Looking for info on John Sweeney

[fivegenirish]

John Sweeney died Worcester in Nov.1858, he worked for Fox woollen Company where he was burned, and died the next day. Thats all I have on him ....any help??
Thanks Jack

[merski]

I guess the thing to do is to look him up in the 1855 state census of worcester.  His death is not listed in NEHGS database for that year or first name.  I also looked in genealogybank newspaper database and couldn't find anything.  That doesn't mean we will give up on him!

[fivegenirish]

Thanks .... I dug a little more, I may have the wrong death date ... it may be Nov. 10-13 1852, he would be in his late teens early 20's.

[merski]

Found it at NEHGS!  Nov. 10 1852 John Sweeney age 21, single, born Ire., resides on Pine Street, Laborer,  no parents listed, died from being scalded.

[merski]

I also just saw that this death /burial was noted in O'Flynn's transcription of St. John's cemetery....maybe worcmik has a location for the grave.  There may not be much of a stone left.

[fivegenirish]

Thank you!

[merski]

Do you live close enough to the Worcester Public Library to see if there is a newspaper report of the accident in their historical newspaper collection on microfilm?  Tried genealogybank but that year isn't covered.  Let me know if you live too far and we'll try a plan B.

[fivegenirish]

I live in Worcester, I have looked in the Spy and did not find anything. Maybe now that I have the correct date I might get lucky!
Jack

[merski]

Good luck!

[merski]

Jack, please give us details when you do look this up.  Thanks!

[fivegenirish]

Yes I will.     Question: Do you have to be a member of the Holy Cross College to use their  library? I would love get  look at O'Flynn's papers.
I'll keep you posted ... Jack

[merski]

No you don't need to have any affiliation to look at the O'Flynn.  It is folio 2 that is most interesting.  Call the library at Holy Cross and connect with the special collections dept. first and talk with them.  It's easier for all if they expect you.

[fivegenirish]

Thank You ... you are a wonderful help .... I have been doing this for a long time and have hit many a dead end..... I will call them tomorrow to set something up  maybe  there is something in those papers I can use to get across the pond!

[merski]

I'm pretty certain that I have all of the irish places of birth from O'Flynn but another pair of eyes never hurts.  Besides, it's just remarkable to read the accounts and people that O'Flynn chronicled.  Try to find the loaction of the grave in the "old St. John's Cemetery.

[fivegenirish]

I did not get down to WBL, but  I joined Genealogybank ... this is what I found on Genealogybank - Nov 13,1852- Headline "Sad Fatality" from the Daily Atlas reported by the Worcester Transcript.  2nd headline from the "Boston Evening Transcript"  on Nov 11, 1852 headline -" Accident at Dorrville" end of article states a similar accident at Worcester in reference to my John Sweeney.
In a nut shell it said that:
John was a plumber working over a vat of boiling dye, he lost his footing and fell into the vat, it took two day's for him to succumb to the burns. 


Will set up a time to get to see O'Flynn's papers, will keep you posted. Jack