The Wall Family: Mom’s Irish Side

The Long family at Westport, Massachusetts

THE LONG FAMILY

MATERNAL LINEMaternal grandmother

Eleanor L. Wall→Francis Swift Perry→Carol Perry→John, Perry & Patrick Long

Eleanor "Babs" Wall is your maternal grandmother. Married 64 years to Francis Swift Perry.

Your maternal grandmother Eleanor L. Wall’s entire family traces to Ireland. Wall, Thornton, McCoy, Connolly, Maloney, Kennedy, Simpson, Bree. These families crossed the Atlantic during and after the Great Famine and settled in the industrial cities of Massachusetts.

Herbert Miller Wall (1900–1963)

Herbert Miller Wall was the son of William Edward Wall and Mary Isabella Simpson. He married Catherine Louise Thornton (b. June 27, 1896). Herbert is buried at Newton Cemetery, Newton, Massachusetts.

Note: FamilySearch lists Herbert’s birth as 15 Dec 1899; Aunt Nancy’s handwritten notes give 1900. Further records review needed to reconcile.

Herbert’s paternal grandfather is said to have captained a barquentine named White Wing, sailing out of the Port of New York.

Research needed: ship registry records for the barquentine White Wing out of New York. Customs house registers, NARA maritime records, or the New York Maritime Register may confirm.

Wall/Kennedy Line

Name	Born	PID	Relationship
●Eleanor L. Wall	1926	G8D9-8ZF	Maternal grandmother
●Herbert Miller Wall	1900	LQYK-5LF	Mat. great-grandfather
●William Edward Wall	28 Mar 1861	L1YK-1BX	2nd great-grandfather
●Edward Wall	17 Mar 1823	L1YV-CQP	3rd great-grandfather, Ireland
●John Wall	1800	G8Z2-NB4	4th great-grandfather, Ireland
●Margaret Kennedy	1833	KGJG-BFZ	3rd great-grandmother, Ireland
●Patrick Kennedy	~1803	L1YT-C9Q	4th great-grandfather, Ireland

Simpson/Bree Line

Aunt Nancy’s notes give Herbert’s mother’s name as “Mary Isabella Simpson” (FamilySearch has “Mary Isabel Simpson”).

Name	Born	PID	Relationship
●Mary Isabella Simpson	1861	L488-C4T	2nd great-grandmother
●Mark Simpson	~1839	LWDB-1CD	3rd great-grandfather, Ireland
●Mary Bree	~1837	K2ZX-GDV	3rd great-grandmother, Ireland
●Martin Bree	?	L18W-3HF	4th great-grandfather, Ireland

Thornton/Maloney/McCoy Line

Michael Thornton emigrated from Galway, Ireland. He and his wife Bridget (b. 1854) married around 1858 and had eight children. Both are buried at Holy Hood Cemetery, Charlestown, Massachusetts.

Note: Aunt Nancy’s notes say “Galway, Co. Mayo” — however Galway city is in County Galway, not County Mayo (neighboring counties in the west of Ireland). The exact county needs verification.

Note: FamilySearch lists “Bridget E. McCoy, b. 1857” as Michael Edward Thornton’s wife. Aunt Nancy’s notes give “Bridget Thornton, b. 1854.” The relationship between this Bridget and the elder Michael Thornton’s family needs clarification — she may be Michael’s wife (not Ellen Maloney) or a different generation. Eight Thornton children are documented in the source notes (dates to be transcribed).

Name	Born	PID	Relationship
●Catherine Louise Thornton	27 Jun 1896	G8Z2-KLP	Mat. great-grandmother
●Michael Edward Thornton	29 Jun 1852	L5PK-JJ2	2nd great-grandfather
●Michael Thornton	?	G8DM-5WB	3rd great-grandfather, Galway, Ireland
●Ellen Maloney	?	G8DM-LNQ	3rd great-grandmother, Ireland
●Bridget E. McCoy	1854/1857	L5PK-K23	2nd great-grandmother
●Michael McCoy	27 Oct 1827	KGKH-DTX	3rd great-grandfather, Ireland
●Anne Connolly	1836	KGKH-DTN	3rd great-grandmother, Ireland

Sources

Much of the biographical detail on this page derives from handwritten family notes compiled by Aunt Nancyand shared with Uncle Bruce, who passed them to John at Christmas. These notes are the primary source for Herbert’s birth year, burial location, the White Wing ship claim, Michael Thornton’s Irish origins, Bridget’s birth year, Holy Hood Cemetery burials, and the eight Thornton children.

Primary source: Aunt Nancy’s research, shared via Uncle Bruce. FamilySearch PIDs cross-referenced where available. Discrepancies between the handwritten notes and FamilySearch records are noted inline above.