Michael, the
eldest son, left at twenty in 1866. An uncle, Ned
McMenamin, already settled near Albany, New York,
helped Michael find work as a farm hand. At
twenty-nine, Michael returned to Ireland, built a
cottage for his aging parents and then brought a
bride back to America.
It was a common practice for the given name of
one's first born son to be that of his paternal
grandfather. All four emigrant brothers' first
born sons were named James.
