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Valentine Shirley of
Aghadowey Parish, Londonderry
Birth: 14 FEB 1804 in The Village on
River Rhee, Aghadowey Parish, County Londonderry, Ulster Province,
Northern Ireland
Death: 11 SEP 1895 in Quincy, Massachuetts
Burial: Mount Wollaston Cemetery, Quincy, Massachusetts
Source: Family history prepared in 1940
by Annie Agnes Shirley, Ann and Valentine's granddaughter (George
Orr Shirley's daughter). The history was reprinted in "Descendants
of Paul Orr and Isabelle Boyd Orr," prepared for the Orr
Reunion Association of Mt. Vernon, MO and distributed at its
1954 meeting. Primary author, Lettie Hickman Wilkes, assisted
by Jessie Stemmons and Harold Campbell. Other info from grave
markers and U.S. Census.
Valentine Shirley was so named because
he was born in St. Valentine's Day in 1804, the son of Alexander
Shirley and Rebecca Hogshaw. The Shirley homestead is said to
be still standing in the village of River Rhee in Aghadowey Parish.
Valentine's death certificate confirms he was the son of Alexander
Shirley and the Elizabeth Hogskey
Valentine married Ann Orr in November 1829,
and they had 10 children. He was a linen weaver and had his loom
in the home. Daughter Jane joined him in this, but eventually
steam-operated weaving machines put the home looms out of business.
Valentine was a linen weaver and had his
loom in the home. Valentine Shirley of Aghadowey is listed in
Griffiths Valuation 1848-1864. Daughter Jane joined him in this,
but eventually steam-operated weaving machines put the home looms
out of business. His wife Ann taught her daughters to sew and
the made fine men's linen shirts. The shirts were sold in Coleraine
and were so beautifully made that they won premiums (extra money)
for their fine quality.
Some of Valentine's nieces and nephews
had gone to Philadelphia and found work, so in 1857, Isabella
sailed for America. She found work as a cook for an old Philadelphia
family, saved money, and sent for her sister Jane. Each child
helped others come. Next came Elizabeth, then Margaret, then
George (arriving 21 Dec 1869), then John. Son Alexander arrived
with his father (Valentine) in 1870. Next came Mary Ann with
her mother. Sarah had married and came much later.
Ann and Valentine moved from Pennsylvania
to Quincy, Massachusetts, where they lived on Filbert St. Sons
George and Alexander were in the stone-cutting trade. When they
two sons married, Ann and Valentine went back to Pennsylvania,
but they liked Quincy better and returned there. Ann made quilts
and braided mats, which she sold or gave away. Her motto was
"Cleanliness is next to Godliness." Ann loved to talk,
and George was very quiet.
Valentine was very quiet. He said, "Before
you speak, put your words in your hand and look at them. If they
don't suit, put them back in your mouth. " He told his children
never to trust anyone until the person had proved themself worthy
of their trust. Valentine made cellars, cut wood and made baskets
from willow rods.
Ann and Valentine enjoyed good health until
1895. Ann died of cancer on 23 Oct 1895, at age 86. Valentine
is said to have taken to his bed the day she died; he died on
11 Dec, at age 92. They are buried in Mount Wollaston Cemetery
in Quincy, MA.
married Ann Orr born
18 Sept 1809 in Aghadowey Parish, Derry Ireland; died 23 Oct
1895 in Quincy Massachussetts USA; she was the daughter of Paul
Orr and Isabell Boyd of Rhee Aghadowey, Derry Ireland
Ann Orr (nicknamed Nancy) was born on 18
Sept 1809 in the family home in the Townland of Rhee, in Aghadowey
Parish, in Londonderry (near Coleraine). She married Valentine
Shirley in November 1829, in Aghadowey Parish. Shortly after
they married, she contracted smallpox and he nursed her through
it. They had ten children: Jane, Sarah, Isabella, Elizabeth,
Margaret, Alexander, George Orr Shirley, John Rogers Shirley,
Alexander (named after the previous son Alexander, who died),and
Mary Ann.
Their first child, Jane, was nicknamed
Jennie, after Jennie Adams, wife of Ann's brother William. Jane
(Jennie) was born 8 May 1831. Their son John Rogers Shirley was
named after a local man who helped the family survive the potato
famine. Two boys were named Alexander, after Valentine's father.
Ann Orr Shirley had her children over a 24-year period, between
1831 and 1855.
Children of Valentine Shirley/Shirla
and Ann Orr
2.i Jane Shirley born
8 May 1831Agahdowey Parish, Derry Ireland
Jane (Jennie) Shirley was born 8 May 1831
in Aghadowey Parish, the oldest child of Valentine Shirley and
Ann Orr. Jennie, as she was called as a child, was named after
Jane (Jennie) Adams, the wife of Ann Shirley's brother, William
Orr. When Jane was old enough to run a loom, she joined her father
in weaving linen cloth, working out of their home. Jane and her
mother and sisters later supported the family by doing fine needlework.
The looms were put out of business by the factories, but the
sewing machine was not invented.
Jane was the second child to come to America,
joining her sister Isabella and working probably as a cook or
housekeeper for a wealthy Philadelphia family. Jane married John
Barr (date unknown), but probably in the Philadelphia, PA area
in the late 1860s or 1870s. Jane probably got to the U.S. in
the late 1850s or early 1860s.
John courted Jane for some time before
winning her consent to their marriage. On one occasion when he
urged her to give him an answer she said, "I have no money
to buy a suitable dress." He handed her his pocket book
saying, "Take what you need." She took a dime and kept
it as one of her treasures. It has 13 starts on it and is dated
1834.
Much of their married life John and Jane
Orr Barr were in Media, Pennsylvania. It is not clear how many
children they had; one account says eight (six of whom lived
to old age) and another lists 12, all but one of whom married.
The 12 are listed, with spouses in parentheses: John Barr (Deborah
Boles), Jennie Barr (Herman Middleton), Bessie Barr (Paul Robinson),
Martha Barr (William Dawson), Margaret Barr (Edward Buley), Thomas
C. Barr (Annie MacKenzie), Annie Orr Barr (George Wood), Adam
S. Barr (Annie Belle Bishop), Isabella Hare Barr (John Dotts),
Mary Richard Barr, Martha Jane Barr (Edgar Bishop), and Valentine
Barr (Ella Murphy).
Dates and place of death unknown, but it
sounds as if John and Jane Orr Barr lived until old age. May
have died in Media, PA.
2.ii Sarah Shirley born Agahdowey Parish, Derry Ireland
Sarah Shirley was born in about 1833 in
Aghadowey Parish, the second child of Valentine Shirley and Ann
Orr. As a very young woman she would have joined her mother and
sisters in doing fine needlework as the way to support the family.
Sarah married John Forsythe, in Ireland, and they had seven children:
Annie, James, Bella, Sarah, Martha, Eliza, and William.
The Forsythes raised their family in Northern
Ireland, presumably in or near Aghadowey Parish. Some of the
children went to America and found work in Whitinsville, Massachusetts.
Sarah Shirley Forsythe and John joined them in 1895, and are
buried in Whitinsville. Dates of death unknown. All of Sarah's
children eventually came to the U.S. except Annie (unless she
came after 1940).
2.iii Isabella Shirley born Agahdowey Parish, Derry Ireland
Isabella Shirley was born in about 1837
in Aghadowey Parish, the third child of Valentine Shirley and
Ann Orr. As a very young woman she would have joined her mother
and sisters in doing fine needlework as the way to support the
family. Isabella must have been a very brave woman, for in 1857
she became the first of the Shirley family to sail to the U.S.
She went to Philadelphia, where her father's nieces and nephews
lived. She found work as a cook for one of the old Philadelphia
families, saved money, and sent for her sister Jane. The others
eventually followed.
Isabella married Robert Campbell and they
had six children: Margaret Orr Campbell; Rebecca Boyd Campbell;
Isabella Campbell; Mary Jane Campbell, Robert Campbell; and John
Campbell. The family lived in Philadelphia and it is presumed
that Isabella died there. Date of marriage and death unknown.
Her son John Campbell was in the Army and fought in the Philippines.
(Note: probably the Spanish-American War of 1898. May be military
files to check.)
2.iv Elizabeth Shirley born Agahdowey Parish, Derry Ireland
Elizabeth Shirley was born in about 1840
in Aghadowey Parish, the fourth child of Valentine Shirley and
Ann Orr. As a very young woman she would have joined her mother
and sisters in doing fine needlework as the way to support the
family. Elizabeth was the third child to arrive in the U.S.,
probably joining her sisters Isabella and Jane in the mid-1860s.
She married John Blawn and they lived in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,
where John worked at the blast furnaces, making iron.
Elizabeth Shirley and John Blawn had nine
children: John, Valentine, William, Annie, Elizabeth, George,
Margaret, Isabella, and James. It is not known when or where
they died, but it may have been in Bethlehem, PA.
2.v Margaret Shirley born Agahdowey Parish, Derry Ireland
Margaret Shirley was born in about 1840
in Aghadowey Parish, the fifth child of Valentine Shirley and
Ann Orr. As a very young woman she would have joined her mother
and sisters in doing fine needlework as the way to support the
family. Margaret was the fourth child to arrive in the U.S.,
probably joining several sisters in the mid- to late 1860s.
Margaret Shirley married David Paul and
they lived in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania where David worked at
the blast furnaces. They had six children: Annie, Alexander,
John, William, David and James. It is not known where Margaret
and David died, possibly Catasauqua, PA. Her son John Blawn fought
with the U.S. Army in China during the Boxer Uprising (1899/1900),
and in the Philippines. He remained in the Army until pensioned
and went back during WW I and served as a captain at Fort Slocum.
(Note: should be pension records to check.)
2.vi Alexander Shirley born about 1845 Agahdowey Parish, Derry Ireland;
died young - "a doctor called to treat a minor illness was
drunk, and prescribed the wrong medicine. The infant died."
2.vii George Orr Shirley born about 1847 Agahdowey Parish, Derry Ireland
George Orr Shirley was born in about 1847
in Aghadowey Parish, the seventh child of Valentine Shirley and
Ann Orr. His year of birth is based on the fact that he was almost
88 years old when he died in 1935. It is not known what work
George did in Ireland, except that as a young child he threaded
needles for his mother and sisters' sewing as they earned a living
for the family.
George arrived in the U.S. on 21 December
1869, at the Port of New York. He first went to Catasauqua, Pennsylvania,
where he worked for a time as a fireman on a locomotive at the
blast furnaces. In the spring of 1872, he went to Quincy, Massachusetts,
where he learned the stone-cutting trade. He later became a custodian
of a large school in Quincy. His brother Alexander mirrored his
professions, and they made a home together. Valentine and Ann
Orr Shirley joined them in Quincy.
George met Mary Moodie, born in Quincy
and of Scottish descent, and they were married in the Methodist
Church there on 2 January 1879. George had been a Presbyterian
and he preferred that church, so he and two other men took steps
to start a Presbyterian Church in Quincy. Through their efforts
there is the First Presbyterian Church of Quincy, and George
Orr Shirley was one of the first elders of that church. George
was there when the church celebrated its 50th anniversary in
1934.
George Orr and Mary Moodie Shirley had
five children: Annie Agnes Shirley, Mary Shirley, Margaret Shirley,
Jessie Orr Shirley, and George Valentine Shirley. The latter
was born in September 1890, and is presumed to be the youngest.
George and Mary celebrated their 50th anniversary
with a reception on the afternoon and evening of 1 Jan 1929 and
a family dinner on 2 Jan 1929, the actual anniversary date. Their
daughter Annie Agnes Shirley, who wrote the Shirley family history,
reports that the reception was attended by "friends and
relatives from far and near." Mary died 23 Dec 1933 and
George died 25 April 1935, when he was almost 88 years old. "His
memory was excellent and his mind clear to the very last."
married Mary Moodie on 2 January 1879 at Quincy, Norfolk Co Mass.
She was Scottish but born in Quincy Mass.
children of George Orr Shirley and Mary
Moodie
3.i Annie Agnes Shirley b: Abt 1881 in Quincy,Norfolk,MA
3.ii Mary Elizabeth Shirley b: Abt 1883 in Quincy,Norfolk,MA
3.iii Margaret Isabella Shirley b: Abt 1885 in Quincy,Norfolk,MA
3.iv Jessie Orr Shirley b: Abt 1889 in Quincy,Norfolk,MA
3.vi George Valentine Shirley b: August 26 1890 in Quincy,Norfolk,MA
2.viii John Rogers Shirley born Oct 4, 1843 (source: death cert) Agahdowey
Parish, Derry Ireland; Died Nov 19, 1910, age 67 at Philadelphia
PA (death cert: 'son of Valentine Shirley and Ann Orr'). Buried
at Hillside Cem, Philadelphia PA
John Rogers Shirley was born in about 1850
in Aghadowey Parish, the eighth child of Valentine Shirley and
Ann Orr. His year of birth is based on the fact that his brother
George was born in 1847 and John was next. John arrived in the
U.S. in either 1869 or 1870, port unknown, but probably Philadelphia.
John learned cabinet-making and later became a building contractor,
all in Philadelphia. He was a "carpenter and builder"
at the time of his death.
married 1) Mary Green
married 2) Mary Lester
children of John Rogers Shirley and
Mary Lester
3.i Thayer Shirley
b 7 Jan 1878 in PA lived Lower Providence, Montgomery Co PA
married Jessie M. _____
4.i John
R Shirley age 23 in 1930, Montgomery Co PA
4.ii Ruth A Shirley age 14 in 1930
4.iii Thayer Shirley born 9 Jan 1918
3.ii Lester Shirley b 3 Dec 1881 in ,,PA
married Lillian_____ between 1900 and 1920
(no apparent children)
3.iii John R. Shirley b: Abt 1887 in ,,PA
3.iv Mary Shirley
b: Abt 1889 in ,,PA
2.ix Alexander Shirley born Agahdowey Parish, Derry Ireland (named after
the previous son Alexander, who died)
Alexander Shirley was born in about 1853
in Aghadowey Parish, the ninth child of Valentine Shirley and
Ann Orr. His year of birth is based on the fact that his next-younger
sister was born in 1855. It was Alexander who traveled to the
U.S. with his father, Valentine; they arrived in Philadelphia
in 1870. Alexander later went to Quincy, MA, and learned the
stone-cutting trade, as had his brother George Orr Shirley. The
two brothers later became custodians of large schools in Quincy.
Alexander appears to have been married
in Quincy, MA, to Nancy McAllister. She was still alive in 1940,
and had moved from Quincy to Rochester, NY to live with her daughter,
Margaret Bishop. Alexaander and Nancy had a total of five children:
Miriam, Susie, Margaret, William and Chester. Alexander died
in Quincy, date unknown, but before 1940.
married Nancy McAllister on 28 March 1881
children of Alexander Shirley and Nancy
McAllister
3.i Miriam Shirley
b: Abt 1886 in Quincy,Norfolk,MA
3.ii Susie Shirley
b: Abt 1888 in Quincy,Norfolk,MA
3.iii Margaret Shirley b: Abt 1890 in Quincy,Norfolk,MA
3.iv William Alexander Shirley b: Nov 21 1889 in Quincy,Norfolk,MA [birthdate
WWI Draft Card]
3.v Chester Hamilton Shirley b May 6 1900 in Quincy,Norfolk,MA [birthdate WWI
Draft Card]; died 6 May 1995 - Hebron, Grafton, New Hampshire
2.x Mary Ann Shirley born 1 Nov 1855 Agahdowey Parish, Derry Ireland
Mary Ann Shirley was born 1 Nov 1855 in
Aghadowey Parish, the tenth child and youngest child of Valentine
Shirley and Ann Orr. Mary Ann traveled to the U.S. with her mother
in the early 1870s, arriving presumably in Philadelphia. She
married John S. Quigg, who was also born in Ireland. First they
lived in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, and then Indiana.
On 3 July 1881, the Quigg family and four
of their children began a trip by covered wagon, intending to
go from IN to Mount Vernon, MO. (Where three of her grandmother's
siblings settled.) However, en route they met a family traveling
to Kansas and were persuaded to go to that state where they took
up government land west of Duquoin, Harper County. They raised
wheat and met with many hardships. In 1884 there was an Indian
scare. Since the Quiggs did not have any guns, they went to Harper,
Kansas, 10 miles away and stayed until the scare was over. It
proved to have been a rumor started by cattle men who hoped to
scare the farmers away so that they could get the farms for grazing
cattle.
The Quiggs held onto their land and had
five more children. The nine total were: John Orr Quigg, Anna
Quigg, Margaret Quigg, Mary Ann Quigg, Samuel Quigg, Alexander
Quigg, Jennie Quigg, Elizabeth Quigg, and George V. Quigg. (Presume
George Valentine Quigg.) John S. Quigg died 3 April 1935, and
Mary Ann Shirley Quigg was still living on the family farm near
Harper as of June 1940. Three of her nine children had died by
then, and her children and grandchildren had scattered, some
living in Kansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, and Canada.
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