FINALLY! I Found Edward

Last night I found Edward Flynn, not a big deal to most, I bet he never even knew he was missing. However, to me it is the completion of years of work to bring a part of my family back together. *see Little Orphan Annie post.

I will admit I may have done the proverbial genealogy happy dance on this one and possibly even with my head to the sky yelled out "I found Edward"

New records become available all the time and most of us know that you have to go back, for me its about ever 6 weeks, and recheck your brickwalls.  The record was the Naturalization papers for Richard Flynn, my 2nd great grandfather, I have seen others in the past with very little information on them but this one is from the State of Rhode Island and it listed his children, birth dates and where they were residing in 1927 when he filled out the paperwork to become a citizen after being in the U.S. since 1888.

Oldest son Edward immigrated with the family in 1888 from Queenstown in Co. Cork, Ireland.  This also solved another riddle for me.  My grandfather insisted his mother told him the Flynn's had come from Co. Cork.  Everything I have ever found shows Co. Tipperary or Waterford but now I believe as a small child she had been told where they sailed from to come to America.

Most of the information on the Naturalization paper is incorrect, birth dates are off and it lists my Great Grandmother and her brother Thomas as living in Connecticut in 1927, the sad fact is, they most likely had no idea where the youngest two children had ended up.  Maybe they were told they were sent to Connecticut in place of Maine.

Up until now I have found all the children of Richard and Bridget (Bulter) Flynn except Edward or sometimes found as Edmond.  I looked all over New England and nothing.  Now this records says in 1927 he is living in Oldham, Lancashire, England.

My heart pounding, I started searching and found him in minutes with a wife, Martha England and 6 children, Philip, Matthew, Mildred Joseph and Isabella .  He died in 1937 and is buried in the Greenacres Cemetery in Oldham.

I now have two DNA matches to the Flynn's, one to a descendant of Mary and one to a descendant of Thomas. Proof is in the DNA :)

It doesn't quite seem real that this quest is complete, I which I could have put them all together in a room for one last gathering but this will have to do.

So to Annie, Thomas, Mary, Richard, Edward and Catherine, their parents Richard and Bridget,

Walls for the wind, 

And a roof for the rain, 

And drinks beside the fire -- 

Laughter to cheer you 

And those you love near you, 

And all that your heart may desire!