Peter Statuto 1855 - 1917

Peter Statuto is one of my paternal great-great grandfathers. He is the father of Mary Rose Statuto, who is the biological mother of my grandfather, Peter Francis Daley. The name Peter continued through my family line from him, to my grandfather, to my father, to also wind up as my middle name. We never knew, but we inherited this name from our Statuto side. I only recently began to really delve into my Statuto research. When I did, I certainly learned a lot about Peter.

I was first contacted by a fellow genealogist about the Statutos in spring of 2013. This researcher believed that Mary Rose Statuto, of Lowell Ma, was the birth mother of my grandfather. Previous to this we only ever knew that his original surname had been Statuto and that he had been born in Pepperell. 

Through his connection to Mary Rose, I was also given a great amount of information about her father Peter. This information has been very valuable and has opened up many new avenues of research and a lot of questions. Some of them I have answered and some I am still working on. However, I now know quite a bit more about my Mr. Statuto than I had before. 

According to US Naturalization Record Indexes Peter Statuto was born in Italy 22 March 1855. According to marriage records, his parents were Carmenandonio and Carminella Statuto. I don’t have his full naturalization record yet, so I don’t know exactly where he came from. I also don’t have his mother’s maiden name. 

Peter arrived in New York on October 30, 1880 aboard the SS Nederland. By 1881 he appears in the City Directory of Lowell, listed as a “fruit dealer” on Middlesex Street. He remained in this business for the majority of his life and remained in Lowell until his death. He and his family appears in the 1910 census. 

Peter Statuto and daughters in 1910

Peter was married twice. His first marriage was to Marie Farrell. Together, they had one daughter named Amelia Statuto, born 1885. Unfortunately Marie Farrell seems to have died only a year later in 1886. 

In December of 1893, Peter Statuto was naturalized as a citizen of the United States.On 20 Jan 1895, Peter remarried Marie Therrien, the daughter of Hubert and Mathilda Therrien of Quebec. Together, they had four daughters:

- Mary Rose Statuto b. 1896

- Mary Lora Statuto b. 1897

- Mary Philomine Statuto b. 1898

- Mary Louisa Statuto b 1901

Peter Statuto seemed to manage a fruit distribution or grocer’s business in Lowell and appeared in the Lowell Sun several times in relation to this business. Later he obtained the license to sell ice cream as well. In some of these newspaper entries Peter appears to have been involved with or affiliated with criminal activity. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Peter was a criminal himself, so much as to say that he was several times plagued by the criminal activity of those around him. In a future post, I’ll outline some of these more interesting events in Peter’s life. 

Peter died in Lowell on 4 February 1917. His death notice was posted in the Lowell Sun. According to this notice, Peter was a member of the Court General Shields, Foresters of America. Previously Peter had also been a member and treasurer of the Christopher Columbus Italian Mutual Aid Society as well. Unfortunately, it appears that neither of these organizations have available records for this time period.  

Both Peter Statuto and my great-great grandmother Marie Therrien are buried in St. Patrick Cemetery in Lowell, Ma. I am currently planning a trip in that direction. 

I have to say it was fascinating learning about an ancestor that I never even knew I had, especially one who had a direct impact on the naming tradition of my family. Though I can only get a glimpse of what Peter Statuto might have been like through records and newspaper articles, I think it speaks volumes that his daughter named my grandfather seemingly after him. She wasn't the only one of his daughters to use the name either. 

As soon as I learn exactly where in Italy the Statuto family came from I know I’ll feel compelled to visit. I would also love to know more about the interestingly named Carmenandonio and Carminella. Until then Peter Statuto is a welcome new branch in the sometimes crooked and not quite linear family tree that has become the Daley Clan. 

Mary Rose Statuto 1896 - 1955

Since the death of my grandfather, Peter Francis Daley Sr., in 2004, I have been attempting to uncover the mysteries of his past and origins. For a man I had known since birth, I found that I knew surprisingly little about him. As I began to research his life, I quickly discovered that he had been raised as a ward of the state in the Daley family since sometime before 1930.

Although I knew his birth name was Statuto, based on the 1930 census, I had only scraps additional information. I knew his birth date of June 1920 and I knew he was born in Pepperell, Ma. Having contacted the Pepperell Town Clerk in 2004, I was informed that I was barred from accessing my grandfather’s birth record for 100 years, as he was an illegitimate birth.

The 1930 US Census showing my grandfather as Peter Statuto

Although my family and I had suspicions about his parentage, for almost nine years of genealogical research I made little progress in solving the original mystery of my family, the reason I began research at all. There were quite a few Statutos of the correct age in Massachusetts in 1920. I had a long list, but I had no idea how to narrow it down to find which one was my great grandparent. In the spring of 2013 that all changed. 

In May of 2013 I was contacted by a fellow genealogist who was related to the Statuto family of Pepperell Ma. He informed me that during 1920 the sister of one of his Statuto ancestors moved into his ancestor’s home and appeared on the 1920 census. His relative was named Amelia Statuto and the mysterious sister was named Mary Rose Statuto. In addition, he suspected that Mary Rose had been pregnant at the time.

1920 US Census showing Mary Rose Statuto

I re-examined Statuto records I had saved and saw both women on my list of potential suspects. However, I had no information about the family. In a couple emails, the other genealogist gave me a crash course on the Statuto side of his family.

Although I could not be sure, as I believed I was still forbidden access to my grandfather’s birth records, I believed I had enough circumstantial evidence to be 95% sure Mary Rose Statuto was my great grandmother. 

I once again contacted the Town Clerk where my grandfather was born and was informed that his birth certificate was now available, which was a little surprising because I had been told previously that I had to wait until 2020 to see it. However, the record did confirm that Mary Rose was the mother of my grandfather. His father’s name was still missing however. Thus began my adventure into the Statuto family of Lowell and Pepperell, Ma.

Mary Rose Statuto was born 12 November 1896 in the City of Lowell to Peter Statuto and Marie Therrien. It was the second marriage for both Peter and Marie. Peter was a recent Italian immigrant and Marie Therrien was a recent French Canadian immigrant. Peter Statuto also had an older daughter named Amelia Statuto from his previous marriage. Along with Amelia, Mary Rose had three other sisters.

- Mary Lora b. 1897

- Mary Philomene b. 1898

- Mary Louisa b. 1901

 Of course, all sisters are named Mary, but they seemed to go by their middle name in later records. 

Mary Rose appears in the 1910 census, living with her father Peter Statuto, who was a well known fruit dealer in the city. She also appears on several city directories between 1913 and 1917, all showing her occupation as “Dress Maker.”

Then in 1920 Mary Rose appears on the US Census in the household of her half sister Amelia in Pepperell. Amelia had married a man named John W Gilman. Together, he and Amelia already had a substantial family. Aside from my great grandmother, the Gilmans were also boarding a Philip Therrien, who I must assume was a relation to Mary Rose. Perhaps an uncle or cousin on her mother’s side of the family, it’s unclear as of yet.

After 1920 and the birth of my grandfather, Mary Rose and Philip both seem to disappear. I can find no trace of either on the census records for 1930 and 1940. In fact, I initially believed that Mary Rose had died soon after my grandfather’s birth. However, I was wrong. 

 Using newspaper archives in Massachusetts, I was first able to find additional information about Peter Statuto and his business in Lowell. Following this lead, I then used the archives of the Lowell Sun to find an obituary for Mary Rose Statuto in 1955. 

 This meant that Mary Rose had, for whatever reason, intentionally given up my grandfather. As far as I know my grandfather, when he supposedly found out about his parentage, was never interested in contacting his biological mother. I wonder if the same could be said for her. I’ll probably never know. 

The obituary lists several pallbearers at her funeral. Some additional research showed that Peter Gilman and Albert Clark were both members of Amelia Statuto’s family. It seems the sisters had kept in touch. I am currently trying to track down Wilfred Bouchard of Pepperell and Daniel Dwyer of Groton to see what connection they had to Mary Rose. 

According to this record it seems that Mary Rose Statuto never married and potentially never had any other children, as no other family was mentioned. I can’t help but wonder what the rest of her life was like and where she lived between 1920 and 1955. I also still wonder who my paternal great grandfather was. 

So, it only took about nine years of research to uncover half of the mystery I first set out to solve. I’m still not sure who my grandfather’s father was, but I have several new avenues of research to follow for clues.

I’m also grateful that in those nine years I’ve met and maintain contact with some awesome members of my family I had never known. I’ve been to places connected to my family which I never would have gone. I learned a lot about my grandfather and how he grew up. I was able to research and record my ancestry on my mother’s side, much more easily I might add. I’ve also continually developed my genealogical and historic research skills along the way. I now have a fairly comprehensive (and continually growing) family tree to pass on to the next generation of my family.

Even though I’ve now only solved half of the original mystery of my family, it seems that what I’ve gained along the way has been well worth the while. I just hope it doesn’t take another nine years for me to solve the second half.

Discoveries in 2013

A lot has changed in my family research since I last posted. The biggest advancement has been the release of my grandfather’s birth records. Through this record and with the help of another genealogist, I have confirmed that my grandfather’s birth mother was Mary Rose Statuto of Lowell, Ma. 

Armed with this information, I was able to acquire a large amount of information about the Statuto family through the use of Newspaper archives for the most part. I learned about the life and adventures of her father, Peter Statuto, a well known grocer in Lowell during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. He certainly was an interesting guy. Let’s just say for now that Daniel Duggan was not the only rascal in my family tree. I will be posting information about my discoveries in the very near future.

The other large development also concerns my grandfather’s family. Because of recently obtained (mostly unquestionable data) I believe I have disproved the theory that George Daley was the father of my grandfather Peter Francis Daley. In addition, it has come into question whether or not my grandfather is related to the Daley family at all.Who his biological father was remains a huge mystery which continues to frustrate me.

All this new information has pushed me into new lines of research I had never considered before. It has made me (once again) question the accepted origins of our family, our identity, and even our ethnicity. At times I have been hugely disappointed by my discoveries and at other times I am completely fascinated. Either way, good or bad, expected or unexpected, the past few months of research has been a roller coaster. Stay tuned, I’ll explain why.

To Our Dearest Papa - Margaret O'Brien

The following poem was written to commemorate the life and exploits of my great-great grandfather, Daniel Duggan. The poem was written by his granddaughter, Margaret O’Brien, who wrote and published many poems.

To Our Dearest Papa

I’ll tell you of a gallant man
Whose time was never wasted
Our gracious, cheerful, lively, Dan
Who left no sport untasted

His forge was known the country o’er
All clients took a seat
For if they left the smithy’s door
Their horse was at the meet

If rodeo was then the mode
He’d ride without a spill
For I have heard he even rode
A pig at Shandy Hill

For like the great John Peel, his heart
Was on the hunting grounds
He’d "bone" a horse and take a part
In chasing with the hounds

He plied his gaff in sweet Clonmeen
Beside the old Shannow
With thrilling heart he poached the stream
When the seasons would allow

Like Shakespeare with Sir Thomas
Were Papa’s escapades
Tho ‘twas Grehan that gave promise
Of thwarting all his ways

The football team in Quartertown
While captained by young Dan
Was never known to be "let down"
But a course of glory ran

Even in the field of cricket
He took a part, what’s more
‘twas he who knocked the wicket
When they made the winning score

His creative genius was made like
To Stevenson’s renown
He made a "tallywagtail" byke
The pride of all the town

His feats and exploits were well known
Through Mallow and Glountaune
So popular, the people’s own
Was Donal O’Duggan

With Tadg he shot in Colthurst’s wood
Which was a strict preserve
Three keepers pinned him where he stood
‘twas then he showed his nerve

With well feigned ease he bided time
Suspicions to allay
Then with a spring - a jump sublime
He broke free - and away

Through the bracken like a flash
O’er ditches like the wind
Taking hedges at a dash
His captors far behind

And Tadg was off another way
His heart as light as air
His mind fixed on another day
Of sport in Colthurst’s lair

So here’s to Dan, all life’s his fort
Who’se never known a fear
Our dearly loved, and rare old sport
Our hearty pioneer

Since February he’s gone to rest
And oh, we miss him sure
But he’s at peace and this is best,
With God forever more

In Castlemagner, quiet he lies
Mid scenes of youth and joy
Where oftimes under sunny skies
He wandered when a boy

The sad Blackwater gliding past
A mournful dirge must wail
To Ruskeen Bridge it’s song is cast
In passing through the vale

The little graveyard on the hill
Which now so homely seems
So peaceful, so quiet and still
Just everlasting dream

His happiness we’ll grudge him not
For he is with his own
Waiting in that sheltered spot
To guide us to God’s throne

The poem was originally sent to my grandfather in 1930. The attached post script states that Daniel Duggan and his father-in-law Con Buckley both built Ruskeen Bridge, which could be seen from Daniel’s grave. There are several things I just don't understand within the poem's lines. I have no idea what a Tallywagtail bike is, for instance. Still, it is very cool to have a published poem memorializing the exploits of a Daley ancestor, expecially once as interesting as Daniel Duggan.

Daniel Duggan 1855 - 1963



Daniel Duggan and Ellen Buckley around 1907
Children are Anthony Duggan and either Connie Singleton or Nan Cahill
The dog was named Rock

Daniel Duggan is my paternal great-great grandfather. He is the father of Cornelius Timothy Duggan and the grandfather of Elizabeth M Duggan. I have grown up hearing tales of Daniel Duggan and his adventures. From what I know, he seemed like quite the rouge and a really interesting guy.

Daniel was born in Banteer, County Cork on September 29, 1855. His parents were Daniel Duggan and Mary Ellen O’Hanlon. According to information from relatives, the family owned a small forge and a farm. His father died when Daniel was only 13, leaving Mary Ellen to raise three young sons. Daniel, who was the oldest; followed by Con, who ran the family forge. The youngest brother was Nicholas, who died around the age of 15.

Daniel Duggan married Ellen Buckley in the parish of Clonmeen on August 25, 1878. It seems like this might have been a controversial pairing, because I find the baptismal record for their first child as early as 1875. In addition, family stories indicate that as soon as Daniel and Ellen were married, Daniel’s mother threw him out of the family home and never spoke to him again.

Daniel Duggan went to work for his father-in-law, Con Buckley, also known as Papa Clonmeen. It was at this time that Daniel earned the nickname Boss Duggan, or The Boss. It was also at this time that Daniel got into some serious trouble.

Like his son would be, Daniel was a very talented trainer of animals. I have even heard him described as a horse-whisperer. Daniel was also very fond of poaching, which was very illegal in Ireland. According to family lore, he had an Irish water spaniel named Drake who he had trained to catch salmon as they went over the shallows in the Blackwater River. Unfortunately, Daniel was caught poaching on the lands of a Magistrate by the name of Grehan, who lived on the estate at Clonmeen House.

Clonmeen House

At this time one of the consequences for poaching was forced transportation to Australia. According to relatives, Daniel was not willing to accept the punishment. He is said to have stated, "It would be like going to law with the Devil when the court was in Hell." Instead of accepting his sentence, Daniel decided to move his entire family to the town of Mallow (only about 20 miles). However, before he left, he made sure to go back and get his dog.

There is a very cool poem written by Margaret O’Brien, one of Daniel’s grandchildren. It details his capture and escape during the poaching incident. It’s interesting looking at the picture of Daniel with his family and his dog above, the dog does not appear to be an Irish water spaniel. Although I am not the expert my grandparents were, I would guess that the dog in the photo is an early Irish setter. Of course, the back of the photo indicates that the pictured dog was named Rock, so it is possible Daniel owned and trained many types of hunting dogs during his life.

About half of Daniel and Ellen’s children were born in Mallow, including my great grandfather Cornelius Timothy. According to information given to me by relatives and additional records, Daniel had at least 12 children.

- Ellen Duggan b. 1875
- Christina Duggan b. 1879
- Hannah Duggan b. 1880
- Honora Duggan b. 1880
- Daniel Duggan b. 1884
- Cornelius Timothy Duggan - 1885 – 1943
- Molly Duggan b. abt. 1889
- Judy Duggan b. 1891
- Kathleen Duggan b. 1893
- Esther M. Duggan b. 1894
- Anthony Duggan b. 1899
- Maeve Duggan b. abt. 1900


Top row, left to right - Dan Duggan, Hannah Duggan, Kathleen Duggan, Molly Duggan, Cornelius Timothy Duggan
Middle row, left to right - Jesse Reese, Lily ?, Daniel Duggam, Ellen Buckley, Christin Duggan, Judy Duggan
Bottom row- Rock (the dog) and Anthony Duggan

From Mallow, the family moved to Cork City in 1884. They lived on a 15 acre patch of land in a suburb called Gurranabraher, which was owned by the local distillery. Daniel worked as a smith for the distillery. The second half of the family was born at this location. In 1911, the family moved to the suburb of Blackpool.

Daniel and Ellen lived in the house in Blackpool in Cork City for the remainder of their lives. Ellen seems to have passed first, but I don’t have the exact date. Daniel was the last Duggan to live in this house. He died in 1963.

Daniel Duggan seemed like such an interesting person, and certainly someone I wish I knew. As of now, the story of his poaching incident is just family lore. Certainly salmon poaching was a problem in Ireland both then and now, however I would love to have some sort of record to back up the legend. Until then, I look foreword to the time when my family and I can visit Ireland and walk in the footsteps of our ancestors. Especially Daniel Duggan, potentially one of the more mischievous members of the Daley Clan of yore.

Peter Daley and Elizabeth Duggan - 60 Years together!

Peter Francis Daley and Elizabeth Duggan
May 2 1943 Waltham, Ma

This is a picture of my grandparents, Peter Francis Daley (1920 – 2004) and his wife Elizabeth Mary Duggan (1920 – 2010). They were married May 2, 1943 at St. Mary’s Church in Waltham.

Peter Francis Daley and Elizabeth M Duggan
May 2003 Falmouth, Ma

The second newspaper clipping describes their 60 year wedding anniversary. All of their children and grandchildren gathered at the Coonamessett Inn in Falmouth, Ma in May of 2003. Although I have a thousand memories of my grandparents, the above picture is how I generally remember them still. In retrospect, this would have been a great time to speak to my grandfather about his family.

Cornelius Timothy Duggan 1885 - 1943

Cornelius Timothy Duggan
My Great-Grandfather

Cornelius Timothy Duggan is my great Grandfather. He is the father of my paternal grandmother, Elizabeth M. Duggan. He is my namesake, although I am not named Cornelius. The male side of my family inherited some of their looks (good or bad) from Cornelius Duggan. If you lined us up, you'd see a resemblance. Even as a child I had often heard stories about the Duggan side of my family. Unlike the Daley side of my family, I knew almost all of, and consistently saw, my grandmother’s siblings. In fact, all of my father’s cousins are still involved in major events like weddings, where they earn a deserved reputation as a group that likes to have a good time. Although I was always more familiar with this side of the family, it was not until I was an adult that I actually began to research and to understand Cornelius Timothy and the family that originated from him. 

 I had always known that Cornelius was born in County Cork, but recent records have given me more details. According to his naturalization records, and draft registrations, Cornelius Duggan was born 8 June 1885 in Co. Cork to Daniel Duggan (1855 – 1963) and Ellen Buckley (b. 1858). Daniel and Ellen had a large Irish Catholic family. Through family sources, passenger indexes, and Irish Baptismal records, I have recorded the following siblings for Cornelius:


- Ellen Duggan b. 1875
- Christina Duggan b. 1879
- Hannah Duggan b. 1880
- Honora Duggan b. 1880
- Daniel Duggan b. 1884
- Molly Duggan b. abt. 1889
- Judy Duggan b. 1891
- Kathleen Duggan b. 1893
- Esther M. Duggan b. 1894
- Anthony Duggan b. 1899
- Maeve Duggan b. abt. 1900

 Although, it seems like Daniel was from Banteer Co. Cork in the parish of Clonmeen, family stories indicate that he was a frequent poacher (more on this later) and had been caught in the act by a local magistrate. To avoid punishment and deportation, he moved to a town called Mallow. It was in this town that Cornelius was born.

Through his naturalization records, I have been able to find the passenger lists showing that Cornelius immigrated to Boston in October of 1912 aboard the ship Franconia. According to these records he arrived unmarried, with only $24. He also lists William Thompson as a friend. Because he listed Mr. Thompson, I have been able to find most of the immigration records for his siblings as well, as most of his brothers and sisters referenced William Thompson too. William was the husband of Mary F. Duggan (Molly). In the US, he also acted as a witness for my great grandfather's naturalization. 

Cornelius Timothy Duggan - Petition For Naturalization

Cornelius Duggan Declaration of Intention



Sometime between petitioning for naturalization in 1918 and his appearance in the US city directories in 1923, Cornelius Duggan married my great Grandmother, Elizabeth M. Donohue (1886 – 1984). I have not been able to find a record for this marriage yet. The couple moved to Waltham and created another pretty large Irish Catholic family. According to census records and information provided by relatives, this family included:

- Elizabeth M. Duggan (my Grandmother)- 1920 – 2010
- Cornelius Timothy (Buddy) Duggan 1922 - 1983
- Joseph Duggan b.1923
- Eleanor Duggan b. 1925
- John R. Duggan b. 1926
- Patricia A. Duggan b. 1928
- Mortimer P. Duggan 1930 – 2010

 I had always heard that Cornelius Timothy was a blacksmith who had worked on the construction of several bridges in Ireland and Massachusetts. From my father, I also knew that Cornelius was able to provide for his family throughout the depression by smithing horseshoes for the horses that pulled the Hoods milk delivery trucks. Like his father, I have been told that Cornelius was also a talented dog trainer. In fact, in many of his pictures, he is posing with a dog. However, I don’t have much more personal information about him. I truly need to interview his remaining children to learn more.

Cornelius spent the remainder of his life in Waltham. Although there are draft records for both WWI and WWII, I don’t know if he fought in either war. I do know that he died in Waltham, Massachusetts 23 December 1943, at the age of 58. Unlike my great Grandmother, I never met my namesake Cornelius Timothy. Having now learned about him, I think I would have liked him.