The early families of LaMott are an amazing testament to the spirit of cooperative living and fellowship that was at the very heart of William Penn’s initial vision for the area.

Over time, Penn’s vision was sculpted and refined in the midst of a changing world. In the 1800’s there were significant political, social and economic issues being grappled with both nationally and internationally. Here in the US, the national division over slavery would culminate in Civil War. LaMott (which was then known as Camptown) and its people played a pivotal role that would alter the course of our history as a nation, and although this role is important and significant, it is necessary to step back and look at a broader picture to truly capture the essence of LaMott as an historic community.

The US was a relatively “new world” and many people around the globe looked toward it with promise and hope for a better future. For the Irish, however, immigration in the mid-1800’s was not as much a story of hope as it was of escape. Their story actually begins somewhat earlier. At the beginning of the 19th century, the potato had become a widespread crop throughout many parts of Europe. Valued for its nutrition, it was also an easy staple food on which even the poorest farmer could subsist. Nowhere was this truer than in Ireland. There was widespread dependency on the potato, particularly among the poor, as a sole food source. During the Napoleonic Wars (1804-1815) between Great Britain and France, Ireland did, in fact, enjoy a degree of economic success. Supplying horses, and food to the British Army for the ten year duration of the various battles led to a well fed populace and a degree of prosperity; so much so that its population grew significantly. By the early 1840’s Ireland would boast eight million inhabitants.

It is interesting to note that William Penn himself was no stranger to Ireland. He was the son of an English admiral who was deeded considerable land holdings in Ireland. William Penn actually learned about and converted to Quakerism as a result of preaching that he heard while in Ireland.

Despite the fact that Britain defeated Napoleon in 1815, the war effort resulted in a huge national debt. Higher quality foodstuffs, such as meats and grains were exported from Ireland to meet the demands of Europe and to generate income for the crown. This required larger parcels of land. In Ireland, this resulted in farms becoming smaller with many forced to lease minute plots from English land owners who collected prohibitive taxes. Just prior to the Napoleonic Wars, civil unrest in Ireland led the crown to dissolve the Irish Parliament, resulting in little local oversight. Landholdings were often left in the hands of cruel and ruthless local agents overseeing the land. In many ways, the poor were slaves to the land owners. In the 1840’s, the Irish suffered a devastating series of potato crop blights which resulted in widespread famine. Not only did this impact available food but also left many in economic ruin and unable to pay the fees for the small farms they had. This famine was felt throughout Europe and was considered one of the worst natural disasters of the 19th century. It was at its worst in Ireland, where starvation would kill nearly one-fifth of the population. At the end of the decade, an outbreak of cholera would kill many more. Those that survived were at the mercy of landowners and a cruel government. Religious oppression had been ongoing and that, combined with disease and starvation, was the impetus for the beginning of what would go on to be a steady stream of immigration. Within five years of the onset of the famine, Ireland would lose almost two million of her citizens to death from disease and to immigration. Another two and one half million more would journey to North America from Irish ports between 1850 and 1900. Additional immigration would continue into the 20th century.

Pictured in front of her stone cottage in Graiguenemanagh, County Carlow, Ireland is Mary Nolan Malone (left) (mother of Josephine, Mary, George, and Stephen Malone). On the right is friend, Mary Drew. The date of the photo is unknown. (Picture courtesy of Jesse Valentine Ambler).

Given all of this, it is no wonder that escape to America with its promise of a new way of life and prosperity was so appealing. However, in truth, for many of the Irish, a life in America was fraught with change and with sacrifice. Assimilation was difficult – most had come from a very rural environment and life in America’s big cities was complex and required great change. Most found themselves doing menial work; the men at labor and the women as domestic servants. Since the Irish were quite spread out across a much larger land and there was an expectation that they would assimilate to their new home, their native tongue, Gaellic, would also slowly disappear. The spirit of cooperative living and acceptance that was and continues to be a hallmark of LaMott was one reason that many Irish settled in the area. It was here and in the greater Philadelphia area the Irish would contribute a great deal. One such notable achievement was their role in the founding and development of Catholic parish schools and academies. Many Irish immigrants would also serve their communities as police officers and as firefighters. Despite hardships, it was a life of promise and of opportunity.

The McDermott, Malone, and Doody Families
The writer Will Durant once said that history was best told in miniature rather than the sweeping narratives of the famous. It is those small stories of individuals and the everyday lives of people that create the fabric of a rich and varied chronicle. The McDermott, Malone, and Doody families were early Irish immigrants that resided in LaMott. As the community of LaMott grew, so would the ties between these families.

The McDermott’s
John McDermott and Bridget Donahue came to America from Ireland in the mid-1860’s, just after the conclusion of the US Civil War. There are no known family records, however, it is possible, from microfilmed records of Philadelphia Passenger Lists, to pinpoint Bridget’s arrival at the Port of Philadelphia, aboard the ship Tuscarora, in June, 1866. The early manifests were very sparse in terms of details and do not record the specific part of Ireland from which she hailed. It is possible to pick up both of their stories in the United States in 1870. At that time, Bridget was working as a domestic servant in Cheltenham for the Brock family, while John was working as a laborer in Philadelphia. It isn’t clear when or how they met but they married in 1875 and settled in Cheltenham.

The 1880 Census covering LaMott does not give addresses. However, there are marginal notations that make it clear when transitions were made between areas and neighborhoods. While it not a guarantee of proximity, it is interesting to note that in the 1880 Census, John and Bridget are listed as four households away from Jay Cooke, who at the time was living with his daughter Laura and her husband, Charles Barney, the prominent investment banker. In the opposite direction, two households away lived Letitia Bowser, who would later marry William Triplett. Reviewing other census data, township records, and historic atlases, the Barney house was located at the intersection of Spring Lane and Old York Road. At the time, John was working as a farm laborer while Bridget kept house, took in laundry from some of the nearby estates and tended their three children; John J., Mary, and Maggie. By 1892, children Willie, Joseph, Julia, Catherine, Annie, and James would be added. Willie, Catherine, and James would all die as young children before 1892. Their last child was born in 1893 and named for her deceased sister who had died at the age of three years in 1891. That last child, Catharine Veronica, was also known in her childhood, as Kate.

In 1896, John and Bridget purchased a home of their own. A search of the County title records shows that this property, at 1700 Beech Avenue, was acquired from the estate of Mary Hughes for $1800. Further searching of County records shows that this land was part of a larger land acquisition made in 1866 by Edward M. Davis. Some details of the property history are outlined in the attached chronology. This purchase by the McDermott’s was sizeable, particularly when you consider that it was noted in the 1870 and 1880 US Censuses that neither John nor Bridget could read or write English. This money was a considerable sum for a laborer with so many children. How they managed to save the money to purchase this property is unknown. It is certain that a great deal of sweat and toil was part of their lives.

After their move to Beech Avenue, much of the neighboring lands were slowly sold off. In the early 1900’s, John would go to work as a gardener for the Elkins family on their nearby estate, retiring just a few years later. Their eldest daughter, Mary, worked for a time as a maid on the Stetson estate. While in the employment of the Elkins’, and of current interest to residents of Cheltenham, John brought a small amount of overstock irises from the Elkins Estate to grow at his home. Those irises have been nurtured by the family for over 100 years and continue to grow today. Similarly, the McDermott family grew and thrived in LaMott. A 1909 Cheltenham Atlas shows that by that time, John had also acquired the house at 1702 Beech Avenue. In addition, Joseph McDermott, their youngest son, was a founding member of the LaMott Fire Company #1. After its incorporation in April, 1911, Joseph served as the Fire Company’s first Secretary, choosing Fireman’s Badge #27 – he was 27 years old at the time. The records of the fire company also show that John McDermott was a member of the fire company, joining in 1915. It is not clear at this time whether it was John Sr., or his oldest son. However, looking at John Jr..’s WW1 Draft Registration card, there is a strong likelihood that he was living in South Philadelphia at the time and therefore, John Sr. may have been the more likely member of the fire company.

Around that time, John and Bridget chose to move to the 1702 Beech Avenue house renting out their original home. At that time, the house at 1700 Beech Avenue was occupied by Emil Knauf and his family. Emil was a one-time fire chief of the LaMott Fire Company #1.

The year 1918 has a particular significance in Philadelphia history. In late September, 1918, a deadly mutated influenza virus struck the city. In its wake, many thousands would die. Philadelphia had the unfortunate distinction of amassing the highest death toll of any American city. The McDermott family did not escape this pandemic and lost their daughter Julia (Collins) in October, 1918, at the age of 32.

In 1918, the house at 1704 Beech Avenue was purchased from the Hedderson family by Maggie McDermott, John and Bridget’s daughter. In the early 1920’s, John and Bridget’s youngest daughter, Catharine, and her husband, George Malone, would acquire the house at 1700 Beech Avenue. Since John and Bridget were up in years, Maggie did not occupy the 1704 Beech Avenue house and continued to live at her parents home along with her sister Annie. The house at 1704 Beech was rented out to the Patrick Doody family.

John McDermott died in June, 1924. Bridget would follow in December, 1927. Both Maggie and Annie continued to live at 1702 Beech Avenue; Maggie until her death in 1951 and Annie until she sold the house in February of 1959. Annie died in 1966. Bridget, John, Maggie, and Annie are buried along with daughter Mary and her husband, William Fox, and daughter Catharine and her husband George Malone in the McDermott family plot in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Wyndmoor, Cheltenham, PA.

The Malone’s
On June 29, 1886 George Joseph Malone was born in the small town of Graiguenamanagh, St. Mullins, County Carlow, Ireland. He was the fourth of five children of James Malone and Mary Nolan. George’s father died just a day after his fourth birthday and his mother would go on to marry again when George was just twelve. A combination of family circumstances would lead George and his three living siblings to immigrate to the US. His two elder sisters Josephine and Mary arrived in the US first. Josephine married George Richardson Ambler in 1904 and settled in Abington. Mary married a hatter, Samuel Orr, and lived her life in and around Boston. On May 18, 1905, with a ticket purchased by Josephine, George boarded the SS Merion in Queenstown (Cobh), Ireland and on May 28th, he disembarked with $10 in his pocket at the Port of Philadelphia, met by Mrs. Ambler (his sister, Josephine). The youngest brother, Stephen, followed in 1908, landing in Philadelphia aboard the SS Westernland, living for a time with the Ambler family in Abington, then settling in Jenkintown, where his son Stephen, Jr. served as a police officer for many years until his retirement from the Jenkintown Police Department. The tradition continues today with Stephen Sr.’s twin grandson’s Sgt. Gregory J Malone # 895 & Det. Sgt. Stephen J. Malone # 902 (their father is Stephen’s son, George) who are currently 34 year veterans of the Cheltenham Township Police Department.

Catharine and George Malone on their honeymoon in October, 1916. This photo was taken at the Palace Studios in Atlantic City. (Picture courtesy of the Malone Family.)

Like many Irish, George Joseph entered the country as a “laborer.” His earliest job was working as a driver for the Elkins family but he also focused on developing a trade. By 1909, he designated his vocation as an electrician on his Declaration of Intention for Citizenship to the US, however, he continued to work for the Elkins family. In April 1916, George became a member of the LaMott Fire Company No.1, where he would remain a member for 40 years, becoming a life member in 1949. He was a firefighter alongside both Joseph and John McDermott, and this is likely how he met Catharine McDermott. George and Catharine would marry in October, 1916 at Holy Angels Church in Philadelphia. After their marriage, George continued to work for the Elkins family and Catharine and George lived in the gatehouse of the Elkins Estate where their first child, Catharine, was born in 1918. At that time, they moved to a rented house at 7321 Keenan Street, and by 1920, George was working as a lineman for the telephone company.

Around 1922, George and Catharine would acquire the 1700 Beech Avenue house from John and Bridget Mc Dermott and occupy it with their children Catharine and George, Jr. Children Mary Elizabeth, Jack, Dorothea, and Joseph would follow. George Jr. would go on to play football for Cheltenham High School (Class of 1939) and serve in the US Army in the European Theatre during WWII. Brother Jack would serve in the US Navy.

The vintage irises in bloom in Oregon. (Picture courtesy of Joann Taylor).

In the late 1930’s, the Depression would force George and Catharine to move into Philadelphia. George obtained employment as an electrician with the Crown Can Company and later with the Johnsville Naval Air Station. Eventually, both George Jr. and Joseph would follow him into the electrical trade and run their contracting business in LaMott for many years where both were also members of the LaMott Fire Company #1. Catharine was the McDermott child who loved gardening, like her father. Before and well after her father’s death, she continued to propagate the irises that John McDermott began nurturing many years before. She would take them with her to the family’s various homes for over 50 years. Her son, Joseph, who shared the McDermott penchant for gardening took the irises to a summer home in the Pocono Mountains and from there, much like the Irish as a people, these flowers have moved and thrived in other parts of the United States with Joseph’s two daughters.

Recently, the family donated a quantity of these irises to Cheltenham Township. In Spring, they can be found blooming at the Wall House.

George died in November, 1956. Shortly after that, his youngest son Joseph would marry Patricia Doody and they purchased a home on Erlen Road in LaMott where they would live for 14 years, raising two daughters Joann (the author of this piece) and Elizabeth.

Catharine died in June, 1975. She and George are both buried in the McDermott family plot at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Wyndmoor, Cheltenham, PA.

The Doody’s
The story of the Doody family has its roots in Doneraile, County Cork, Ireland.

Mary Doody was the mother of six boys, all born in Ireland. John Doody entered the country first, arriving in Philadelphia in July 1881 aboard the ship, British Crown. Patrick would follow in April 1882, arriving via New York. Two years later, Daniel arrived in Philadelphia on the ship Lord Clive in April 1884. Mary and the remaining boys, Thomas, Richard, and Michael arrived together in April 1886, into the Port of Philadelphia aboard the ship, Illinois. Various members of the family settled in Abington, Jenkintown, and Cheltenham. It is unknown how but Thomas died in 1895 at the age of 31 and Michael in 1898 at the age of 30. Mary Doody died in 1904. All three are buried in New Cathedral Cemetery, Philadelphia. As of this writing, details of Richard’s history remain unknown.

In 1900, Patrick was working as a day laborer and living in Abington with his wife Annie and their children, Mary, Joseph, Annie, John, Elizabeth, and Ellen (Helen). In the same timeframe, Daniel Doody, his wife Mary, and their family moved to Cheltenham, eventually owning a home for many years on Rock Lane, while Daniel worked as a gardener for a private family. By 1910, Patrick’s family had relocated to LaMott. That particular census relays no house numbers but the margin note claims that all of the inhabitants on the page resided on Willow Avenue.

Taken in LaMott, c. 1920. Standing (from left) are John T. Doody, Maggie McDermott, and Annie McDermott. The young man kneeling in the front is wearing a Jenkintown Boys Club sweater – his identity at this writing, is unknown. At the time of Annie McDermott’s death, this picture was among her effects. Joseph Malone was given this picture by his mother, Catharine Veronica McDermott Malone. Upon showing it to his wife, Patricia, she immediately recognized her father, John. Joseph and Patricia realized their families paths had crossed years before. (Picture courtesy of the Malone Family).

Sometime around 1918, Patrick and Annie began renting the house at 1704 Beech Avenue from Maggie McDermott. They lived there with their daughters Mary, Helen, and Helen’s husband, James Hennessey, who was a bookkeeper. As time passed, Helen and James moved to Philadelphia and Patrick’s other daughter, Elizabeth, now Elizabeth Armstrong, moved into the house along with her four sons, Francis, Joseph, and twins Gerald (Jerry) and John. Patrick and Annie would continue to live in the house until their deaths, just after 1930. Sometime shortly after that, the house was purchased by the family from Maggie McDermott.

Upon entering the US, Patrick’s brother, John, settled in Switchville (Jenkintown) and would later move to Abington. John and his wife, Mary McNelis, had two sons; Joseph A. and John T. Mary died in 1921 and John followed in 1928. John T. would go on to have three children with his wife Margaret Powers. These children were raised in Germantown and included Patricia, John, and James. Patricia Doody would later marry Joseph Malone, the youngest son of George and Catharine McDermott Malone. They will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 2008.

John, Mary, their two sons and their spouses are all buried in the Doody family plot in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Wyndmoor, Cheltenham, PA.

The author:
Joann Malone Taylor is the Great Granddaughter of John and Bridget McDermott, the Granddaughter of George and Catharine Malone, and the Granddaughter of John T. and Margaret Doody. The research for this document was undertaken at the behest of her mother, who has had an ongoing curiosity about family roots. What was initially envisioned as a relatively small job turned into a rather large but fascinating and eye opening project. Never one to pass up a chance to do some investigation, she has a research background - primarily in color science and imaging. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry/Color Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She resides in Portland, OR with her husband, Greg, and their daughter.

Some early history of the 1700 Beech Avenue Property:

Montgomery County Deed Book “E” Page 367
August 23, 1862
The Estate of Charles B. Dunigan dissolved the property in a public estate sale. This was a much larger parcel of land consisting of six acres bounded by Beech Avenue, Sycamore Avenue, and Willow Avenue. The property was purchased by Jacob D. Dermilge and Mary, his wife of Newark, Essex, New Jersey

Montgomery County Deed Book 132 – Page 106
April 29, 1863
A second public sale was held and Jacob D. Dermilge and Mary, his wife of Newark, Essex, New Jersey sold the property to J. Lee Smith and William R. Fosdick of New York City for $2,250.00. The parcel of land remained intact through this transaction. The lots are referred to as three 2-acre parcels, adjacent to lots owned by Edward Davis.

Montgomery County Deed Book # 143 – Page 56
April 13, 1866
J. Lee Smith and his wife Katharine along with William R. Fosdick and his wife, Elizabeth of New York City sold the property to Edward M. Davis of Philadelphia for “$2,400.00 lawful money of the United States of America.”

Montgomery County Deed Book #294 - Page 117
September 9, 1885
Edward M. Davis and Maria Mott, his wife, divided the property. At this time, the sum of $450.00 was paid by Mr. Joseph Albright for a parcel of the property that was measured from the corner of Beech and Sycamore Avenues for 136 ft. along each.

Montgomery County Deed Book # 325 – Page 98
April 18, 1888
Joseph Albright and his wife Louisa Adel divided the land further into three equal sized lots along Beech Avenue – these lots being of the size and dimension of the current modern day properties at 1700, 1702, and 1704 Beech Avenue.. Official maps show that in 1886, there were structures present on all three lots. This is consistent with the sale price of $2,100.00 paid by Mary Hughes for the 1700 Beech property. The Notary Public who recorded this deed was Charles Mather.

Montgomery County Deed Book # Page 352
May 15, 1896
Mary Hughes died in the latter half of 1895 and in this deed, a portion of her last will and testament is quoted. It designates Mr. Dennis O’Neil as her executor and dictates that he sell the property, either publicly or privately. The property was sold privately to John McDermott for the sum of $1,800.00.

Acknowledgements
In the compilation of this history, many interviews were conducted with surviving immediate and extended family members. In addition, extensive use of the LDS archives (Ancestry.com) were utilized. This includes the 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 US Census records, Philadelphia and New York Passenger Lists, WWI & WWII Selective Service Records, Social Security Death Records, and assorted land records.

In addition, the Philadelphia and Montgomery County Archives, the Montgomery County Court House, and the holdings of the Montgomery County Historic Society and those of the Newton, Massachusetts Historical Society were utilized. The historic records and photographs of the LaMott Fire Company #1 were also made available by Mr. George Barnhardt. Microfilms of the Philadelphia Public Ledger and the Philadelphia Inquirer were also accessed, as were select grave records of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and vital statistics of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Departments of Health.

Also, thanks are due to the author’s sister, Liz Gerron – fellow research maven, editorial eye, and archival dust bunny warrior!

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© 2007, Joann M. Taylor.