The Brooklyn Mat Maker
How Sequential Evidence Building Solved What Traditional Genealogy Couldn't
Case Study Components
Complete BCG-compliant documentation following the Genealogical Proof Standard
Case Study Summary
The Challenge • The Breakthrough • The Result
- The common surname challenge in 1870s Brooklyn
- Seven years of dead-ends and breakthroughs
- How widow designations solved the puzzle
- Discovering Aunt Maime's extraordinary devotion
BCG Evidence Analysis
Genealogical Proof Standard Application
- Individual analysis of all sources
- Evidence type classification
- Information quality assessment
- Conflict resolution documented
- Correlation matrices
Methodology Guide
6 Research Phases Over 7 Years
- Phase-by-phase research progression
- Occupational tracking methodology
- Breakthrough moments explained
- Dead-ends documented
- Transferable techniques
DNA Evidence Analysis
Corroborating Documentary Evidence
- Thomas Kenny and Richard Kenny validation
- Shared plot coordinates proof
- Corcoran DNA line connection
- Francis Heffernan descendant match
- Conservative interpretations
Document Gallery
All 30+ Sources with Images
- High-resolution document images
- Full repository citations
- Evidence quality ratings
- Provenance documentation
- Analysis for each source
Evidence Trail
1848-2002 Chronological Record
- Irish origins (County Longford)
- Brooklyn textile trades (1848-1888)
- The orphaned daughters (1884-1888)
- Aunt Maime's 47-year devotion (1888-1935)
- Surviving descendants timeline
The Heart of the Story
One unmarried woman's extraordinary 47-year sacrifice
Aunt Maime: 47 Years of Devotion
John Kenny's Family
Aunt Maime's Sacrifice
When John Kenny died in 1888, his two daughters—Elizabeth "Lillian" (age 6) and Mary Agnes (age 4)—had already lost their mother four years earlier. Mary F. "Aunt Maime" MacKinney, their mother's unmarried sister, took in the orphaned girls and devoted the next 47 years of her life to raising them. Through her sacrifice, the girls survived poverty and eventually prospered. The perpetual care receipts for Aunt Maime's grave, paid by the nieces she raised for over 70 years, stand as testament to a love that transcended blood.
The Evidence in Numbers
Related Stories & Educational Content
From research discovery to family narrative to teaching methodology
The Discovery Stories
"Four Words That Solved a Mystery"
How a simple widow designation in a city directory became the key to unlocking seven years of genealogical research.
Read the story →"Four Generations in Hats"
A Brooklyn story of resilience tracing the Kenny family through the textile trades from Mat Weaver to Hatter.
Read the story →For the Family
"Woman in the Portrait: Aunt Maime's Story"
The extraordinary 47-year devotion of an unmarried aunt who raised her sister's orphaned daughters from poverty to prosperity.
Read the story →"The Tintype in the Box"
Solving a 150-year-old family mystery through forensic photo analysis and documentary research.
Read the story →Educational Series
Research Template Collection
Complete Brooklyn Mat Maker research template for applying this methodology to your own common surname challenges.
Download Template →"Occupational Tracking: When Name Searches Fail"
A lesson in using career progression as unique identifiers when traditional genealogy methods reach their limits.
Read the lesson →Ready to Discover Your Family's Story?
Every family has mysteries waiting to be solved. Common surnames. Fragmented records. Limited DNA matches. Census records that don't distinguish one ancestor from dozens of others with the same name.
Storyline Genealogy specializes in complex multi-generational research, Irish immigrant families, occupational tracking methodology, and BCG-compliant case studies that honor both rigor and heart.