A basic family history

James Crozier wrote this family history in 1936. It's a great starting point for anyone who doesn't know too much about the Moorfield Croziers. It was transcribed from a hand written document by Helen Mallon.


CROZIER FAMILY

Crozier Coat of Arms
Translation of Latin inscription means:

The cross of the Heavens. That cross will be the key for me.


A record of the Crozier families of Moorfield, parish of Kilskeery, Trillick, Co Tyrone, Ireland

I, James J Crozier have always heard it said by relatives, friends and neighbours that the Crozier family came to the North of Ireland with William the Third, Prince of Orange in 1688 and settled there.

My grandfather, Joseph Crozier, and his father and my first cousin, Joe Crozier and my father have had farms in Moorfield and are still occupied by their descendants.

My grandfather, Joseph Crozier, married Ann Elkin from near Ederny. She died when father was only two months old. Grandfather did not marry again. He lived to be 86 years of age.

His family consisted of three boys and four girls, as follows:

1.James Crozier, a Policeman bachelor, died when about 30 of an injury.

2.Robert Crozier, farmer, occupied my grandfather’s farm. He married a Mary Jane McConnell of Tonagh, near Fintona. His family consisted of two boys and four (?) girls, namely Joseph and Andrew, then Bessie, Mary Christine, Fanny and Sarah  (and Margaret).
Joe married a Miss Guy of Feglish.
Bessie married a Thomas Allen. He died and she remarried a man named Knox. (Uncle Jim is mistaken here. The second husband's name was Barton Graham.)
Mary also married a man named Knox.
Christine came to America, married a man named Alexander Bryson who  came from Carrygallon, Co Leitrim, Ireland. He died in 1935. She is now 87 years in 1936 and living in N Y City.
Fanny Crozier married John Kerr from Co Fermanagh.
Sarah Crozier married, had 4 children, is dead.
Andrew Crozier, born about July 1st 1866 died about 1934. Married and had 4 children.

(Margaret Crozier married Alex Clark, had 2 children. Father and mother both dead)
(NB Although JJC recorded 4 girls in his uncle Robert’s family it would appear that there were 5 or 6.)

3.Joseph Crozier, my father, married Catherine Donald of Cabra, Kilskeery, Co Tyrone.
Her mother, my grandmother, was Jane Henderson of Cabra.
Her father, my grandfather, was Hugh Donald. I remember seeing him.
My mother had two brothers and four sisters.
James Donald and a sister Jane emigrated to Australia in 1845. Both had family near Melbourne.
John went to America.
Mary Donald married Andrew Armstrong of Laughterush, a farmer.
Isabelle Donald married Thomas Boyd, a farmer of Corlave, near Pettigo.
Eliza Donald married Samuel Somerville, a farmer. Settled on grandfather’s farm in Cabra and had one daughter. Later sold the farm in Cabra and moved to Corlave with Aunt Isabella, whose husband and 3 children had died. This was in 1884.

Catherine Donald, my mother, was born Feb 8th 1845.
My father was about seven years older and their family consisted of seven boys and two girls as follows:

3.1 James J Crozier, born Aug 11th 1867. Emigrated to NY City in 1887.
Married Barbara Anne Steele in the 118 St. ME Church on May 20th 1890. Took residence in Central Islip in 1889. Moved to Islip in 1904 and still living there in 1936.
Miss Steele was the daughter of  David Steele and Barbara Caldwell of Beltony, Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone, Ireland and she had two sisters and four brothers.

Their (James and Barbara’s) children were as follows, 3 girls and one boy:

Mabel Steele Crozier, born Sunday Sept 20th 1891 in Central Islip. She married Harry J Ryder. Has one boy, Harry J Junior, born in Islip, LI.

Charles W Crozier, born on Jan 8th 1893 while his mother was visiting her parents in Beltony, Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone, Ireland. He was born an American citizen as I had become a citizen by naturalisation.
Previously he married a Laura T Seward in Islip. A daughter of Martin Seward who lives at Waverly Pa. This marriage took place Apr 17th 1916. They have two boys. Seward Roderick and Philip Steele live in New Haven.

Edith Evelyn Crozier, born Apr. ? in Central Islip. Married Otto Bleidner of Staten Island. A son of Conrad Bleidner, he was born in Ohio. She met him when she was a Red Cross nurse during the World War. They had two boys named James O and Roger Crozier Bleidner, living in Islip 1936.

Ethel Myrtle Crozier born in Central Islip and died in Islip on Nov 29th 1918 and is buried in Plot no. 104 in Oakwood Cemetry where a monument is erected to her and myself and my wife Barbara.

3.2 Sister Annie Crozier, born Oct 31st 1869 emigrated to NY City.
Married Samuel McClurkin, a tile layer who came from Glasgow, Scotland. He is dead over 20 years She had two girls and one boy.
His name is Samuel. The girls’ names are Helen and Evelyn.
She is living at 336 10th Ave. Long Island City, NY.

3.3 Bro Robert Crozier, born Oct 31st 1871. He later emigrated to NY City, became a tile layer.
On Oct 28th 1903 he married Mary Ann Byers in Brooklyn. She came to America from the town of Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan, Ireland. They have three boys as follows:

Robert James, born Sept 4th 1904
John Joseph, born June 30th 1907. He got married on Feb 19th to Miss Svea Maria Malmgren who was born in NY City.
William Alfred was born July 27th 1909.
Robert and Annie are living on Merritt St. White Plains in 1936.

3.4 Bro Joseph Crozier, born Feb 16th 1874. Came to New York, stayed a short time and returned to Ireland.
He married Miss Mary Cheney who was born March 1st 1888.
They have four boys and three girls as follows:

William John, born June 23rd 1910
Joseph, born Nov 7th 1914
Evelyn, born Nov 2nd 1918
Mary Rebecca, born Sept 2?th 1920
George, born March 17th 1923
Robert, born June 19th 1926
Mabel, born Nov 7th 1928.
All living in Trillick in 1936.

3.5 Bro Alexander Crozier, born Sept 30th 1876.
Remained on father’s farm and is there in 1936.
He married Miss Katie Cairns who was born May 11th 1885.
They have four boys and three girls, as follows:
Catherine Anne, born Mar 11th 1913
Thomas John, born April 7th 1914
Mary Jane, born Sept 18th 1915
William James, born Feb 14th 1917
Joseph, born June 11th 1918
Ellen, born Mar 24th 1921
Bertie, born Nov 11th 1924.
All living on the old homestead in 1936.

3.6 Bro John Crozier, born Feb 1st 1879
Learned to be a wheelwright and carriage builder.
Emigrated to NY.
Married a Miss Mary McGuill from Armagh, Ireland.
They have one girl and two boys, a follows:

Mary Ellen, born Dec 2nd 1916
Richard, born Apr 16th 1919
Thomas John, born Apr 29th 1922.
All living at No 1 Travers Place, While Plains NY 1936.

3.7 Sister Mary Crozier, born August 27th 1881.
Came to NY City. Visited me at Central Islip.
William Bryson saw her and asked if he could visit her. I saw no reason why not as I had known him for some time. Result they were married in sister Annie’s home in 87 St in NY City.
They had four daughters as follows:

Sadie, born Dec 18th 1903. Married Anthony McLaughlin. She was a school teacher.
Mabel, born Nov 15th 1905. Married Charles Dickstein in 1935.
Hazel, died of diphheria in 1916. Buried in Central Islip ME churchyard.
Daisy, born August 28th 1916. Is now teaching in C Islip school.
William, Mary and Daisy and Hazel Evelyn, an adopted daughter, are now living in Central Islip.
William Bryson is a son of John Bryson and Ann Jackson of Carrygallon, County Leitrim, Ireland.

3.8 Bro William Henry Crozier, born Nov 3rd 1884.
He married Miss Margaret Caldwell, born Nov 6th 1886.
His family consists of four boys and two girls, as follows:

James Joseph, born Nov 9th 1913
Mabel Evelyn, born Nov 14th 1914
William John, born Mar 23rd 1917
George Caldwell, born Feb23rd 1919
Thomas Alexander, born Feb 19th 1921
Mary Jane, born Sept 22nd 1926.

3.9 Bro Thomas Crozier, born Feb 14th 1889. This was one year and five months after I came to America and I had never saw a picture of him yet when I met him at Ellis Island I had no difficulty in picking him as my brother. He came to Islip and then to NY City.
He married Miss Margaret McConnell from near Fintona.
Her father’s aunt Mary Jane McConnell was also his aunt, having married my uncle Robert Crozier of Moorfield.
There was one boy and two girls in this family.

Robert Thomas, born June 29th 1918
Catherine Jane, born Jan 18th 1920
Evelyn Margery, born Sept (6?) 1924.
Thomas and family are now living at Stevens Street, White Plains NY in 1936.

4.Aunt Elizabeth Crozier emigrated to America. Married a James Ritchie who fought through the civil war as a Union soldier. Then settled down on a dairy farm near Brewster NY. Her family consisted of three boys and two girls as follows:
James, Joseph, Robert, Mary Elizabeth, later Mrs Crane and Annie, later Mrs Hillman.

5. Aunt Christine Crozier emigrated to America. Contracted typhoid, died and is buried in Woodlawn NY,

6.Aunt Mary Crozier emigrated to America. Married a man named Wiley, a farmer, who had also come from Dromore, Tyrone as did also James Ritchie. Both sisters (Mary and Elizabeth) settled on farms near [Carmel NY and] Brewster NY.
Mary’s family consisted of one boy, Charles, who became a NYC policeman, served his time, pensioned, went to California, died.
Also Mattie, Martha, Rachel and Laura.
Laura married a Mr Millar in Croton, died 1935.
Mary died near Danbury 1928, 94 years.

7. Ann Crozier married a cousin a farmer, John Breen of Dergany, Trillick, Co Tyrone. Her family consisted of three boys, John, Robert, and Joseph and of four girls, Mary, Elizabeth, Charlotte and Annie