James D. Blaney1 (DanielA Blaney) was born c. 1803 in Ireland, the son of Daniel Blaney and Margaret Kilduff. [1] James was originally a shoemaker, and continued to make the all family's shoes after they settled in Buffalo.[2] He found new work, however, as a ship's carpenter, working on the lake and canal boats that played such a great role in making Buffalo a major commercial center. The family home at 422 Fulton, in the Irish First Ward, was conveniently located near both the shipyards and St. Brigid's Roman Catholic Church.[3] Both James and Mary Ann were involved in the church, and James served on the building committee in 1855.[4] He died on 28 April 1877 of "typhoid pneumonia" and was buried in the Blaney
family plot in Holy Cross Cemetery in nearby Lackawanna.[5]
In 1828 James married Mary Ann McCourt in County Westmeath, Ireland, according to her obituary. She
was the daughter of Patrick McCourt and Margaret O'Neill, born 1 November
1811 in Lisbon, Portugal, where her father was reportedly serving with the British Army in the Peninsular Campaign. Family legend relates that she eloped with James at a young age to escape a new step-mother she disliked. They married secretly, and James later came to her father's house to fetch her away, knocking on the door and announcing "I've come for my bride!" After James' death the Blaneys moved to a more desirable part of Buffalo, buying a home at 145 14th Street. She suffered from cataracts and was blind for many of years before her death. Alicia took care of her mother until she passed away on 1 October 1899. Mary Ann is buried with her husband.
James D. Blaney and Mary Ann McCourt had the following children:
| + | 2 | i. | Margaret Blaney was born circa 1832. |
| 3 | ii. | Mary Ann Blaney was born in St.-Giles, Lotbinière Co. Québec.in August 1834. [6] She was a milliner by profession and by 1870 had her own shop. Family members recall that "anybody who was anybody had to have one of Miss Blaney's hats." She died of breast cancer on 6 November 1893 at the family home in Buffalo at age 59 and is buried in the family plot in Holy Cross Cemetery. [7] | |
| 4 | iii. | Ellen Blaney was born in December 1836 in St-Gilles, Lotbinière Co, Québec. [8] She died between 1856 and 1860 in Buffalo, Erie Co. NY and is buried with the family in Holy Cross Cemetery. A family member recalls that Ellen fell ill after going to a party in the rain without her coat. [9] | |
| 5 | iv. | John Blaney was Ellen's twin, born the same day on December 1836 in St-Gilles, Lotbinière Co. Québec. [10] He probably died in Buffalo sometime between the family's arrival in 1850 and the 1855 census. He is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery. [11] | |
| 6 | v. | Bridget Blaney was born in St-Gilles, Lotbinière Co. Québec on 17 February 1839. [12] She died 13 January 1845 in nearby St.-Sylvestre at age 5. [13] | |
| + | 7 | vi. | Elizabeth Blaney was born 31 August 1841 in Lotbinière Co. Québec. [13] |
| + | 8 | vii. | Susan Blaney was born 5 July 1843 in St-Sylvestre. [14] |
| 9 | viii. | Alicia Ann Blaney was born 30 September 1845 in St-Sylvestre. [15] | |
| + | 10 | ix. | Joseph Daniel Blaney was born in Buffalo in 1850. |
| + | 11 | x. | Agnes Augusta Blaney was born in Buffalo 1 January 1853. |
| + | 12 | xi. | Anastasia Blaney was born October 1854 in Buffalo. |