1851. His leadership of the family business (see below) also reinforces this conclusion. In the 1920 US Census, Andrew is listed as 60 years old, which would make his birth year 1859 (born in December), however other entries are not consistent with prior censuses such that the age in 1920 census is not reliable.
Stories of Andrew Cornelius Davey, Hugh Davey and Patrick Davey are described below.
No other information is available about James Davey Jr. or Elizabeth Davey.
Andrew Cornelius Davey and Annie Golden
From the mid 1880s to the late 1920s, Andrew Cornelius Davey built an extensive business empire in New York City and the region. Although many details have been found in various records, there remains much to this fascinating story that has yet to be revealed. Most mysterious are reasons (not yet determined) for the eventual collapse, apparently before the turmoil of the Great Depression.
As noted above, Andrew was working as a clerk in a grocery store in 1880.
Andrew became a US citizen on August 14, 1884. Of interest is that his application for "naturalization" was dated October 22, 1878.
On October 27, 1885 Andrew married Annie Golden at Saint Vincent DePaul RC Church (116 West 24th Street, NYC). There is not much information available about Annie other than that the couple produced 7 children from 1886 to 1899.
Sometime between 1885 and 1890 Andrew opened his own grocery store, at 1522 First Avenue in Manhattan.
Today, this address is near East 80th Street.
New York City directories show that by 1900 Andrew had expanded to 22 grocery stores, mostly in Manhattan but also in Brooklyn. There were 6 stores on Second Avenue (from 481 to 1641) and 5 stores on Third Avenue (from 1846 to 2713).
Business was very good such that expansion continued for more than 20 years. In 1916 the grocery store business was incorporated as "Andrew Davey Inc".
In "History of the Chain Store" (published 1922), Andrew Davey Inc is shown to have 137 stores, making the company number 20 in the entire nation based on number of stores.
Reference found during an online search notes very briefly that 54 stores were sold in 1927. Another reference from 1931 notes that the company was "liquidated" about 1928. To date, reasons for the demise of the company have not been discovered.
Considering the long-term exposure as a major business leader in this high-profile location, it is quite puzzling that (to date) no published information has been found showing when or where Andrew Davey died. Perhaps one or more family members can provide at least some clues to resolve this issue.
Hugh Davey and Ellen Jennings
In 1879, Hugh married Ellen Jennings in Ireland. During a span of 19 years (1881 to 1900) they produced 10 children (6 sons, 4 daughters), all born in New York City.
In publications such as Trow's Business Directory, Hugh Davey is listed continuously from 1886 to 1914, as "grocer", "clerk", "driver" or "watchman" at locations throughout New York City, mostly in Harlem (118th St to 123rd St). It is of interest that of all the store locations listed, only one (2295 First Ave, from 1893 to 1898) matches an address of a store known (presently) to be owned by brother Andrew.
In 1924, at age 72, Hugh is listed as superintendent of Department of Public Markets at 669 Central Avenue in Brooklyn, apparently working for the city.
Hugh lived until 1928 at age 76. Ellen lived until 1930 at age 69. Both are buried in Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, Long Island, New York along with two of their children not currently identified.
Story for son Andrew C Davey is below.
The only information that has been obtained about the other 9 children of Hugh and Ellen are birth dates from baptismal certificates.
Patrick Davey and Maria
In 1880 US Census, Patrick Davey is noted to be "keeping house", which was either a mistake or meant that he was not employed. However, per New York City directories, Patrick worked as as a "grocer" in 1884 and 1885 and as a "watchman" in 1899 and 1900.
In the 1900 US Census, length of marriage is listed as 22 years, which means they were married about 1878.
In the 1880 US Census, two daughters are listed (Winnefred; age 2 and Mary; age 1). However, in the 1900 US Census, Winnefred is noted to be 20 with date of birth as February 1880. Mary is noted be 19 with apparent date of birth as April 1881. Also noted are total of 9 children with only 7 children listed as living. A total of 8 children are accounted for in the available censuses. Therefore, it may be that the Winnefred or Mary (but not both) listed in the 1900 census are not the same Winnefred or Mary listed in the 1880 census.
Andrew Cornelius Davey and Elsie Mann
Andrew Cornelius Davey (b1889) married Irene Elsie Mann (known as Elsie) in 1924. They produced a daughter (Kathleen Ann Davey, b1925) and two sons (Andrew Dennis Davey, b1927 and Kenneth Davey, b1936).
During World War I, Andrew served in Europe with the US Army. He survived gas attack on the battlefield.
Andrew lived until 1960 at age 70. He is buried in Long Island National Cemetery. Elsie lived until 1976 at age 82, passing away in Rochester, New York.
Kathleen Ann Davey and James Henry Riley
In 1946, daughter Kathleen (b1925) married James Henry Riley (b1917).
Kathleen Ann Davey with parents Andrew Cornelius Davey and Elsie Davey on wedding day; April 27, 1946.
Kathleen and James produced the following 3 sons and 2 daughters;
Kevin James Riley, born February 6, 1950, Queens, New York, NY
Dennis Robert Riley, born August 27, 1951, Queens, New York, NY
Kathleen Ann Riley, born July 5, 1953, Queens, New York, NY
Mary Ann Riley, borh August 24, 1957, Auburn, NY
Mark Stephen Riley, born October 24, 1958, Auburn, NY
1965 - Summertime visit to Riley's in Skaneateles NY, southeast of Syracuse, at the north end of Skaneateles Lake. Looks like we were headed to church?
Back row; L to R - Noel Mann (Kramer), Kathleen Riley (Davey), Kevin Riley, Kathleen Riley, Dennis Riley
Middle row; L to R - John F "Jackie" Mann, Mary Ann Riley, Laura Mann
Front row; L to R - Elizabeth Mann, Mark Riley
This reporter remembers the visit well; picking vegetables for dinner from the extensive garden and being treated to a wakeup call served up by James Riley in the form of bagpipe music filling the entire house!
James lived until 1979 at age 62, passing away in Paterson, NJ. Kathleen moved to Florida and lived until 1996 at age 70.
