I like to tease my Mom (Kathy Bradley Walker) that she is Irish! She vehemently denies that she has a drop of Irish in her! She told me that when she was in school a teacher remarked that "She must be Irish" with her blue eyes, black hair and with a name like Kathleen. Mom said she questioned her father when she got home from school and that he said absolutely not! She was not IRISH!
Today everyone loves to be Irish, especially around St Patrick's Day. This wasn't always the case. When the Irish began immigrating to the USA they were despised for their poverty and their Catholic religion. Signs were everywhere "Irish need not apply". Anti-Irish sentiment ran deep.
Samuel Brown was born in Belfast, Ireland around 1831. (1)
According to his grandson Raymond Vanstone. He hated the Irish.
Excerpt from Letter written by Ray Vanstone Sr. on May 1, 1975 to his Holburton Cousins who still lived in Rhode Island (3)
"I found out Grampa Brown was born in Belfast and he hated the Irish. I said to him if you were born in Ireland you are Irish and he said if a cat has kittens in the oven are they biscuits? He was an Orange Man (2) and he celebrated on July 12th. He could outrun us kids on Scotch Day and he would win Gold Watches at Rocky Point. One time he went to a Turkish Bath and he was furious when he came home because a lady put him thru the bath."
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Samuel Brown ( 1831-?) |
Even though Samuel Brown was born in Ireland he married his wife Rosanna Gillen in Glasgow Scotland. Five of his 10 children were born in Scotland. His oldest daughter was born in Ireland and his 7th child was born in Montreal Canada as the family paused in their immigration route. The three youngest children were born in New York State. The family arrived in Providence, RI sometime around 1875. Samuel was a Presbyterian not a Catholic.
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So is Mom Irish? According to her DNA on Ancestry she is 22 % Irish but don't tell her! |
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| How Are We Related to Samuel Brown? |
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| Samuel Brown and Rosanna Gillen Family Group Sheet |
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| 1) Letter from Raymond E Vanstone to his Holburton Cousins (front) |
Transcribed by Robin Walker-Maya
3707 Hazel St. Erie, Pa16508 to Alton, RI May 1,1975
Hi Holburtons;
Happy May Day to you all.
This was the time all the kids loved, they could shed the winter underwear and find out what progress their bodies had made and new desires were born. If a young man wanted to keep company with the girls of his choice he had to dress in his Sunday best and call on the ladies father and prove his intentions were honorable. Sometimes he wasn't the girls choice which threw a hitch into the matter.
We used to go to Alton in the early 1890's when Howard was a baby.
the building at the corner was Uncle Tommy's barber Shop. On Sunday morning the men from the Village would be there to get Shaved for church, also to look over the Police Gazette which was printed on Pink Paper and showed a daring picture of some actress in a sexy pose.
I never knew about Randolf's father, when we went there Uncle Tommy's mother was married to Perry Arnold and they lived in a house at the foot of the hill and it was covered with shingles and the Barn was near their house. Never heard any mention of the other brother.
Howards father made ice cream and went thru the town selling it to the people who ran out with a dish to get it. I went to the Village church and one Sunday I was the only one who knew the shortest book in the Bible, now it is the only book I know.
I never found out how Aunt Kate and Howard's father met. I found out Grampa Brown was born in Belfast and he hated the Irish. I said to him if you were born in Ireland you are Irish and he said if a cat has kittens (over)
Hi Holburtons;
Happy May Day to you all.
This was the time all the kids loved, they could shed the winter underwear and find out what progress their bodies had made and new desires were born. If a young man wanted to keep company with the girls of his choice he had to dress in his Sunday best and call on the ladies father and prove his intentions were honorable. Sometimes he wasn't the girls choice which threw a hitch into the matter.
We used to go to Alton in the early 1890's when Howard was a baby.
the building at the corner was Uncle Tommy's barber Shop. On Sunday morning the men from the Village would be there to get Shaved for church, also to look over the Police Gazette which was printed on Pink Paper and showed a daring picture of some actress in a sexy pose.
I never knew about Randolf's father, when we went there Uncle Tommy's mother was married to Perry Arnold and they lived in a house at the foot of the hill and it was covered with shingles and the Barn was near their house. Never heard any mention of the other brother.
Howards father made ice cream and went thru the town selling it to the people who ran out with a dish to get it. I went to the Village church and one Sunday I was the only one who knew the shortest book in the Bible, now it is the only book I know.
I never found out how Aunt Kate and Howard's father met. I found out Grampa Brown was born in Belfast and he hated the Irish. I said to him if you were born in Ireland you are Irish and he said if a cat has kittens (over)
He could outrun us kids and on Scotch Day he would win gold Watches at Rocky Point.
One time he went to a Turkish Bath and he was furious when he came home because a lady put him thru the bath.
Here are some more pictures you may like to have.
If that fellow is bothered by the waters around his trees tell him to get some ducks and geese and get some use of it. George Holburton did a lot of repair work for the Lace Mill and he would swear like a Pirate when it didn't go right. Alton was a real thriving town when Walton ran the mill and when the fire destroyed it every body suffered.
We had a good winter with only 6.5 inches of snow and the Lake did not freeze and was open all winter. But April was quite cold and it isn't warm today. Tell young Tom and his Lady not to worry everything will work out. The world is changing so fast it is hard to tell what to take "....". Everybody wants to do things the easy way but that is not the answer.
It has been wonderful to keep in touch with you and keep writing when you can.
I am well and still able to drive around.
Hope you all enjoy a good Spring Season.
Love and Best Wishes to all
Ray Vanstone Sr.
Lets keep Erie to Alton Alive
Those Holbertons are quiet but there is dynamite underneath.
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| 1) Letter from Raymond E Vanstone to his Holburton Cousins (back) |
(2) Definition of an Orange Man (Webster):
1 : a member of a secret society organized in the north of Ireland in 1795 to defend the British sovereign and to support the Protestant religion. 2 : a Protestant Irishman especially of Ulster.
(3) Raymond Vanstone was the son of Margaret Brown and George Vanstone. Margaret Brown was Samuel Brown's 7th child.
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