An American Family History

Helen (or Ellen) Treahy Flynn was born in 1831 Askeaton, County Limerick, Ireland. Her parents were Bartholomew Treahy and Bridget Moran.

She married Owen Flynn about 1852. Owen was born in 1825 in Ireland.

Owen Flynn appeared in Caverhill's Toronto directory in 1859-60 as a mariner. He lived at 242 Queen Street.

Helen and Owen's children were William J. Flynn (1853), Maria Flynn (1856), Thomas Owen Flynn (1859, married Hilda Helen Newton), and Andrew Flynn (1865, married Margaret Ryan)

Owen died November 16, 1870 and left Helen a widow. At the time of the 1871 census she was living with her children in the the St David's ward of Toronto. She was a grocer.

Helen died on September 15, 1877 in Toronto of consumption. She and her husband were both buried at St. Michael's.

In 1881 and 1891 William was living with the other children in St. David's ward. In 1881 he was an iron worker and Thomas was a metal worker. In 1891 William was a tin smith, Thomas was a showcase maker, and Andrew was a foreman making widow shades.

In 1901 48 year old William, Mariah age 45, Thomas age 41, Andrew's widow, Margaret age 27, and her children, Edward age 5, and Owen Flynn age 5 were living together in Toronto. William and Thomas were glass workers. Margaret was a "tailoress."

About 1904 William married his cousin Agnes M. Treahy in San Diego, California.

At the time of the 1920 census William was living in San Diego and working as a sheet metal worker.

The peak period of Irish immigration to Canada was during the Great Famine between 1845-1849. Most immigrants went to Canada because the fares were lower. Ships that reached Canada lost many passengers and even more died while in quarantine. From the reception station at Grosse-Ile, most survivors were sent to Montréal. The typhus outbreak of 1847 and 1848 killed many of the new immigrants. An economic boom following their arrival allowed many men to work in on the expanding railroad, in construction, in the logging industry, or on farms.