Milwaukee County Wisconsin Genealogy

MILWAUKEE MARINE AND SHIPPING
SHIPWRECKS AND DISASTERS

LADY ELGIN

THOSE THAT PERISHED
There are said to be 225 known persons all of whom were either residents of Milwaukee, or had friends and acquaintences here.

There were a large numbers of others, but the ships books went to the bottom of the lake with her, making it impossible to give an accurate list of the lost.

Bodies were washed onshore for weeks after the disaster. The last one being found in Oct. Many of the bodies were shipped back to Milwaukee for burial. Some were put in a mass grave in Illinois.

(Click here to see the list of survivors)

ALEXANDER, R.K.			second engineer
ARNOLD, George			son of Jonathan E.
BARRON, Mrs. John
BARRY, Capt. G			treasurer of Milw. county; commander of the Union Guards
BARRY, son of Capt. G.
BASS, Henry
BIELAND, James
BIRMINGHAM, C.
BISHOP, Henry
BLACK, Hugh
BLOSS, Phillip
BOHAN, Mrs. T. (and child)
BOSENBURG, Phillip
BULFIN, Thomas
BURNS, Fannie
BURNS, James
BURNS, Michael
BURNS, William			constable of the fourth ward
BUTLER, Kate
CANNON, Patrick
CASPER, Frank
CHAMPION, John			reporter
CHURCHILL, William E.		fireman
CLINE, John
COMMEFORD, R.
CONNAUGHTY, P.			teacher
CONNOLLY, James
CONNOLLY, John			teacher
CONNOLLY, Patrick
CONNOLLY, Terence
CORBITT, Alex			printer
CORCORAN, unknown
COSGRAVE, James
COUGHLIN, John
CREHAN, Mary
CUDDEHEA, Stephen (and son)
CURTIN, Lizzie
CURTIN, Thomas
DELANEY, Martin			policeman
DELANEY, Patrick (and wife)
DELURY, John (and wife)
DIEHL, Elins
DOERLEY, Martin			harbor master (also spelled Doerly)
DONAVAN, Mary
DOWNER, S.A.
DRESSER, William
DUFFEY, James
DUFFEY, Mary
DUNNER, Honora
DWYER, Michael (and daughter)
DWYRE, Mrs. William
ELLIS, Mrs. Mary
ENGLEHART, J.P.			brewer
EVANSTON, A.S.
EVISTON, T.H. (and wife)	chief engineer of the Fire Department
FAHEY, Patrick(& wife & daughter)  constable of Third ward
FANNING, Elizabeth
FANNING, Kate
FARNSWORTH, William		Settled at Sheboygan, Wisconsin, as a trapper and Indian
				trader in 1818, and in 1835 returned and bought half the 
				village interest, of which he sold a sixteenth for $30,000
				to the N.Y. & Erie transportation Co., and another sixteenth
				for $25,000; he resided there subsequently and perished on
				the steamer Lady Elgin on Lake Michigan, Sept. 7, 1860; his
				body was recovered. (Source: American Biographical Notes, 1875 
				by: Franklin Benjamin Hough, pg 135)
FERBY, George (and wife)
FITZGERALD, A. (sister-in-law of T.O'BRIEN)
FITZGERALD, Morris
FITZGERALD, P. (and sister)
FLYNN, Annie
FOLEY, Paul (son and niece)
GANNON, Kate
GARTH, William			was several years prof. of mathematics in the
				Georgetown College; settled on a farm near Paris,
				Bourbon co., Ky., and perished on the Lady Elgin on 
				Lake Michigan, Sept. 7, 1890 (N.Y. Times, Sept. 14, 1860)
				(Source: American Biographical Notes, 1875 by: Franklin 
				Benjamin Hough, pg 156)
GOETZ, D.W.
GRADE, Mrs. (and son)
HANLEY, Mathew (and sister Susan)
HANNA, Theodore C.
HARRIS, Capt.
HAYS, Mrs. (daughter of T.O'BRIEN)
HAYS, William H.
HERT, Fred
HINEL??, Godfrey
HORAN, John				deputy United States Marshal
HORRIGAN, M.
INGRAM, Hon Herbert (and son)		Founder of "Illustrated 
					London News", on holiday here
JERVIS, Mrs. J. (daughter of T.Koegh)
JOHNSON, Charles (son of Dr. Johnson)
KELLY, John
KENNEDY, Mrs. T. (and child)
KENNEDY, Phillip
KILROY, James (wife and child)
KOEGH, Agnes (daughter of T.Koegh)
KOMAICK, A. (and brothers) 		city band
LASKY, Lacy
LEYDEN, Amelia
LOWTHER, Ed
LUMSDEN, Col Francis Asbury 
	(and family) 		of the New Orleans Picayune
				LUMSDEN, FRANCIS ASBURY, journalist, b. in N. C., was 
				early apprenticed to Joseph Gales, printer at Raleigh; 
				spent 9 y. on the Nat. Intelligencer at Washington; 
				went to New Orleans, and in 1837 with Mr. Kendall began 
				the N.O. Picayune, with which he was connected till his
				death; he was an editor of superior ability, and of much 
				influence in the southern states; he perished with his 
				family on the steamer Lady Elgin on Lake Michigan, Sept. 7, 
				1860; his body was recovered, and buried at New Orleans, 
				Oct. 18, 1860. (N. O. Picayune, Sept. 16, 1860.)
				(Source: American Biographical Notes, 1875 by: Franklin 
				Benjamin Hough, pg 261)

LYNCH, Bloss			Messenger of the Common council
MALONE, James
MALONEY, Mary
MATRICK, Dennis
MATTHEWS, Mary
McCARRY, Hugh
MCCORMICK, Frank 			City councillor (also reported 
					as having 2 sisters aboard
					1 appears below)
MCCORMICK, Martha Jane			Sister to Frank
McDONOUGH, Patrick
McGEE, Ann
McGILL, THOMAS
McGRATH, Mary
McGRATH, Michael
McGRATH, Patrick
MCKAY, M.
McLAUGHLIN, Elizabeth
McLAUGHLIN, Mrs. C.B.
McMAAUS, Sarah
MEYER, M.
MONAHAN, unknown (and children)
MURPHY, James
MURPHY, Sarah F.
MURPHY, Stephen
NEVILLE, Thomas
NEWCOMB, Minnie
NICHOLS, Christian			City Band
NICHOLS, Jacob				leader of city band
O'BRIEN, John
O'BRIEN, Mrs. Tim
O'BRIEN, Richard
O'GRADY, John (and wife)		clerk in the Mayor's office
O'HEARN, Margaret
O'LEARY, Daniel (and son)
O'MAHONEY, Cornelius			teacher of the Third 
					ward school
O'NEILL, Thomas
OAKLEY, George F.
PARSONS, Morris
PATTERSON, Albert
PERSONS, Henry
PERSONS, John
PHILLIP, A.F.
PIERCE, A.M.
PLANKINTON, Eli
POINEROY, William C. (son of F.C. POMEROY)
POLLARD, John
POLLARD, Slice (sic)
PURTELL, Michael
QUAIL, John F.
QUINLAN, Patrick
RAPP, unknown
REIS, Anton				father of Judge Florian Reis
REYNOLDS, George F.
RICE, James				school commissioner of 
					the Third Ward
RICE, Mrs. James (and child)
RICH, Michael
RILEY, Peter
RING, Robert (and wife)
ROGERS, Ed
ROONEY, Christopher
ROONEY, John (and wife)
ROONEY, Patrick
RYAN, John (and wife)
S??k, Amelia
SCALLON, James
SCHAFER, Henry
SCHNEIDER, Henry
SCHNEIDER, Philip
SENIFLEBEN(?), H.
SEVLIN, James
SEVLIN, Mrs. Mary
SHEA, James
SHEBAN, Thomas
SHEHAN, Bridget
SLAUGHTER, Thomas
SMITH, W.G.
SPELLIN, Michael
STREET, unknown
SULLIVAN, Jerry
SULLIVAN, Mary
THOMAS, Jeremiah
TOWNSEND, Milton
VULL, James
WAEGLI, Samuel				register of deeds
WALDRATH, C.H.
WALLACE, W.H.
WARD, Mary
WARNER, Ed.
WEAVER, Michael
WILLIAMS, Allen (and wife)
WILSON, Capt. Jack			Captain of the Lady Elgin
WILSON, William	
WOOLMAN, unknown

This is in the Captain William Johnson bio found in the Marine bio section of the site.

...a line out, and assisted in rescuing most of the crew; two who tried to swim ashore were drowned. About a month after the loss of the Lady Elgin, he picked up the bodies of two women, who were among the passengers, one of whom was identified by two rings on her finger (one having the letters "W.B.G.L." engraved on it, the other having "B.L." on it), and supposed to belong to Milwaukee. He took the bodies to Racine, where the inquest was held and the bodies buried. ....

BURIALS
Many of those lost are interred in their family lots at Calvary Cemetery. Bishop Henni presided at the memorial service at the Cathedral and a procession to Calvary Cemetery, which was viewed by over 10,000 mourners. (Source: Milwaukee Archdiocese Website

THOSE THAT SURVIVED

In many cases, both husband and wife were lost and an estimated 1,000 orphans were left. Many of those moved with other family members or were placed in orphanages.

SURVIVORS IN A SOCIETY.
(Source: Milwaukee Sentinel Sept 4, 1892)
An Organization Formed Three Years Ago
Masses Paid For Forever

Though in frequent communication for years after the disaster the survivors of the terrible marine calamity did not band themselves together in an organization until Sept. 7 1889, when a meeting attended by a majority of the passengers who were fortunate enough to escape was called and the Lady Elgin Survivors’ society was born. Fred Sayder was elected president and Frank Boyd secretary. Most of the survivors were elected to membership and a large number of them attend the regular annual meetings of the society. The meeting this year will be held Sept. 7. One of the objects of the organization was to provide for masses for the souls of the ill-fated passengers. A sufficient subscription was recently raised to pay for the masses and as long as St. John’s church exists in Milwaukee the services will be maintained. Father Keogh having acknowledged the receipt of the sum that will pay for the masses until the world shall come to an end.

Partial list

BELLMAN, Mr.		newspaper account at time of disaster
BEVERUNG, Charles		609 Second street, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
BOYD, Francis (Frank)	
			1000 Grand Avenue, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
BURKE Mrs. Edward
	(Margaret)	278 Milwaukee street, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
COOK, J.H.		Appleton, Wis.; residence Sept. 04, 1892
CRILLEY, John J.
			316 Jackson street, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
			DAVIS, George		First Mate, residence unknown; residence Sept. 04, 1892
DEVER, William		266 Sixteenth street, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
DOEBERT, Adelbert	583 Seventh street, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
EDWARD, Phillip		315 Jackson street, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
EDWARD, William		315 Jackson street, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
EVANS, Mrs. Frank	St. Louis, Mo; residence Sept. 04, 1892
EVISTON, Martin
			234 Broadway, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
EVISTON, Mr. & Mrs. John W.
			523 Jackson street, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
GUNNISON, W.H.		Rochester, N.Y.; residence Sept. 04, 1892
HARTSUFF, George Lucas	newspaper account at time of disaster
HAYES, Mrs. Margaret	Erie, PA; residence Sept. 04, 1892
HERBERT, J.C.		newspaper account at time of disaster
HORN, Mrs. Frank	Columbus OH; residence Sept. 04, 1892
JAVERS, John		St. Paul Minnesota; residence Sept. 04, 1892
KOEGH, Thomas B.	Goldsborough, N.C.; residence Sept. 04, 1892
KUETEMEYER, Fred	Wauwatosa; residence Sept. 04, 1892
MALLON, Ed		922 Clybourne street, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
MCLINDELL, John		MCLINDELL House, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
MILLER, J.H.		467 Third avenue, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
MOATS, William		Troy, NY; residence Sept. 04, 1892
MURPHY, Thomas	Random Lake, Wis.; residence Sept. 04, 1892
MURRAY, John H.		2313 Wells street, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
RAGAN, John		Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
RIVERS, Mrs.		newspaper account at time of disaster
RODE, Jerome		Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
ROONEY, unknonw		Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
ROPER, John		Milwaukee street, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
SHEA, Thomas		
			322 Madison street, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
SNYDER, Fred		
			103 Seventh Street, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
SULLIVAN, Hugh		916 St. Paul avenue, Milwaukee; residence Sept. 04, 1892
TONER, Brother		Brother to William Toner
TONER, Sister		Sister-in-law to William Toner		
TONER, William		member of one of the Chicago fire companies
WESTBY: Ed. From Newspaper acct 1892