The Hamall Line: Henry Hamall
Henry Hamall
Born around 1817, likely in County Monaghan, Ireland, Henry Hamall's life unfolded during a time of immense social and political change. The rural Irish landscape of his youth was one of tenant farming, religious tension, and economic fragility—conditions that would shape his journey as a husband, father, and ultimately, immigrant.
While few details survive about his early years, his 1841 marriage to Mary McMahon in the Roman Catholic parish of Inniskeen places him firmly within the civil parish of Donaghmoyne. The couple would have five children together over the course of eleven years—three born in Ireland before the famine drove them across the Atlantic, and two more in Montreal, Canada.
Henry died in July 1854, just a few years after settling in Canada. He was thirty-seven years old. His death left Mary a widow with several young children, prompting her remarriage the following year to Patrick Thornton. Henry was buried from the parish of Notre-Dame, and though no monument survives, his life is inscribed in the legacy of the children he raised through adversity.
Ireland: Donaghmoyne Parish
In the 1800s, Donaghmoyne, County Monaghan, was a place of both quiet persistence and growing instability. British land policy, religious discrimination, and limited economic opportunity shaped the lives of tenant families. Catholic parish records, rather than civil documents, are the primary surviving evidence of lives like Henry's—highlighting the marginalized status of Irish Catholics under British rule.
Henry and Mary's marriage on January 1, 1841, took place in the Roman Catholic parish of Inniskeen, within the broader civil parish of Donaghmoyne. This union marked the beginning of a family whose roots would eventually stretch across the Atlantic. The marriage occurred just four years before the Great Famine would begin devastating Ireland's poorest regions.
1841 Marriage Record
Husband: Henry Hamill, Donaghmoyne
Wife: Mary McMahon, Donaghmoyne
Date: 1 January 1841
Parish: Donaghmoyne, County Monaghan
Note: "Exact date not given. Priest's name not given."
What This Proves
- Henry Hamall married Mary McMahon in Donaghmoyne parish in 1841
- Confirms Irish origins in County Monaghan
- Marriage occurred six years before Owen's birth (1847)
- Mary's maiden name: McMahon (critical for tracing the maternal line)
Children Born in Ireland
The couple's first children were born amid the growing crisis of the Great Famine (1845–1852). Their daughter Mary was baptized on January 1, 1847—during "Black '47," the deadliest year of the famine. Though Monaghan was not the hardest hit county, the economic aftershocks affected all regions.
1847 Baptism Record – Mary Hamill
Child: Mary Hamill
Parents: Henry Hamill and Mary McMahon
Date of Birth: 1 January 1847
Parish: Donaghmoyne, County Monaghan
Note: "in marriage book"
Owen (Eugene) Hamall, the son who would later emigrate to Chicago and anchor the American branch of the family, was also born in 1847. Mary was Owen's older sister—a famine baby who survived birth during Ireland's darkest year but would die in Montreal at age four, shortly after the family's emigration.
These findings strengthen the case for Henry's roots in a concentrated Hamill cluster near the Farney barony border. Nearby listings include Daniel and Edward Hamill—suggesting a multi-generational farming family. While the 1861 record postdates Henry's emigration (and death), it may reference a relative who remained behind.
The Atlantic Crossing
The decision to emigrate around 1850 must have been both painful and necessary. The Great Famine had devastated Ireland's poorest regions, and even in counties like Monaghan that were not the hardest hit, the economic aftershocks drove thousands to seek survival across the Atlantic.
Henry and Mary joined the vast Irish exodus, making their way to Quebec aboard overcrowded ships with few belongings. The evidence for their arrival date comes from their son Michael's baptism record in Montreal, which confirms the family had arrived by 1850.
1851 Baptism Record – Michael Hamall
Child: Michael Hamall
Parents: Henry Hamall (journalier/day laborer) and Mary McMahon (immigrant)
Date of Baptism: 30 June 1851
Note: "born about a year ago" (c. 1850)
Sponsor: Sarah McMahon
Additional Note: Father is absent; Henry listed as "journalier" (day laborer)
What This Proves
- The Hamall family had arrived in Montreal by 1850
- Michael was born c. 1850 (approximately one year before baptism)
- Henry worked as a day laborer (journalier)
- Sarah McMahon served as sponsor—likely Mary's relative
- The family fled famine conditions and settled among Montreal's Irish immigrant community
The sponsor, Sarah McMahon, was likely Mary's relative—perhaps a sister who had also emigrated. This detail suggests the family had kinship networks in Montreal that may have influenced their choice of destination.
Montreal: 1850–1854
Once in Montreal, Henry entered a complex, polyglot city dominated by French and English speakers. The Irish, though numerous, faced discrimination and were often relegated to laboring jobs. Yet Montreal also offered opportunity. Catholic parishes such as Notre-Dame provided spiritual, social, and charitable support to the immigrant community.
Loss of a Child
The family's early years in Montreal were marked by tragedy. Their daughter Mary—the famine baby born in Ireland in 1847—died in 1851 at just four years old. She had survived the famine years and the Atlantic crossing, only to die within a year or two of arriving in Canada.
1851 Death/Burial Record – Mary Hamall
Child: Mary Hamall, age 4
Parents: Henry Hamall and Mary McMahon
Date: 1851
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Another Daughter
Despite their loss, Henry and Mary welcomed another daughter, Mary Ann, in 1853. Her baptism record provides critical documentation of Owen's parents' names.
1853 Baptism Record – Mary Ann Hamill
Child: Mary Ann Hamill
Parents: Henry Hamell and Mary McMahon
Date: 10 April 1853
Parish: Basilique Notre Dame, Montreal
What This Proves
- Mary Ann's baptism explicitly lists parents as "Henry Hamell" and "Mary McMahon"
- Provides contemporary documentation of Owen's parents' names
- Mary Ann was Owen's younger sister
- Her descendants would later provide crucial DNA matches (CR & DK at 19 cM) validating the family relationships
Death of Henry Hamall
Henry Hamall died in Montreal in July 1854. He was approximately thirty-seven years old. The burial record from Basilique Notre-Dame lists him as a "journalier"—a day laborer—the same occupation noted at his son Michael's baptism three years earlier.
1854 Death Record – Henry Hamall
Name: Henry Hamall
Occupation: Journalier (day laborer)
Age: Approximately 37 years
Date: July 1854
Parish: Basilique Notre-Dame, Montreal
Henry's death left Mary a widow with at least three young children: Michael (age 4), Owen (age 7), and Mary Ann (age 1). He died just three to four years after emigrating from Ireland—long enough to establish his family in the New World, but not long enough to see his children grow up.
Mary's Remarriage
Within a year of Henry's death, Mary McMahon remarried. Her new husband was Patrick Thornton, a bachelor of Montreal. The marriage record explicitly identifies her as "Mary McMahon, widow of the late Henry Hamall"—providing critical documentation linking her two marriages.
1855 Marriage Record – Patrick Thornton & Mary McMahon
Groom: Patrick Thornton, bachelor, of the city of Montreal
Bride: Mary McMahon, "widow of the late Henry Hamall"
Date: 14 May 1855
Witnesses: James Brennan, John Kirwan
What This Proves
- Mary McMahon is explicitly identified as "widow of the late Henry Hamall"
- This marriage created the blended family seen in the 1861 census
- Patrick Thornton became stepfather to Owen, Michael, and Mary Ann
- William Thornton (born c. 1856) was Mary's son with Patrick—Owen's half-brother
- This explains the "Hammil, Thornton" mystery from the 1880 Chicago census
The 1861 Census: A Blended Family
The 1861 Canada East Census shows the blended Thornton-Hamall household in Montreal. The family is listed under Patrick Thornton as head, with Mary and the children from both marriages living together.
1861 Census – Canada East
Location: Montreal (Ste-Anne)
Head: Pat Thornton
Wife: M. Thornton (Mary)
Children:
- O. Hamel (Owen) – age ~14
- M. Hamel (Michael) – age ~11
- M. Hamel (Mary Ann) – age ~8
- Wm Thornton (William) – Mary's son with Patrick
This census record is the last known document showing Michael Hamall with his family before he disappears from records. He does not reappear until possibly 1897 in a Chicago city directory, where a "Michael J. Hamall, bridgebuilder" is listed at the same address as Kate Hamall—Owen's widow.
The Death of Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon died on September 19, 1874, in Montreal. She was buried two days later at Basilique Notre-Dame. The burial record identifies her as "Mary McMahon, widow of the late Henry Hammel"—even though she had been remarried to Patrick Thornton for nearly twenty years, she was identified by her first husband's name.
1874 Death Record – Mary McMahon
Name: Mary McMahon
Status: "widow of the late Henry Hammel"
Date of Death: September 19, 1874
Date of Burial: September 21, 1874
Location: Basilique Notre-Dame cemetery, Montreal
What This Proves
- Mary McMahon died September 19, 1874 in Montreal (NOT 1897 in Chicago)
- She was buried at Basilique Notre-Dame
- Identified as "widow of Henry Hammel" even after remarriage
- Both of Owen's parents died before his marriage to Kate (1879)
- Owen was approximately 27 years old when his mother died
By the time of Mary's death, Owen had likely already left Montreal for the United States. He would marry Kate Griffith in Chicago in 1879, having lost both parents by age 27.
The Legacy
Much about Henry Hamall's early life remains lost to time, but the records that survive tell of a father who carried his family through one of Ireland's darkest periods. The children he raised—especially Owen, Michael, and Mary Ann—would go on to anchor immigrant families in Chicago and Montreal, carrying forward the legacy of his perseverance.
The Children of Henry Hamall
Owen (Eugene) Hamall (1847–1898) emigrated to Chicago, married Kate Griffith in 1879, and had six children—four of whom died in a devastating eighteen-month period between 1892 and 1893. Owen died blind and destitute in 1898. His story is told in Episode 2 of this series.
Michael Hamall (c. 1850–?) disappears from records after the 1861 census until possibly appearing in an 1897 Chicago directory as "Michael J. Hamall, bridgebuilder." Whether this is the same Michael remains unconfirmed.
Mary Ann Hamall (1853–?) married William Byron in Montreal in 1879. Her descendants provide DNA matches (CR & DK at 19 cM via M.A. Hamill Byron) that validate the family relationships documented in this series.
The Surname Transformation
Henry's story was reconstructed through sacramental records and the preserved 1851 and 1854 registers of Notre-Dame Parish. The Irish spelling of his surname appears in various forms—Hamill, Hammel, and Hamall—but each reference led closer to confirming his presence and role in early Montreal.
In Ireland, the name was consistently spelled "Hamill." The "Hamall" spelling, which continues among descendants today, was first seen in Montreal records. Owen adopted the Hamall form and passed it on to future generations.
Timeline: Henry Hamall
Document Gallery
Primary sources documenting Henry Hamall, Mary McMahon, and their children. Click any image to enlarge.
1841 — Marriage Record
Henry Hamill & Mary McMahon, Donaghmoyne
Marriage
1847 — Baptism Record
Mary Hamill, daughter of Henry & Mary McMahon
Baptism
1851 — Death Record
Mary Hamall, age 4, Montreal
Death
1851 — Baptism Record
Michael Hamall, Basilique Notre-Dame
Baptism
1851 — Baptism Detail
Henry Hamall (journalier) & Mary McMahon (immigrant)
Baptism
1853 — Baptism Record
Mary Ann Hamill, daughter of Henry & Mary McMahon
Baptism
1854 — Death Record
Henry Hamall, journalier, age 37
Death
1854 — Death Detail
"Henry Hamall, journalier, décédé la veille"
Death
1855 — Marriage Record
Patrick Thornton & Mary McMahon (widow of Henry Hamall)
Marriage
1855 — Marriage Detail
"widow of the late Henry Hammal"
Marriage
1861 — Canada East Census
Thornton-Hamall blended household
Census
1874 — Death Record
Mary McMahon, widow of Henry Hammel
Death
1874 — Death Detail
"Mary McMahon, veuve de Henry Hammel"
Death
1879 — Marriage Record
Mary Ann Hammell to William Byron
Marriage
1879 — Marriage Detail
"daughter of deceased Henry Hammell"
Marriage
1897 — Chicago Directory
Michael J. Hamall, bridgebuilder
Directory
1901 — Canada Census
Mary Byron (née Hamall) in Montreal
Census
1901 — Census Detail
William & Mary Byron household
CensusWant to Know When New Stories Are Published?
Subscribe to receive updates on new family history research—no spam, just meaningful stories when there's something worth sharing.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTEREvery Family Has a Story Worth Telling
Whether you're just beginning your research or ready to transform years of work into a narrative your family will treasure, I'd love to help.
LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR FAMILY