{"id":101656,"date":"2025-01-22T11:25:01","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T16:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=101656"},"modified":"2026-02-18T13:13:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T18:13:41","slug":"almshouses-and-asylums-of-massachusetts-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/almshouses-and-asylums-of-massachusetts-part-2.html","title":{"rendered":"Almshouses and Asylums of Massachusetts (part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry writes more about the Tewksbury Almshouse in Massachusetts, and provides links to access records from the institution. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com<\/a>, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today I continue my series exploring the records and files of state and town almshouses and asylums that can be a treasure trove for genealogists.<\/p>\n

To recap: My last story covered some of the early years of \u201cThe Tewksbury Almshouse Investigation\u201d of 1883 (see Part 1<\/a>). Reports indicated the place was going to get a total overhaul, which will be covered in a future post.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Tewksbury State Hospital and Infirmary. Credit: J.W. Ocker.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For today\u2019s article, I present one of the early admission forms from the Tewksbury Almshouse, an intake form for James Marks. I did a little research utilizing the genealogical and personal information provided and was able to locate some of the family who immigrated to Massachusetts from Ireland in 1854.<\/p>\n

I have also added links at the end of this post for researching these records.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: a building on site used as an almshouse at Tewksbury, a three-story wooden structure, c. 1890. Credit: Public Health Museum, Tewksbury, Massachusetts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Marks-Hogan Family<\/strong><\/p>\n

This story begins with the file for James Marks, age 65, admitted to Tewksbury Almshouse on 9 June 1878. He was born in 1813 in Ireland and died in the almshouse on 27 November 1878. Below is a photo of his intake record.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: \u201cTewksbury Almshouse Intake Record: Marks, James,\u201d Tewksbury Almshouse Intake Records [1854-1884] TWK26287 case number 54249. Credit: Tewksbury Almshouse Intake Records Collection, Public Health Museum, Tewksbury, Massachusetts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>His file states that he immigrated to America from County Cork, Ireland, on the ship Frank Pierce<\/em> with his wife Bridget (nee Hogan) and six children. His parents were John and Mary Marks.<\/p>\n

James Marks and family are found on the list of passengers<\/a> of the Frank Pierce<\/em> for June 1854. He and his wife Bridget are both 40 years old and their children are listed as follows: John, age 16; Mary, age 14; James Jr. age 8; Michael, age 6; and Bridget, age 4.<\/p>\n

I found the marriage record for James Marks and Bridget Hogan (daughter of Matthew and Mary Hogan) in the parish records for May 1835, Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland.<\/p>\n

Next, I found a baptism record for James and Bridget\u2019s son John dated 28 January 1838<\/a> in Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland.. The file states: \u201cson John Marks lives in Fitchburg.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Marks married Mary Roddy on 12 February 1861 in Lowell, Massachusetts, and left descendants \u2013 including a daughter named Agnes Agatha Marks, who on 26 October 1909<\/a> married Edwin Lewis Drowne, son of Luther Washburn and Abigail Frances (Rollins) Drowne.<\/p>\n

Below is a photo of Agness Agatha (Marks) Drowne (1871-1945) with her niece Constance Morrison (1910-1992), daughter of Homer Cummings and Elizabeth Russell (Drowne) Morrison.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Agness Agatha (Marks) Drowne and her niece Constance Morrison. Credit: Morrison family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In investigating the death of an aunt, Mary Hogan, who died on 2 December 1877 age 60, I found more family clues.<\/p>\n

First, I found Mary Hogan\u2019s death notice shown below, published in the Lowell Daily Citizen<\/em> on 10 December 1877.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Lowell Daily Citizen and News (Lowell, Massachusetts), 10 December 1877, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then I found a packet of information about her contested will (Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991, Massachusetts County, District and Probate Courts). The executor was John Marks. He and his siblings are all listed including Mary (Marks) Parker<\/a>, who married John Parker and left descendants \u2013 including John Robert Parker, who married Mary Ann Elizabeth Madigan<\/a>. Some of the siblings are listed with addresses unknown.<\/p>\n

The image below shows a page listing next-of-kin to Mary Hogan. James and Bridget (Hogan) Marks\u2019s children are listed as well as the children of Michael Hogan, of which two (John and James Hogan) were minors and Michael Duffy of Lowell was appointed their guardian. More research is needed.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: page from the proceedings regarding Mary Hogan\u2019s contested will. Credit: Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991, Massachusetts County, District and Probate Courts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Other items in the packet are correspondence between James Marks Jr. and his brother John Marks.<\/p>\n

In one letter, James gives an address: C\/O Charles McNeill, 181 South Street and 159th Seventh Street, New York City.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: letter from James Marks Jr. to John Marks dated 16 March 1880. Credit: Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991, Massachusetts County, District and Probate Courts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the letter James writes that he cannot come to collect money from their Aunt\u2019s estate, but plans to visit in the summer. He is working at the new hotel in Rockaway (also known as the Hotel Imperial) in Rockaway, Queens, New York City.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Rockaway Hotel. Credit: Edward Gloeggler Collection, Rockaway Museum, New York, New York.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I found another brother, Michael Marks, listed as a beneficiary, current whereabouts unknown. Records show he was living in Manchester, New Hampshire, in 1860 with Sara (Dodge) Richards<\/a>, age 57. More research is needed, but maybe he was fostered by Mrs. Richards.<\/p>\n

More on Tewksbury Inmate James Marks<\/strong><\/p>\n

I found some more family details in GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>, including a second marriage for the Tewksbury inmate James Marks, to Bridget (nee McElroy) McDonald, daughter of Peter and Kathy McElroy of Ireland and widow of Edward McDonald (born in Monmouth, Maine).<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Lowell Daily Citizen and News (Lowell, Massachusetts), 13 June 1864, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I was not able to locate a death for his first wife, also named Bridget. My guess is the younger children were fostered out after she died.<\/p>\n

In the Tewksbury intake file of James Marks, it states he \u201cdrinks occasionally and was arrested in Lowell.\u201d\u00a0 I found his arrest in the newspaper archives. He was sentenced to the House of Correction for six months.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Lowell Daily Courier (Lowell, Massachusetts), 7 September 1865, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

James\u2019 second wife Bridget was arrested on 21 December 1869 for drunkenness, and again in January of 1871, and was sentenced to three months in the House of Correction.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Lowell Daily Citizen and News (Lowell, Massachusetts), 7 January 1871, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Coming soon: Tewksbury gets a makeover.<\/p>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

Note on the header image:<\/em><\/strong> Tewksbury State Hospital, 1908. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.<\/p>\n

Where to Find Records:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n