James Hamill of St. Louis: A Key to the Hamill Origins
The Susan Hamill & Charles McCanna Line
James Hamill of St. Louis
Susan's Brother — A Key to the Hamill Origins
c. 1834–1910 · St. Louis, Missouri
| Full Name | James Hamill |
| Birth | c. 1834 · Ireland (age 76 at death in 1910) |
| Death | February 8, 1910 · 3427 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri |
| Burial | February 11, 1910 · Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis |
| Parents | James Hamill (Ireland) & [Catherine Dougherty?] (Ireland) |
| Spouse | Bridget Keenan (c. 1832–1906) |
| Children | Catherine "Kate" Hamill Keaney & Mary Hamill McNary |
| Occupation | Porter in Store; later Retired Teamster |
| Sibling | Susan Hamill McCanna of Joliet, Illinois (confirmed 1908) |
Part I: From Ireland to St. Louis (c. 1834–1850)
James Hamill was born in Ireland around 1834, the son of a man also named James Hamill. His 1910 death certificate identifies his father as "James Hamill" of Ireland, while his mother's name went unrecorded—listed simply as "unknown." However, his sister Susan's 1917 death certificate names their parents as James Hamill and Catherine Dougherty, both of Ireland, allowing us to tentatively identify James's mother as well.
By 1850, the young James Hamill had made his way to St. Louis, Missouri. The federal census of that year captures him as a 22-year-old laborer living in the 1st Ward of St. Louis County—one of thousands of Irish immigrants who flooded into America during and after the Great Famine. The census places his birth around 1828, though later records suggest he may have been born slightly later, around 1834.
The Famine years saw massive Irish emigration, and James was part of this wave. Whether he traveled alone or with family members remains unknown. What we do know is that by 1850 he had established himself in St. Louis—a city that would remain his home for the next sixty years.
The 1910 death certificate confirms James's father was also named James Hamill—following the Irish tradition of naming the eldest son after the paternal grandfather. This suggests James (the father) may have been named for his father, potentially giving us three generations of James Hamills in Ireland.
Part II: Marriage and Family Life (1850s–1906)
Sometime in the 1850s, James Hamill married Bridget Keenan, an Irish immigrant approximately his own age. Together they would raise two daughters in St. Louis: Catherine (called Kate) and Mary.
The 1870 census finds James, now 33 years old, working as a "Porter in Store" with real estate valued at $3,000—a substantial sum indicating he had achieved some measure of prosperity. The household included his wife Bridget (38), daughters Kate (12) and Mary (2), and possibly a domestic servant. By 1880, James had transitioned to work as a laborer, with Kate now 12 and Mary described as age 2 (likely a transcription error, as she would have been around 12 as well).
Both daughters married Irishmen. Kate became Mrs. Keaney, wife of Terrence Keaney, who served as a mounted police officer in St. Louis. Mary married William F. McNary. Both daughters remained close to their parents, and it was Mary who would serve as informant on her father's death certificate.
Bridget Keenan Hamill died on May 7, 1906, after a "lingering illness." Her obituary in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted she was a member of St. Ann's Sodality, and her funeral was held at St. Malachy's Church before burial at Calvary Cemetery. James became a widower at approximately 72 years of age.
Part III: The Joliet Connection (1908)
The documentary proof that James Hamill of St. Louis was Susan McCanna's brother comes from a brief social notice in the Joliet newspaper in August 1908:
This single sentence confirms what the death certificates suggest: James and Susan Hamill were siblings, children of the same James Hamill and Catherine Dougherty of Ireland. The visit took place two years after James lost his wife Bridget, and less than two years before his own death. Susan herself would live until December 1917.
The 1000 North Broadway address matches Susan McCanna's known residence in Joliet. James made the journey from St. Louis to visit his sister—a trip of approximately 300 miles that in 1908 would have been made by rail. At 74 years old, this may have been one of his final journeys.
Part IV: Death and a Critical Clue (1910)
James Hamill died on Tuesday, February 8, 1910, at 12:45 a.m. at his residence, 3427 Laclede Avenue in St. Louis. He was 76 years old. His death certificate lists the cause as angina pectoris (chest pain/heart disease) of 5-6 months duration, with rheumatism of 6 years as a contributing factor. His occupation was recorded as "Retired Teams"—a retired teamster who had once driven wagons and teams of horses.
The death certificate preserves crucial genealogical information: his father was James Hamill of Ireland. His mother's name was unknown to the informant, his daughter Mary McNary. However, Susan's death certificate seven years later would identify their mother as Catherine Dougherty.
James was buried on February 11, 1910, at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis—the same cemetery where his wife Bridget had been interred four years earlier.
James Hamill's 1910 obituary contains a remarkable request that may unlock the broader Hamill family network:
"Chicago and Joliet (Ill.), and Buffalo and Tarrytown (N.Y.) papers please copy."
This "please copy" notice indicates family members in these specific locations who needed to be informed of James's death:
- Joliet, Illinois — Susan McCanna and her family (confirmed)
- Chicago, Illinois — Unknown Hamill relatives (possibly connected to Owen Hammel line?)
- Buffalo, New York — Unknown Hamill relatives
- Tarrytown, New York — Unknown Hamill relatives
These four locations—St. Louis, Joliet, Chicago, Buffalo, and Tarrytown—represent the known dispersal pattern of the Hamill family after emigration from Ireland. Research in Buffalo and Tarrytown newspapers and records may reveal additional siblings or close relatives.
Timeline: James Hamill of St. Louis
Born in Ireland, son of James Hamill and [Catherine Dougherty]
Emigrates from Ireland during the Famine years
Census: James Hamill (22), laborer, 1st Ward, St. Louis County, Missouri
Marries Bridget Keenan in St. Louis (estimated from daughter Kate's age)
Census: James (33), Porter in Store, real estate $3,000. Wife Bridget (38), daughters Kate (12) and Mary (2)
Census: James (45), Laborer, St. Louis. Wife Bridget (44), daughters Kate (12), Mary (2)
August 18: James and Bridget sign joint will at St. Louis, witnessed by Robt. M. Reilly and Mathew B. King
May 7: Wife Bridget Keenan Hamill dies after lingering illness
May 11: Funeral at St. Malachy's Church, burial at Calvary Cemetery
August: Visits sister Susan McCanna at 1000 North Broadway, Joliet, Illinois
February 8: James Hamill dies at 3427 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, age 76
February 11: Burial at Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis
April 25: Will filed and admitted to probate
Buffalo and Tarrytown Connections: Who were the Hamill relatives in Buffalo and Tarrytown, New York? Were these additional siblings, or perhaps cousins or in-laws?
Chicago Connection: Did the Chicago relatives connect to the Owen Hammel family who settled there? Both families originated from County Monaghan.
Marriage Record: When and where did James marry Bridget Keenan? A marriage record would potentially reveal their ages and places of origin more precisely.
Immigration Record: Can ship manifests or port records identify when James arrived in America and whether he traveled with family members?
Kate and Mary's Descendants: Do descendants of Catherine Hamill Keaney or Mary Hamill McNary have DNA tests on file? These would be first cousins once removed to the McCanna descendants.
Calvary Cemetery Records: Are there additional Hamill burials at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis that might indicate other family members?
Document Gallery
Primary sources documenting James Hamill's life
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