Collections Item Detail
Reference material related to Fergus McFadden, owner of naval jack (flag; objects 2014.011.0001).
2014.011.0002
2014.011
Connell, Gene
Gift
Gift in memory of Fergus McFadden by the Connell Family.
1863 - 1930
Date(s) Created: 2000 ca Date(s): 1863-1930
Notes: Per descendants Gene and Tom Connell, 2014: He was born in Ireland in 1839 (or 1842) and emigrated to the US sometime before the Civil War. Supposedly he was a stowaway (no immigration records are known) and was conscripted into the Navy upon his arrival in Philadelphia. He served on the USS Jamestown during the war. He was married in Philadelphia in 1866 and had 3 sons and 3 daughters. The youngest, Mary, was our dad's grandmother. At some point the family moved from Philadelphia to Jersey City. A New York Times article from 1890 mentions that Fergus McFadden was the senior vice commander of the E. A. Stevens Naval Post 104 G.A.R. At that time he represented the Post at the funeral of John Ericsson, inventor of the first ironclad ship, Monitor. Fergus McFadden died in 1904 and is buried in Holy Cross [sic, actually Holy Name] Cemetery, Jersey City. His daughter Mary and her husband (James Connell, the fire captain) lived in JC. Status: OK Status By: dw Status Date: 2014-02-27