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Post by Texas Truth Teller on Jun 2, 2019 18:26:12 GMT -5
Would I be right in thinking that no record has actually been found of Catherine, William and Joseph (with the appropriate age ranges) living in the same household? That is correct.
Very few credible records exist about members of the McCarty family.
This may be the family group Catherine McCarty: Henry McCarty was the son of Patrick McCarty and Catherine Devine. They were married 15 June 1851 in the Church of St. Peter in New York City. Henry was born 17 September 1859 in New York City and christened 28 September 1859 where his parents had been married at 16 Barclay Street in Manhattan. The McCarty family is enumerated in the 1860 census of New York, New York City, Ward 1, District 1. (microfilm page 176, line 3) Note: surname incorrectly spelled as McCarthy
Patrick McCarthy (sic), male, age 30, day laborer, born in Ireland Cath'n, female, age 29, born in Ireland Bridget, female, age 7, born in New York Henry, male, age 1, born in New York
The next documented record of Catherine McCarty was after the McCarty family arrived in Wichita, Kansas. On 12 September 1870, Mrs. Catherine McCarty was given title to a vacant lot in Wichita. On 25 March 1871, Mrs. McCarty paid $200 for 160 acres of land. Mrs. McCarty disposed of all her Wichita holdings 25 August 1871.
The last documented record of the McCarty family is in New Mexico. Catherine McCarty and William H. Antrim were married 1 March 1873 in Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory. Among the witnesses were her two sons, Henry and Joseph.
Catherine McCarty Antrim died 16 September 1874 in Silver City, New Mexico Territory, and was buried in a cemetery there. Ireland is shown as Catherine's place of birth in the 1860 census. Ireland is also indicated as Catherine's place of birth in the 1882 book, "The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid", by Pat Garrett. In the 1880 census, Joseph Antrim reported that the birthplace of his mother was England. Ireland did not become an independent nation until 1922. The 1880 census of the New Mexico Territory, San Miguel County, Fort Sumner and Cedar Springs has an entry for William Bonney, age 25 (ED37/PG22B/LN22). The preceding entry is for Charles Bowdre, age 32, and his wife, Manuela, age 25. The occupation of both William and Charles is reported as "work in cattle". Joseph McCarty was born 14 October 1863 in New York City. He was known for most of his life as Joseph Antrim after he took his step-father's surname. In the 1880 census, Joseph was a miner living in Silverton, San Juan County, Colorado (microfilm page 367C, line 12). In the 1920 census, he was living in Denver (microfilm page 83A, line 13). He died 24 November 1930 in Denver, Colorado.
Billy the Kid was tried as William Antrim and/or William Bonney.
In 1900, William Antrim, a quartz miner, was living in Mogollon, Socorro County, New Mexico (microfilm page 73B, line 70). He filed for a pension 15 August 1894. He responded to a 1915 request for information from the Bureau of Pensions. William stated that his wife had died of tuberculosis in Silver City; that they had no children; that her 1st husband was McCarty who died in New York City; and that she had 2 sons - one had died in the eighties , and William had not heard from the other in 14 years.
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Post by Texas Truth Teller on Jun 2, 2019 19:32:49 GMT -5
Thanks for that, TTT - very helpful. I've been re-reading a few BTK books recently but couldn't remember if I'd seen any documented evidence of the Catherine/William/Joseph grouping in the historical record. With Catherine's age at the date of death in her obituary notice, are there any other sources to back up that figure, or is it possible to have been guesswork? I'm not aware of any record that provides more accurate information about Catherine's date of birth than these two sources. The 1860 census indicates an approximate birth year of 1831. The 29 August 1874 article in Mining Life has an approximate birth year of 1829.
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Post by Texas Truth Teller on Jun 3, 2019 0:00:33 GMT -5
Than confirms what I've found, or, more accurately, not found. I'm always a bit wary about the census ages, especially after reading about the great census fiasco of 1870, where the taking and recording of details was so sloppy that several cities had to carry out the censuses again later in the year. oluckyman, Census records are far from perfect, but they are very useful in determining members of a family group, places of birth, and approximate ages. Names are frequently spelled wrong. Gender is very infrequently incorrect. I looked at one New Jersey census record where the entire page, line by line, read Italian number 1, Italian number 2, Italian number 3, etc., on every line of the page. Obviously a communication problem existed between the enumerator and the respondents.
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Post by Texas Truth Teller on Jun 3, 2019 10:25:38 GMT -5
It's always amusing to see the same people living at the same addresses over a period of several decades having their names change often, along with their age and sex. That being said, it encourages greater diligence when carrying out research rather than taking things at face value. I've found it quite useful in that respect and it's helped to improve my game. With land records, would it have been the case in the 1860's/70's that when someone purchased property, they were able to do so without having to be present in the locale of the specific lot? Aside from homesteading and similar methods of making claim to land, would it have been possible to acquire property via correspondence or the engaging the services of a third party? oluckyman, I am not familiar with requirements and procedures regarding land transactions, and cannot answer your question.
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Post by Texas Truth Teller on Jun 3, 2019 15:25:11 GMT -5
oluckyman, This might indirectly answer your question.
I have a November 1978 copy of Real West. There is an article on page 12, "The Search for Billy the Kid's Roots", by Jack DeMattos. He reviews previous research that has been done. These notes concern Catherine McCarty's presence in Kansas:
"August 10, 1870 -- According to a claim she filed eight months later (see March 25, 1871), it was on this date that Catherine McCarty settled in Kansas."
"September 12, 1870 -- Mrs. Catherine McCarty was given title to a vacant lot in Wichita, Kansas."
"February 1871 -- William H Antrim was given title to lots adjoining Catherine McCarty's on Chisholm Street in Wichita."
"March 15, 1871 -- The Wichita Tribune commented: 'The City Laundry is kept by Mrs. McCarty, to whom we recommend those who wish to have their linen made clean.'"
"March 25, 1871 -- Mrs. Catherine McCarty paid $200 for a quarter section of land at the going price of $1.25 per acre. To support her claim, William H Antrim submitted a sworn statement that read in part: 'I have known Catherine McCarty for 6 years last past; that she is a single woman over the age of twenty-one years, the head of a family consisting of two children and a citizen of the United States."
"April - May 1871 -- sometime during this period, William H Antrim's parents moved to Wichita; accompanying them were William's brother and sister."
"June 16, 1871 -- Catherine McCarty sold the claim she purchased on March 25, 1871."
"June 17, 1871 -- William H Antrim filed a claim adjoining the one Catherine McCarty sold the previous day."
"June 28, 1872 -- William H Antrim deeded to Catherine McCarty his lots on Chisholm Street (which he purchased February 1871), along with a building on Court Street."
"August 25, 1871 -- Catherine McCarty sold lots 48 and 50 on Wichita's Chisholm street to one Henry J Cook, who years later (on July 18, 1892), claimed she 'then resided in New Orleans, La.', and subsequently died 'about the year 1873'."
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Post by Texas Truth Teller on Jun 3, 2019 18:44:12 GMT -5
oluckyman, All the gaps in the timeline for Catherine McCarty may never be filled in.
There is another article of interest in the January 1980 issue of Real West. The author is once again, Jack DeMattos, "The Search for Billy the Kid's Roots if Over".
Excerpt: "The obvious place to start was the church where Carson claimed Billy the Kid was baptized - St Peter's at 16 Barclay Street. I wrote to the church explaining my theory that the spelling of McCarthy ad McCarty may have been confused. I also asked them for an exact transcript from their records. Here is the reply I received:
March 24 1979
Dear Mr. DeMattos, Replying to your recent request for transcripts from our records I give you the following: Patrick McCarthy (with "H"), son of Patrick McCarthy and Catherine Devine McCarthy, born 17 September 1859, was baptised 28 September 1859 by Rev. J. Conron, the sponsors being Thomas Cooney and Mary Clark. Sincerely yours, Rev. James B. Roberts Church of St. Peter 16 Barclay Street New York, NY 10007
New York Directory, 1858-1859 Patrick McCarty, Laborer, 218 Greene Street New York Directory, 1860 Patrick McCarty, 210 Greene Street New York Directory, 1863 Patrick McCarthy, 210 Greene Street New York Directory, 1864 Catherine McCarty, widow of Patrick, 210 Greene Street
The distance from the church where Billy the Kid was baptised to the farthest end of Greene Street is exactly one mile.
The 1860 census provides a record of the family group of Patrick McCarthy.
New York, New York, page 176, line 34-37 Patrick, age 20, Ireland Catherine, age 29, Ireland Bridget, age 7, New York Henry, age 1, New York
***** Inconsistencies Spelled McCarthy vs. McCarty Baptised as Patrick rather than Henry McCarty No later record of Bridget
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Post by Texas Truth Teller on Jun 3, 2019 22:10:07 GMT -5
I've always been a bit skeptical about the NYC birth idea and the agreed date of BTK's birth, mainly because it's often taken as an article of faith. That being said, it's all we've really had to go on. Where the BTK story has been embellished and often fabricated over the years, I'm attempting to strip everything down as much as possible and start putting things together from scratch to see where it leads. I agree with you that all the gaps in the timeline are unlikely to be filled in, though even if my (very amateur) research yields no new information, the journey itself will be fun. oluckyman, There is one record that indicates New York as the birthplace of Henry McCarty/Billy the Kid.
An image of the document is on page 26 of "Brushy Bill...Just Another Billy the Kid Tall Tale". William Antrim responded on 2 April 1915 to a form letter from the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions. There were 9 questions.
Question 7. If your present wife was married before her marriage to you, state the name of her former husband, the date of such marriage, and the date and place of his death or divorce, and state whether he ever rendered any military or naval service, and if so,, give name of the organization in which he served. If she was married more than once before her marriage to you, let your answer include all former husbands.
Antrim's handwritten response. This is not of my own knowledge. She was married to McCarty date not noen, died in New York City date not noen no other marriage no military service that I no of.
Question 9. State the name and dates of birth of all your children, living or dead.
Antrim's handwritten response. We had no children. My wife had two boys one died in the eighties and the other I have not heard from in 14teen years.
********** These are the three timelines of interest. Henry McCarty - a minimum amount of credible information exists. Oliver P Roberts - a credible paper trail of census records, marriages, and land records exists from his birth in Sebastian County, Arkansas, to his death in Hamilton County. William Henry Roberts - no credible evidence, information, or records exist under the name of William Henry Roberts. Any timeline would be based on Brushy Bill's unsubstantiated story.
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Post by Texas Truth Teller on Jun 4, 2019 15:38:54 GMT -5
The Antrim paper trail seems to be the most most interesting at this point, since it has a documented beginning, middle and end - being able to view his war pension paperwork has been very useful. With that in mind, reconstructing Antrim's timeline first would be a reasonable course of action. Where Antrim mentions that Catherine was reportedly married to a man named Mccarty who died in New York, I'm quite confident that information is somewhat accurate, though I'm not so sure that Mr Mccarty was living there all the time. Just as Catherine moved about quite a bit, Mr Mccarty may have also been rather mobile and could have been living elsewhere before dying in New York. oluckyman, Billy the Kid researchers have taken the same path in their search for the origin of Billy the Kid, by following the Antrim family. Some information is found in the November 1978 issue of Real West.
1 Dec 1842 - WHHA is born in Huntsville, Madison Co, IN. 8 Apr 1853 - His father, Levi Antrim, is identified by the Anderson, IN, Gazette as proprietor of a hotel in Anderson. 11 July 1862 - William H Antrim is enrolled for a 3 month period as a private in Co I, 54th Reg, Indiana Volunteers 26 Sep 1862 - William H Antrim is honorably discharged by reason of expiration of enlistment. 1867 - Indianapolis City Directory listed William H Antrim as living at 58 Cherry Street, driver and clerk for Merchant's Union Express Company.
Census records. The Levi Antrim family is in Madison Co, IN, in the 1850 census; Brown Co, IN, in the 1860 census; and Indianapolis, Marion Co, IN, in the 1870 census.
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Post by MissyS on Aug 6, 2019 1:21:14 GMT -5
I found an article that states that in 1902, The Silver City Enterprise newspaper interviewed Sherriff Harvey Whitehill about what he remembered about Billy, and he stated in that article that Billy’s right name was Henry McCarty, and he was born in Anderson, Indiana
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Post by MissyS on Aug 6, 2019 18:01:30 GMT -5
oluckyman Perhaps area Church records or Newspaper Archives in and around Anderson Indiana may have a clue?, sometimes newspapers will report a birth announcement? I wonder if Sheriff Whitehill really did get the info about Anderson Indiana from assuming William Antrim was from there like the writers say? What puzzles me is that at the time Sheriff Whitehill had arrested Billy for stealing laundry was after Billy's Mother died and he was living with another family, and William Antrim was gone mining? Sheriff Whitehill was elected Sheriff in 1874, and Billy's Mother died the same year, according to accounts Billy was supposedly arrested in 1875? I'm assuming Sheriff Whitehill got aquainted with Billy by the arrest. I'm not saying Sheriff Whitehill didn't personally know William Antrim it's a possibility, but if it's true what many accounts say that William Antrim was gone mining alot, then it seems there would have been a small time window that the two could have gotten that aquainted? I may be wrong about that, it's just a thought, it's also a possibility that the family that Billy was living with at the time thought Billy was born in Anderson Ind. because they knew William Antrim was from there and told that to Sheriff Whitehill when Billy was arrested or Billy told him that info himself? It's puzzling as to just how Sheriff Whitehill got the info of Anderson Indiana?
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Post by Texas Truth Teller on Aug 6, 2019 18:06:46 GMT -5
Rasch and Mullin tried to follow up that lead in the 50's but it apparently led to a dead end: The destruction of the Madison County records would make it difficult to say either way. Very annoying. The stories are endless; the facts are few; and indisputable proof of Henry McCarty's origin is elusive.
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Post by MissyS on Aug 6, 2019 19:22:15 GMT -5
Well according to this Anderson Indiana article in the June 3,1966 paper it sounds like Sheriff Whitehill knew the family well. 9
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Post by Texas Truth Teller on Aug 8, 2019 10:41:33 GMT -5
Missy, I agree with you. Sheriff Whitehill's recollections are probably more credible than most Billy the Kid stories. Census records prove Whitehill was sheriff in Silver City in 1880. His information was personal knowledge, as well as some from published stories. Whitehll disputed the story that Henry McCarty had killed a bully that insulted his mother. Sheriff Whitehill was interviewed about 20 years after the death of Henry McCarty.
The recollections of Sheriff Whitehill support the historically accepted identity of Billy the Kid. The name of Billy the Kid was Henry McCarty. The name of Billy the Kid was not William Bonney. Henry McCarty lived in Silver City. Henry McCarty was left in the care of his step-father after his mother died.
No evidence has been found that Henry McCarty was born in Anderson, Indiana, as Sheriff Whitehill claimed.
It is not clear from the article if the 1902 author, the 1966 author, or Sheriff Whitehill was the one who correctly identified Henry McCarty's mother as Kathleen; brother as Joseph; and step-father as William Antrim.
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Post by MissyS on Aug 8, 2019 20:14:47 GMT -5
oluckyman It's seems a little odd to me that no one in New York or even Indiana had ever came forward and said they knew any of the famous outlaw's family after Billy became a famous outlaw and was known throughout the Country, so I agree the McCarty name may not have been Billy's name at the time of birth?, and it could also be that the McCarty name was McCarthy with an (H). In Texas Truth Tellers previous post about the man named Henry Cook that bought land from Catherine and mentioned her living in New Orleans at that time, I wonder why she would be there?, did she or Billy's father have relatives there?, and the name Devine is that a middle name or a maiden name on the St. Peter's Church record? Assuming the St. Peters baptism record is really Billy, then could Devine have been Catherine's maiden name before she married McCarty? The Patrick McCarty name does pop up in many News Paper Archives, there's probably a lot of McCarty's in New York though. I had found in one a mention of a man sentenced to be hanged in Albany for killing a man named Patrick McCarty in 1859, but it only makes for interesting reading about past history because Patrick McCarty may not be Billy's real fathers name. I was believing that someone that knew the family would have had more answers, too bad Joseph Antrim wasn't questioned more. With all the people that knew Billy and wrote about him it seems at least one would have gotten it right? but they could have all been wrong about him?
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Post by Texas Truth Teller on Aug 9, 2019 10:31:11 GMT -5
oluckyman,
Perhaps the earliest record of Catherine's maiden name is found in the records of the Church of Saint Peter, 16 Barclay Street, New York, NY, 10007. That assumes that the baptismal information in the 1979 letter of Rev. James B Roberts is correct. It is not obvious that the individual baptized was Henry McCarty.
From the January 1980 issue of Real West, p. 26, Jack DeMattos Quote: "Patrick McCarthy, son of Patrick McCarty and Catherine Devine McCarty, born 17 September 1859, was baptised 28 September 1859 by Rev J Conron, the sponsors being Thomas Cooney and Mary Clak."
This 1979 information follows the 1964 research of William H Carson.
Quote: "In 1964, a historian named William H Carson studied various documents relating to New York City residents of the 1860s. Carson's findings showed that a Patrick McCarthy had married Catherine Devine in the Big Apple on June 1, 1851, and that a son named Patrick Henry McCarthy was born to them in New York City on September 17, 1859."
Additional research was cited that showed the proximity of 210 Greene Street, NYC, to the Church of St Peter in Manhattan. New York city directories show Patrick McCarthy resided at 210 Greene Street.
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