Alexander McAdoo Family - New Information

Since discovering new information about Nancy and Martha [Matty] McAdoo, I have done additional research to locate other possible children of my 3X great-grandparents, Alexander and Martha McAdoo. The result is interesting, but once again circumstantial and inconclusive, yet tantalizing to this amateur family genealogist.

I mentioned in my previous blog that Martha [Matty] McAdoo, born about 1821 in Ireland immigrated to America with her brother Daniel and his young family, arriving in Philadelphia on 24 Aug 1845. Searching through census records, I found in the 1850 U.S. Federal Census, a Martha McAdoo working as a domestic at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. The hospital was founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond. The census was taken at the hospital. I have been unable to locate the 1850 census record for Daniel and his family, so, once again I am not completely certain that I have identified the right Martha, but it is a strong possibility. Unfortunately, I have not found any additional records relating to Martha.

While reviewing the census taken at the hospital, I discovered a Margaret McAdoo, who was born in Ireland in 1826, also working as a domestic. I found two immigration records showing that she had arrived in Philadelphia aboard the Bark St. James on 28 Jul 1847. She was accompanied by a James McAdoo, who was born either in 1819 or 1822. There is no doubt in my mind that they were brother and sister.

In addition to the immigration records, I have found a death certificate for a Margaret MacAdoo Campbell, born in 1826 in Ireland, who died in Philadelphia on 3 Feb 1907. The record names her parents as Alexander McAdoo, born in Ireland, and Martha Best, born in Ireland. What a coincidence! The surname of Martha is new information. A brief search has not surfaced any additional information about either Margaret or James.

I will now try to pull all this information into a coherent whole.

First, the McAdoo family historically was quite small in Ireland. Our McAdoo branch, centered in Philadelphia in the mid-nineteenth century was one of only a few McAdoo families living in the city at that time. The three families living on Savery Street in 1860, Martha and Margaret working as domestics at Pennsylvania Hospital in 1850, plus the family units that immigrated together make a strong case for considering the makeup of Alexander’s family as follows:

Parents:
Alexander McAdoo (b. abt. 1786) & Martha Best (b. abt. 1797). Immigrated on 25 Jul 1852

Children:
James (b. abt. 1819 or 1822). Immigrated on 28 Jul 1847
Martha (b.abt. 1821). Immigrated on 24 Jun 1845
Daniel (b. abt. 1824). Immigrated on 24 Jun 1845
Margaret (b. abt. 1826). Immigrated on 28 Jul 1847
William (b. abt. 1832). Immigrated between 1848-1852
Alexander (b. abt. 1837). Immigrated on 25 Aug 1852
Nancy (b. abt. 1839). Immigrated on 25 Aug 1852

The relationship of the children’s birth dates is reasonable, as well as the birth dates to immigration dates. Until I uncover information that either supports or rejects this conclusion, I am considering Alexander and Martha as the parents of the above-named seven children. Further research is necessary to confirm that Martha’s surname is Best.