John Oakman, born 1875 in Ballymoney Townland, County Antrim
John Oakman was born in June 1875 in Ballymoney Parish, County Antrim, Northern Ireland (IGI Batch #C701588). His parents were William Oakman and Elizabeth McCauley (or McAuley). He had at least one sibling – a brother, Robert (born 29 March 1879). John’s family were Roman Catholics. In the 1900 US Census John stated he had arrived in the US in 1888, but the only arrival I’ve been able to find close to that time is for a John Oakman who travelled on the Devonia from Glasgow to the Port of New York, arriving on 6 August 1890. This passenger’s stated destination was New Jersey so it is likely to be one and the same John.
According to the Paterson, New Jersey Directories of 1890-93, John was a Boxmaker living at 128 Clay Street, Paterson City. At the time of the 1900 US Census (6 June 1900) John was a Silk Weaver living in Lewis St, Paterson City, had married in 1896 to Annie (Dorn), and had a son named Leonard who was born in September 1898.
According to William Meyer’s family tree on Rootsweb’s WorldConnect, John died in 1900 and was buried at Fairlawn Cemetery, Fairlawn, New Jersey. Annie married again, in about 1905 to Abraham Stohls, and had two more children. Annie and John’s son, Leonard, died in 1950 in Clifton, NJ and was buried at the Cedar Lawn Cemetery in Paterson. Annie and John also had a daughter, Elizabeth, who was born around the time that John died.
I wish to express my thanks to Bill Meyer for giving permission to publish the photo of John Oakman on this website. For more information about John and his family, please contact William Meyer.