Cashill Family History
Social Security Death
Index for Cashill
Notes on the Rock of Cashel
The Irish spelling is Caiseal.
All English transliterations—Cashel, Cashell, Cashill, Cashyll—seem to maintain the same pronunciation: KASH-el.
You round a 20th century bend on the main Dublin-Cork road and you are transported back 1,500 years.
There, standing proud of the plains of County Tipperary, is the great 4th century fortification of Cashel - the stone fort and the most visited heritage site in Ireland. This was the seat of kings and mediaeval bishops for 900 years and it flourished until the early 17th century. Indeed there was a settlement here from pre-Christian times, traces of which have long since vanished.
The original forbidding fortification of the Eoghanachta, kings of Munster, witnessed the struggle for dominance of Munster kings over the whole of Ireland. Brian Ború was crowned King of Munster here in 977 and he became High King of Ireland in 1002. He was the first high king to exact universal and effective tribute from the other kings of Ireland.
Interwoven into the turbulent history of the 'Rock' is an impressive ecclesiastical fabric which spans the Middle Ages. In the 5th century St Patrick converted Aenghus, the king of the time, and made Cashel a bishopric. In 1101 Muircheartach O'Brien granted the Rock to the Church and in 1127, the bishop Cormac MacCarthy, started work on a Chapel which survives to this day and is the most remarkable Romanesque church in the country. A round tower was added about this time. The largest building on the Rock is the 13th century cathedral and all in all the complex represents the most impressive mediaeval collection of buildings in Ireland.
Courtesy of Irish Tourist Board
Color Legend:
First Generation
Second Generation
Third Generation
Fourth Generation
Fifth Generation
Sixth Generation
Seventh Generation
Color Legend:
First Generation
Second Generation
Third Generation
Fourth Generation
Fifth Generation
Sixth Generation
Seventh Generation
Cashill Family History
What follows is a likely history of the Cashill Family in America, gleaned from census and other records and, in some cases, inferred from burial arrangements at St. Paul's cemetery in Princeton, N.J.
This information is imperfect. Please feel free to suggest updates or corrections.
Founding generation: what records suggest.
There were three brothers--John, James, and Patrick. They were born in County Waterford. John, probably the oldest was born in 1808. Patrick, possibly the youngest, was born in 1824.
Coming to America: Variously described as laborers or farmers, the family left Ireland en masse at the height of the potato famine, 1847-48. John left with wife Ann from Liverpool in 1847. James followed in 1848, also from Liverpool, with Edwin 12, Pat 10, and Ann 8. Patrick followed in 1848.
The 1850 Census: Young Pat, James’ son, shows up in Hopewell, NJ, living with the Titus family. James and the two other children leave no trace. The brothers John and Patrick also live in Hopewell.
The John Cashell family
In 1855, twin sons are born to John Cashell:
John Dennis Cashill
Thomas Cashell or Cashill.
This is in Princeton, New Jersey.
In about 1877, John D. Cashill marries Catherine Kane of Princeton. (See John D. Cashill's chimney cowl patent.) Catherine's father is Patrick Kane from County Cavan, also buried in Princeton.
A short time later, Thomas marries Anna.
Note: The original family search was done by hand, and prior to the internet. At that time, the only Cashill to appear in the 1880 Census in NY, NJ, PA area was young Pat, son of James. Tom Purcell has since updated this aspect of the family search. The 1880 Census shows John D,
working as a tinsmith and living at 172 John Street. As you read the 1880 Census page note the family above them is
Mother-in-law, the widowed Catherine Kane, with 3 children and a grandchild.
Now 42, Pat has moved to River Front Street in Newark. His wife is named Anastasia. He has four children:
John (1870),
Kate (1875),
Mary (1876),
Thomas (1878).
A certain pattern of names is beginning to appear.
John Cashell, 69, dies in 1877 and is buried at St. Pauls in Princeton.
Patrick Kane dies in 1873 and is also buried in Princeton.
Grover Cleveland lives in Princeton between presidential terms, 1888-1892. There, reportedly, he hunts and gambles with John D. Cashill, a prominent citizen of Princeton, NJ.
1900 Census: John D. follows cousin Pat to Newark after his business fails. John D. and wife lived at 73 Liberty Street with their seven children:
John (Jack) (January 16, 1878)
Eugene (January 31,1881)
Thomas (November 6, 1884)
Anna (1885)
Mary (1887)
Charles (1890)
Willie (1896)
Catherine Kane Cashill dies in 1907. John D. Cashill dies in 1927. They are buried in Princeton.
Thomas, the brother of John D., remains in Princeton where he lives at 94 John Street with his children:
Anna (1883)
Mary (1884)
John (July 1,1888)
Josephine (1891)
Thomas Jefferson (July 4, 1893)
Josephine appears to have died in her first year. Anna seems to have run off with a Mr. McHugh before 1900.
John D's Descendants
Jack 1878-1930
No wife or children
Eugene 1881-1950 m. Bridget Mary Fox 1883-1970
Bridget went by the name “Mary” and arrived from Ireland in 1906. In 1910 Eugene and Bridget lived in Harrison, New Jersey.
Catharine Elizabeth (1907) m. Edward Black
Catharine Black, Millington, NJ.
Robert William (1911-1984) m. Viola Narwid (1915-2006)
Viola, born in Harrison, NJ, is the oldest of five children of Charles and Valeria Narwid. Siblings are Edward, Agnes, Walter, and Stella.
Valerie m. Robert Hahn (both deceased)
Heidi m. Philip Goldstone
They live in Santa Fe, NM.
Robert m. Carole Byrne
Lives in Randolph, banker.
Robert (1965) m. Lora Western
Lives in Brooklyn, writer specializing in arts and entertainment. Can be found online at www.robertcashill.com and www.robertcashill.blogspot.com. Lora is currently the international editions editor of The Wall Street Journal.
Daughter - name to be supplied when born (2008)
Courtney (1969) m. Brian Martens
Lives in Queens, works in marketing for Business Week. Brian works in marketing for the Financial Times.
Pamela m. George Kiss
Lives in Hillsdale, NJ. Works for UBS.
George Jr. (1990)
Vincent (1909) m. Nellie DeLiew
Eugenia
Denise
Judy
Laura
Joseph
David.
Jane
John
Richard,
Michael
Catherine Mary (now Cathy Lees)
Raymond.
Melody
Rebecca
Jeffery.
Tom 1883-1929 m. Margaret Patterson (dies about 1924)
Tom goes west, works in Bremerton WA shipyards during
WWI, marries Margaret in Newark, and returns to
California. They have two children:
Thomas Cashill (1912-
Thomas Francis, Jr. played under Knute Rockne at Notre Dame in ’29-30, but had to leave school to marry. Played football later for University of Nevada. On October 12, 1934, Tom drop kicked a field goal to beat then power St. Mary’s (CA) and lived on the glory of “the kick” for all his life.
William Cashill (1914-60)
Born in New Jersey, William Cashill came to Reno as a young boy. Orphaned in 1929, he put himself through Reno High School and the University of Nevada. At the university (1934-37), he lettered in football, excelled in forensics, participated in the Sundowners and served as ASUN President, all while earning a degree in economics.
William earned his law degree at Harvard (studying under future Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter) and returned to Nevada in 1940. He was elected to the State Assembly at the tender age of 25. The following year, at the age of 26, he was named the speaker of the assembly, the youngest speaker in state history. His legislative career was cut short by the attack on Pearl Harbor. Cashill served with distinction as a naval reserve officer during World War II.
Cashill returned to civilian life to practice law and became a community leader as illustrated by his serving as the president of the Reno Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the VIII winter Olympic Games Organizing Committee. Upon his death in 1960, both the Nevada Assembly and Senate issued resolutions commending Cashill for his tireless service to public service and for his character, intelligence, initiative and integrity. While still a university undergraduate, William Cashill's skill in public speaking earned him the Robert Griffin Speaker of the year honors in 1937. His effectiveness as an orator was one factor for his future success.
William Patterson (Pat) Cashill marries Johnna
John
Kate
Terry Cashill marries Bruce Juhola (1982)
Katherine Alexandra (Alex)
Tyler Christian
Anna 1885 m. Fred Pickell
Fred m. Catherine Baum
Dorothy m. Watts Armstrong
Edward m. Viola Morsch
Mary 1887 m. George Hartman
Dorette m. Arthur Bowman
George
Charles 1890 m. Mary Brown
Rita m. Mr. White
William (b June 5, 1897) m. Marie Mueller (1901-1964)
Born in Newark, William Jennings Bryan Cashill, a one-time cop and a good time Charlie, disappeared circa 1926 never to be heard from again.
At the time of the 1910 census, William lived with his brother Eugene and wife Mary at 1019 Sewall Avenue in Asbury Park.
In 1918, when he registered for the draft, the tall, medium build, blue-eyed employee of Hercules Powder was living in South Amboy. However his wife, Marie, was living in Newark. Marie - a new mother - was no more than 17, which raises some questions.
In 1930, Marie was living in Newark with her mother, Matilda Muller, born in Germany in 1863, and Marie’s son, William. A “roomer” Bernard Sorboe of Germany lived under the same roof. He would eventually take Marie to live in Florida and become “Gramps” to the unsuspecting next generation.
In that same house lived Marie’s older brother, Jacob, with his wife Ottilie and their four daughters Anna (1912), Louise (1913), Marie (1915), and Dorothy (1918).
Matilda Muller would live well into her 90s in Newark as “Grandma Muller.”
William (Bill) Cashill (1918-1963) m. Frances Purcell (1923-1993)**
Born in Newark, Bill served in the U.S. Navy during WW II in the Pacific and as a Newark police officer until his death. (See “Electric Football.")Also born in Newark, Frances left school at 14, married at 15, and through sheer force of will saw to it that all four of her children graduated from college. (See “Adieu to a Tough Broad.”)
Bill F. Cashill 1941 m. Marie Grimm
Colleen. b.1963
Goddaughter of John "Jack" Cashill.Taylor McIlquam, b. 1993, Hackettstown, N.J.
Cashel McIlquam, b. 1997, Jacksonville, FL.
Karen 1965
Conor
Regan
Patricia 1966
Kristen 1971 m. (1993) Aaron W. Smith
Hannah (1995)
Brendan (1996)
Christopher (2000)
(adoption)Adam (2000)
(adoption)Robert Andrew Cashill 1946 m. Cynthia Hines
Jason 1972
Josh 1975 m. (2002) Denise Miller
John “Jack” Cashill 1947 m. Joan Fitzpatrick Dean 1949
Born in Newark, Jack has a Ph.D. from Purdue in American studies and now works as an independent writer and producer in Kansas City. His godfather was Vincent Cashill. (See www.cashill.com)Born in Dunkirk, New York, Joan also got her Ph.D. at Purdue and is now a full professor at the University of Missouri, Kansas City with a specialty in Irish studies.
Margaret 1979
Flannery 1985
Maureen 1953 m. Kevin Brady
Caitlin 1984
(**Frances Purcell was the daughter of Loretta Waters Purcell) [return]
Some background on the Waters:
Thomas Waters m. Bridget Kilgallen ( Ireland circa 1860)
Michael Waters (1865-1941) m. Mary Clifford (1866-1915)
Michael was born at Sheen Dromaro in County Sligo. He migrated to Pennsylvania and worked in the mines before moving to New Jersey. He died in Newark.
Mary was born in Fermanagh, Ireland. They were married in Jersey City in the early 1880s where their children were all born.
Julie Waters m Mr. Kreger
Lorraine
June
Sonny
Agnes m. John Bevins
John J. (1916-1971) m. Laura Smigelski (1920-1988)
Kathleen (1951) m. David Comfort
John T (1953) m. Catherine Evans (1971)
Jennifer (1972) m. Pat Hartsgrove
Alivyona (2006)
Patricia (2007)
John J. (1974) m. Cori Mazzarella
Grace Lillian (2006)
Daniel (1978) USAF
Harold m. Dorothy Wade
Richard
Patricia
Michael
Mamie m. Mr. Herre
Madeline
Marie
Elizabeth m. Mr. O’Brien
Ethel
Catherine
Ethel (1900-1964) m. George Volk (1910-1985)
George (1925-2005)
Maryann 1928
Marguerite (1930-2001)
Ethel (1933)
Helen (1939)
Loretta m. Andrew Purcell
Frances (1923-1993)
Bob 1928
Andrew (1936) m. Ellen Hanlon (1957)
Andy
Danny
Jamie
Tom
Terri
Liz
Katie
Tommy m. ?
Michael
Tommy
Peter m. Helen
Helene
Some background on the Purcells:
Andrew Purcell (1866-?) m. Mary Murphy (1868-1956)
Andrew was born in Boonton, New Jersey, in 1866 and married Mary Murphy in Providence, Rhode Island where they subsequently lived. Both of his parents were from Ireland. Andrew apparently boarded at Mary’s boarding house in Providence. She was then a widow with two children, Robert McGrath (1895) and Frances McGrath Rogers a.k.a. “Aunt Frances, (1893)” (John "Jack" Cashill’s godmother)
Mary (1868-1956) was born to Edward Murphy and Polly Tully Murphy in Sheffield, England in 1868 and came to the United States in 1874. Her father was from Ireland. Her mother had been born in England, though of Irish descent.
The Murphys settled in Brooklyn. In May of 1883, Mary was said to have been one of the 150,000 people to cross Brooklyn Bridge on its opening day. She married her first husband, Mr. McGrath, an editor of the Brooklyn Eagle, in Brooklyn, where her first two children were born. She would remain a Brooklyn Dodger fanatic until Manager Leo Durocher left his wife to marry Larraine Day, a divorced (almost divorced) movie actress in the mid-1940s.
Andrew and Mary were married on August 29, 1900. Together, they had one son, born on June 3, 1901, 9 months and 5 days later, Andrew Purcell (1901-1959).
Reportedly, Andrew senior was a drinker and Mary had had enough of him. She packed up the three kids and took them to New Jersey where she opened a boarding house. The 1930 census found her living on 3 rd Street in Newark, New Jersey. Some time later, she moved to Belleville, New Jersey and lived out her days as “Grandma Belleville.”
Her son Andrew Purcell married Loretta Cecelia Waters on January 26, 1921. They had three children as did Mary Murphy Purcell and with the same names: Francis, Robert, and Andrew.
jcashill@aol.com
