Patrick J. Norton (1855-1905)

Patrick J. Norton (1856-1905) was an immigrant from Ireland to the Boston in the United Sates around 1880. He moved from Boston to New Jersey and worked as a laborer on the railroad, where he died of septicemia at age 49. (b. March 1856, County Galway, Ireland - d. October 09, 1905, Saint Francis Hospital, Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, USA)

Parents

 * Michael Norton (c1830-?)
 * Bridget Mulligan (c1830-?)

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:
 * James T. Norton (1849-1898) who died in Boston, Massachusetts on July 28, 1898.
 * Catherine A. Norton (1851-1913) who married Patrick Murphy (1853-?) in Boston, Massachusetts
 * Matthew Norton (c1860-?) who is only known through witnessing Pat's marriage and being the godfather to Thomas Patrick Norton I
 * John Norton (1861-1905)

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 of acute pachymeningitis
 * Mary Norton (1898) who died as an infant of meningitis

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.

Funeral notice
His funeral notice 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:
 * Sarah Francis Norton (1896) child of Patrick Norton and Sarah Carr
 * Mary Norton (1898) child of Patrick Norton and Sarah Carr
 * John Norton (1861-1905) brother of Patrick Norton
 * Katherine Mary Norton (1894-1942) daughter of Sara Carr and Patrick Norton
 * Sarah Jane Carr (1863-1950) wife of Patrick Norton
 * James Joseph Norton I (1892-1961) son of Sara Carr and Patrick Norton
 * Helen Marie Maher (1895-1974) wife of James Joseph Norton

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 around 1920 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.

Timeline

 * 1845 Great Famine begins in Ireland when potato crop fails from fungal infestation
 * 1852 Great Famine ends
 * 1858 Born, most likely, in County Galway, Ireland in March
 * 1880 Emigration to United States from Ireland (age 22)
 * 1882 Emigration of John Norton, his brother (age 24)
 * 1888 Working as a laborer in Boston, Massachusetts (age 30)
 * 1888 Naturalized as US citizen in Boston, Massachusetts on November 23rd (age 30)
 * 1889 (circa) Move to Jersey City, New Jersey from Boston, Massachusetts
 * 1890 United States Census
 * 1890 Living at 12 Bright Street, Jersey City, Hudson Co., NJ, 07302-4311, USA with his brother Matthew
 * 1890 Working as a fireman on railroad (age 32)
 * 1890 Marriage to Sara Jane Carr at St. Paul's R.C. Church, Greenville, Jersey City, NJ (age 32)
 * 1891 Worshiping at St. Bridget's Church, Jersey City, NJ
 * 1891 Thomas Patrick Norton I, his first child and first son, is born on February 28th (age 33)
 * 1891 Baptism of Thomas Patrick Norton I at St. Bridget's Church on Sunday, November 8th (age 33)
 * 1892 James Joseph Norton I, his second child and second son, is born on November 18th (age 34)
 * 1892 Baptism of James Joseph Norton I at St. Bridget's Church on Sunday, November 27th (age 34)
 * 1893 Move from St. Bridget's Church
 * 1894 Katherine Norton, his third child and first daughter, is born in June (age 36)
 * 1895 Working as a fireman on railroad (age 37)
 * 1895 New Jersey Census
 * 1896 Living at 361 Grand Street, Jersey City
 * 1896 Birth of Sarah Francis Norton, his daughter, around January
 * 1896 Death of Sarah Francis Norton, his daughter, before June 2nd
 * 1898 Birth of Mary Norton, his daughter, around January
 * 1898 Death of Mary Norton, his daughter, before July 28th
 * 1898 Spanish American War (age 40)
 * 1900 United States Census
 * 1900 Living at 101 Bright Street, Jersey City, Hudson Co., NJ, 07302-4301, USA on June 11th (age 42)
 * 1900 Working as a day laborer on the railroad in NJ (age 42)
 * 1905 Living at 101 Bright Street, Jersey City, Hudson County, NJ, 07302-4301, USA on June 7th (age 47)
 * 1905 Death of John Norton (1861-1905), his brother, on June 7, 1905 (age 47)
 * 1905 Living at 554 Grove Street, Jersey City, Hudson Co., NJ, 07310-1426, USA on October 9th (age 47)
 * 1905 Death of Patrick J. Norton in Jersey City, NJ on October 9, 1905 (age 47)

Legacy
No identified picture of Patrick is known to exist. A photocopy of his naturalization certificate survived in the family archive. A tintype that may be of him and his family exists but no one is identified in the image.

Uncompleted tasks
Scan his death certificate and marriage certificate.