CONDR*Ns in the 1940 US Census

Distribution of CONDR*Ns in the 1940 US Census (darker colors indicate more CONDR*Ns)

I've just finished indexing the CONDRANs, CONDRENs, CONDRINs and CONDRONs in the 1940 US census. The census contains over 1300 CONDR*Ns, located in over 500 households or institutions, across three quarters of the states of the union. (Remember there were only 48 states in 1940: Alaska and Hawaii didn't become states until 1959.)

 
In 1940, one in four CONDR*Ns (25%) lived in Pennsylvania, 11% in Texas and 10% in New York.

Almost two-thirds of the individuals counted were recorded as CONDRON, with CONDREN (20%) being the next most common, then CONDRAN (12%) and finally CONDRIN (5%).

The vast majority of CONDR*Ns in 1940 reported their birth place as being within the United States. Fewer than 4% reported being born in Ireland (Eire, Irish Free State and in one case Northern Ireland), and fewer than 2% were born in other European countries or Canada (mostly women who had married CONDR*Ns). This is in contrast with censuses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when far more CONDR*Ns were first-generation immigrants from Ireland: for example, in the 1910 census, nearly 10% of the CONDR*Ns in the US (about 125 people) had been born in Ireland.

The occupations of CONDR*Ns in the 1940 census reflected the changing times. While some 50 people reported working on the land as farmers or farm laborers, a similar number reported being a "clerk" (though that could mean a lot of things, from filing clerk to sales clerk). There were 10 salesmen and 7 managers, 18 teachers and 10 stenographers or typists. There were two movie-theater projectionists. There were also several owners or attendants at gas stations and several beauticians - occupations that probably wouldn't have existed (or at least wouldn't have been common) in earlier times. Quite a few also reported that they worked in Works Projects Administration (WPA) programs. The WPA, which was the largest agency in Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, provided jobs to the unemployed during the depression of the 1930s: it existed from 1935 until 1943.

There are a number of sites where you can search the 1940 census (for free, I believe):
Official 1940 census site
FamilySearch.org
Ancestry.com
FindMyPast .

I am happy to answer search queries - email me at Condran [AT] one-name.org (replace the [AT] with an @) or at CondranONS [AT] gmail.com. I am also happy to try to provide further details about CONDR*Ns you have found in the 1940 census.

It has taken me several months to index the CONDR*Ns in the 1940 US census, so I am relieved that it will be four years before the 1950 US census is released in 2022 under the "72 year rule"!  The 1921 census of England & Wales will also be released in 2022, under the "100 year rule", so I expect I'll be very busy then!

CONDR*Ns of King's County (Offaly)

As I have said before, the CONDR*Ns perhaps originate from County Offaly (which was called King's County until 1922) in the midlands of Ireland. There are many CONDR*Ns (mostly CONDRON) in the county in the Griffith's Valuation of Ireland (mid 19th century) and in the 1901 and 1911 censuses.

It was only recently, however, when responding to a question about someone's King's County CONDRON ancestors, that I thought to map out where in Offaly the CONDR*Ns were distributed.

This county map shows the distribution of CONDR*Ns in the 1901 census for King's County.

Places with CONDR*N heads of household in the 1901 census

The small dots each indicate a townland with one household in which the head of household was a CONDR*N. The larger dots show townlands with more than one CONDR*N head of household, as follows: Clonfinlough and Glaskill (each have 4 such households), Pollagh (3 households). (A townland is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. There are more than 1,100 townlands in Offaly.) The star denotes Tullamore, the county town, where there was also one CONDRON head of household.

The CONDR*Ns are pretty well spread about and don't have a single centre of concentration, though they are predominantly around Tullamore and in the west of the county.

The 1901 census is the earliest surviving census of the whole of Ireland. However a useful "census substitute" is the Griffith's Valuation of Ireland which recorded landowners and tenants in the mid 19th century. For King's County, the valuation was completed in July 1855, almost fifty years earlier than the 1901 census and almost ten years before universal civil registration of births, marriages and deaths began in 1864. Therefore the Griffith's Valuation is a useful early snapshot of where people lived.

Places with CONDR*Ns in the mid 19th century Griffiths valuation

This county map shows the distribution of CONDR*Ns in King's County in the Griffith's Valuation. Each small dot indicates one CONDR*N tenancy in that townland. The bigger dots indicate multiple CONDR*N tenancies, as follows: Glaskill (6 such tenancies), Clonfinlough (3 tenancies) and Fertaun (which almost merges with Glaskill on the map: 2 tenancies). There was one CONDRON tenant in Tullamore.

This shows that Glaskill (in Rahan & Lynally Roman Catholic parish) and Clonfinlough (in Clonmacnoise parish) were concentrations of CONDR*Ns in the mid 19th century as well as at the beginning of the 20th century. Although a few other place names are in common between the circa 1855 and 1901 distributions, most others are different although the overall geographical locations are similar. This is probably because the CONDR*Ns were generally tenant farmers, not land owners, and so by choice or - more likely - force of circumstance were more likely to move around than land owners would.


Comments and corrections welcome, either by leaving a comment below or by email to me: CONDRAN[AT]ONE-NAME.ORG .

Mikaela Shiffrin, ace skier ... and a Condron!

Mikaela Shiffrin in 2018
All image rights: Michael Probst/AP/Shutterstock

Congratulations to alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin on winning two medals (gold and silver) at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeonchang!

And, through her mother's side, Mikaela is a CONDRON!

Mikaela's gold medal in the Giant Slalom and silver medal in the Alpine Combined in Pyeongchang add to the gold medal she won four years ago in the Slalom at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. That win in Sochi made Mikaela the youngest slalom champion in the history of Olympic alpine skiing.

In addition, Mikaela is the reigning overall World Cup champion in women's alpine skiing and four-time World Cup champion in Slalom. To date she has 41 World Cup wins under her belt ... and all before her 23rd birthday!

CONDR*Ns worldwide are proud of you, Mikaela!

I wrote about Mikaela's CONDRON ancestry previously, in March 2013. Here's what I wrote back then:

Condrons claim slalom world champion!

Mikaela Shriffin in 2012 (courtesy wikipedia.com)

Mikaela Shiffrin is a member of the U.S. Ski Team and the new reigning World Cup and world champion in slalom. And she's a CONDRON. As is her elder brother, Taylor Shiffrin, who is also a skier.

Mikaela was born on March 13, 1995 (according to Wikipedia), in Vail, Colorado, to Jeff and Eileen (Condron) SHIFFRIN. Mikaela’s grandmother, Polly CONDRON, lives in Lanesborough, Massachusetts.

This CONDRON family has lived in Massachusetts since the 1870s. Mikaela’s great-great-great grandparents were Jeremiah and Mary CONDRON. Their son, James E. CONDRON (born about 1850 in Ireland), emigrated to the United States in 1871, and married Bridget NOONAN, daughter of Thomas and Bridget NOONAN, on November 5^th, 1874, in Westfield, Massachusetts. They had a son, Joseph Edward CONDRON, Mikaela’s great-grandfather, who was born in Westfield on May 7^th, 1876. James CONDRON died in Westfield in 1904.

Joseph CONDRON married Rose STEINER (daughter of Frederick and Catherine [Kate] Steiner) on September 29^th, 1904, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Joseph and Rose had five children: Raymond (1905), Mildred (1907), Rosa (1908), Frederick (1913) and Joseph E. (1919). Joseph junior, born June 14^th, 1919, married Pauline M. (Polly) TOWLE, and they had children Patrick, Anne-Marie, Eileen and Catherine.

I’m sure CONDR*Ns everywhere wish Mikaela continuing success on the ski slopes!

All the above information relating to living persons is available on the web, from wikipedia, media coverage of Mikaela's skiing successes, and the online obituary of Mikaela's grandfather Joseph in 2006. 

As usual, I welcome any corrections. If you know anything about Jeremiah and Mary CONDRON in Ireland, I'd love to know. Email condran [AT] one-name.org  or leave a comment below.

7045 Private Thomas Denis CONDRON (1900 - 1918)

The Battle of Amiens, which began on 8 August 1918, was the opening phase of the so-called Hundred Days Offensive by the Allied forces. With a rapid gain of territory and the capture of some 50,000 German soldiers, it has been said that the Battle of Amiens marked the end of trench warfare in World War I and ultimately led to the end of the war with the signing of the Armistice on 11 November 1918.

Central to the action at the Battle of Amiens was the Fourth Army under General Henry Rawlinson, comprising 19 divisions of British, Australian and Canadian troops. By 11am on the first day of the battle alone, the Australians and Canadians had managed to advance some 3 miles as they attacked eastwards to the south of the River Somme starting in the area around Villers-Bretonneux, and by the end of the day had opened a gap some 15 miles wide in the German lines. One of the five Australian divisions involved in the Battle of Amiens was the 4th Division, of which the 45th Battalion was part.

Private Thomas Denis CONDRON (service no. 7045) was killed in action in the Battle of Amiens on 17 August 1918. The war ended 12 weeks later.

Thomas Denis CONDRON was born on 5 November 1900 in Mungindi which straddles the state line between Queensland and New South Wales.  He was the son of James and Jane (née DONALDSON) CONDRON.  When he enlisted in the army in September 1917 he gave his age as 18 years and 7 months, though according to my records he would have been only 16 years and 10 months, and only 17 years old when he was killed. On enlisting, he gave his occupation as colliery driver.

Thomas Denis's parents James CONDRON and Jane DONALDSON were married in Moree, New South Wales, on 10 February 1885. The couple had nine children that I know of: Charles James (born 1886), Annie Kathleen (1890), Agnes Mary (1892), Ivy Eileen (1895), Amy Jane (1898), Thomas Denis (1900). John Victor (1903), Ethel Jessie (1906) and Arthur William (1908). In 1911, Jane CONDRON got herself and all of the above children (except Charles James) baptised, at St. Mary's, Bingara, New South Wales. It is not clear whether James and Jane were still together at this time; when Thomas Denis enlisted in 1917 he gave his next-of-kin as his mother, who was by then living in Islington, Newcastle, New South Wales. 

Thomas Denis CONDRON embarked on the troop ship H.M.A.T. Nestor at Melbourne on 28 February 1918, arrived in England on 20 April. After spending some time in Codford, Wiltshire - where Australian and New Zealand (ANZAC) troops were accommodated prior to being deployed to France - he finally arrived in France at the end of July 1918. According to a report filed by his commanding officer, Sgt. S. Horton, he was shot by a sniper at Rozieres (I assume modern-day Rosières-en-Santerre) and died there. The report of his comrade, Private W. Bowater, gives the following information: "I saw him hit by two machine gun bullets in the stomach, at Villers Brettoneaux. He was carried out to the dressing station and died there. He was buried at the back of Villers Brettoneaux with a lot of other Australians. I saw his grave and a cross was erected with his particulars thereon."

Thomas Denis CONDRON is buried in the Fouquescourt British Cemetery, in northern France.  

After the war, first his married sister Agnes Mary PARKER and then his mother wrote to the military authorities asking for a photograph of Thomas Denis CONDRON's grave. It appears that their request was fulfilled, in June 1922, according to an annotation in his military record. 
 
This concludes my series of blog posts on CONDR*Ns killed in the First World War. To see my other blog posts about CONDR*Ns killed in the First World War, click on "First World War" in the Labels list on the right of the blog web page. 

Thomas Denis CONDRON was the last CONDR*N to be killed before the end of the war on 11 November 2018. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission includes another man, Thomas CONDRON, among the war dead although he died in 1920. I will post about him on a future occasion. 

Comments and corrections welcome, either by leaving a comment below or by email to me: CONDRAN[AT]ONE-NAME.ORG .