Driscoll Castle Cape Clear. Photo courtesy Dennis Driscoll.
Page last modified: Thursday, 29-Oct-2020 22:52:37 EDT

If you have researched your Driscoll ancestry and have also indulged in a box of Driscoll's berries from the grocery store, you have probably asked yourself what were the origins of the Driscolls who have delighted us with their fruit. There is much followup work to do, but this is what we have found out so far, with the help of a Pajaro Valley Historical Association (PVHA) historian.

Pajaro Valley is the location of Watsonville, California, a farming community. This valley was populated heavily by Irish immigrants, many of whom, as PVHA describes, were "rather industrious and well off. They were able to purchase large ranches in California almost immediately upon arrival."

Jeremiah Driscoll (b.c. 1826/31, Cork d. 11-Apr-1884, Watsonville) was the Watsonville family patriarch. He apparently had a brother Daniel fairly close in age. Jeremiah's wife was Johanna (Hannah) Hickey born 17-Mar-1833 Cork and died 24-Apr-1920 Watsonville. (Here is a possible baptism record for Johanna in Schull East.) Jeremiah and Hannah probably married after emigration, but we aren't certain.

[Note: There are some possibilities for Jeremiah in the online Ireland church records.]

Jeremiah and Hannah had nine children:

  1. Mary Ann (1860-1946) married John D. Murphy. Children: 1) John Wilfred Murphy (1897-1980); 2) Eugene Francis Murphy (1899-1956).

  2. John Joseph "J.J." married Katherine Barry. Children: 1) William Raymond (1893-1946), who had a son James William b. 1926; 2) John Lester (1896-1970); 3) Margaret Adele (1899-1975) married Silacci; 4) Anita Catherine (1901-1969) married McCaughy and had a son Joseph John b. 1928.

  3. Timothy F. (1863-1882).

  4. Julia (1864-1933) married Eugene Schmitz, the mayor of San Francisco. Children: 1) Eugenia (1892-1976); 2) Evelyn Heller (1894-1986); 3) Richard Schmitz (1896-1914).

  5. Jeremiah Cornelius "J.C." (1866-1951) married Georgie Eleanor Hurney. Children: Jerry Jr. (1909-1933) Watsonville.

  6. Richard Francis "R.F." (1869-1934) married Margaret Olive Reiter. Children: 1) Richard "Dick" Oliver (1900-1971); 2) Edwin Francis "Ned" (1902-1981); 3) Agnes Marie Louise (1905-1996); 4) Donald Joseph (1908-1986); 5) Kenneth Leo (1911-1936); 6) George Vincent (1914-1958).

    Richard Oliver had three children: Richard (1925); Elizabeth (1931); and Barbara (1932). Edwin Francis had two children : Edwin (1935) and Thomas (1937); George Vincent had a son Mortey (Morley?) Nelson (1934).

  7. Daniel Ambrose "D.A." (1870-1953).

  8. Bartholomew L. (1873-1944) married Amelia Emma Clark. Children: 1) Robert Leo (1901-1970); 2) Stephen Bartholomew (1904-1909); Catherine Ruth (1906-1968); 4) David Thomas (1916-1955).

  9. Margaret L. (1877-1953)

According to our project member descended from this family, Driscoll's Berries was started by Donald Joseph Driscoll and his brother Edwin "Ned" (see #6 above), along with their uncle Joseph Reiter.

Driscoll at FTDNA DNA Portal Project Pedigrees
 
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