Patrick J. Norton (1855-1905)

Patrick J. Norton (1856-1905) Immigrant From Ireland to USA; and Laborer on Railroad; Died of Septicemia (b. March 1856, County Galway, Ireland - d. October 09, 1905, Saint Francis Hospital, Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, USA)

Birth
Patrick was born in 1856 in County Galway, Ireland to Michael Norton; and Bridget Mulligan. The exact town where he was born is not known, but it should be able to be determined once the Ireland census is searchable online.

Siblings
His siblings include: Matthew Norton (c1860-?) who is only known through witnessing Pat's marriage and being the godfather to Thomas Patrick Norton I; and John Norton (1861-1905). John never married.

Emigration
The city in County Galway of Patrick's birth has not yet been determined. He emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts in 1880 and was joined by his brother, John Norton, in 1882. Patrick became a US citizen in 1888, while in Boston, where he was working as a laborer.

Jersey City, New Jersey
Patrick and John moved to Jersey City, New Jersey just before 1890.

Railroad
Patrick worked for the railroad in Hoboken as a fireman. The railroad fireman would add coal to the fire to make the steam that drove the engine. This work may have helped his son get a job at the railroad when Patrick died in 1905.

Marriage
Patrick married Sarah Jane Carr (1863-1950) of Hollygrove, Ireland on April 13, 1890 at Saint Paul's Roman Catholic Church at 14 Greenville Avenue in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was 32 years old. Sarah was the daughter of Thomas Carr I (c1840-bef1901) and Bridget Conboy (1841-aft1901). Patrick was living at 12 Bright Street in Jersey City at the time of his marriage. Living with him was his brother, Matthew Norton. In the marriage records of the church their names were latinized as: "Patricum Norton" and "Saram Carr".

Children
Patrick and Sarah had five children and three lived to adulthood:
 * Thomas Patrick Norton I (1891-1968) who worked for the railroad and married Mary Margaret Burke (1890-1949) and after she died he married her half-sister Josephine Veronica Burke (1907-1995)
 * James Joseph Norton I (1892-1961) who married Helen Marie Maher (1895-1974)
 * Katherine Mary Norton (1894-1942) who married James Patrick Langan I (1889-1975) and died young under unusual circumstances
 * Sarah Francis Norton (1896) who died as an infant
 * Mary Norton (1898) who died as an infant.

Death
In the year 1900 the family was living at 101 Bright Street in Jersey City. Pat died in 1905 when living at 554 Grove Street. The cause of death was "pyonephritic septicemia". Four months earlier, his brother, John Norton, had died.

Obituary
His obituary was in the Evening Journal on Tuesday, October 10, 1905 and reads as follows: Norton - On Monday, October 9, 1905, Patrick, beloved husband of Sarah Norton. Relatives and friends are requested to attend his funeral from his late residence, 554 Grove Street, on Wednesday at 9 a.m.; thence to St. Lucy's Church, where a high mass of requiem will be offered.

Burial
Patrick was buried in Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City with his two children that died as infants. Also in the cemetery plot is his brother John.

Widow
His wife, Sarah, lived until the year 1950 and always dressed in black, as a widow, since she never remarried. Sarah bought two brand-new two-family houses in the 1920s with money that she said came from Pat's death. The source of the money has always been a mystery. It is not known if he had an insurance policy, but it is doubtful.

Archive
No identified picture of Patrick is known to exist. A photocopy of his naturalization certificate survived in the family archive.