Who was the Keating Family?

Michael and John were two of at least seven known Keating children of Edward Keating and Hanora “Nora” (Green) Keating.  John was born around 1845 in Ireland.  John arrived in America with his parents and four siblings – Mary (10), Nicholas (8), James (3), and Michael (infant), on April 23, 1850. The Keating family departed from Liverpool, England and arrived in New York, New York on the ship Philadelphia.  The Keating family members listed on the ship manifest are: Edward, 30, Honora, 30, Mary, 10, Nicholas, 8, John, 5, James, 3, Michael, infant. 

Edward shows up in the city directory in St Louis, Missouri, by 1860.  Note: there is no evidence yet found for where the Keatings are after arrival in the US, prior to the 1860 St Louis records. CORRECTION: An Annie Keating is born in Missouri in 1853, indicating that the Keating family arrived there by 1853, if not earlier. The name Keating in Ireland is pronounced as KAY TON, so the spellings on census records could be quite varied.

Bridget was born in St. Louis in 1861. Honora died in St. Louis on June 1, 1862 (White female, age 49, born Ireland, died of pleurisy). Nicholas Keating – the older brother of John and Michael, is in Cincinnati, Ohio by the early 1860’s.  In 1864, Nicholas is in Cincinnati working as stone cutter. He is listed in the city directory as working for Rule and Coleman and living at 336 E 6^th St. In 1865, both Edward and John appear in Cincinnati in the city directory. By their 1865 arrival in Cincinnati, Edward’s son John is 20 and Michael is 15. Nicholas Keating married Katharine Burns and had two children, Maggie and John. Nicholas’s son, John, was born in 1866 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Katherine died and Nicholas married her sister, Julia. They are listed in the 1870 Census.  

In 1864, Edward married Julia Green. She had children from another marriage. In the 1870 census, the Keating family is shown as Edward (50), Julia (48), Cornelius Green (19 and born in Ireland), William (18), Jeremiah (16), and Maggie (14). William, Jeremiah, and Maggie Green were all born in Ohio. In the 1880 Census, Edward is 60 and is a stone cutter living at 89 Gilbert Ave. Julia is shown as 60 years of age, born in Ireland, and family of Jerry Green, 26, Annie, 25, Mary A, daughter, born Aug, 9/12 and Margaret, sister, 24.

In 1882 is the case of Keating v. Cincinnati, decided in the Supreme Court of Ohio, January term. Edward prevailed against the City of Cincinnati in an action regarding hillside slippage.  The case is still good law that is relevant to the same hillside issues occurring in the City of Cincinnati in the present day.

Excerpt and image from the Report of Cases of the Supreme Court of Ohio, 1878.

The original action was brought by Edward Keating, to recover the damages he sustained to his premises by the construction of Gilbert avenue in said city. The plaintiff’s lot fronts on the west side of Sixth street twenty-five feet, extending back towards Gilbert avenue ninety feet, more or less. The petition states that more than twenty-six years since there was erected upon the front portion of said lot a dwelling-house and outhouses, to be used as a dwelling for himself and family, and which he has so used and occupied ever since… It also appeared that the plaintiff bought his lot in 1864; and that it had a house on it fronting on Sixth street, erected more than twenty-five years before the action was brought. That the land on which Gilbert avenue lies had been condemned by the city for the purpose of an avenue in 1869, but that none of the plaintiff’s ground was condemned… “The plaintiff then gave testimony as to the values and amount of injury, and the reasonable cost of repairing the same, and the values of such improvements as he claimed to be wholly destroyed by the cut and the slip, which amounted in all to $985. And thereupon it was agreed between the parties that plaintiff’s estimates were reasonable and honest, and neither side would offer testimony on that point, either to corroborate or attack his testimony as to amount of damages, or value, or cost of repairs, they being accepted as true, which consisted in destroying totally the stone foundations, breaking and cracking the walls and ceilings, breaking and destroying and rendering entirely useless and valueless a cistern and privy, and compelling plaintiff to make new foundation walls, paint and plaster anew in great part his house; also, great loss of rents; also, the general deterioration.”

On March 6,1885 Edward drafted a will. He died on March 8, 1885. Probate record lists Mary McGann (sp – McGahan), John Keating, John Keating, and Michael Keating. Mary McGahan is the oldest daughter from the passenger list who stayed in St. Louis when her father and brothers went to Cincinnati. CORRECTION: It is now known that Honora and Edward had Annie (Keating) Kelly in Missouri in 1853. Based on the language in some obituary records referencing only her sister Mary McGahan and her nieces and nephews that are Mary’s children, it is likely that Annie was raised by Mary, 13 years her senior, once Edward left Saint Louis for Cincinnati with his sons.

Nicholas died on December 20, 1873 at the age of 32. Nicholas is buried in the Old St Joseph’s cemetery in Cincinnati. Section NEP Lot 3. Part N, Range 18. Burial information lists parents as Edward and Honora. An important piece of information on the cemetery record is nativity for Nicholas shown as Tipperary. This is the only reference to an Irish place of birth in any Keating record.  (His daughter, Maggie, is buried there too, dying in May of 1874.)

Bridget was living with her sister, Mary (John McGahan) per the 1880 census, age 17 years old, no occupation.  In the 1900 Census she is in Cincinnati, age 39, residing in the city infirmary (almshouse) and listed as an “imbecile.” She died in 1909 (file # 10/864) and is buried in New St. Joseph’s cemetery. Her parents are listed on the cemetery records as Edward and Honora Keating.

Just as the Keating family’s life between their arrival in 1850 and their residence in St. Louis in 1860 is a mystery, nothing is known of the Keating family’s life in Ireland, either.  Only two Tipperary records turned out in the time period 1800-1850 for an Edward Keating. These are from (land) Valuation Office books. Edward and Honora’s oldest was born in 1840, and they left Ireland for the United States in 1850.  Because we do know (1) the Keatings were likely from Tipperary; (2) “Edward Keating” was a surprisingly uncommon name in Tipperary at that time; and (3) the only records for an Edward in Tipperary are in the 1840’s when Edward would have been starting a family, there is a good chance that either or both of the Townfields and Clogheenmarket records are valuation records of our Edward Keating.

These were found by Krassy Zacher, the wife of one of the descendants of Mary (Keating) McGahan, who was the oldest child of Edward and Honora who stayed in St. Louis.  The other descendants of the McGahan family are generally still located in the St. Louis area. Also – thank you to Robert Keating for sending me the research done by the McGahan family that is included in this post.

If you would like to contribute to the Keating Dollhouse restoration, you can contribute directly to the restorationist’s company, Gravestone Transformations (Mark Smith) via the link below. Scroll down to the donation form and click on the checkbox next to “I would like to designate this donation to a specific fund.”

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