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Set As Default Person 
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| Name |
SHEA, [1] |
| Born |
, , , Ireland  [1] |
| Gender |
Female |
| Died |
, , , Ireland [1] |
| Person ID |
I1614 |
Cashman Family Tree |
| Last Modified |
21 Apr 2014 |
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| Sources |
- [S329] Massachusetts - Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts, William Richard Cutter and William Frederick Adams (editors), (New York, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1910), pages 2622 (Reliability: 1).
SHEA - Among the ancient Celtic names this is one of the oldest and best known. Many of America's foremost business men bear it, and it is known in every locality where there is activity and industry. The ancient city of Quincy (ancient as a settlement, if not as a city) is indebted to those bearing this patronymic for active development in one of her leading industries and for able management of municipal affairs.
(I) John Shea was born and lived in Ireland, where he was a farmer and attained the good age of ninety years. His wife's name was Catherine, and they had four sons and two daughters. Three of the sons, Michael, Thomas and William, came to America, and all settled in Quincy. All were identified with the granite business from their arrival. The first was a granite cutter, and died in Quincy in 1894. Thomas was a granite cutter, and died at the age of thirty years in 1877.
(II) William, son of John and Catherine Shea, was born in Ireland, where he was reared and received a fair education at the national schools. He married Margaret, daughter of Thomas and Margaret (Riely) Riely. Immediately this couple set out for America, where freedom might be enjoyed in its greatest degree and where opportunity awaits those who are willing to earn advancement by diligent effort. Mr. Shea settled in Quincy and learned the business of granite cutting, in which he became an expert. By industry and prudent care of his earnings, he was enabled to engage in business on his own account, and began in association with his sons, under the title of William Shea & Sons in 1874. This was one of the early concerns to engage in granite contracting in the city, and Mr. Shea continued in its active management until his death, 1889, at the age of sixty-three years. The first business undertaken was quarrying, but it gradually drifted to contracting for monumental work, chiefly in cutting and lettering stones for this purpose. All kinds of stones are used, the chief being granite, and the business is known by clients residing and doing business in remote districts. Like most natives of Ireland, Mr. Shea was a faithful supporter of the Roman Catholic church, and he was respected as a good and useful citizen. Children: 1. William Thomas, the eldest, mentioned below. 2. Mary, became the wife of Michael Lyons, of Quincy. 3. Annie, married John Scollard, who is deceased. 4. Michael, engaged in business with the firm of William Shea & Sons. 5. Catherine Elizabeth, married Arthur Murphy. The mother of these children is still living, at the age of seventy-seven years, enjoying in peace and comfort the fruits of her years of early toil.
(III) William Thomas, eldest child of William and Margaret (Riely) Shea, was born March 24, 1857, in Quincy, with which place his whole life has been identified. He was educated in the public schools of his native town, and early became associated with the business of his father. He learned every feature of the business, from quarrying the stone to cutting, lettering and setting it up in place. He was the industrious and capable aid of his father in business until the death of the latter, and succeeded him thereafter. He abandoned the quarrying feature and began general contracting, such as road-building, sewer construction and building waterworks. As his business grew he was continually adding to his force of workmen, and employs regularly a large number of people, thus affording a livelihood to a considerable portion of the population of his home town. Mr. Shea has also developed an extensive business in the manufacture of granite paving blocks, known as the Hadley paving block, and this employs many people in quarrying, sawing and shipping. As one of the enterprising and upright business men of the city, Mr. Shea is respected, and his popularity is shown by the fact that he was elected mayor of a city normally having a Republican majority of twelve hundred votes, while he is a pronounced Democrat in political principle. Upon the incorporation of the city he was elected a member of the first city council and served in 1889-90, from ward four. When the sewer commission was established, February 20, 1894, he was appointed a member, and served six years in that capacity, until 1900. In the fall of 1907 Mr. Shea was elected mayor as a "citizens" candidate, and was re-elected in 1908 and again in 1909, to serve until January 1, 1911. He is the first Democrat to hold the office for three terms, and is justifying the confidence of his constituents by faithful and capable service, conferring credit upon both himself and the city. Since attaining voting age, he has taken a keen and intelligent interest in public affairs, has been a delegate in many conventions and was for twelve years a member of the Democratic state committee. He is a member in good standing of the Catholic church; of the Ancient Order of Hibernians; the Knights of Columbus, having served as grand knight of the Quincy council; is a past chief ranger of the Massachusetts Catholic Order of Foresters. Since he was eighteen years old, he has been a member of St. Mary's Total Abstinence Society, of which he was six years president, and is a member of the Granite City and Boston City clubs. Since the organization of Quincy Lodge, No 943, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, Mr. Shea has been a member of its board of trustees. His genial nature and pleasant manners make and retain lasting friendships. He is unmarried.
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Set As Default Person
