Hidden Bonds: Orphan, Scale Maker, and Father of Ten
Miles Murtha Lawrence O'Brien
Orphan, Scale Maker, Father of Ten
1873–1930 | Jamaica, Queens to Brooklyn, NY
He lost both parents before he turned two. He carried the DNA that would reunite the family 150 years later.
This episode is part of the Hidden Bonds series. Miles Murtha Lawrence O'Brien was the father of Miles Murtha O'Brien, whose story is told in Episode 7: The Carpenter Who Built with Double Vision. Both father and son lost their mothers as toddlers. Both rebuilt their lives from loss. The pattern of resilience runs deep in this family.
"MILES M. O'BRIEN, a member of a well-known family, died Monday at his home, 376 Milford st., at the age of 56."
— Brooklyn Daily Eagle, January 1930The Youngest Orphan
In the spring of 1874, tragedy struck the O'Brien family of Jamaica, Queens—twice.
First, on May 12, 1874, Cornelia A. Bedell O'Brien died. She was just 23 years old. Her son Miles was 13 months old—too young to remember his mother's face, too young to know what he had lost.
Six months later, in November 1874, Terrence O'Brien himself was dead. The hotel proprietor who had built a modest fortune, the Irish immigrant who had married twice and fathered children by both wives—gone at 41. He left behind four orphans from two marriages: James Henry (about 14), Mary Ann, and Elizabeth—children of his first wife Ann Higgins—and little Miles Murtha Lawrence, the only child of Cornelia Bedell, barely 18 months old.
Miles was the youngest. He would carry the family forward.
Miles Murtha Lawrence O'Brien, formal portrait, circa 1905-1910. Age approximately 32-37. This photograph remained unlabeled for decades until genealogical detective work identified the subject.
The Scattering
The probate records tell a heartbreaking story: the four O'Brien children were separated and sent to different family members. This wasn't unusual for the time—few families could take on four additional children at once, especially an infant. But for children who had already lost both parents, this separation must have felt like another devastating blow.
James Henry O'Brien, the eldest at about 14, was sent to another state entirely. He was old enough to begin making his own way in the world.
Mary Ann and Elizabeth—James Henry's full sisters, all three children of Terrence's first wife Ann Higgins—were placed with their maternal uncle, Thomas Higgins, per the probate records.
Miles, the only child of Terrence's second wife Cornelia Bedell, was the odd one out—a half-brother to all three older children. Barely walking and too young to understand what was happening, he was initially placed with "Mrs. Madden," described in probate documents as his "great aunt." But by 1880, the census shows him living with his maternal grandparents, Anthony and Anastasia Bedell, in Queens.
In an instant, the four O'Brien children were scattered to three different households—each child going to their own mother's relatives. The half-siblings had no shared maternal family to hold them together.
1880 U.S. Federal Census, Flushing, Queens County, New York. Seven-year-old Miles M. O'Brien is listed as "Grandson" in the household of Anthony and Anastasia Beadle (Bedell)—his mother Cornelia's parents.
For most families of that era, this kind of separation would have been permanent. Children raised apart often lost touch completely, their connections severed by distance, different last names through marriage, and the simple passage of time.
But Miles's placement with his maternal grandparents may have helped preserve important family knowledge and connections that would prove crucial later.
Against All Odds: The Brothers Reconnect
At some point, James Henry O'Brien and young Miles found their way back to each other. This is where the story becomes truly remarkable.
Despite being raised in different states, despite having different upbringings and possibly no shared memories of growing up together, the two half-brothers reconnected as adults and built a relationship strong enough to weather decades.
By the 1890s, James Henry had established himself in Brooklyn as a skilled mechanical engineer and entrepreneur. He attended Browne's Business College, worked his way up from machinist to mechanical engineer, and began building the connections that would eventually make him a U.S. Congressman.
When James founded the J.H. O'Brien Scale & Supply Company around 1900, one of his first decisions was to offer his half-brother Miles a position as a scale maker.
J.H. O'Brien Scale & Supply Company
The company James Henry O'Brien founded became a Brooklyn institution, operating for over 60 years (c. 1900-1961). Located at 311-315 Ellery Street in Brooklyn, it specialized in commercial scales, coffee mills, grocery equipment, and overhead tramway construction equipment.
James's decision to hire his half-brother wasn't just sentiment—it was a deliberate choice to rebuild the family bonds that had been broken by tragedy thirty years earlier. The company provided stable employment for multiple generations of O'Briens.
Think about what this really meant. James Henry had built a successful business in Brooklyn's competitive industrial landscape. He had every reason to hire only the most experienced workers or those who could bring him business connections. Instead, he chose to bring in his half-brother—a man he had been separated from as children, whom he had no obligation to help.
This wasn't just a job offer. This was a deliberate choice to rebuild the family bonds that tragedy had broken.
WWI Draft Registration Card, September 12, 1918. Miles Murtha Lawrence O'Brien, age 45. Occupation: "Scale Maker." Employer: "James H. O'Brien" at 311 Ellery St., Brooklyn. Physical description: Medium height, medium build, grey eyes, grey hair.
The 1918 WWI Draft Registration Card provides definitive proof of this family bond. At age 45, Miles listed his employer as "James H. O'Brien" at the Ellery Street facility. Two half-brothers, separated as children, now working together—one as company founder and Congressman, the other as skilled tradesman.
Two Marriages, Ten Children
Around 1897, Miles married Margaret Mary Egan. She was born in 1871, making her about two years younger than Miles. Together they would have five children in quick succession.
1900 U.S. Federal Census, Brooklyn, Kings County. Miles M. O'Brien (age 27), wife Margaret (age 28), and their first child Grace (age 1). Miles's occupation: "Engineer."
Children with Margaret Mary Egan (1871–1906)
- Grace Marie O'Brien (1899–1978)
- Josephine Agnes O'Brien (1902–1940)
- James Henry O'Brien (1903–1981) — named for his uncle, the Congressman
- Miles Murtha O'Brien (1904–1984) — Episode 7
- Margaret Mary O'Brien (1905–1995)
Then tragedy struck again. On February 16, 1906, Margaret Mary Egan O'Brien died. She was 34 years old. The cause: heart failure brought on by acute lobar pneumonia.
Miles was now a widower with five children under the age of seven. His son Miles Murtha—the future carpenter of Episode 7—was just two years old when he lost his mother. The same age Miles himself had been when he lost his own mother, Cornelia, thirty-two years earlier.
The pattern of loss echoed across generations.
1905 New York State Census: The family intact, eight months before Margaret's death. This is the last census to show Margaret alive with her husband and children.
But Miles knew something about surviving loss. He had done it before.
On February 28, 1908—almost exactly two years after Margaret's death—Miles married Anna Theresa Maguire. She was 30 years old, and she would become mother to his five children and bear five more of her own.
Children with Anna Theresa Maguire (1878–1940)
- Anna Helena O'Brien (1909–1931)
- Raymond Gerard O'Brien (1910–1977)
- Vincent Francis O'Brien (1911–1995)
- Rita Marie O'Brien Parnell (1913–1977)
- Thomas Woodrow Miles O'Brien (1916–1974) — "Uncle Woody"
1915 New York State Census: The blended O'Brien household. Miles (head), Anna T. (wife), and eight of their eventual ten children, plus Uncle Thomas Maguire.
Ten children. Five from each marriage. A household full of life on Milford Street in Brooklyn, supported by Miles's steady work as a scale maker at his half-brother's company.
Miles Murtha Lawrence O'Brien, formal portrait, circa 1915-1920. Age approximately 42-47. The grey hair matches his 1918 draft registration description.
A Member of a Well-Known Family
When Miles Murtha Lawrence O'Brien died on January 13, 1930, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published his obituary with a curious detail:
"MILES M. O'BRIEN, a member of a well-known family, died Monday at his home, 376 Milford st., at the age of 56. He was born in Jamaica and had lived in Brooklyn for many years. He was related to the late Miles M. O'Brien, former president of the Board of Education. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Anna T. McGuire O'Brien; five daughters and five sons."
Obituary
Miles Murtha Lawrence O'Brien
January 1930
Obituary
Miles Murrough O'Brien
"The Relative"
Another Miles O'Brien. Another prominent Brooklyn figure. Miles Murrough O'Brien had been vice president of the Mercantile National Bank of Manhattan, president of the Board of Education, and a member of the Lotus, Democratic, and Catholic Clubs of New York. He died in 1909.
The exact relationship remains undiscovered. Cousin? Uncle? More distant connection? But the fact that the obituary mentions him tells us something important: this was a family that mattered in Brooklyn. When you died, the newspaper noted which other O'Briens you were connected to, because readers would recognize those names.
The O'Briens weren't just surviving in Brooklyn—they were thriving, building influence, creating a legacy:
- James Henry O'Brien — U.S. Congressman
- Miles Murrough O'Brien — Board of Education President
- Miles Murtha Lawrence O'Brien — skilled tradesman, father of ten
Multiple branches of one Irish immigrant family, all making their mark on Brooklyn in the early 20th century.
The End
Miles Murtha Lawrence O'Brien died at home on Monday, January 13, 1930. He was 56 years old. The death certificate lists the cause as cardiac lesion—a weakening of the heart that had developed over eighteen months. The contributory cause: asthenia, or exhaustion.
A requiem mass was offered at St. Gabriel's R.C. Church. He was buried at St. John's Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens.
Death Certificate, January 13, 1930. Note the critical genealogical details: Father's name "Terrance O'Brien" (birthplace U.S.), Mother's maiden name "Cornelia Bedell" (birthplace U.S.). Occupation: "Machinist" in "Scale maker" industry.
He was survived by his wife Anna T. McGuire O'Brien; five daughters; five sons; and a legacy that would stretch far beyond what he could have imagined.
The DNA Legacy
Miles Murtha Lawrence O'Brien never knew that he carried something precious in his cells—genetic proof of who he was and where he came from.
Nearly 150 years after his birth, DNA testing would do what documents alone could not. Descendants of Miles matched with descendants of his half-brother James Henry, and with Kentucky cousins who had been separated from the family for over a century. The genetic evidence confirmed what the scattered paper trail had only hinted at: the O'Brien children, separated as orphans in 1874, were indeed one family.
Miles was the youngest orphan—the one who seemed most likely to be lost to history. But he was also the one whose line would carry the proof forward.
The only labeled photograph: a severely degraded photocopy with handwriting that reads "Miles M O'Brien - Dad's Father - Died 1930-March?" The month was wrong (he died in January), but the identification was right. This note, preserved across generations, helped unlock the mystery of the formal portraits.
The Inheritance
Miles Murtha Lawrence O'Brien lost both parents before he turned two. He was separated from his siblings and raised by grandparents. He lost his first wife when his children were young. He worked for thirty years as a scale maker in his half-brother's factory.
And yet: he raised ten children. He maintained his connection to his half-brother despite decades of separation. He built a stable life in Brooklyn during some of the most turbulent decades in American history.
His son Miles Murtha would inherit more than a name. He would inherit a pattern—losing a mother young, rebuilding from loss, choosing family over isolation. And he would pass that pattern on to his own children, and they to theirs.
The story of Miles Murtha Lawrence O'Brien reminds us that families aren't just about blood—they're about the conscious choice to care for each other, especially when it's difficult. That choice, made by two brothers who had every reason to remain strangers, created a legacy that continues to benefit their descendants more than 150 years later.
He was the youngest orphan. He carried the proof.
Document Gallery
c. 1905–1910 — Portrait
Miles M.L. O'Brien, age ~32-37
Portrait
c. 1915–1920 — Portrait
Miles M.L. O'Brien, age ~42-47
Portrait
1930 — Death Certificate
January 13, Brooklyn NY
Death
1930 — Obituary
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Obituary
Miles Murrough O'Brien
"The Relative" — Board of Ed.
Obituary
1880 — Census
With Bedell grandparents
Census
1900 — Census
With Margaret & Grace
Census
1905 — NY Census
Last with Margaret alive
Census
1910 — Census
Brooklyn, Kings County
Census
1915 — NY Census
Blended family, 8 children
Census
1918 — WWI Draft
Employer: James H. O'Brien
Draft
1920 — Census
Brooklyn, Kings County
Census
Labeled Photocopy
"Dad's Father — Died 1930"
ReferenceEvidence Analysis
PRIMARY SOURCE: 1880 U.S. Federal Census
This census is the earliest record showing Miles after his parents' deaths. At age 7, he is listed as "Grandson" in the household of Anthony and Anastasia Beadle (Bedell) in Flushing, Queens. His placement with maternal grandparents—rather than with paternal relatives—may have preserved crucial family connections that would later enable his reunion with half-brother James Henry.
PRIMARY SOURCE: WWI Draft Registration Card (1918)
This document provides definitive proof of the brother-to-brother connection. Miles lists his employer as "James H. O'Brien" at 311 Ellery Street, Brooklyn—his half-brother's scale company. The physical description (medium height, medium build, grey eyes, grey hair) helped identify the unlabeled formal portraits decades later.
PRIMARY SOURCE: Death Certificate — Miles M. L. O'Brien (1930)
The death certificate confirms critical genealogical details: Father "Terrance O'Brien" (birthplace U.S.), Mother "Cornelia Bedell" (birthplace U.S.). The occupation lists "Machinist" in the "Scale maker" industry—consistent with his decades of work at the family business. Cause of death: cardiac lesion (1 year 6 months duration), contributory cause: asthenia (exhaustion).
PRIMARY SOURCE: Obituary — Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1930)
The obituary's reference to being "related to the late Miles M. O'Brien, former president of the Board of Education" reveals the family's prominence in Brooklyn society. It also confirms the complete family: "five daughters and five sons"—ten children total from two marriages. The exact relationship to Miles Murrough O'Brien remains an open research question.
PRIMARY SOURCE: Labeled Photocopy — "Dad's Father"
This severely degraded photocopy was the only labeled image of Miles Murtha Lawrence O'Brien. The handwriting reads "Miles M O'Brien - Dad's Father - Died 1930-March?" The month was incorrect (he died in January), but the identification was accurate. This note, preserved across generations, became the key that unlocked the identification of the formal studio portraits.
Continue the Story
← Hidden Bonds: Series Overview Episode 7: The Carpenter Who Built with Double Vision → Miles Murtha O'Brien, his son Scattered Stones Episode 8: The Orphan's Journey Lillian Josephine Robertson, his daughter-in-law Scattered Stones: Series Overview The Robertson Family of BlairgowrieWant to Know When New Stories Are Published?
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