Baptisms of Patrick and Bridget's Children in San Francisco

Five, or possibly six, children of Patrick and Bridget (Stevens) McIntyre were born in San Francisco, California.  The seven McIntyres (Patrick, Bridget, Edward, Bartholomew, Mary, Dominick and Catherine) arrived in New York City in April 18, 1863.  Within a short time they were living in San Francisco.  Their first son, born on US soil, arrived almost one year to the day the family landed in the U.S.

John Dunn:
John Dunn was baptized at St. Brigid's Church in San Francisco.  The registry entry is written in Latin.  The birth date is clear: April 23, 1864, but the baptism date is difficult to read.  Information received from Dolly Purcell many years ago provided the baptism date of May 8, 1864.  However, when I look at the page, it is hard to see an "8." Sponsors were Edward Dunn and Bridget Slack.

Elizabeth:
Was also baptized at St. Brigid's Church on September 1, 1867.  The record shows she was born on August 23, 1867.  Sponsors were Clarke and Maria Kearns. 

William:
The last entry we have at St. Brigid's is for William who was born March 28, 1869 and baptized April 4 of the same year.  His sponsors are John and Anne Geenty.

James:
James is the questionable son.  A record for a James McIntyre who is listed as the son of Patrick and Bridget McIntyre was located in Mt. Calvary Cemetery in San Francisco with a burial date of December 25, 1874 and it states James was three years old, giving him a birthday in 1871.  It would be interesting to see if there is an 1871 baptismal record for him at St. Brigid.


Thomas:
In the 1880 US Census it states Thomas is 6 years old giving him a birth date c 1873-4.  Patrick and Bridget were still living in San Francisco at the time, so St. Brigid again is a good place to look for baptism information.


Ellen (Nellie):
In the 1880 US Census, Ellen is listed as one years old giving her a birth date 1878-9.  In the 1900 US Census, Ellen's birth date is listed as February, 1879.  Although, Patrick is well along with his homesteading, Ellen lists her birth place as California.  So, again, St. Brigid would be a good place to check for additional information.



A Bit of History
St. Brigid, situated at the corner of Van Ness Avenue and Broadway, closed June 20, 1994 as part of a major restructuring of Catholic churches in San Francisco amid declining parish membership and seismic retrofitting.  One of the reasons given for closing the church was that expensive earthquake retrofitting would be needed due to the damage it received in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The cost estimate was $5.5 million. St. Brigid Parish was formed in 1863 and the small wooden church dedicated in 1864.  In 1896, the building where the McIntyres were baptized was torn down to make way for the current structure.  There is an interesting website created by parishioners of St. Brigid who tried to save the church and it includes photos of the "new" building dedicated in 1904. 

The records for St. Brigid (Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, 1863--. 3 vols,) which closed in 1994, are now kept St. Vincent de Paul Church located at 2320 Green Street in San Francisco.

Source: St. Brigid baptism registry pages courtesy of Dolly Purcell.