From the Talty Farthing to the Talty Millions:
Tracing a Clare family to Dublin and beyond

Wynn's Hotel, 35-39 Lower Abbey St., Dublin 1

8:00pm 30 Apr 2012

by Patrick Waldron

WWW version: http://www.pwaldron.info/ClareAssociation/ (case-sensitive)

WWW pedigree (password required): http://pwaldron.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=pwaldron&view=0&pid=428

Outline:

Genealogy in Clare

• Genealogy has been popularised in recent years by TV series like
  • Who Do You Think You Are? (international)
  • Genealogy Roadshow (RTÉ)
  • Heir Hunters (BBC)
  • Dead Money (RTÉ)
• Clare County Library provides the best free online genealogical data for any county in Ireland
• Clare Roots Society (Est. 2006)
  • runs monthly meetings in Ennis
  • organises international conferences (Saturday 1 Oct 2011; Saturday 6 Apr 2013)
  • will have a programme of events around Clare in Heritage Week (18-26 Aug 2012)
  • collaborates with Clare County Library on transcription and indexing projects
• Clare Heritage & Genealogical Research Centre (Corofin) provides a commercial research service (EUR 195+)
• Clare is the only county with no parish records at either www.rootsireland.ie or irishgenealogy.ie
• Local historical societies around the county are also interested in genealogy, e.g. Kilrush Local History Group (Kilrush and District Historical Society)
• Campaign to bring National Famine Commemoration 2013 to Kilrush

The Talty surname

• In a 1940 novel called `In The Money' by William Carlos Williams, published by New Directions, one of the characters, Joe, wrote to another, Gurlie, from the Raleigh Hotel in Washington, D.C. As Gurlie perused the envelope before opening it, she thought to herself: `European plan. Absolutely fireproof. That must mean it isn't really. T. J. Talty, Manager. What kind of name is that? Sounds French.'
• Talty is actually the quintessential Clare surname!
• Edward MacLysaght (1985, p.283) says (O) Talty Ó Tailtigh. The name of a west Clare sept which has no connection with the Ulster sept of Tally though the names are probably etymologically cognate.
• Seán de Bhulbh (2002, p.441) says Talty [moderately numerous, i.e. 21-55 entries in Telephone Directories] Clare. Ir Ó Tailtigh. Always associated with Clare. Perhaps cognate with Tally.
• Ideal material for a One-Name Study
• 96 Talty occupiers or immediate lessors in Ireland in Griffith's Valuation - all (apparently) in Clare
• 278 Taltys in 1901 Census - 268 in Clare, 7 in households with a Clare-born Talty, and a widow with two children in Galway, whose husband was surely a Clareman
• 283 Taltys in 1911 Census - 270 in Clare, 9 in households with a Clare-born Talty, one nun (mistranscribed as Latty in 1901) with a Clare-born father, and the same widow with two children in Galway, whose husband was surely a Clareman
• My Talty connections:
  • Taltys of Rahaniska (Moyarta parish, i.e. Doonaha/Carrigaholt):
    • Paddy Talty of Rahaniska is my second cousin through his mother
    • Brian Talty, Parnells senior football manager, is his first cousin
    • Their great-aunt Kathleen Talty (1883-1972) baked the cake containing the key with which de Valera escaped from Lincoln Jail; see Brave Brave Clare Girls, by Padraig de Bhaldraithe, in The Other Clare, Volume 12 (March 1988), pp. 35-37
    • Her brother Michael Talty gave his name to the town of Talty, Texas
    • Their aunt Mary Talty apparently married Halpin and then Clancy of Kilfearagh
  • Taltys of Coor West (Kilmurry Ibrickan parish, i.e. Mullagh):
    • My great-great-great-aunt Margaret McNamara (d.1867 aged 52) married (c.1836) Timothy Talty (d.1884 aged 73), probably from Coor West, later of Knockanalban (Mount Scott), Miltown Malbay town and Massachusetts
    • Timothy's brother Peter Talty (d.1886 aged 74) gave his name to the Talty Farthing
    • A third brother John farmed in Coor West and in 1855 (see Griffith's Valuation) lived in a house with a rateable annual valuation of 10 shillings
    • Timothy and Margaret's son T J Talty (1855-1926) gave his name to the Talty Millions
  • By coincidence (or otherwise?), descendants of both the Rahaniska and Coor West families are buried in Calvary Hill Cemetery in Dallas, TX. Also by coincidence, members of both Talty families married unrelated Frawleys, in Doonbeg and Chattanooga, TN respectively

The Talty farthing

• 1 farthing = 0.1322644 euro cent
• Description: Obverse: Bust of Queen Victoria to left: "TALTY, MURPHY & Co. 9 & 10, HENRY ST. DUBLIN". Reverse: Legend on five lines, the top and bottom curved: "TRIMMINGS, HABERDASHERY, BERLIN WOOLS HOSIERY, SHIRTS, GLOVES &c."
• According to Hurley (1949, p.14), pictures on the walls of the Browne house in William Street in Limerick `representing scriptural or historical scenes were worked in Berlin wool by the ladies'.
• Query 16 Apr 2009 - Reply: "It's an unofficial farthing"
• Advert for "Rare Talty Murphy & Co's Haberdashers Dublin Farthing" (SOLD - GBP35)
• See Dublin Tavern and Advertisement Tokens by Arthur E. J. Went in Dublin Historical Record, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jun., 1967), pp. 109-112
• At least 18 firms were involved in the issue of farthing advertisement tokens in the years 1834 to about 1865
• They were used for small change: prices were generally a whole number of shillings plus 11 3/4d, just as they are a whole number of euro plus 99 cent today
• Drapers were responsible for the issue of many of these farthing tokens. Todd Burns & Co. of Mary Street,Dublin,issued six of these tokens and Cannock, White & Co., nearby in Henry Street, another four. Five other drapers in Dublin issued tokens in the nineteenth century
• Little or nothing known of Martin Murphy beyond his first name from Griffith's Valuation
• 9 & 10 Henry Street are where Arnotts is today

Who was Peter Talty?

• Tombstone in Killernan: "Erected by John Talty of Coor in memory of his beloved Father Peter Talty who died Oct 6th 1844 aged 66 years also his beloved mother Mary Talty alias Callinan who died May 2nd 1879 aged 92 years (side two) Erected by John Talty of Coor in memory of his beloved wife Catherine Talty alias Mahony died Jan 15th 1897 aged 64 years."
• Peter who d.1844 was father of Peter who d.1884
• Peter jr. was employed by, and probably served his time with, and lived in with, Todd, Burns & Co., Mary Street (Freeman's Journal, 29 Oct 1840)
• Married Elizabeth Hayden, 1843, St. Paul's, Arran Quay (dublinnorth.rootsireland.ie)
• Lived at 20 Ellis's-quay (valuation 25 pounds) to c.1850
• Throughout his lifetime, his remained the only Talty household in Dublin, according to Thom's directories
• Peter Talty of St. Paul's parish was a contributor to the O'Connell Tribute (FJ 6 Nov 1845)
• Daughters Mary Elizabeth chr. 1845 and Catherine chr. 1849, St. Paul's
• Peter Talty of St. Paul's parish was an organiser of the collection for the O'Connell Monument (FJ 8 Nov 1847)
• continued to be associated with various public political campaigns and to appear on grand juries listed in newspapers
• c. 1849, Talty, Murphy, and Co. hosiers and haberdashers, went into business at 9 & 10 Henry street
• OSI map
• Google map
• The Talty family apparently moved from Ellis's-quay to live over the shop in Henry-street
• Peter Talty, 10 Henry Street, was among those calling for an Aggregate Meeting of the Catholics of Ireland (FJ 19 Jul 1851)
• petition calling on Dr Gray to run for Town Councillor signed by Peter Talty, 9 and 10 Henry Street (FJ 12 Nov 1852)
• By 1858, Cannock, White & Co. to the east expanded to encompass numbers 11 to 15 Henry-street, becoming next-door neighbours
• George Cannock and Andrew White had founded the business now known as Arnotts at 14 Henry Street in 1843. Michael Clery worked under Cannock in Henry Street.
• See Nesbitt's 1993 history of Arnotts (150th anniversary publication)
• Arnott lived in Cork, but gave his name to a Dublin shop; Cannock lived in Dublin, but gave his name (until 1984) to a Limerick shop, which they bought in 1850; both were Scottish (see Old Limerick Journal for History of Cannock's part 1 part 2)
• In 1862 or 1863, Talty, Murphy & Co. followed the example of their neighbours Cannock, White & Co., who were already `importers of Berlin wool and embroidery', and from then on the firm was listed in Henry Street directories at numbers 9 & 10 as Talty, Murphy, & Co. hosiers, glovers, perfumers, haberdashers, and shirtmakers, `and importers of Berlin wools'
• In 1865, George Cannock, who, like Peter Talty, had been living over his shop in Henry Street, retired (temporarily), moved to London and departed the business on Henry Street, which then became known as Arnott, John & Co
• Around the same year, Peter Talty also moved his residence, going to 12 Belgrave-road in Rathmines (valuation 30 pounds)
• Irish Times 13 Jan 1866: meeting of the Drapery Trade at which Peter Talty, Esq., of Talty, Murphy and Co. was elected Hon. Sec.
• In 1867, Peter Talty and James Fitzgerald Lombard, M.R.I.A., (a director of Arnotts and soon to become father-in-law of William Martin Murphy) were treasurers of the concert for the relief of the poor of the West
• Peter Talty thankfully acknowledged the receipt of 4 pounds from his neighbours Sir John Arnott and Co. towards the exhausted funds of St. Mary's Conference, Society of St. Vincent de Paul. (FJ 21 Jan 1869)
• In 1869, Peter Talty began to rent out what appears to have previously been his living accomodation over the shop
• advertisement by the Home Government Movement, signed by several Hon. Secs., including Peter Talty. (FJ 11 Aug 1870)
• c.1872: moved to 51 Rathmines-road (valuation 37 pounds), now 130 Rathmines-road, Lower, four doors north of Observatory-lane
• 30 Sep 1874: daughter Mary Elizabeth married Patrick James Cassidy (three daughters, one son)
• Around this time, Peter's nephew, Thomas J. Talty (1858-1945), son of John Talty and Kate Mahony, came to learn the drapery trade with his uncle Peter Talty in Dublin (see letter 30 Sep 1927 from Michael Killeen to J. J. Dwyer in Talty Millions file)
• P Talty was among the gentlemen appointed to the committee of organisation to erect a monument to the memory of the late Sir John Gray. (FJ 12 Feb 1876)
• 7 Apr 1879: a window cleaner fell at Messrs. Talty, Murphy & Co.'s in Dublin and died from his injuries (Irish Times 8 Apr 1879 and Irish-American, 3 May 1879)
• Peter Talty was a member of the council of the Home Rule League which met on the death of Isaac Butt (FJ 7 May 1879)
• In 1883 there was no contest for the Aldermanship Of The North City Ward after a nomination paper was filled up for Mr. Peter Talty, as he did not go on for election (FJ 8 Nov 1889)
• 28 Mar 1883: wife Elizabeth died at 51 Rathmines Road; daughter Catherine apparently still living there, aged 34, later joined the Presentation Order
• Peter returned to live over the shop in Henry Street shortly before his own death there on 7 Mar 1886
• `The Dublin City Coroner held an inquest yesterday at Henry Street on the body of Peter Talty, mechant, of Talty, Murphy, & Company, who had died suddenly on Saturday. The funeral had been arranged for Tuesday, but when the cortege was about to start for the cemetery a family dispute arose, and the son-in-law of the deceased insisted on an inquest. He reported to the police, who stopped the funeral. A verdict of death from heart disease was returned.' (Aberdeen Weekly Journal, 11 Mar 1886, see also Irish Times and Freeman's Journal of same date)
• According to the Irish Times report, he was a hosier and the owner of considerable house property in Dublin
• Peter was alone in 10 Henry Street with his housekeeper, Mary Hegarty. Michael Callaghan [sic], of Barrack street, Kilkenny, cousin of the deceased, complained that Mrs Hegarty did not send for priest or doctor
• Eventually buried in Glasnevin Cemetery, Section A, Row E, Nos. 39 and 39.5 (unmarked grave) with his wife, seven Haydens, and two Heffernans
• Elizabeth Cassidy, executrix, was given leave to apply for probate of a copy of the will of Peter Talty, deceased, the original, executed on 3 Nov 1885, being lost
• Effects £1,891 7s
• Unlike Arnotts next door, Talty, Murphy & Co. did not survive the death of its founder. Nos. 9 & 10 Henry Street are listed as vacant in Thom's Directories for 1887-9. In 1888, £20,000 was added to the value of premises on Arnotts' balance sheet `for leave to occupy part of numbers 9 and 10 Henry Street.'
• Arnotts' premises were consumed by a great fire on 4 May 1894 (mentioned in Ulysses), which consumed the entire Arnott store (11 to 15 Henry Street) and most of the adjacent Henry Street buildings (behind numbers 9 to 17). After the fire, £1,000 was accepted in full discharge of all claims for damage by fire to numbers 9 and 10 Henry Street
• Nos. 9 & 10 Henry Street today remain part of Arnotts
• daughter Catherine (Mother de Sales) d. 4 Aug 1937 Presentation Convent, Hospital, Co,.Limerick
• daughter Mary Elizabeth Cassidy d. 11 May 1910, 12 Leinster Square, Rathmines, predeceased by three of her four children
• buried in Cassidy vault in Glasnevin, Section B, Row R, Nos 4 and 4.5 with her husband and four children (see pictures)
• one of her sons-in-law, the last survivor of the Talty family of Dublin, Michael Francis O'Donnell, M.C., Royal Dublin Fusiliers, is in Section L, Row J, No.188.5
• Headstone erected to mark the 50th anniversary of his death in 2008

The genealogist's dream

The recent Dead Money TV series highlighted the problem of locating missing heirs (forensic genealogy).

Various such cases have been discussed in the Clare Past Forum.

The genealogist's dream would be

1. to find an ancestor who was an heir in an old intestacy case
2. to find the very voluminous legal file relating to the case in the attic or the courthouse or the National Archives
3. to find two such ancestors (Waldron v. Dee)

The Talty millions

• estate actually valued at only approximately $289,000
• cash, approximately $43,500
• securities, approximately $123,000, including capital stock of Dade County Security Company par value $40,164.55
• notes, representing the balance due on property sold by the deceased, approximately $71,000
• real estate, estimated to be value for $50,000 (interests in about 78 lots in Broward, Clay, Monroe, Polk, Volusia and Dade counties, Florida)

Who was T. J. Talty?

• Family background:
  • `Certificate of Baptism
    Parish of Miltown Malbay Diocese of Killaloe
    I hereby certify that Thadeus Talty was baptised according to the Rites of the Holy Catholic Church in the Church of St. Joseph's Parish of Miltown Malbay on the 12th day of December year 1855 by Revd J. Mc'Mahon P.P.
    Parents: Thadeus Talty - Margaret Mc'Namara
    Sponsors: Honera Mc'Namara
    John Canon Hannon Parish Priest
    Date 19th June 1926
    To/ Mr Thomas Talty, Miltown Malbay.'
  • Variously known as Timothy, Thady, Thadeus (one D), Thaddeus (two Ds), Theobald (with an A), Theodore, Theobold (with two Os)
  • His death certificate gives his FULL NAME as just `T. J. Talty'
  • `Margaret McNamara who married Timothy Talty of Mountscott [Knockanalban] and lived there and from there they emigrated to Miltown Town where they had a business and some of their family were born at Miltown and some at Mountscott. Those born in Mountscott baptised in Mullagh and those born at Miltown baptised in Miltown and these latter included Timothy J. otherwise Thaddeus Talty the Decd. Intestate.'
  • Parishes jointly administered up to 1839
  • west Clare in Google Maps
  • Margaret was from Kilclehaun, Timothy from Coor West
  • Griffith's Valuation lists Timothy Talty in both Knockanalban and Miltown Malbay
  • Seven children born between Abt 1837 and 1855
  • Gone from Valuation Office cancelled books by Feb 1865
  • Mother and four children (Peter, Michael, Margaret, Honora) died in Massachusetts between Aug 1865 and Sep 1871
  • Father (peddler) died in Lowell, MA, 1 Feb 1884
  • Anna (Mrs. Webber) died in New Smyrna, Florida in 1924
  • T. J. died in Coral Gables on 1 Apr 1926
  • death registered by his maternal first cousin James McNamara
  • What happened to Mary, chr. 14 Feb 1841, Kilmurry Ibrickane parish?
  • Letter 27 Jul 1927 from Michael Killeen to John J. Dwyer:
    • `You will notice that John McNamara of Moveen states in his deposition that the deceased Thadeus J. Talty and his sister Anna Talty had 2 other sisters Nora and Mary and 2 brothers Peter and Michael. John McNamara knew them all right well before they emmigrated [sic] to America. The latter 4 Nora, Mary, Peter and Michael must have died in America unmarried because Anna Webber when she was home never said anything about her having any nephews or neices [sic] or about there being anyone in the family outside except herself and Thaddeus the deceased.'
  • Peter married a widow in Lowell, MA on 18 Apr 1865 and probably had a son Timothy (U.S. censuses 1870, 1880)
• T. J. Talty's Career:
  • Proved elusive in U.S. censuses for a long time
  • 1880 census (line 40)
  • 1880-2: clerk at Indiana House 161-167 W. 5th St., Cincinnati, Ohio
  • 1883-6: clerk at the Hotel Emery on Vine St. between 4th and 5th Sts. in Cincinnati
  • The Emery Arcade connected the Emery Hotel and Race Street one block west. Built in 1877 it predated shopping malls with stores, offices, a restaurant, and hotel all under one roof. The glass roof was 40 feet in height, with two stories on each side The arcade passageway was 15 feet wide with gaslights hung in the center. This arcade was destroyed in 1929 to make way for the Carew Tower.
  • 1887: Gibson Hotel on Walnut Street, Cincinnati
  • 1888: `SWEET WATER PARK HOTEL SALT SPRINGS, GA. E. W. MARSH & CO., Proprietors. Within 20 miles of the City of Atlanta, on the Georgia Pacific R.R. This magnificent hotel was opened to visitors May 1st, 1888. Capacity, 500 GUESTS. It affords every luxury desired to the pleasure seeker and invalid. Altitude 1200 ft. Temperature: Summer, 75 to 90; Winter, 40 to 60. Guests are supplied in the Hotel with the famous Bowden LithiaWater, for drinking and baths. Sanitary arrangements unsurpassed. Entire Hotel lighted with electricity. Grounds beautifully laid out in lawns, terraces, fountains, and walks. Livery for driving or saddle. For terms, &c., address T. J. TALTY, Manager.'
  • 1890/1: T.J. Talty steward, Lookout Inn, Chattanooga, TN. The Lookout Inn was built across from the present Incline station between 1887 and 1890. This hotel opened on 2 Jun 1890 and, although thought to be fireproof, burned on 17 Nov 1908. It was "a beautiful structure, located on the eastern face of old Lookout at its summit. Three hundred and sixtyfive feet in length and four stories in height, its external appearance is exceedingly striking, its fine proportions and architectural beauty being grandly displayed by its surroundings of oak and pine forests. The hotel affords accommodations for five hundred guests, and the private apartments are unusually spacious." (see Chattanooga Times Free Press 4 Jan 2009; Volume 11, No. 2 of the Chattanooga Regional Historical Journal; and History of Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain)
  • steward at the Auditorium Hotel, Chicago
  • connected with Palmer House, Chicago
  • 1 Jan 1895 - Raleigh Hotel opened near the White House in Washington D.C. with T. J. Talty as Manager for 14 years
  • 1900 census (line 67)
  • 21 Mar 1904 - almost moved to St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco when it opened
  • 18 Apr 1906 - San Francisco earthquake, St. Francis Hotel gutted by fire
  • 8 Dec 1906 - ex-Senator Arthur Brown fatally shot in his room at the Raleigh Hotel
  • international reputation as an innkeeper
  • Abt. 1909 returned to Auditorium Hotel, Chicago (advertisement near bottom of second column)
  • 26 Feb 1911 - T. J. Talty, assistant manager and steward of the Congress hotel, [Chicago], has resigned
  • The Springfield Republican (MA) of Tuesday 24 Oct 1911 reported his next move: "the Richmond-Wellington hotel company sold through the agencies of John J. Fleming of New York and the W. B. Foote company of Pittsfield to T. J. Talty of Washington, D.C., the Richmond and Wellington hotels and the Richmond theater. The property involved is valued at more than $400,000 ... The Wellington hotel, a six-story brick structure containing 126 rooms for guests, was opened November 11, 1899 ... The Richmond Hotel ... contains about 75 guest rooms and is a modern fireproof building in every respect."

  • `NORTH ADAMS, MASS.
    The culmination of the scenic beauty
    of the Berkshire hills.  At the head of
    The Mohawk Trail.
    RICHMOND-WELLINGTON HOTELS
    European		American and
    Plan			European Plan
    T. J. Talty		W. A. Newman,
    Proprietor		Manager'
    `A Mecca for Mountain Climbers
    Greylock, Hoosac, Williams and Blueberry mountains,
    all in the immediate vicinity of the city.'

  • Richmond Hotel later burned
  • "For seven years he was owner of the Richmond and Wellington hotels. Under his ownership the two local hotels enjoyed a wide patronage and prospered. In addition to operating hotels, Mr. Talty was interested in affairs of the community and made a number of friends who came to know him as a genial friend and to hold him in high esteem. He had a wide knowledge of literature and art. During his residence he presented North Adams council, Knights of Columbus, with a collection of costly paintings and statuary."
  • From 1918, following his departure from North Adams, Mr. Talty spent a part of each winter at St. Petersburg, Fla., and during the summer months made his home at Saratoga, N. Y.
  • owned the Alba Court Inn, New Smyrna, FL; demolished Abt 19 Oct 2007; photographs by Beth Riches (another photo; and another)
  • 21 Dec 1924 - Anna Webber née Talty died aged 74
  • 1 Apr 1926 - T. J. Talty died aged 70

The lawyers

• Paul C. Taylor, Miami, attorney for administrator, James McNamara, co-heir
• Michael Killeen, solicitor, Kilrush
  • probably second cousin once removed of Mary Anne Clancy who married John McNamara of Moveen, co-heir of T. J. Talty
  • greatgrandfather of Jay Bourke (Café Bar Deli, etc.)
• his successor Michael J. McMahon, who took over the practice when Killeen became County Registrar
• their New York agent John J. Dwyer attorney-at-law
• his replacement, James H. Gilvarry, attorney and counsellor at law, Brooklyn
• Gilvarry described Dwyer as `rather a peculiar man to do business with, in other words, he will not give you any information if he can avoid doing so'

Chronology

• 1 Apr 1926 - T. J. Talty died aged 70. "J." Talty notified by telegram
• 10 May 1926 - letter from Taylor to McNamara cousins in Ireland
• 12 Jun 1926 - Pat McNamara (Behan) of Tullaroe signed an authorisation in favour of Michael Killeen and John J. Dwyer
• 27 Jun 1926 - Thomas J. Talty left Cobh for New York on board the S.S. Adriatic to look after the interests of the heirs and remained in the U.S. for over two years, based in Chattanooga, TN
• 30 Sep 1926 - Inventory and Appraisement filed, value of estate $239,146.76
• 11 Oct 1926 - power of attorney filed in Miami
• 23 Apr 1927 - legal notice in Miami Daily News and Metropolis, listing properties
• 28 May 1927 - second cousins of the deceased on the Cunningham side visited Michael Killeen
• 22-26 Jul 1927 - taking of evidence before Michael McMahon
• 26 Jul 1927 - Administrator's fee $17,500 ordered
• 23 Aug 1927 - first distribution of $59,000
• 6-7 Sep 1927 - John J. Dwyer and Thomas J. Talty in Miami
• 25 Nov 1927 - first distribution to Irish heirs - amounts imply that only approx. £5,748 was being distributed
• 15 Mar 1928 - missing heirs Catherine Talty and Josephine E. O'Donnell added
• 24 Oct 1928 - Sarah Talty of Dallas visited Michael Killeen in Kilrush to highlight the discrepancies
• 11 Mar 1929 - death of Martin McNamara, co-heir
• 26 Mar 1929 - Michael Killeen received written confirmation from Dallas of the discrepancies; relations with Dwyer began to break down
• May 1929 - death of Pat Talty, co-heir
• 29 Jul 1929 - Michael Killeen became County Registrar and moved to Ennis and Michael McMahon took over the practice of Michael Killeen & Co. (now McMahon and Williams Solicitors)
• 6 Aug 1930 - order for distribution of Receiver's Certificate of Ownership of Dade County Security Company
• 21 Jan 1931 - the McNamara heirs directed Killeen and Co. to write to John J. Dwyer expressing their desire that the remaining real estate be sold
• 11 Mar 1932 - liquidator's certificates with par value of $40,164 distributed, estimated to be worth 13% of this
• 27 Apr 1932 - Gerald Burns married Annie McNamara daughter of John McNamara of Moveen, co-heir
• 31 May 1932 - first threat to revoke power of attorney
• 12 Oct 1932 - first letter from Gerald Burns to Killeen & Co.
• 28 Oct 1932 -McNamara heirs in Ireland replaced Dwyer with Gilvarry
• 22 Nov 1932 - order to pay $3,272.22 each to Catherine Talty and Josephine E. O'Donnell
• 18 Mar 1933 - McNamara claimants gave Gerald Burns and his brother-in-law Patrick McNamara full power to act for them
• 1 May 1933 - letter from Gerald Burns dismissing Killeen & Co
• 21 Jul 1933 - Gerald Burns threatens to call in the Incorporated Law Society
• 3 Nov 1933 - McNamaras of Craggaknock `never gave Gerald Burns ... authority to take the matter out of ... hands' of Killeen & Co
• 18 Dec 1933 - death of Patrick McNamara (Behan), co-heir
• 19 Mar 1934 - Taylor to Gilvarry: `If the real estate cannot be sold it will be lost because of non-payment of taxes'
• Sep 1935 - Killeen & Co. handed over file to McNamara family
• 11 Oct 1935 - case finally closed in Miami
• 7 Jan 1936 - death of John McNamara of Moveen, co-heir
• 30 Jan 1936 - last letter from John J. Dwyer
• Aug 1937 - further estate located in Texas
• 22 Dec 1937 - Gladys V. Sullivan, Clerk, County Judge's Court, sends copies of documents to Irish Consul in New York
• 20 Mar 1938 - Sullivan writes to Irish Consul `The file in this case is very voluminous'
• 1955 Gerald Burns elected County Councillor

The heirs

• Florida law is per stirpes - children of pre-deceased first cousins take their parent's share
• law in other places is per capita - surviving first cousins take the shares of pre-deceased first cousins
• Paternal (Talty) first cousins (three families, nine one-eighteenth shares)
  1. Catherine Talty, Mother de Sales, Presentation nun, b. Dublin, living in Hospital, Co. Limerick in 1911
  2. Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Cassidy née Talty, b. Dublin, d. 1910, represented by her only surviving child, Mrs. Josephine Elizabeth O'Donnell of Leinster Square, Rathmines
  3. Henry P. Meade, Massachusetts
  4. Mrs. Mary E. Leahy née Meade, Massachusetts
  5. Peter John Talty b. Coor West, Co. Clare, 1855, d. Dallas, TX, 1920, represented by his nine children, including Mother Mary Ruth, O.S.U., 1901-2004
  6. Thomas J. Talty, b. Coor West, of Chattanooga, TN and Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare
  7. Patrick John Talty, b. Coor West, 1861, of Quilty, Co. Clare, d. 1929
  8. Mrs. Margaret Sexton née Talty, b. Coor West, 1868, of Doonogan Castle, Co. Clare
  9. John M. Talty, Coor West
• Maternal (McNamara) first cousins (four families, fourteen one-twenty-eighth shares)
  1. Patrick J. Crowley, b. Cloonnagarnaun, Co. Clare, 1869, of The Bronx, grandfather of double lottery winner Joseph Patrick Crowley
  2. Michael McNamara, `died from injuries sustained by a blow of a stone inflicted by Martin Egan', 29 Sep 1898 after a faction fight at Craggaknock, Co. Clare, represented by the six survivors of his family of eight children
  3. John McNamara, b. Kilclehaun or Craggaknock, Abt 1848, of Moveen West, Co. Clare, d. 1936
  4. Patrick McNamara (Behan), b. Craggaknock, 1854, of Tullaroe, Co. Clare, d. 1933
  5. Michael McNamara, Craggaknock, d. 1909, married his first cousin Margaret McNamara (no. 6), represented by their five children
  6. Margaret McNamara née McNamara, in her own right
  7. Patrick McNamara, Craggaknock
  8. Michael J. McNamara, b. Craggaknock, of St. Louis, MO
  9. John McNamara, Craggaknock
  10. Timothy McNamara, b. Craggaknock, 1870, d. The Bronx, 1922, represented by his three surviving children
  11. Martin McNamara, b. Craggaknock, 1871, d. 1929
  12. Thomas McNamara, Craggaknock
  13. James McNamara, the administrator
  14. Mary McNamara, b. Craggaknock, of New York

The disinherited

• 3 Aug 2007 genforum.com query posted by Christiane Zammit
• 20 Aug 2007 ancestry.com queries posted
• 10 Jul 2008 I found them!
• Were there `parallel families'?
• If not, then the wrong heirs got the Talty millions
• marriage certificate
• descendants documented several times at ancestry.com: 1 2 3 4

The Great Crash of 1929

• Quotes from Chapter 1, Section II of The Great Crash, 1929 by John Kenneth Galbraith (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1997)
  • American people ... displaying an inordinate desire to get rich quickly with a minimum of physical effort
  • in the mid-twenties, Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables ... had been struck by the great Florida real estate boom. The Florida boom contained all of the elements of the classic speculative bubble
  • men and women had proceeded to build a world of speculative make-believe
  • speculation does not depend entirely on the capacity for self-delusion. In Florida land was divided into building lots and sold for a 10 per cent down payment
  • The buyers did not expect to live on it
  • this dubious asset was gaining in value by the day and could be sold at a handsome profit in a fortnight
  • as time passes, the tendency to look beyond the simple fact of increasing values to the reasons on which it depends greatly diminishes
  • Through 1925 the pursuit of effortless riches brought people to Florida in satisfactorily increasing numbers
  • in the spring of 1926, the supply of new buyers ... began to fail
  • In the autumn of 1926, two hurricanes ..
  • The end had come in Florida
  • Farmers who had sold their land at a handsome price and had condemned themselves as it later sold for double, treble, quadruple the original price, now on occasion got it back through a whole chain of subsequent defaults
  • Even as the Florida boom collapsed, the faith of Americans in quick, effortless enrichment in the stock market was becoming every day more evident
• Dade County Security Company:
  • "First organized in 1901, the Dade County Security Company was one of the most important financial institutions in the County by 1920, and was the largest building and loan society in Florida. The company moved to its NE 1st Avenue location in 1923, retrofitting an existing building to meet its needs. [Soon] finding its existing building too small, [it] embarked on the construction of a new building, which was completed in 1926."
• Quote from John J. Dwyer
  • 13 Sep 1927: the real estate ... is of uncertain value. Two years ago the price of real estate in that section and throughout Florida had advanced to several times what it was really worth, due to speculation or inflation. Suddenly the price dropped to less than what it was really worth and purchasers sustained losses aggregating many millions of dollars
• Quote from James H. Gilvarry
  • 13 Mar 1933: The Attorney in Miami for the Estate, claims that the Real Estate was foreclosed but the Courts would not allow him to dispose of it as the price offered was not what the Court considers sufficient so this matter is held in abeyance

Images

• Griffith's Valuation Coor West p.1
• Griffith's Valuation Coor West p.2
• Griffith's Valuation Henry Street
• Arnotts 1
• Arnotts 2
• Arnotts 3
• Arnotts 4
• Arnotts Fire Map
• Todd Burns
• Belgrave Road
• 12 Belgrave Road
• Hayden and Talty Grave
• Cassidy Inscription
• Cassidy Monument
• Cassidy Monument Full Picture
• Irish Builder Sketch
• Irish Builder Text
• M F O'Donnell
• M F O'Donnell grave 1
• M F O'Donnell grave 2
• Timothy Talty Death Index
• 1880 census
• Hotel Emery Cincinnati 1
• Hotel Emery Cincinnati 2
• Emery Arcade
• Gibson House built 1873
• Sweet Water Park Hotel
• Lookout Inn
• Lookout Inn fire
• Auditorium Building Chicago
• Palmer House Hotel
• 1900 census
• Richmond Hotel, North Adams, MA Abt 1912
• Florida: Alba Court Inn