John James Haffey

sketch by Lucas O'Brien, 1st president of the Royal Canadian
Academy, showing judicial business at the Eighth Division
Court at Mono Mills in 1855. 
#4 (3rd from left) is John J. Haffey acting as baliff
tendering the oath to a witness.

John James Haffey was born in Ireland about 1819. Birth information is taken from the 1861 census. His daughter Camilla indicated that he came from Northern Ireland (Ulster).  Family tradition says he was born in Armagh, but there is no corroboration of that fact.  Other researchers claim he was related to some of the other Haffey's in the area, this seems likely but again is uncorroborated.






He settled in Adjala about 1840 and on `5 Feb 1844 he married Margaret Keenan the daughter of John and Eleanor in Toronto.
John married Margaret Keenan (daughter of  John and Eleanor) on 15 Feb 1844 in Toronto.


On the 11 Jun 1853, John bought W1/2 of Lot 14 Concession 5 in the township of Adjala from Michael Harvey for $400. The Mortgage was divided with $215 payable to Michael Harvey and $165 to James Mitchel. Michael Harvey was the patentee of the land. The Simcoe county book pt2 pg 51gives his name as Michael Haffey. "As early as the year 1828 some settlers had begun to take up lots in the gook lands juxt north of Bailey Creek. Among these families of Connors, Kelly and Keenan:" ....."Michael Haffey settled on the west half of lot 14 concession 5 at this early period."  It seems most likely that the book was mistaken as the deed seems very clear.


The 1861 census reported that John (40) and Margaret (40) were farmers living in a log house with their children Allice (16), James (15), Joseph (13), Ellen (11), John (9), Thomas (7), Elizabeth (4), and Peter (2).  Also living in the house is John Keenan (88) a gentleman bn in Ireland. (1861 Population, Canada,, District 1 page 10 line 16)  

The agricultural census of the same year adds that he is living on 100 acres on the W 1/2 of Lot 16 Concession 6, twelve acres were under cultivation, 48 acres were under crops, four were pasture and 36 were either wooded or wild. The farm was worth $2500 and the farming implements worth $150.  He had 7 acres of fall wheat which produced 250 bushels and 24 acres of spring wheat which produced 400 bushels.  There were 80 bushels of peas on 4 acres and 350 bushels of oats on 8 acres.  Three-quarters of an acre produced 200 bushels of potatoes.  He also grew 2 tons of hay.   John's produce totals were about average for the area.

John served in various community capacities over the years, including JP, baliff and more.  By 1881 it appears that he is no longer farming.  He is living with what seems to be an unrelated family, while Margaret and her son Francis are in another household and Allice, who never married, in a third. Although no explanation is given it seems likely that John needed more care than Margaret was able to give.

John died 20 Oct 1884 in Toronto.  The death certificate states he was a retired farmer age 65 born in Ireland.  The  informant was Dr. E Kennedy.  

John James Haffey - Dropbox

Joseph Phillip Haffey

Joseph Phillip the son of John James Haffey and Margaret Keenan was born 24 August 1847, maybe.  Joseph, son of John and Margaret,  was  baptized on 3 Oct 1847.  For a long time, other researchers tried to convince me that this was an earlier Joseph who died and our Joseph was born during the period where no registers for St. James Colgan parish exist.  They would use the date on his death certificate,  24 Aug 1853,  which is also the date given in the Bay County History, as proof.

However, in those early years finding the census records for Ontario was difficult.  We now have a census record for the Haffey family in 1861 which states that Joseph is 13 years old.  The 1871 census gives his age as 22.   So lacking any evidence to the contrary including the 1851 census I contend that the Joseph christened in 1847 is ours!

In a family of farmers, it seems Joseph was not meant to stay on the farm.  In 1871 he is listed with his family in the census, the entry giving the information that he is a clerical student at college. Joseph spent six years studying at St. Michael's College (now part of the University of Toronto) and then stayed on for one year as a teacher.  Following that he taught in the public schools for two years. When Joseph passed away, the family wrote to St. Michael's at the behest of the University of Michigan in a quest to get a list of the degrees he had earned there.  They received a letter stating that no one had ever received as many awards.  Marie, his daughter, remembers that they were listed in the letter, however, the letter did not survive the ensuing generations.

In 1879, Joseph left Canada to attend the School of Law at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. In 1882, newly graduated, he applied for citizenship and went to work for Lindner and Porter in Bay City.  Two years later he was admitted to the bar.  Eventually he became a partner and when Lindner retired the firm was known as Porter & Haffey

Joseph was known for his honesty and integrity,  he gave of himself and did not let the pursuit of power or money take over his practice of the law. While this earned him the respect of his colleagues, it did not always cushion him from the realities of the practice of law.  He was quick to tell his sons not to follow him into the practice.

 

In 1888 Joseph married Mary Ann Murphy in Port Huron, Michigan. The record of the marriage is found in the Bay County Marriage Register. They had met while he was in school in Ann Arbor.  

It was, perhaps, not the happiest of marriages.  It seems, according to the memoirs of daughter Grace,  that Mary was not content with his decision to not pursue riches. Perhaps the childhood of hearing stories of the mill that should have been in the family, or the poverty she had supposedly endured as a child caused her to always want more.  Bridget Lonergan's Legacy of discontent did not lead to a happy life and it seems that there was a sad aura over the family.

Joseph was a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.  The 1894 Bay City Directory lists him as the Vice President of the Bay City chapter.

In 1905 Joseph joined his siblings in quit claiming his share of the family farm to their brother John.  
All of the children of John and Margaret are mentioned in this quit claim.

On 8 Nov 1917 the Bay City Times Tribune reported.....

Joseph P Haffey is Called to Reward
Well known lawyer and citizen succumbs to long illness
Had Practiced law here for past Thirty-Three Years

Joseph P. Haffey died early this (Thursday) morning, at his residence, Tenth street, following a long illness.  Death came peacefully and quietly, as it was not known that the end had come until members of the family went to his room and found that he had expired.  Mr. Haffey's illness started about three years ago, but he apparently was on the road to recovery after spending a winter in the south.  Within the past few months, however, his ailment became incipient and he gradually declined.

Bay City Times Tribune
10 Nov 1917

Joseph P. Haffey was one of the best known citizens of Bay county and one of the leading attorneys of this section of the state.  He had practiced law here since 1884 after graduating from the University of Michigan.  He had previously read law in the office of Lindner & Porter and later became a member of the firm, its name then being Lindner, Porter & Haffey.  Some time afterwards the firm became Porter & Haffey , which continued up to this time.  Mr. Haffey was born near Toronto, Ont. August 24, 1853, and was a graduate of St. Michael's college, Toronto.  He taught school in that city for about two years and then came to Michigan.  He was married in Port Huron to Miss Mary Murphy, of Stratford, Ont., and five children blessed the union.  They with their mother survive and are as follows: Joseph who is teller in the Bay County bank; Misses Marie and Grace, teachers in the city schools; Thomas J.., an ensign in the U.S. navy and now in charge of a gun crew, somewhere in the Atlantic, and Miss Isabel, who is a student at Ypsilanti.  He also leaves several brothers and sisters.  Mr. Haffey was a man who impressed his fellows with his stern and uncompromising honesty, by his thoroughness and industry and by his courage of his convictions.  He was a good neighbor and friend and a conscientious husband and father.  He was a credit to his profession and to the community.  In politics Mr. Haffey was a democrat and fraternally he was a member of the A.O.H. and of the Knights of Columbus.  Funeral arrangements have not been completed. 
A few days later the paper reported on the funeral and the resolution passed by the County Bar Association.

Uncle Tom with his Madden
grand-nephews at Lake Tahoe

Joseph Haffey and Mary Murphy had five children

1. Joseph (1890-1970) lived in the family home his entire life.  A banker, he never married.
2. Marie (Ree) (1891-1971) was a teacher.  She also remained in the family home and never married.
3. Grace (1893 - 1986) also started out as a teacher.  She married John O'Connell in 1921.  They were living in San Diego, CA by 1940.  Grace and John had five sons.
4.  Thomas (1895 - 1978) graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1915.  He spent his entire career with the Navy.  After retirement he returned home, although he spent quite a bit of time visiting various relatives.  
5. Isabel m. Frances Martin Madden

• Joseph Phillip Haffey  [Dropbox] 
• Adjala, Ontario, Canada  [Dropbox] 

Joseph Phillip Haffey

Joseph was born, not in 1853 although he used that date later in life, but in 1847 or 1848 which is corroborated by the 1851 and 1871 census which lists him as a 22 year old college student. That would agree with a 24 Aug 1848 birthdate, the day itself never being in question.

Joseph was the only one of his family to attend college, and although it is never quite stated in any record it seems likely from the path he took that he was intended to be the family priest.  He attended St. Michael's College in Toronto (now a part of the University of Toronto) and after graduation stayed an additional year as a tutor. He then taught at the public schools for two years.

About 1879 he emigrated to Michigan, settling in Ann Arbor where he attended the University of Michigan School of Law.  Graduating in 1882 he joined the law firm Linchner & Porter, eventually becoming a partner in the firm.

He appears to have been aptly named, Joseph coming from the Hebrew Ioseph meaning to give in abundance.  Known for his honesty and integrity,  he gave of himself and did not let the pursuit of power or money take over his practice of the law.

While this earned him the respect of his colleagues, it did not always cushion him from the realities of the practice of law.  He was quick to tell his sons not to follow him into the practice.

Mary was not as respectful of his decision to stay low key and not pursue power and riches.  Perhaps it was the childhood of hearing stories of the mill that should have been in the family, or the poverty she had endured that caused her to always want more.  Discontent did not lead to a happy life and it seems that there was a sad aura over the family.

Joseph was a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.  In the 1894 Bay City Directory he is listed as Vice President of the Bay City chapter

Joseph married Mary Murphy in Port Huron, MI 26 Jan 1888. They had five children, Joseph, Marie, Grace, Thomas and Isabel.


Joseph died on 8 Nov 1917 and is buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Bay City.

A memorial in his honor was presented to the Circuit Court of Bay City on 30 Nov 1917 with the request that it be presented to the State Supreme Court.


Link to Haffey Documents, News items and Pictures

Adjala

The website The History of St. James Church: Colgan notes "The settling of Adjala (note: named for the wife of Chief Tecumseth) by Catholic homesteaders can be traced back to the vision and experiences of Bishop Alexander Macdonell. In 1826, he became the first bishop of the newly created diocese of Kingston. It stretched from the Ottawa River in the east, to the Detroit River in the west. As part of a series of missionary visits Bishop Macdonell had the opportunity to learn first hand how fared the lives of the earliest pioneers. He travelled through Adjala and being impressed by the land and its fertile resources, he counselled new immigrants to settle there." (1)

Hoog's Map- County of Simcoe, Ont.  1871

The year 1826 is interesting here, however, as James Keenan first received land in the county in 1824 and other family members were not much later.

The History of Simcoe County notes.... " As in the the other parts of this county, settlement in what people formerly called the wilds of Adjala began at the south end of the township."

 In 1993 Adjala was merged with Tosorontio township and today it is known as Adjala-Tosorontio township.

Loretto  (44°03′00″N 79°53′25″W) is one of the oldest communities in Adjala–Tosorontio, and has one of the oldest and most famous taverns in Simcoe County,

• Canadian Digital Atlas - Adjala
• Street View Maps in Adjala-Tosorontio Township
• Map of Simcoe County 1951 - Archives of Ontario
• Simcoe County on We-Relate
• A history of Simcoe County : Volume II, Its pioneers - Adjala pg 51 Keenan & Haffey

Sarah Lonergans Legacy

Oops...newly confirmed name change

Sarah Bridget Lonergan was lace curtain Irish.  She could have been the owner of the Mills of Golden, Co. Tipperary, but instead married poor farmer, John Dunn and had her life disrupted by emigration to Canada.  The poor lady never recovered from the poverty and sadness .... or so my grandmother told me.

Some fifteen years ago I encountered a fourth cousin and sharing notes, the story told by her great grandmother was the same.

As we delved into the story of John and Sarah, reality set in.  There is absolutely NO evidence that Sarah had any claim at any time to any mills in the town of Golden.  At no time did anyone with the name of Lonergan own the mills.  And even more telling, there was no eligible bachelor owner or son of an owner at any time that Sarah might have married. 

Ah, a tradition broken.  But then this is not the story of John and Sarah, but rather the story of the legacy that Sarah left to her family.  A legacy of discontent.  As Ruth and I compared notes a pattern emerged, a pattern of unhappy unsatisfied women, disrupting lives of husbands and children with cries of woe as the world mistreated them.

Bridget Dunn Murphy

Sarah's daughter Bridget was born in Ireland and accompanied her parents and older sister Mary to Brant County Ontario about 1840.  Little is known of her life there until she married Michael Murphy.  Michael, the son of James Murphy and Mary Brien was born in Ireland about 1838-.  Bridget and Michael emigrated to Michigan early in their married life, settling in Port Huron.  There Michael worked as a chauffeur until suddenly the family pulled up stakes and moved to Bay City.  Word is that Michael was in trouble.  Perhaps with the law, perhaps with the family he worked for, perhaps with Bridget.  

Mary Murphy Haffey

It was not too long before Bridget kicked Michael out of the house in Bay City. In the early days Michael sent money home to Bridget, but she would send it back.  And so Michael disappeared into the streets of Chicago, final destination still undiscovered.   Bridget lived on to age of ninety eight.  

According to Ruth's grandmother, Bridget was always unsatisfied with her life and always creating turmoil in the family...Ruth laughed in the telling and said that so she remembered was her grandmother.

Bridget's daughter Mary Murphy was born in Ontario in 1868.  While living in Port Huron, Michigan she met a promising young law student.  

Joseph Phillip Haffey was born in Adjala, Ontario in 1854,  the son of Irish immigrants John Haffey and Margaret Keenan. Joseph attended St. Michael's College in Toronto and then remained as a tutor for another five years.  In 1880, he pulled up stakes and emigrated to the US, to attend the University of Michigan School of Law in Ann Arbor. 

Isabel Haffey Madden

Joseph was an honest and ethical man.  Much as he loved the law, he grew to hate the legal scene, it was a time of corruption at every level and he refused to he corrupt.  Thus the family was comfortable but did not reach the ranks of the wealthy.  Mary lived the life of leisure but longed for the life of the rich, poor Joseph never met her expectations as a provider.

Mary had five children, both sons and one daughter never married.  But the legacy lived on. The eldest and the youngest daughters both carried the germ.  

Isabel, the youngest,  was my grandmother.  Though I loved her dearly,  I can honestly say she was always unsatisfied with the cards life dealt her and she created major turmoil in my family ......

Will the legacy continue..... or will the telling of the tale allow it to be finally at an end.

Francis Madden - pt. 3

After leaving Stanford, probably in April of 1920, Frank returned to Bay City.  In Dec. of that year he had an emergency appendectomy as noted in the Bay City Times of Dec. 11.

 A year later on 15 Oct 1921, Frank married Isabel Louise Haffey, the daughter of Joseph Phillip Haffey, Esq. (dec) and Mary Murphy.

After his marriage in 1921, Frank  went into the fruit transport business with his brothers.  After a brief time in Bay City, where Thomas Joseph Francis was born in 1922 they moved to Flint, Michigan (2515 Kaufman Ave.) where James Howard (1924) and Jane Marie (1926) were born.  About 1928 the family moved to Duluth where in Jun 1929 Mary Patricia arrived.  A final child John Joseph was born and died on 13 Sep 1930.

1418 Vermillion

A new business with his brothers to ship cars saw them spread between Bay city, Minneapolis and Duluth.  The business proved profitable, from Duluth they shipped cars throughout Minnesota, the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Montana by rail and truck.   See Madden Brothers. 

During their years in Duluth Frank and Isabel never bought a house.  The lived first at 1418 Vermillion Rd and later at 2516 E 6th St.

With the onset of WWII, all steel was commandeered for war work, so there were no new cars and the business became defunct.  The Poker fleet was commandeered and all the ships were sunk in the war. This was not a loss to the Madden brothers who had only leased the boats, but it did put an end to the shipping business.

Frank became the assistant manager for distribution of rationing in Duluth, spending the next four years at the task.  He did not like his immediate boss, however, so after the war he left his government job.

5636 Abbot Ave. S. Minneapolis

Taking a job as a design engineer with Northwest Airlines, Frank moved to Minneapolis,  There in 1947 they purchased their first house at 5636 Abbot Ave. S. in Minneapolis with the help of Jim's Veteran's fund.  Frank continued with Northwest Airlines to the end of his working career.  Isabel taught art in Catholic schools in the area.

I remember Grampy as a quiet, kind, mild man who was rather overrun by my grandmother.  He would often turn off his hearing aid and remain oblivious to the world around him.  He was the type of person everyone finds it hard not to like.

Frank and Isabel with Maura
Colleen and Catherine
1953 China Lake

I remember well the death of my grandfather.  As he grew progressively more ill, my grandmother felt incapable of handling the deterioration by herself, so she packed him up and moved him to our house in Fair Oaks.  She then went back to Minneapolis to pack up their belongings for a permanent move to California where three of her children were living.

Grampy's health rapidly deteriorated and he was soon in a care facility.  He was gone before Grammy could complete the move.  Although he died in Sacramento, California on 25 Nov 1866, he is buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Bay City.  Less than two weeks later, 6 Dec 1966 my mother's father John Edward English died in Tuscon, AZ.  Needless to say it was a sad holiday season in the Madden household.