An Interview with Aunt Florence

Last July, I drove to Atlantic City and talked to my Aunt Florence about my mom's family: who they were, where they came from, and where they went.  Growing up, we always called her Aunt Florence, but I know that she is my mother’s cousin, which technically makes her my first cousin, once removed.  I think that her children are my second cousins.

Anyway, here are some of the things that I learned from Aunt Florence.  First off, she said that our great grandmother, Johanna Sullivan McConville, was born in London, England in about 1866.  Her father was Michael Sullivan, who was a tailor to the Ladies of the Court at Buckingham Palace.  Johanna and her sister, Mary Ann, went to a private school near the palace, possibly St. Mary’s, because there is a St. Mary’s church on the palace grounds.  They were able to play on the lawn of Buckingham Palace, and were very well read and educated.  When their father died, they were sent to America to live with cousins, Willie and Annie Waters(?) who had a bunch of kids in Brooklyn, and they were going to be nannies to the children.  I am not real sure what happened to their mother, Mary Dunn Sullivan, but that’s a good question to Aunt Florence next time I see her.  Johanna came over when she was about 14 years old, which would make it about 1880.  Florence said that Johanna did not speak well of her American cousins, because she enjoyed her time in London.  While she was in London, she and Mary Ann were in the wedding of Lady Alice at Buckingham Palace and they were very fond of Lady Alice as she treated them very well.  They liked her so much that Johanna named her daughter, Alice, after her. When my mom's mother died in 1939, she went to live with Alice and Momma and Poppa Mac and they raised her from age 13. 

Here is a photo of Johanna Sullivan McConville (Momma Mac) and Edward Sylvester McConville (Poppa Mac).  The occasion is their 50th Wedding Anniversary and the picture is dated 1939.

Johanna lived in Brooklyn and married our great grandfather, Edward Sylvester McConville in 1888 (or more probable, 1889) in Brooklyn, possibly Red Hook.  They had eight children: Edna, John, Catherine (our grandmother), Florence (Aunt Florrie, who is Florence’s mother), Edward, James, and Alice (EeeHee). 

Edward Sylvester McConville, who everyone called Ted, worked at the Mathison Cooperage.  Mom said that he worked outside of the Holland Tunnel (in Jersey City I guess) and he was so loyal that he named his son James (Mathison) McConville after the company.  He said the company gave great Christmas bonuses.  They all called James by his middle name “Matt”.

“Ted” and the family lived near Holy Name Cemetery near West Side Ave and he used to walk around the corner to an Irish Pub and they would say to him “Sing us a song Ted” and he would usually sing “Paddy McGinty’s Goat”.  Florence said that he could play any stringed instrument ever made.