Sarah Teresea Costelloe (wife of Patrick Thomas Murphy) Mother of Stephen Joseph Murphy Grandmother of Michael and Stephen Murphy Great-grandmother of Colin and Devon Murphy
BIRTH AND BAPTISM IN IRELAND Sarah Teresea Costello(e) was born to John Costello(e) and Sarah Fahy in Grange, Galway, Ireland. It is likely she was born April 4, 1877 since she was baptized on April 22, 1877 in Lachagh, Ireland. Others have recorded her birth as December 15, 1881, 1883, and 1882. Her father was a landowner. In the 1901 census, Sarah was listed with her parents John (65) and Sarah (52) and six siblings: John (27), Porsh? (25), Lawrence (22), Sarah (20), Stephen (24), Margaret (16), and Bridget (14). The family were farmers, literate, and Roman Catholic. An uncle Lawrence lived with the family and was unable to read. She completed sixth grade according to 1940 census. Sarah's mother was Sarah Boyla, born in 1801 in Parkmore, Galway, Ireland and died on April 28, 1883 in Galway. She married Stephen Fahy about 1825.
IMMIGRATION TO BOSTON AND MARRIAGE Her husband Thomas Patrick Murphy was born on January 20, 1875. He came to New York in 1897 but return to Ireland. When he traveled to Boston, Sarah Teresa Costello traveled on the same ship. She traveled to Boston on the SS Cretic out of Queenstown, Ireland. They arrived on September 12 or 17, 1905. She was listed as a 22-year-old spinster in the passenger manifesto and Thomas Patrick Murphy was listed as a laborer. Their names are listed consecutively. She had $10 and he had $22. It seems likely that when Thomas returned to Ireland for five years that he courted Sarah. They married in Arlington, Massachusetts on December 9, 1906 when he was 31 and she was 23. Her father, John Costello, died in 1916, and her mother Sarah Fay Costello died in 1925 in Ireland. It is likely Sarah never saw her parents again after she left Ireland.
HUSBAND’S CAREER AND CHILDREN In 1918, Thomas registered for the draft as World War I was beginning. He was forty-four. Her husband Thomas Patrick Murphy declared his intention to become naturalized on January 9, 1935. His occupation was listed as a (s)tone cutter. He lived on 51 Webster Street in. Somerville, MA. He was described as 5 foot, 8 ½ inches, brown hair, blue eyes. He emigrated the first time from County Galway, Ireland on the Majestic to New York City on April 8, 1897. John P was born May 13, 1907 and died on Dec 24, 1983. Helen F on June 2, 1909 and died in 1946, Thomas (Tucker) L was born on July 13, 1911 and died on June 27, 1992, Sarah was born on October 26, 1913 and died on August 19, 1914 of the flu, Stephen J on June 26, 1916, Vincent M on June 29, 1918, Margaret was born on July 20, 1920 and died on July 11, 1995, Mary on May 20, 1923, and Lawrence was born on July 27, 1925 and died in 1949.
In the 1910 census, she had two children: John J and Helen J. Her husband Thomas Patrick’s occupation was listed as a wagon driver. Ten years later, in the 1920 census, they had five children; Thomas, Stephen and Vincent having been born. Thomas was born in January, 1874. On September 12, 1918 at age 44, Thomas Patrick registered for the draft. The couple lived on 20 Bonair Street in Somerville. He was a teamster who worked in Everett. He was a citizen of Ireland (Great Britain).
WIDOW Sarah’s husband, Thomas Patrick Murphy, died on January 2, 1939, before the beginning of World War II. In the 1940 census, Sarah was listed as head of household with 7 children living with her in their rental on 15 Everett Street in Somerville when she was 56. It said she had no source of income.
When her son, Stephen Joseph Murphy married Mildred Ann Rice in 1951, Sarah was the only family member to attend the wedding because Stephen was Catholic and Millie was Protestant.
Sarah often visited her son Steve and his wife Millie and son Michael James Murphy in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Sarah helped Millie until the garden. There are photographs of her holding baby Michael Murphy. Millie helped take care of her at the end of her life.