Susan Hamill & Charles McCanna: The Founders
Susan Hamill & Charles McCanna
Among the Irish immigrants who settled in Joliet, Illinois, in the years before the Civil War, Charles McCanna and Susan Hamill built a life that would span six decades and produce ten children. Their story is documented through an unusually rich collection of records: census returns from 1870 through 1910, a ship manifest that may capture Susan's arrival with her firstborn son, and—most significantly—Susan's 1917 death certificate, which preserves the names of her Irish-born parents.
That death certificate identifies Susan's father as "Jas Hamill" (James Hamill) and her mother as "Katharine Doughter" (Catherine Dougherty)—both born in Ireland. This single document opens a research pathway back to County Monaghan, where Susan's brother James would later be identified through newspaper clippings connecting St. Louis and Joliet.
The McCannas are one of four couples married between 1841 and 1857 in Donaghmoyne Parish, County Monaghan, whose descendants share DNA matches with each other—the group we call the Donaghmoyne Network. Charles McKenna married Susan Hamill on January 1, 1857, in that same parish, joining the Hamills to a web of interconnected families that would scatter across America while maintaining biological ties that DNA testing has now revealed.
Verified Identity — Susan Hamill McCanna
| Full Name | Susan Hamill (also Julia Susan) |
| Birth | c. June 24, 1835 — Ireland (County Monaghan presumed) |
| Death | December 15, 1917 — Joliet, Will County, Illinois (age 82) |
| Burial | St. Patrick's Cemetery, Joliet, Illinois |
| Marriage | January 1, 1857 — Donaghmoyne Parish, Co. Monaghan, Ireland |
| Husband | Charles McCanna (McKenna) (c. 1816–1897) |
| Parents | James Hamill and Catherine Dougherty (per death certificate) |
| Immigration | c. 1859–1860 — possibly arriving New York December 31, 1860 |
| Children | 10 children, 9 surviving to adulthood |
Verified Identity — Charles McCanna
| Full Name | Charles McCanna (McKenna, McKanna) |
| Birth | c. 1816 — Ireland |
| Death | December 1897 — Joliet, Will County, Illinois (age ~81) |
| Burial | St. Patrick's Cemetery, Joliet, Illinois |
| Occupation | Laborer (1870 Census) |
| Will | Dated October 7, 1897; probated February 1898, Will County |
Part I: Ireland
Donaghmoyne Parish, County Monaghan, 1857
Charles McKenna married Susan Hamill in 1857 in Donaghmoyne Parish, County Monaghan, Ireland. The marriage record from Roots Ireland (Reference 811) shows both parties from Donaghmoyne, with the recorded date of "1-Jan-1857"—almost certainly a default entry common when parish clerks did not record the exact date.
The age difference between Charles and Susan was significant. Charles was approximately 41 years old at the time of marriage, while Susan was about 22. This twenty-year gap was not unusual in rural Ireland, where economic circumstances often delayed marriage for men until they had established themselves.
Their first child, Patrick, was born in Ireland around 1858. His 1931 death certificate confirms his birthplace as Ireland, and a passenger manifest from December 31, 1860, shows a "Susan McKenna" age 24 with "Patt" age 2 arriving in New York—a record that may capture the moment Susan brought her toddler son to join Charles in America.
"Charles McKenna married Susan Hamill, Donaghmoyne Parish, Co. Monaghan"
One of Four DNA-Connected Couples
Charles and Susan McCanna are one of four couples married in Donaghmoyne Parish between 1841 and 1857 whose descendants share DNA matches with each other:
1841: Henry Hamall & Mary McMahon
1846: Owen Hammel & Ann King
1857: Charles McCanna & Susan Hamill
1857: James Hamill & Ann Gartlan
These DNA connections suggest biological relationships between the families—possibly through shared ancestors in Donaghmoyne parish or surrounding townlands. The exact nature of these relationships remains under investigation.
Part II: Immigration to America
The Journey to Illinois, 1859–1860
The timing of the McCanna family's emigration can be reconstructed from census records and one tantalizing passenger manifest. The 1900 census records Susan's immigration year as 1859, while the 1910 census gives 1860. Both could be accurate if the family emigrated in stages—Charles perhaps arriving first to establish himself, with Susan and young Patrick following.
A ship manifest from New York dated December 31, 1860, lists "Susan McKenna" age 24, occupation "Housekeeper," with a child "Patt" age 2—both from Ireland. The ages and names align closely with what we know of Susan (who would have been about 25) and Patrick (born c. 1858). If this is our Susan, she arrived in America on the last day of 1860, just as the nation was fracturing toward Civil War.
By 1866, the family was established in Joliet, Illinois, where the baptism of twins James and Catherine on April 8, 1866, was recorded at St. Patrick's Church. The baptismal register identifies the parents as "Charles McKenna & Susan Hammill"—using the Irish spelling of the Hamill name and preserving the McKenna variant that would later standardize to McCanna.
The 1866 baptism record for twins James and Catherine provides crucial documentation: "James & Cathrine Twins of Charles McKenna & Susan Hammill Born 8 th April 1866." The sponsors were James Patrick and Catherine Gibbon for James, and Daniel McGinns and Ann McKenna for Catherine. This record confirms both the Hamill surname and the family's presence in Joliet by 1866.
Part III: Life in Joliet
Building a Family, 1866–1897
The 1870 census provides the first comprehensive snapshot of the McCanna household in Joliet. Charles, now 48, worked as a laborer and had accumulated $400 in real estate. Susan, listed as 33, kept house while managing six children ranging from 11-year-old Patrick down to baby Charles, just seven months old. All the children except Patrick had been born in Illinois.
By 1880, the household had grown to include nine children. Charles, now 60, still worked as a laborer. The census that year provides a poignant detail: beside 14-year-old James's entry, someone has written "DIED"—indicating that one of the twins born in 1866 did not survive to adulthood.
Charles McCanna died in December 1897, having made his will on October 7th of that year. The will, witnessed by Jacob Strider and Julius Herbert, left everything to "my beloved wife, Susan McCanna"—all his "estate, real and personal, of every kind and nature and wherever situated." Susan signed with her mark, indicating she could not write, though she could manage the family's affairs for another two decades.
"I give, devise and bequeath unto my beloved wife, Susan McCanna, all my estate, real and personal, of every kind and nature and wherever situated, owned by me and of which I may be seized at the time of my death, absolutely and in fee simple."
Children of Charles and Susan (Hamill) McCanna
Part IV: Susan's Widowhood
The Matriarch of 1000 North Broadway, 1897–1917
After Charles's death in December 1897, Susan remained the head of household at 1000 North Broadway in Joliet—an address that would become the family's anchor point for the next two decades. The 1900 census shows her as a 67-year-old widow with four adult children still at home: James (34, day laborer), Catherine (34), Margaret (27), and William (25, day laborer).
By 1910, Susan at 77 still presided over the household, now with son James (44, teamster at a station livery), daughter Kate (44, garment worker in a dress factory), and daughter Margaret O'Connor (37) with her young daughter Catherine. The family's working-class roots remained evident—James drove teams for a living, Kate worked in the garment trade—but they had achieved stability and permanence in Joliet.
Susan also maintained connections with her brother James Hamill in St. Louis. A 1908 newspaper clipping from the Joliet Herald-News records: "James Hamill of St. Louis, is a guest at the home of his sister, Mrs. Susan McCanna, of 1000 North Broadway." This simple social notice confirms the sibling relationship and shows the family ties that persisted across hundreds of miles.
When James Hamill of St. Louis died on February 8, 1910, his obituary requested that "Chicago and Joliet (Ill.), and Buffalo and Tarrytown (N.Y.) papers please copy." This request reveals a family network scattered across multiple cities—and confirms the Joliet connection to his sister Susan McCanna.
Part V: Death and Legacy
December 1917
Susan Hamill McCanna died on December 15, 1917, at her home at 1000 North Broadway in Joliet. She was 82 years old. The death certificate, signed by her son James McCanna as informant, records her cause of death as "Senile Tuberculosis" with a duration of two years. She had been attended by Dr. Chas. R. Curtis of Joliet.
The death certificate provides the crucial genealogical link back to Ireland: Susan's father is listed as "Jas Hamill" (James Hamill) and her mother as "Katharine Doughter" (Catherine Dougherty)—both born in Ireland. This information, provided by her son, preserves family knowledge that might otherwise have been lost.
Her obituary in the Joliet Evening Herald News reported that she was survived by five sons—Patrick, John, James, Frank, and William—and four daughters: Mrs. P.J. Kelly (Mary Ann), Mrs. Nellie Sheridan (Ellen), Miss Catherine, and Miss Margaret. The funeral was held from the home on Monday morning, with services at St. Patrick's Catholic Church at 9 o'clock. She was buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery beside her husband Charles.
"Mrs. Charles McCanna, 82 years old died in her home at 1000 N. Broadway this morning at 8:30 o'clock. She is survived by five sons, Patrick, John, James, Frank and William; and four daughters, Mrs. P.J. Kelly, Mrs. Nellie Sheridan, Miss Catherine and Miss Margaret. The funeral will be held from the home on Monday morning at 8:30 o'clock to St. Patrick's Catholic Church at 9 o'clock. Burial will be in St. Patrick's Cemetery. Please omit flowers."
Three Children with DNA-Tested Descendants
DNA testing has confirmed biological connections between descendants of the McCanna family and other Donaghmoyne Network families. Three of Charles and Susan's children have DNA-tested descendants who match with other documented Donaghmoyne families:
Mary Ann McCanna Kelly (1862–1920) — Descendants share DNA with other Network families
Ellen B. "Nellie" McCanna Sheridan (1868–1937) — Descendants share DNA with other Network families
Frank Charles McCanna (1869–1957) — Descendants share DNA with other Network families
A full DNA analysis matrix will be presented in the concluding episode of this series.
Susan's Parents: The death certificate identifies Susan's parents as James Hamill and Catherine Dougherty, both of Ireland. Can we locate baptism records for Susan or her brother James in County Monaghan?
Brother James Hamill: James Hamill of St. Louis (died 1910) was married to Bridget Keenan and had daughters Kate Keaney and Mary McNary. His obituary mentions connections to Buffalo and Tarrytown, NY—what is the significance of these locations? Are there other siblings?
The 1880 "DIED" Notation: The 1880 census shows "DIED" written next to James age 14, yet a James appears in later censuses. Did one of the twins die young, or is this an enumeration error?
Timeline
From Donaghmoyne to Joliet — A Life Reconstructed
Charles McCanna born — Ireland
Susan Hamill born — Ireland (June 24 per death certificate), daughter of James Hamill and Catherine Dougherty
Marriage: Charles McKenna marries Susan Hamill in Donaghmoyne Parish, Co. Monaghan (exact date unknown; "January 1" is a default entry)
Son Patrick born in Ireland (December 22 per death certificate)
December 31: Possible arrival in New York—passenger list shows Susan McKenna (24) with Patt (2)
Daughter Mary Ann born in Illinois
Son John Bernard born in Illinois
April 8: Twins James and Catherine baptized at St. Patrick's Church, Joliet
Daughter Ellen "Nellie" born in Illinois
Son Frank Charles born in Illinois
June 16: Census shows Charles (48, laborer, $400 real estate), Susan (33), and six children in Joliet, Will County
Daughter Margaret born in Illinois
Sons William and Thomas born in Illinois (possibly twins)
June 7: Census shows Charles (60, laborer), Susan (45), and nine children in Joliet
October 7: Charles McCanna makes his will, leaving everything to Susan
December: Charles McCanna dies; buried St. Patrick's Cemetery, Joliet
February: Charles's will probated in Will County Court
June 2: Census shows Susan (67, widow) at 1000 N. Broadway with James, Catherine, Margaret, and William
Brother James Hamill of St. Louis visits Susan at 1000 North Broadway (newspaper notice)
February 8: Brother James Hamill dies in St. Louis
May 6: Census shows Susan (77) with James, Kate, and daughter Margaret O'Connor
December 15: Susan Hamill McCanna dies at 1000 N. Broadway, age 82. Buried St. Patrick's Cemetery, Joliet
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