In Search of Margaret Doyle Conroy

The search for those disappearing Doyles continues. Since my post of 5 January 2006 pondering the "who-abouts" and "whereabouts" of the William and Mary (Dever) Doyle children, I have found two:

1) I've confirmed that Mary Ann Doyle and Mame Doyle are the same person, after finding numerous obituaries for her children out of Chicago.

2) I found Alice Doyle Lovett in the 1920 US Census in New Jersey. If her age was correct on this report, she was born in 1880. She was married to James Lovett (known from her brother Peter's 1945 obituary) and had a son named John (listed on the family outline sent to me by a cousin). They were married in about 1903 (indicated on the 1920 Census).

Today I decided I was going to find Margaret Doyle if it was the last thing I do on earth. And I believe I did (now I just have to hope this ISN'T the last thing on earth I do!). I found this 1900 US Census Record out of Manhattan listing J. Thos. and Margaret Conroy with sons Albert and (illegible; begins with the letter F or T).

These boys were listed as being 5 years and 4 months old respectively. Margaret is listed as being born in May of 1870; her birth record from England shows May of 1867. Not a discount-able difference. Census records often have incorrect ages/birth years. Also, people have been known to {GASP} lie about their ages.

Living with this family is Alice Doyle, who was identified on the record as being a daughter-in-law to Thomas. This cannot be correct given the age of Thomas on this same record (32), so it's pretty obvious that the relationship is mis-recorded; it should say Sister-In-Law. Unless the age of Thomas was drastically mis-recorded. Not likely in this case.

So now, having found Margaret in 1900, I have cleared up a third mystery of the Disappearing Doyles. I still have two left. Or do I? I think not! I do believe that the above census record from 1900 has solved a third mystery: that of Who was Anastasia? Alice Doyle is listed above as having the birth year of 1880. The 1880 Census shows Anastasia as having the birthdate of February 1880. My first thought was that either Alice's birthday was incorrect on the 1900 Record or that she was born in Nov or Dec of 1880. But wait. The 1900 Census states her birth month was March. This is very close to what the 1880 Census has for Anastasia! Is it possible that Alice = Anastasia? I so wish that the 1890 Census Records hadn't burned up. They more than likely would have answered this question. For now, I am going on the idea that these two people are one and the same, but making a note of the still-speculative nature of this finding.

Now, the biggest mystery I have left is this: WHERE WAS MARGARET DOYLE in 1880?