Boston: part 2

I went up to Boston again this weekend. Last time I was a tourist, this time I was on a mission! I had two goals: find naturalisation records for Frank Paul and Michael J O'Brien and confirm to the identity of everyone buried in the O'Brien family plot at Holy Cross Cemetery.

Friday: I went to the National Archives (you know, the guys who have the Declaration of Independence) New England regional office to look for naturalisation records. The building was way out in Waltham, at the end of the bus line and then a couple miles walk. I can't be sure about the Michael O'Brien records I found: there were three possibles which I narrowed down to one most likely. I definitely found Frank Paul's petition for citizenship in which he renounces his loyalty to Luis I, King of Portugal. I found out his date of birth, but, even better, he signed the document himself. My great-great-great-grandfather wrote this:

I met Bob for dinner, he picked me up in his new hybrid car - it was very exciting for me - and we went to the North End, the Italian neighbourhood. We traded family stories, well he told stories and I related dates and facts that I've turned up. He was ever so excited to discover that his great-great grandfather was Portuguese! We had a really nice visit. He is a lot like Dad, chatty and friendly and he gets excited about things. And he invited me to stay with him when I go back in a couple weeks, so we can talk a lot more about the family.

Saturday: I spent the day at the Massachusetts Archives looking at birth, marriage and death records. I found the birth and death records for all ten of Michael O'Brien's children. I also confirmed the relationship to Michael of the three non-O'Brien's he was buried with:

- Maurice Flynn (age at burial: 58years) - husband of Michael's sister Mary. Like Michael and his sisters, Maurice was born in Ireland. A painter by trade, he married Mary O'Brien in 1864.
- Benjamin Flynn (1 month) - Maurice and Mary's son.
- Isabella Caldwell (3 years) - daughter of Michael's sister Annie and George W. Caldwell. Isabella had a twin sister Rose. I found her parents marriage in 1869 and Annie's death in 1893.

I spent hours at the archives, cranking the wheels of the manual microfilm readers. I had achy limbs and back yesterday! It was such a successful day. I have at least two more days worth of work to do there, looking for the rest of Mary and Annie O'Brien's children as well as the marriages/deaths/children of Frank Paul's many offspring. I can't wait to go back.