Patrick J. Hamill: The Brother Who Went to Missouri
Patrick J. Hamill
While his younger brother James chose Montana's copper country, Patrick Joseph Hamill headed to St. Louis—where he would build a transfer company, raise ten children, and establish a dynasty that would span a century. Two brothers, two paths, one Irish family from Donaghmoyne.
Part I: Origins in Ireland
Donaghmoyne Parish, County Monaghan, c. 1870
Patrick J. Hamill was born in March, likely 1862, in Ireland—the son of James Hamill and Ann Gartland of Donaghmoyne parish, County Monaghan. His 1944 death certificate preserves these essential facts: father James Hamill, mother Ann Gartland, both of Ireland. While the death certificate states a birth date of March 9, 1870, Patrick himself consistently reported birth years in the early 1860s on census records throughout his lifetime—making him approximately a decade older than his brother James (1873–1951).
Patrick was the older brother of James Hamill who would eventually settle in Montana. The brothers grew up in the townland of Dian during a period of relative stability following the devastation of the Great Famine—their father James appearing in the 1861 Griffith's Valuation as a landholder in Dian.
Unlike the desperate exodus of the Famine years, Patrick's emigration represented the steady chain migration that characterized the late nineteenth century. Young men followed relatives and neighbors who had already established themselves in America, knowing there would be a community waiting to receive them.
"Father: James Hamill, Ireland. Mother: Ann Gartland, Ireland."
Part II: Emigration to St. Louis
From Rural Ireland to America's Gateway City
Patrick arrived in St. Louis sometime in the early 1890s. By 1893, he was established enough to marry Catherine Barry—also of Irish descent—on August 15, 1893. The marriage license, recorded in the State of Missouri, lists Patrick as over twenty-one years of age and Catherine as over eighteen, both residents of St. Louis.
The 1895 Gould's City Directory provides the first glimpse of Patrick's working life in America: "HAMILL PATRICK J., Teamster, 1011 Wash." This occupation—driving horse-drawn wagons for hire—would define his career trajectory. In an era before trucks, teamsters were essential to urban commerce, hauling goods from rail depots to warehouses, from factories to stores.
St. Louis in the 1890s was a booming city, the fourth largest in America. The Gateway to the West attracted Irish immigrants with its stockyards, breweries, and railroad yards—all of which needed teamsters to move goods through the city's streets.
1893 Marriage License: Patrick Hamill and Catherine Barry, St. Louis, Missouri. August 15, 1893. Married by a Catholic Clergyman at 310 N. Jeff Ave.
1895 City Directory: "HAMILL PATRICK J., Teamster, 1011 Wash."
Part III: Building the P.J.H. Transfer Company
From Teamster to Transfer Company President, 1895–1944
The arc of Patrick's American story is one of immigrant ambition realized. The young teamster of 1895 became, over four decades, the president and treasurer of his own company: the P.J.H. Transfer Co.
The census records trace this progression. In 1900, Patrick appears as head of household with wife Catherine and daughters Mary (age 6), Annie (age 4), and Loretta (age 2). The family was growing, and so was Patrick's business acumen. By 1910, he had risen from teamster to "Operator" of a hauling company. The 1920 census shows him as a "Driver" for a "Transfer/Hauling Company"—but the "Eng." notation suggests he was now an employer, not merely an employee.
By 1930, the transformation was complete. At age 60, Patrick appears in the census as owner of his transfer company, with the household now at 4930 Highland Avenue—a substantial residence that would remain his home until his death. The 1940 census confirms his status: "Transfer company" owner, working on his "own account."
Patrick named his company after himself: P.J.H. Transfer Co.—Patrick J. Hamill. His death certificate lists his occupation as "Pres.-Tres." (President-Treasurer) of "P.J.H. Transfer Co." From driving someone else's wagon in 1895 to owning his own fleet by 1930, Patrick's story embodies the immigrant dream.
The family lived in the community for sixty years—Patrick's death certificate notes "60 years" as his length of stay in Missouri. He had arrived as a young immigrant in his early twenties and never left, building his life, his family, and his business in St. Louis.
Part IV: A Growing Family
Ten Children, Two Generations
Patrick and Catherine raised a large Irish-American family. The 1896 St. Louis Birth Register provides particularly valuable evidence: the birth of Ann M. Hamill on February 1896, with father "Patrick" born in Ireland and mother "Catherine" also of Irish descent.
The children's obituaries and the death certificates of their parents allow us to reconstruct the complete family. Patrick's 1944 obituary names his surviving children: "dear father of Mary, Genevieve, Patrick, John, Daniel Hamill, Mrs. Thomas J. McGarry, Mrs. John J. Woods, Mrs. Paul J. Mennemeyer and Mrs. Robert C. Wehner." Catherine's 1924 obituary lists them as: "Mary, Loretto, Patrick, Genevieve, John, Daniel, Alice and Virginia Hamill and Mrs. T. J. McGarry."
Children of Patrick J. and Catherine Barry Hamill
Catherine Barry Hamill died on February 2, 1924, at 11:45 p.m. Her obituary in the St. Louis Star and Times describes her as "beloved wife of Patrick Hamil [sic], dear mother of Mary, Loretto, Patrick, Genevieve, John, Daniel, Alice and Virginia Hamill and Mrs. T. J. McGarry, daughter of Ann Barry and sister of Mrs. Ralph Satchwell." The funeral was held from the family residence at 2125 Carr Street, proceeding to St. Bridget's Church. She was buried in Calvary Cemetery.
Patrick survived Catherine by twenty years, dying on August 20, 1944, at 5:25 p.m. at his residence, 4930 Highland Avenue. The cause of death was bronchopneumonia (terminal) with chronic myocarditis as a contributing factor. He was 74 years, 5 months, and 11 days old. The informant on his death certificate was "Miss Mary Hamill"—his eldest daughter, still unmarried and living at the family home.
"HAMILL, PATRICK J.—Sun., Aug. 20, 1944, 5:25 p. m., beloved husband of the late Catherine Barry Hamill, dear father of Mary, Genevieve, Patrick, John, Daniel Hamill, Mrs. Thomas J. McGarry, Mrs. John J. Woods, Mrs. Paul J. Mennemeyer and Mrs. Robert C. Wehner, brother of Peter Hamill."
The funeral was held from the family residence at 4930 Highland on Wednesday, August 23, at 8:30 a.m., proceeding to Blessed Sacrament Church at Kingshighway and Northland. Patrick was buried in Calvary Cemetery, reunited with Catherine after twenty years.
Part V: DNA Validation
Connecting Two Brothers Across a Century
The documentary evidence identifies Patrick J. Hamill as the son of James Hamill and Ann Gartland of Ireland. But how do we prove he was the brother of James Hamill (1873–1951) of Montana?
The answer lies in DNA. Descendants of Patrick J. Hamill of Missouri share DNA matches with descendants of James Hamill of Montana—the subject of Episode 2 in this series. These genetic connections confirm what the documents suggest: both men were sons of the same James Hamill and Ann Gartland of Donaghmoyne.
Multiple descendants of Patrick J. Hamill's children—including lines through Mary A. Hamill, Ann Marie Hamill McGarry, Genevieve M. Hamill, and Daniel Thomas Hamill—have DNA matches with descendants of James Hamill of Montana. This genetic evidence validates the documentary record: Patrick and James were brothers, sons of James Hamill and Ann Gartland of Dian, Donaghmoyne parish, County Monaghan.
"Other cousins reside in Missouri and Ireland."
Remarkably, James's 1951 obituary in Montana contains a tantalizing detail: after listing local surviving relatives, it concludes with the note that "other cousins reside in Missouri and Ireland." This confirms James was aware of family connections to Missouri—the very state where his brother Patrick had raised ten children. The brothers' descendants would remain unaware of each other's existence until DNA testing reunited the family lines decades later.
The two brothers chose different paths. Patrick went to St. Louis, married Catherine Barry, and built a transfer company. James went to Montana, married Catherine Gartland (a distant cousin of their mother), and worked in the copper industry. But their shared DNA—passed down through four and five generations of descendants—proves they came from the same Irish family.
Part VI: Document Verification
The Evidence Chain
Identity confirmed by:
• 1944 Death Certificate: Names parents as James Hamill and Ann Gartland, both of Ireland
• 1893 Marriage License: Patrick Hamill to Catherine Barry, St. Louis
• 1895–1940 Census Records: Continuous residence in St. Louis, occupation progression from Teamster to Transfer Company Owner
• 1895 City Directory: "HAMILL PATRICK J., Teamster, 1011 Wash"
• 1896 Birth Register: Daughter Ann M. Hamill, father Patrick born Ireland
• 1924 & 1944 Obituaries: List children matching census records
• DNA matches with descendants of James Hamill (1873–1951) of Montana
Part VII: Resolving Discrepancies
The Birth Year Question
Patrick's birth year presents a significant discrepancy across the documentary record—a ten-year spread between 1860 and 1870. Understanding this discrepancy requires careful analysis of who provided the information and when.
Self-Reported (Patrick alive):
• 1900 Census: March 1862, age 38 — Patrick specifies the month
• 1910 Census: born c. 1863, age 47
• 1920 Census: born c. 1860, age 60
• 1930 Census: born c. 1860, age 70
• 1940 Census: born c. 1865, age 74
Informant-Reported (after Patrick's death):
• 1944 Death Certificate: March 9, 1870 — Informant: Miss Mary Hamill (daughter)
When Patrick was alive to answer census questions himself, he consistently reported birth years in the early 1860s. The 1900 census is particularly telling: Patrick specified not just the year (1862) but the month (March)—suggesting he knew his birth date with some confidence. The resulting age of 38 in June 1900 aligns with an 1862 birth.
The 1944 death certificate, however, states March 9, 1870—making Patrick just 74 at death. This information came from his daughter Mary, who was born in 1894. She may have relied on family tradition, a misremembered document, or simply her father's appearance. Adult children frequently do not know their parents' exact birth years, especially for immigrant parents whose Irish records were not easily accessible.
The weight of evidence favors an early 1860s birth—likely March 1862 based on Patrick's own specific statement in the 1900 census. The 1870 date on the death certificate appears to be an error by an informant who did not know her father's true birth year. This would make Patrick approximately 82 at death, not 74—and would make him roughly 8-11 years older than his brother James (born 1873), a plausible age gap for siblings in a large Irish family.
This evidence chain confirms Patrick J. Hamill of St. Louis as the son of James Hamill and Ann Gartland of Donaghmoyne, and brother of James Hamill (1873–1951) of Anaconda, Montana.
Timeline
From Donaghmoyne to St. Louis — A Life in Documents
March (likely 1862): Born in Ireland, son of James Hamill and Ann Gartland. Death certificate states 1870, but Patrick consistently reported early 1860s birth years when alive.
Emigrates to United States (arrived in St. Louis by early 1890s; 60 years residence at death)
August 15: Marries Catherine Barry in St. Louis; Catholic ceremony at 310 N. Jeff Ave.
Daughter Mary A. Hamill born
Gould's City Directory: "HAMILL PATRICK J., Teamster, 1011 Wash"
February: Daughter Ann M. Hamill born; recorded in St. Louis Birth Register
Census: St. Louis, Ward 16; Patrick (30), Catherine (28), Mary (6), Annie (4), Loretta (2); occupation Boarding & Livery Stable
Census: St. Louis; Operator, Hauling Company; family includes 8 children
Census: St. Louis; Driver, Transfer/Hauling Company
February 2: Wife Catherine Barry Hamill dies at 11:45 PM; funeral from 2125 Carr Street to St. Bridget's Church; buried Calvary Cemetery
Census: 4930 Highland Ave; age 70 (error); widower; Bookkeeper, own transfer company; daughters Mary K. (37), Genevieve M. (24), Alice (24) at home
Census: 4930 Highland Ave; Transfer company, own account; daughters Mary (45), Genevieve (35), Ruby (23) at home
August 20: Dies at 5:25 PM at 4930 Highland Ave; bronchopneumonia; age 74 years, 5 months, 11 days
August 23: Funeral from 4930 Highland to Blessed Sacrament Church; buried Calvary Cemetery
Document Gallery
1944 — Death Certificate
Parents: James Hamill & Ann Gartland, Ireland
DEATH
1944 — Obituary
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 22
NEWSPAPER
1893 — Marriage License
August 15, Patrick & Catherine Barry
MARRIAGE
1895 — Gould's City Directory
"HAMILL PATRICK J., Teamster, 1011 Wash"
DIRECTORY
1896 — Birth Register (Full Page)
Ann M. Hamill, St. Louis
VITAL
1896 — Birth Register (Detail)
Father Patrick, Ireland; Mother Catherine
VITAL
1900 — U.S. Census
St. Louis, Ward 16; Boarding & Livery Stable
CENSUS
1910 — U.S. Census
St. Louis; Operator, Hauling Company
CENSUS
1920 — U.S. Census
St. Louis; Driver, Transfer Company
CENSUS
1924 — Obituary Catherine
St. Louis Star and Times, February 5
NEWSPAPER
1930 — U.S. Census
4930 Highland; Bookkeeper, own company
CENSUS
1940 — U.S. Census
4930 Highland; Transfer company owner
CENSUS
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