Touhey Archive Home
Touhey References Intro, Census, Vital
Touhey References 1885-99
Touhey References 1900-04
Touhey References 1905-08
Touhey References 1909-23
Touhey References
Introduction, Census and Vital Records
Introduction
I first posted these "Touhey References" pages in 2016. In the intervening years I updated them intermittently, inconsistently. I kept adding references to Touhey in my files but they often did not make it to these pages. After ten years it seems time to update. I have also re-checked and reorganized, to a degree, the entries.
My criteria for inclusion are not crystal clear. The overarching idea is to include any entry which might support writing a full-scale biography of the man. What Touhey did, who he associated with, etc.
There may be more than one reference to the same event, but in general I tried to avoid a great deal of repetition. I tried to include the source of the reference, and a link to the source, if not behind a paywall.
Nick Whitmer
Feb. 2026
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Citations not strictly about Touhey in green
Searched Fulton History newspaper index [fultonhistory.com], GenealogyBank.com, Newspapers.com, NewspaperArchive.com for:
Patrick Touhey
Patrick J. Touhey
Patrick Joseph Touhey
Patsy Touhey
Pat Touhey
Pat Touhy
Pat Toughey
Patrick Touhy
Patrick Toughey
Pat Tuohy (Fulton History index only)
Patrick Tuohy (Fulton History index only)
Pat Twohey (Fulton History index only)
Patrick Twohey (Fulton History index only)
Pat Toohey (Fulton History index only)
May Touhey
Mae Touhey (no hits)
Touhey and Finley
Touhey and Freeport
Touhey and Lacey
Touhey and Lacy
Touhey and Whalen
Toohey Trio (Fulton History index only)
Wilbur Browning
Will Brown
Thomas J. Connelly
Charles Burke
Charles H Burke
Charles Henry Burke
Dan Lacey
Dan Lacy
Stephen Rooney
Burke and Touhey
Brannigan and Touhey
Egan and Touhey
Eagan and Touhey
Eagen and Touhey
Harrigan's and hibernian
Hibernian Comedy Company
Healy And Cohan's Hiberniana
Healey and Cohans
John E Healy
other indexes consulted:
Chronicling America - Historic American Newspapers at the Library of Congress
HRVH [Hudson River Valley Heritage] Historical Newspapers - Home
Northern New York Historical Newspapers by Northern New York Library Network (NNYLN)
Newspaper page references may not be correct in the GenealogyBank.com and Newspapers.com citations. I took page numbers from the citation descriptions, which I later found did not always match the numbers on the printed page.
Ignored scores of advertisements for his commercial recordings.
There are several references to The Piping of Patsy Touhey. This invaluable book was written by Pat Mitchell and Jackie Small, published by Na Píobairí Uilleann, Dublin, in 1986, 113 p.
----- Census and Vital RecordsPatrick Touhey birth certificate Certified Copy
No. 194
Date and Place of Birth Twenty-seventh February 1865 Cahertinna Lackalea
Name Patrick
Sex M.
Name & Dwelling Place of Father James O'Toole Cahertinna
Name and Maiden Name of Mother Mary O'Toole formerly Curley
Rank or Profession of Father Musician
Informant James O'Toole Father Cahertinna
Certified true copy, given under seal of Oifig an Ard-Chláraitheora this Twenty-sixth day of May [no year listed]
Image of this received from Barry O'Neill, Jan. 2026. Barry writes in his notebook no. 2, "P. Touhy's birth record is in Office of Register General, Custom House Dublin"
-----
Massachusetts Town and Vital Records 1620-1988
Boston
Record of Deaths.
No. 4790 Novr 6, 1875 James O'Toole Married Age 45 years Cause of Death Pneumonia Place of Death Cor H [probably 1st] & Vicksburg Sts Place of Birth Ireland Occupation Laborer Name of Father Michael Name of Mother Bridget Parents born Ireland Place of Interment Dorchester No. of Permit 5371 Physician in Attendance Saml A. Green
Ancestry.com
Also:
Massachusetts Town and Vital Records 1620-1988
Deaths in Boston.
Date of Registration November 7 1875 No. 93 Date of Death November 5 1875 James O Toole Age 45 years Place of Death H [probably 1st St] and Vicksburg St Married Occupation Laborer Birthplace Ireland Parents Michael and Bridget Parents born Ireland Cause of Death Pneumonia Place of Interment Dorchester Informant P. Kennedy
Ancestry.com
-----
US Census 1880
Massachusetts Suffolk County Boston Ward 14 Precinct 2 Enumeration Dist. 687 Page No. 13 Enumerated June 4, 1880
4 Vicksburg Street
O Toole Mary Age at last birthday 42 Widow Occupation Keeping house Cannot read or write Born Ireland Parents born Ireland
O Toole Patrick Age at last birthday 15 Son Single Occupation Printer Can read and write Born Ireland Parents born Ireland
O Toole Bridget Age at last birthday 10 Daughter Single Occupation At School Born Mass Father born Mass Mother born Ireland
Ancestry.com
4 Vicksburg St is at the corner of Vicksburg and East 1st Street, the South Boston neighborhood. Vicksburg runs from East First to East Second and is between and parallel to H and I streets. An 1880 map shows it to be one block long.
https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:js956k55w
-----
U.S. Census 1900
New York Bronx Borough Enumeration District 1023 Sheet No. 27
Enumerated 19 June, 1900
1388 Bristow Street
[ ]nelly, Thomas Head born March 1859 41 years born Ireland Policeman
Elizabeth Wife born July 1869 30 years born Mass.
Thomas Son born Jan 1892 8 years born New York At School
[ ]hey, Patrick B.-in law March 1865 35 years born Ireland Actor immigrated 1867
Beginning of last names effaced - whited-out - probably on original page.
Touhey listed as "single," that is, not married; parents born in Ireland; "Months not employed 5" Thomas senior and Elizabeth's parents born in Ireland.Thomas Connelly Jr., if the Census record is correct, was Pat Touhey's nephew. He was also a dancer, performed with Pat and Mary Touhey in vaudeville, 1913-14. See information about him listed after the "Oswego, NY Richardson Theatre May 8-10, 1913" entry.
1388 Bristow St. The Bronx, circa 1940. From NYC tax records, and from the internet, through Barry O'Neill, Dec. 2018.
The NY 1905 Census lists Thomas, Elizabeth and Thomas [Jr] Conlly at 1388 Bristow St., Occupations Policeman, Housewife, At School, respectively. Touhey not listed.
Election District 30 Block T page 47 Enumerated June 1, 1905.
The US Census 1910 lists Thomas, Elizabeth and Thomas Jr. Connonly at 1388 Bristow St. Occupations Own Income, None, Bank Clerk, respectively. Thomas Sr the owner of the home, with mortgage. Touhey not listed.
Ward X[?] Enumeration District 1554 Sheet No. 22B
https://archive.org/stream/13thcensus1910po1001unit#page/n413/mode/2up
The US Census 1920 lists Thomas Connelly, 61 years, Mary (sister) 58 years and Patrick Hough (nephew) 25 years at 1388 Bristow St. Occupations None, None, and laborer Gas Co, respectively. Thomas the owner of the home, with mortgage.
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US Census 1910
Connecticut Middlesex County East Haddam District No. 29[?] Sheet No. [no number] A Enumerated 16 May, 1910
[address] Upper Landing
Toughey Patrick Head Age at last birthday 45 Years married 5 Born Ireland Parents born Ireland Immigrated 1868 Naturalized Occupation Actor in Theatre Can read and write Owns home free of Mortgage
Toughey Mary Wife Age at last birthday 24[? 29?] Years married 5 Born Massachusetts Father born Can. Eng. Mother born Vermont Occupation Actress Can read and write
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In the run up to US involvement in World War I the State of Connecticut did a "Military Census" of all men over the age of 16. A form was filled out for Patrick J. Touhey, post office address East Haddam, Conn. on Feb. 20, 1917. (Forms also exist for the two men who witnessed and signed Touhey's will, June 1915.)
1. What is your present Trade, Occupation or Profession? Theatrical Travels 7 mo in year
2. Have you experience in any other Trade, Occupation or Profession? no
3. What is your Age? unknown Height? 5 1/2 Weight? about 150#
4. Are you Married? Single? or Widower? Married
5. How many persons are dependent on your for support? One
6. Are you a citizen of the United States? Yes
...
9. Have you ever done any Military or Naval Service in this or any other Country? No
10. Have you any serious physical disability? Yes If so, name it. Gastritis
11. Can you do any of the following: Ride a horse? No Handle a team? No Drive an automobile? Yes Ride a motorcycle? No Understand telegraphy? No Operate a wireless? No Any experience with a steam engine? No Any experience with electrical machinery? No Handle a boat, power or sail? Yes Any experience in simple coastwise navigation? No Any experience with High Speed Marine Gasoline Engines? No Are you a good swimmer? No
I hereby certify that I have personally interviewed the above mentioned person and that the answers to the questions enumerated are as he gave them to me.
Alexander Dallas Jr.
Military Census Agent.
In left hand margin near question 2: Away for season
The form is printed. Handwritten answers, comments and signature are in italics.
From Ancestry.com
Note: despite the "certification" at the bottom of the form, I suspect that someone answered the questions for Touhey. Some parts of the form are filled out in one hand (or pen, at least); some parts in another. At the very least it seems as if the form was not filled out all at once.
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US CENSUS 1920
New York, New York City 10th Assembly Dist. Manhattan E.D. 799 Sheet 12-9 A? Jan. 1920 [address] 223 [West] 52nd Street.
Touhey, Patrick J. Head of family. Home owner of record. 54 years old. Married. Immigrated 1868. Naturalized 1894. Born in Ireland. Mother, Father born in Ireland. Trade or profession Actor. Industry or business Enterprisis. Employer, worker or working on own account O.A.
This was just west of Broadway, on the north side of 52nd. In this block, many rooming houses and not a few actors as residents. I went to the NYC Office of the City Register, 66 John St. 13th floor, on Nov. 30, 2016 to look at deed and real estate records. The finding system is set up by Borough, Block and Lot. Manhattan, block 1024, lot number unclear. Could be lots 17, 17 1/2 or 18. In any case I found no reference to Touhey in any deed, mortgage or other records for these or adjacent lots. A fellow who worked in the Office told me that all I would find are transactions and names of people who were "recorded," implying that there were other property transfers or arrangements which were not recorded. In any case, in the 1920 Census, in the column "Home owned or rented" there is an O in the line for Touhey. The only O on the page. Other lines are either blank or have an R for renter.
Listed at this address, 13 roomers: 10 men 3 women. Of these, two are apparent married couples. Seven (not including Touhey) are listed as actors or in the theatrical line of work, one a stage carpenter. Other occupations include salesperson, hotel clerk.
The first persons listed at this address are Chancey and Kathleen Jesson, husband and wife, who the enumerator at first took for head of household and wife, then corrected to roomer. Were they managing the building for Touhey? There are about 20 listings for the Jessons in the Fulton History index, apparently as singers in vaudeville and burlesque, 1914-17.
At this time his permanent address was 117 North Bayview Ave., Freeport, NY. I paged through the 1920 Census schedules for Freeport, NY, that is, Nassau County Enumeration Districts 13, 14 and 15 and found nothing. E. D. 15 had North Bayview Ave listings but no number 117. Feb. 2016
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Department of Health of the City of New York
Bureau of Records
Certificate of Death
Place of Death Borough of Bronx No. 1175 Grand Concourse St. [certificate stamped no.] 322
Full Name Patrick Joseph Touhey
Married
Date of Birth [no entry]
Age 57 years
Occupation actor
Birthplace Ireland
How long in US 55 yr How long resident in City of New York 55 yr
Name of Father James Birthplace Ireland
Maiden Name of Mother Mary Stanton Birthplace Ireland
Date of Death January 10, 1923
... I further certify that I have viewed said body and from examination and evidence, that he died on the 10 day of Jan 1923, at A. M., and that the chief and determining cause of his death was Diabetes Mellitus,
resparithis [myocarditis?] Chronica
cardiac insufficiency
that the contributing causes were [no entry]
[signed] Assistant Medical Examiner
Approved [signed] Chief Medical Examiner.
Filed Jan 12 1923
Place of Burial St Raymond's Cemetery Date of Burial Jany 13th, 1923
Undertaker John J. Meagher 3483 Third Ave
I hereby certify that I have been employed as undertaker by Mary Touhey the Wife of deceased. ... Signature John J Meagher
Ordered from NYC Archive March 23, 2019, paper copy received April 4.
Trying to figure out what treatment for diabetes was like for Touhey. The very first use of insulin was in 1922. In pre-insulin days, it was understood that diet had an impact. There are references to the "starvation treatment," circa 1912, reducing sugar in the diet. Touhey looks emaciated in his last photos, so perhaps this was an aspect of his treatment. See Papaspyros, N. D. The History of Diabetes Mellitus 2nd ed. 1964 pp. 45, 80
David W. Deacon suggested these interesting links in 2022:
From the American Diabetes Association:
https://diabetes.org/blog/history-wonderful-thing-we-call-insulin
Also this:
Mazur, Allan Why were "starvation diets" promoted for diabetes in the pre-insulin period? Nutrition Journal v. 10 2011
National Library of Medicine
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3062586/
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Touhey Archive Home
Touhey References Intro, Census, Vital
Touhey References 1885-99
Touhey References 1900-04
Touhey References 1905-08
Touhey References 1909-23
Nick's Piping Archive Home