MKA Blog Quilter Girls

Mary Quilter Albert and her daughters

Last week as a result of my blog on the Boston Pilot and some adverts for missing Kerry people in the U.S., I received an interesting email from a descendant of one of those people who had been the subject of a similar advertisement.

Kathy Taylor, a Quilter descendant told me the story of Francis who was sought by his brother  Daniel.

Daniel Quilter, placed an ‘Information Wanted advert  in the Boston Pilot on 3rd June 1852.  It was the final year of the Famine in North Kerry.   Daniel (c. 1825 – 1873) lived in Fremont, Ohio and the last location he had for Francis was in the previous year 1851 in Pennsylvania.

Daniel who was married to Ellen Leonard, had settled in Fremont where he later owned a quarry and went on to become a successful businessman. He  was obviously trying to find his missing brother and get him to join him in this up and coming industrial part of the US.  There was a thriving railroad industry in Fremont.   However, Francis may have been dead at this time as his son Matthias was found to be living in Darlington, Pennsylvania by 1860 with his mother Julia and step father  Patrick Doody (Dowd).  So we know that Francis was definitely dead by 1860.  Francis Quilter also had a daughter called Mary, photographed here.   Kathy’s research to date has not told her if Daniel and Francis found each other as a result of the Boston Pilot advert or even if Francis actually made it to Pennsylvania,  or died on the journey.

There is a stained glass window at St Ann’s Church in Fremont,Ohio  with Daniel & Ellen’s names.                                MKA Blog Francis Quilter Memorial

Kathy was lucky enough to come to Listowel for the NKRO August  event; and the Quilter Family Celebration in Tralee in September 2013.