John Brouder (*) married Honora Mullane
b. @1/1/1810 d.unknown

Birthdate is pure conjecture (though Rathcahill records are missing between 1792-1829).

An ad in The Boston Pilot, December 29, 1849 reads: "Of JOHN JAMES BRODER, a native of the parish of Rathcahill, co. Limerick. When last heard from (1848) he was living with Mr. Mullane, or Mullany, in Cincinnati. His father, John Broder, and his uncle, Daniel Broder, now reside in Lawrence city, Massachusetts, and will feel very thankful to any one who will inform them of his present residence. Direct to Mr. John Broder, Lawrence city, Ms." This fits with the presumed immigration of John & Daniel BROUDER in August, 1849. The Mullane reference could be a relation of his wife's.

A further ad in The Pilot, July 19, 1851 reads: "Of JAMES BRODER, from parish Rathcahill, co. Limerick. When last heard from was with Michael Mullany, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Any account of him or his cousin DENNIS BRODER, will be very thankfully received by his father, JOHN BRODER. Letter to be directed to Rev. Jas. O'Donnell, Lawrence city, Ms."

William Brouder (*)
born 11/27/1830
married Catherine Haley who died 12/6/1863 without issue
married Catharine Breen
died 4/29/1888

Monagay church records indicate he was born at Ballyguile November 27, 1830. His godparents were Denis Carte & Ellen Mullane.

According to his military pension application, he came to this country in 1849 and spent time working as a hatter in Brooklyn and Yonkers, NY, and Newburyport, MA.

He served in the US Navy during the Civil War, as a landsman on the "R.S. Ohio" from August 7-30, 1861, and on the bark "Gemsbok" from August 31, 1861 to August 6, 1862; while on the latter he took part in the "Burnside Expedition." One affidavit says he became ill at Beaufort, NC around the time of the fight at Fort Macon, April 25, 1862. The file says he caught a severe cold while serving on "Gemsbok" and developed a cough which he had for the rest of his life.

He was working as a hatter in Haverhill when he married his first wife, Catherine Haley, February 3, 1863 but she died ten months later without having borne any children.

He married Catharine Breen August 6, 1864 (Rev. A.A. Mullen, Catholic Clergyman) and they had three children: John James (see below), Daniel P., and William C.

He applied for Naturalization October 12, 1868 at Essex County Superior Criminal Court (Vol. 4, p.16). The papers incorrectly state he was born in Limerick, November 30, 1833; they say he arrived in Boston on August 15, 1849. They are witnessed by William Dalton and Brian Healy.

"The Lawrence Directory for 1868-69," published by Sampson, Davenport and Company of Boston (p.36), lists him as a hatter living at 267 Chestnut.

The 1870 US Census indicates he was a US Citizen and was working as a hatter; his name is spelled "BRODUR."

Sampson & Davenport's "Lawrence City Directory For 1871" indicates he lived on "No. Cedar near No. Chestnut" in Lawrence (p.30).

The 1872 Haverhill City Directory says he was living at 6 Primrose in Haverhill; there is no listing in prior or subsequent directories.

The 1873 Lawrence directory indicates he lived at 62 North Oak St.

His death record leaves his mother's name blank. The cause of death was listed as consumption; he is buried at Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Lawrence.

John James Brouder
born 6/24/1865
married Henrietta Geraldine McKay
died 1/13/1960

His birthdate appears in Denis Brouder's family bible. Denis lists the children "that I stood for," including "John Brouder, Born June 24, 1865." He is listed in the 1870 US Census as 5 years old; the name is spelled "BRODUR." His father's US Navy Pension File has a copy of a note from St. Mary's Church in Lawrence dated 9/7/1888, verifying his birthdate.

Upon the death of his brother (Daniel P.) in February 1897, John--who was living in Amesbury, MA--sold the property at 174 Exchange Street for $2100.

He and his future wife, Henrietta G. McKay, had a child (Lyman R.) in Malden on 2/5/1890; the birth record says they were living in Amesbury. They were married in Haverhill more than a year later (Rev. David J. Ayers). At the time, he was a blacksmith. He & his wife moved a great deal as indicated by the birthplaces of their children:

Lyman Richard McKay b. 2/5/1890 Malden, MA / m. Ida Jennie Grover 6/14/1919 Winthrop, MA / d. 2/15/1960 Winthrop, MA
John Gerald McKay b. 3/19/1892 West Haven, CT, m. Evelina Alberta Edwardsen 10/20/1926 Brewster, NY / d. 3/25/1977 Winthrop, MA
Robert Neil Brouder b. 7/8/1893 New Haven, CT / m. Lucy Rebecca Howland 1/31/1917 Hartford, CT / d. 6/7/1960 Wethersfield, CT
Harry McKay b. 12/21/1894 New Haven, CT / d. 2/15/1915 Gloucester, MA
Frank Neil Brouder b. 1/29/1896 New Haven, CT / d. 6/30/1896 Amesbury, MA
Rebecca Isabel Brouder b. 1/24/1897 Amesbury, MA / d. 7/14/1897 New Haven, CT
Isabelle Marjorie Brouder b. 5/8/1898 New Haven, CT / d. 8/9/1898 New Haven, CT
Ruth Lorrain Brouder b.@5/5/1903 - place unknown / m. Arthur McKinley Marshall 12/15/1925 Brewster, NY / d. 4/27/1980 Lynn, MA

The 1892 New Haven City Directory lists him as a blacksmith with rooms at 487 Chapel Street. The following year there is an additional listing for Mrs. Etta G. Brouder, same address, a bookkeeper at the Palladium Office. The 1895 listing puts Etta at the Chapel Street address, but John is listed as rooming at 17 Wooster Place.

The 1896 Directory says Mrs. Etta G. Brouder has "removed to New York," while John J. Brouder has "removed to Boston." The 1896-97 Newburyport & Amesbury (MA) Directory lists John J. Brouder as an insurance agent living at 5 Whitcher's Court. The 1897 New Haven City Directory lists him as a blacksmith helper living at 111 Judson Avenue. When his daughter, Isabelle Marjorie, was born 5/10/1898 in New Haven, his occupation is listed as metal engraver. The 1898 Directory puts him at 81 Dixwell Avenue, after which there is no further mention of him in New Haven.

The 1900 Amesbury City Directory lists John Brouder, farmer, Congress Street. The 1903 Hartford City Directory lists John J. Brouder, a filer at Colts Firearms, boarding at 255 Main Street (where he lived through 1911). In 1904 he is listed as working at The Hartford Courant. In 1905 he is listed as advertising manager at The Telegram. In 1908 the listing became "advertising agent."

In 1912 he is listed as publisher of The Hartford Municipal Yearbook, living at 4 Buckingham. The address changed yearly and in 1919 his occupation is real estate (26 State Street) with his home at 37 Lewis Street.

In 1929 the Hartford City Directory gives his occupation as salesman. In 1931 he is listed as a retired publisher living at 24 Ford Street. In 1934 he moved to the Hotel Essex at 1152 Main Street where he remained for many years.

The last listing is in the 1950-51 Directory which says he "removed to Rocky Hill."

His name is spelled "Broder" on his Rocky Hill death record. It says he died at Hilltop Manor Nursing Home at the age of 93; cause: acute congestive heart failure/ arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. He is listed as a widower but his wife's name, POB, occupation, parents names and birthplaces are all listed as unknown. He was under the care of the Connecticut State Welfare Dept. (case #11835344) which buried him in an unmarked grave at Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery in Bloomfield (next to a stone for Norma Mae Francis). A visit to Tlarsky Funeral Home in Hartford (5/22/1979) yielded his file. They notified John A. Broder Jr., 33 Crystal Cove Avenue, Winthrop, MA by telegram of his father's death. His actual age would have been almost 95.

Robert Neil Brouder
born 7/8/1893
married Lucy Rebecca Howland
died 6/7/1960

Born in Hospital on Cedar Street, New Haven (A.W. Cevane, MD); birth record listing is "Robert Neil BRUDER." Parents POB Lawrence, MA & Liverpool, England. Father's occupation is blacksmith. Listed as 3rd living child of 3 total.

He was apparently not raised by his mother (as his brothers were) when their parents split after the turn of the century. On January 14, 1909, Effie M. McKay of Beverly, MA filed a petition with Essex County Probate Court (#105055) asking to be appointed guardian of Robert "L." Brouder, born July 12, 1893, of Beverly. The petition said his parents were John J. Brouder of Hartford and Henrietta G. Brouder and she asked for custody, "his parents being unfit to have such custody." On January 29, 1909, a notice was sent to John & Henrietta ordering them to appear at a hearing in Salem, MA March 1, 1909. There is no further paperwork in the court file and the space indicating the order was granted is left blank.

His son, Neil, said Robert ran away in his early teens and "lived in a piano crate in a New York alley." He sold candy & sandwiches on the NY/NH/HTFD Railroad. He later worked on a canal boat in upstate New York. Robert also performed on Vaudeville in a tumbling act and was once on the same bill as Eddie Cantor.

The 1917 Hartford City Directory lists Mrs. Lucy R. Brouder, a stenographer living at 54 Annawan; Robert's occupation is listed as a miller at Colt Firearms. In 1918 Robert is listed as a machinist. By 1920 they had moved to Wethersfield.

The 1933 Hartford City Directory indicates Robert & Lucy had removed to Springfield.

As a child, Neil remembered Robert bringing him to meet "a very old man" named John Jay who Robert said was Neil's grandfather.

The 1950-51 Directory indicates they were living at 166 Main Street in Wethersfield. The Wethersfield death record says he was 66 years old and died of tuberculosis. Place of death was Cedarcrest Hospital, Newington; burial in Village Cemetery, Wethersfield.

When Robert died, he left some papers including an undated newspaper clipping (the obit of John J. Broder). He also left a birth certificate from St. Andrew's Church in New Haven, dated 7/7/1901, witnessed by a Miss F.E. McKay. There is no such church today. The discrepenancy between this record and the City of New Haven birth record is unexplained.