Evidence Trail
Chronological Documentation of the Kenny-McKenny Family Connection
Following 107 years of documentary evidence from the 1843 marriage of Richard and Eliza Kenny through the final records in 1950
Following the Paper Trail
This timeline presents the documentary evidence in chronological order, showing how each record builds upon previous discoveries to establish the identity of John Kenny (mat maker) and connect the Kenny and McKenny families across three generations.
The trail begins with the 1843 marriage of Richard and Eliza Kenny and follows their descendants through 1950, demonstrating how occupational tracking enables identification when common surnames make traditional methods unreliable.
1840s - Foundation
Marriage of Richard Kenny & Eliza Kenny
Witnesses: John Rielly and El. Farrel
What This Establishes:
The marriage of Richard and Eliza Kenny anchors the entire Kenny family line. All subsequent records trace back to this union. Their sons James and John were likely born before this marriage or shortly after, as they appear as teenagers in the 1850 census.
1850s - Family Structure Emerges
Federal Census - Eliza Kenny Household
Household: Eliza Kenny (47, Grocery, Ireland, $200); James (14, NY); John (12, NY)
What This Establishes:
First documentary evidence of family structure. Eliza operates a grocery business with $200 in real estate. Richard is notably absent—he will die in 1854. Sons James and John are both New York-born, establishing family presence before 1836.
Next in Trail: 1855 State Census → First record after Richard's death
Death of Richard Kenny
Confirmation: 1862 Directory lists "Eliza wid." (widow)
New York State Census - Kenny Family
Household: Eliza Kenny (60, Mother, Ireland); James Kenny (27, House Laborer, Kings); John Kenny (17, Kings)
What This Establishes:
First census after Richard's death. James is now employed. Family has moved from Ward 5 to Ward 7. Eliza listed with relationship "Mother" indicates sons are heads of household.
1860s - McKenny Family Appears
Federal Census - George McKenna Household
Household: George McKenna (30, Day Laborer, Ireland, $50); Ann (30, Ireland); Margaret (9, NY); Mary (7/12, NY)
What This Establishes:
First appearance of the McKenny family. Margaret (age 9) will marry John Kenny circa 1879. Infant Mary will become "Aunt Maime" who raises Lillian after John's death.
Next in Trail: 1862 Directory → First directory evidence of Kenny family
Federal Census - Eliza Kenny Household
Household: Eliza Kenny; James; John
Next in Trail: 1862 Directory → Eliza's widow status confirmed
Brooklyn City Directory
Kenny, Eliza wid. grocery, Walworth nr Park Av
Kenny, James laborer h r Walworth n Park Av
Kenny, Thomas foreman h Park Ave c Spencer
What This Establishes:
First directory confirmation of Eliza as "wid." (widow of Richard). Grocery business continuing 8 years after Richard's death. Thomas Kenny (likely Richard's brother/John's uncle) lives nearby.
Next in Trail: 1870 Census → First appearance of "Mat Maker" occupation
1870s - The Mat Maker Emerges
Federal Census - Kenny Household
Household: Kenny, Elizabeth (36, Keeps House, Ireland); James (65, Works in hat factory, NY); John (29, Mat Maker, NY)
What This Establishes:
PIVOTAL RECORD: First appearance of "Mat Maker" as John's occupation. This distinctive identifier becomes the key to tracking John Kenny through all subsequent records. James's employment in a hat factory shows family involvement in the hat-making industry.
Next in Trail: 1870 McKenny Census → George McKenny's final appearance
Federal Census - George McKenna Household
Household: George (48, Ireland); Mary (40, Ireland); Margaret (18, NY); Mary (9, NY)
What This Establishes:
Margaret is now 18 years old—marriageable age. George will die on December 31, 1870, just months after this enumeration. The family's proximity to John Kenny (adjacent Ward 21) during this period explains how John and Margaret met.
Death of George McKenney
Occupation: Laborer
Cause: Phthisis Pulmonalis (Pulmonary Tuberculosis)
Burial: Holy Cross Cemetery, January 1, 1871
What This Establishes:
George's death from tuberculosis begins a tragic pattern that will claim his daughter Margaret (1884), son-in-law John (1888), and granddaughter Mary Agnes (1924). Ann is now widowed with daughters Margaret (18) and Mary (9).
Next in Trail: 1873 Directory → Eliza's grocery continues
Brooklyn City Directory
Next in Trail: 1875 Census → Family trade cluster confirmed
New York State Census - Kenny Household
Household: Eliza Kenny (60, Hatter, Ireland); James Kenny (37, Mat Weaver, Kings); John Kenny (32, House Laborer, Kings)
What This Establishes:
Confirms entire family involvement in hat-making trades. Eliza listed as "Hatter"; James as "Mat Weaver"—directly related to John's "Mat Maker" occupation. This occupational clustering provides corroborating evidence that these records refer to the same family.
New York State Census - McKinny Household
Household: Ann McKinny (Ireland); Margaret McKinny (daughter, Kings); Mary McKinny (daughter, Kings)
What This Establishes:
First census after George's death. Ann is widowed with both daughters still at home. Margaret (now ~23) will marry John Kenny within the next few years.
Death of James Kenny
Occupation: Hatter
Place of death: 79 Walworth Street, Ward 21
Cause: Small Pox
Burial: Holy Cross Cemetery
What This Establishes:
James dies of small pox at age 29. His occupation "Hatter" confirms involvement in hat-making trade with brother John. Death at 79 Walworth Street is same neighborhood where family lived (75 Walworth).
Next in Trail: 1879 Directory → First "matmkr" directory listing
Brooklyn City Directory
Kenny Elizabeth, wid. Richard, h r 75 Walworth
Kenny John matmkr h r 75 Walworth
Kenny Thomas h 525 Park Ave
What This Establishes:
CRITICAL CONFIRMATION: First directory listing of John as "matmkr" confirms 1870 census occupation. Mother and son at same address (75 Walworth) corroborates family relationship. Elizabeth explicitly "wid. Richard" confirms parentage.
Next in Trail: ~1879 → Marriage of John Kenny & Margaret McKenny
Marriage of John Kenny & Margaret McKenny
Confirmation: 1880 Census shows Margaret as John's wife; daughter Eliza age 10/12 months (born ~July 1879)
Birth of Elizabeth "Lillian" Kenny
Parents: John and Margaret McKernry
What This Establishes:
Birth of John and Margaret's first surviving child. Lillian will later go by both "Elizabeth" and "Lillian." She appears in 1880 census as "Eliza Kenny (Daughter, 10/12 months)."
1880s - Families Connect & Tragedy Strikes
Federal Census - John Kenny Household
Household: John Kenny (Head); Margaret Kenny (Wife); Eliza Kenny (Mother); Eliza Kenny (Daughter, 10/12 months)
What This Establishes:
CRITICAL CONNECTION: This census ties together the Kenny and McKenny families through John's marriage to Margaret. Mother Eliza lives in her son's household. Daughter Eliza (later "Lillian") is 10/12 months old. Three generations in one household.
Next in Trail: 1880 Census → Ann McKenna household
Federal Census - Ann McKenna Household
What This Establishes:
Margaret is absent from her mother's household—she has married John Kenny and appears in his household. Sister Mary remains with widowed Ann. Ann's maiden name recorded as Lynch.
Brooklyn City Directory
Kenny Elizabeth wid Richard h r 75 Walworth
Kenny John matmkr h r 75 Walworth
Next in Trail: February 1882 → Birth of Mary Agnes Kenny
Birth of Mary Agnes Kenny
Baptized: February 12, 1882
Parents: John Kenny and Margaret McKenny
Sponsors: James Kenny and Mary A. Dunne
What This Establishes:
CRITICAL PROOF: Baptismal certificate explicitly names "John Kenny and Margaret McKenny" as parents, confirming Margaret's maiden name. Sponsor James Kenny is John's brother (who died in 1875—possibly different James or record error).
Death of Margaret Kenny (née McKenny)
Status: Married
Place of death: 39 Nostrand Ave, Brooklyn, Ward 21
Cause: Pulmonary Consumption (Tuberculosis), Asthma
Certificate delivered to: John Kenny
What This Establishes:
Margaret dies of TB—same disease that killed her father George (1870). John is widowed with daughters Eliza (age 4) and Mary Agnes (age 2). Certificate delivery to "John Kenny" confirms he is the surviving husband.
Next in Trail: July 12, 1884 → Death of infant Margaret Kenny
Death of Infant Margaret Kenny
Place of death: 39 Sandford St, Brooklyn, Ward 21
Cause: Cholera Infantum, Asthenia
Burial: Holy Cross Cemetery
Certificate delivered to: John Kenny
What This Establishes:
Infant daughter Margaret dies just 7 weeks after her mother. John loses wife and infant daughter within two months. He is now a widower with two surviving daughters: Eliza (4) and Mary Agnes (2).
Death of Eliza Kenny
Status: Widow
Cause: Senectus (old age)
Certificate #: 38246
What This Establishes:
Eliza Kenny dies at age 77, having outlived husband Richard (~1854), son James (1875), and daughter-in-law Margaret (1884). She was the last witness to the family's earliest history.
Brooklyn City Directory
What This Establishes:
John's final directory appearance before his death. Occupation "matmaker" remains consistent across 9 years (1879-1888). New address (39 Hopkins) after mother's death.
Death of John Kenny
Occupation: Hatter
Place of death: St. Catherine's Hospital
Cause: Pulmonary Phthisis (Tuberculosis), Asthenia
Father's birthplace: Ireland
Mother's birthplace: Ireland
What This Establishes:
John dies of TB—same disease that killed father-in-law George (1870) and wife Margaret (1884). Daughters Eliza (8) and Mary Agnes (6) are now orphans. They will be raised by aunt Mary F. MacKinney (Margaret's sister).
Next in Trail: 1910 Census → Orphaned Lillian with Aunt Maime
1900s-1910s - Next Generation
Birth of Lillian Josephine Robertson
Father: Joseph Robertson (Shipping Clerk)
Mother: Mary Kenny
Mother's age: 22
What This Establishes:
Birth certificate names mother as "Mary Kenny," confirming Mary Agnes Kenny's maiden name. This is your grandmother Lillian J. Robertson—first grandchild of John Kenny and Margaret McKenny.
Birth of Helen Gladys Robertson
Father: Joseph Robertson (Clerk)
Mother: Mary Kenny
Previous children: 1
Federal Census - Mary F. MacKinney & Lillian Kenny
What This Establishes:
Confirms Mary F. MacKinney (Margaret's sister) raised orphaned niece Lillian after John's death in 1888. Lillian is now 30 and working as a typewriter. The "niece" relationship confirms Lillian is Margaret's daughter.
Federal Census - Joseph Robertson Family
Household: Joseph Robertson (27, Salesman - Hardware); Mary (26); Lillian (4); Helen (2)
New York State Census - Joseph Robertson Family
Household: Joseph Robertson (28, Salesman); Mary (27); Lillian (9); Helen (7)
Lillian Marie Kenny - WWI Navy Service
Rate: Landsman Yeoman Female
Age at entrance: 30 yrs 9 mos
Address: 134 7th St, Brooklyn
What This Establishes:
Lillian served as one of the first women in U.S. Navy in non-nursing capacity. Age confirms 1879 birth date. Service through December 10, 1920, when discharged as Yeoman 3 Class.
1920s - Final Chapter for Second Generation
Birth of Joseph Jay Robertson
Mother: Mary Agnes Robertson
Mother's maiden name: Mary Agnes Kenny
Mother's age: 34
Previous children: 3 (three now living)
What This Establishes:
Birth certificate explicitly states mother's maiden name as "Mary Agnes Kenny." Joseph Jay was just 4 years old when both parents died in January 1924.
Federal Census - Joseph Robertson Family
Household: Joseph Robertson (35, Salesman - Marine); Agnes Mary (35); Lillian (14); Helen (12)
Next in Trail: July 10, 1920 → Lillian Kenny's marriage
Federal Census - Mary MacKinney & Lillian Kenny
Next in Trail: July 10, 1920 → Lillian's marriage
Marriage of Elizabeth Lillian Kenny & John Joseph Corbett
Bride: Elizabeth Lillian Kenny
Father: John (USA)
Mother: Margaret McKinney (USA)
Witness: Mary MacKinney
What This Establishes:
Marriage record names parents as John and Margaret McKinney, confirming Lillian's parentage. Aunt Mary MacKinney (who raised Lillian since 1888) serves as witness, demonstrating continued family bond.
Death of Joseph Robertson
Age: 39 years, 4 months, 7 days
Residence: 12 Elm Rd, North Caldwells
Cause: Cerebral Hemorrhage
Burial: Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn
What This Establishes:
Joseph dies suddenly of cerebral hemorrhage. Wife Mary Agnes, already suffering from TB, will die 12 days later.
Death of Mary Agnes Robertson
Age: 40 years, 11 months, 8 days
Status: Widow
Father: John Kenny (U.S.)
Mother: Margaret McKenny
Cause: Pulmonary Tuberculosis (3+ years)
Burial: Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Montclair, N.J.
What This Establishes:
CRITICAL PROOF: Death certificate explicitly names parents as "John Kenny" and "Margaret McKenny," providing direct evidence of lineage. Mary Agnes dies of TB—same disease that killed grandfather George (1870), mother Margaret (1884), and father John (1888). Three children orphaned: Lillian (18), Helen (16), Joseph Jay (4).
Next in Trail: May 7, 1924 → Lillian Robertson obtains baptism certificate
Baptism Certificate Obtained
Certificate for: Mary Agnes Kenny (1882 baptism)
What This Establishes:
Your grandmother Lillian Robertson obtained her mother's baptism certificate just four months after Mary Agnes's death. This shows the family's effort to preserve documentation after losing both parents.
1930s-1950s - Final Records
Death of Mary F. MacKinney
Residence: 340 Maple St, Brooklyn
Father: George MacKinney (Ireland)
Mother: Ann Lynch (Ireland)
Cause: Chronic Myocarditis, Arteriosclerosis
Burial: Holy Cross Cemetery
What This Establishes:
Death certificate and obituary confirm parents as "George and Ann Lynch MacKinney." Obituary states she "is survived by several nieces"—including Lillian Corbett whom she raised.
Social Security Claim - Elizabeth K Corbett
Birth: July 28, 1879, Brooklyn
Father: John
Mother: Margaret McKernry
What This Establishes:
Lillian's Social Security application provides final confirmation of parents as John and Margaret McKernry (variant spelling). Birth date July 28, 1879 consistent with 1880 census (10/12 months).
Death of Elizabeth Corbett
Age: 70
Borough: K (Kings/Brooklyn)
Certificate: 6151
What This Establishes:
Elizabeth "Lillian" Kenny Corbett dies at age 70 in Brooklyn—the same borough where she was born in 1879. She is the last direct witness to John Kenny and Margaret McKenny's family.
Evidence Trail Summary
Key Connections Established
This evidence trail establishes a continuous chain of documentation connecting John Kenny (mat maker) through three generations from 1843 to 1950.
1870 Census "Mat Maker" → 1879 Directory "matmkr" → 1880 Directory "matmkr" → 1888 Directory "matmaker" → 1888 Death "Hatter"
TB Chain (1870-1924):
George McKenny (1870) → Margaret Kenny (1884) → John Kenny (1888) → Mary Agnes Robertson (1924)
Parentage Chain:
1843 Marriage (Richard & Eliza) → 1879-1880 Directories (wid. Richard) → 1880 Census (Mother) → 1882 Baptism (John & Margaret) → 1920 Marriage (John & Margaret) → 1924 Death (John Kenny & Margaret McKenny) → 1947 SS Application (John & Margaret)