Genealogical Sketch of the John Charles and Maria (Beamish) Paul Family of Ireland and San Francisco

This is a genealogical sketch of the lives of the John Charles and Maria (Beamish) Paul family of Ireland and New York. They are my wife Linda's 2nd great-grandparents.

=============================

John Charles Paul Early Years

John Charles Paul was born in about October 1823[1] in St. John’s, Newfoundland, the second son and second child (of four) of John Paul (1792-1838) and Mary Quirk (1800-1866), who married in about 1820, probably in Newfoundland. The family was probably of Irish extraction. The family included these children:

• Oliver Paul was born before 14 November 1822 in St. Johns, Newfoundland, British Colonial America.
• John Charles Paul, born October 1823, St. John’s, Newfoundland, British Colonial America; married Maria T. Beamish, 29 April 1852, New Bedford, Bristol, Massachusetts; died 31 May 1879, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
• Thomas Paul, born February 1829, Lowell, Middlesex, Massachusetts; married Jane Coughlin, 3 July 1855, New Bedford, Bristol, Massachusetts; died 2 July 1870, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
• Robert Havlin Paul, born 12 June 1830, Lowell, Middlesex, Massachusetts; married Margaret Agnes Caughlin, 4 March 1862, Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras, California; died 26 March 1901, Tucson, Pima, Arizona.

The Paul family moved from Newfoundland to Lowell, Massachusetts before 1829, and to New Bedford, Massachusetts before 1852. John Charles Paul may have been a cooper and/or a whaler before his marriage.

Maria Beamish Early Years

Maria T. Beamish was born on 27 August 1827[2] in Ireland (estimated from cemetery records), the daughter of Thomas and Catherine (--?--) Beamish of Ireland. Maria’s birthplace, if her parents migrated to America, or if Maria had siblings, are not known.

She migrated to Massachusetts before 1850 because she is enumerated in the 1850 United States Census in New Bedford in the Samuel Rodman household; she is listed as age 23, born in Ireland, with no occupation.[3]

Their Married Life

John Charles Paul and Maria T. Beamish were married on 29 April 1852 in New Bedford, Bristol, Massachusetts.[4] The marriage record has this information:

• John C. Paul -- age 28, cooper, born St. John, New Brunswick, parents John and Mary Paul
• Maria I.(?) Beamish -- age 23, born St. Johns, New Brunswick, parents Thomas and Catherine Beamish
• by Thomas McNulty, R.C. Parish Priest

John Charles Paul and Maria T. Beamish had the following children:

• Mary Ann Paul, born November 1854, Massachusetts; married Herman Schaffner, before 1876, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States, three children; died 16 February 1908, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States.
• Rebecca M. Paul, born November 1856, Chicago, Cook, Illinois; married Charles Henry Small before 1880, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, one child; died 21 October 1914, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
• Robert Paul was born about 1859 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. He died before 1864 at the age of 5 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
• Abbie C. Paul was born in September 1861 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. She died on 11 November 1894 at the age of 33 in San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
• Robert Henry Paul was born about 1864 in San Francisco, San Francisco, California. He died on 14 September 1902 at the age of 38 in Acapulco, Mexico.
• Thomas E. Paul was born in December 1868 in San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
• John Charles Paul was born about December 1868 in San Francisco, San Francisco, California. He died on 22 September 1889 at the age of 20 in San Francisco, San Francisco, California.

The family moved from New Bedford to Chicago, Illinois by1856, and to San Francisco by 1862, perhaps by train and boat through New Orleans.

In the 1860 United States Census, the John C. Paul household resided in Chicago Ward 8, Cook County, Illinois.[5] The household included:

• Jno C. Paul - age 36, male, a cooper, born in Newfoundland
• Maria Paul - age 35, female, born in Ireland
• Mary A. Paul - age 6, female, $100 in personal property, born in Mass., attends school.
• Rebecca M. Paul - age 3, female, born Illinois
• Robert Paul - age 1, male, born Illinois
• Julia Taylor - age 16, female, servant, born in Newfoundland

John Charles Paul was listed in the San Francisco County Great Register of Voters for California, with this information in 1868:[6]

John Charles Paul, age 43, born Newfoundland, resides 9 Clara, a Janitor, Ward 10, not naturalized, registered 24 January 1867

He was listed in the San Francisco City Directories for the years 1862 to 1878 at various addresses (335 Green Street (1864). 9 Clara Street (1869), 28 Clara Street), and with occupations of Cooper (1862), Laborer (1865), Janitor (1869-1878), Watchman (1872-1876), etc.

In the 1870 United States Census, the John C. Paul household resided in San Francisco Ward 10, San Francisco County, California.[7] The household included:

• John C. Paul - age 43, male, white, a car conductor, $450 in personal property, born in England
• Maria Paul - age 41, female, white, keeping house, born in Ireland
• Mary Paul - age 15, female, white, attending school, born in Massachusetts
• Rebecca Paul - age 13, female, white, attending school, born in Massachusetts
• Abbie C. Paul - age 9, female, white, attending school, born in Illinois
• Robert Paul - age 5, male, at home, born in Illinois
• John Paul - age 3, male, white, at home, born California
• Thomas Paul - age 2, male, white, at home, born California

John Charles Paul was listed in the San Francisco Great Register of Voters in 1878 with the following information:[8]

#4792, John Charles Paul, age 53, born Newfoundland, a Janitor, resided 28 Clara, Precinct 11, naturalized by naturalization of father, registered Nov. 2, 1876

Later Years

John Charles Paul died on 31 May 1879 in San Francisco. A death notice for John C. Paul appeared on Page 4 of the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper dated 3 June 1879.[9] The death notice said:

"PAUL -- In this city, May 31, John C. Paul, a native of St. Johns, New Brunswick, aged 55 years and 7 months.

"Friends and acquaintances are respectfully invited to attend the funeral this day (Tuesday) at 2 o'clock P.M. from No. 28 Clara street."

John Charles Paul is buried in the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma, San Mateo County, California after his remains were moved there from Mount Calvary Cemetery.[1] There is no gravestone for him. The Find A Grave memorial has this additional information from cemetery records:

“Cooper by trade, married, res of 20 Clara, died of dropsy, native of Newfoundland. Parish: St. Patrick

“Originally buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery (SF/defunct). Removed & re-interred at the general reburial area of Holy Cross (H 4 16 14) on 29 Apr 1940, along with 4 others.”

In the 1880 United States census, this family resided at 773 Acheson Street in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California.[10] The household included:

• Maria Paul - white, female, age 51, widowed, keeping house, born Ireland, parents born Ireland/Ireland
• Mary Ann Paul - white, female, age 25, daughter, married, without occupation, born Massachusetts, parents born NewFound/Ireland
• Rebecca Paul - white, female, age 23, daughter, married, without occupation, born Illinois, parents born NewFound/Ireland
• Abby Paul - white, female, age 19, daughter, single, without occupation, born Illinois, parents born NewFound/Ireland
• Robert Paul - white, male, age 14, son, single, telegraph boy, born California, parents born NewFound/Ireland
• John C. Paul - white, male, age 12, son, single, at school, born California, parents born NewFound/Ireland
• Thos. E. Paul - white, male, age 12, son, single, at school, born California, parents born NewFound/Ireland
• Paul F. Schaffner - white, male, age 9/12, Aug, grandson, single, at home, born California, parents born New York/Massachusetts
• Herman Schaffner - white, male, age 28, son-in-law, married, book binder, born New York, parents born Austria.

In the 1900 United States Census, Maria Paul was head of a household at 408 Natoma Street in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California. There were three lodgers living in this house. The information for Maria is:[11]

• Maria P. Paul - head of household, white, female, born Aug 1827, age 72, widowed, 3 children born, 3 living, born in Ireland, father born Ireland, mother born Ireland, immigrated in 1830, resident of US for 70 years, can read, write and speak English.

Maria (Beamish) Paul died 9 December 1909 in San Francisco, California of senility.[12] She is buried in Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma, San Mateo, California.[2]

The Find A Grave memorial has this (from the San Francisco Examiner, Dec. 11, 1909, page 4):[2]

"PAUL-- Entered into rest, in this city, December 9, Maria Paul, beloved mother of Rebecca Small. 

"Remains at the parlors of Theodor Dierks & Co., 900 Devisadero street, corner of McAllister. Interment private."

Additional information from the cemetery records includes:

“Died of senility, at the Home of the Aged, native of Ireland, aged 82y 3m 13d
Sadly, there is no marker for this plot. In fact, as shown in the photo, many graves lack markers in Section M, Rows 2 to 15.”

Sources:

1. Find A Grave, indexed database, (https://www.findagrave.com), Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Colma, Calif., John C. Paul (1823-1879) memorial #107420959.

2. Find A Grave, indexed database, (https://www.findagrave.com), Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Colma, Calif., Marie Paul (1827-1909) memorial #105134569.

3. 1850 United States Federal Census, Bristol County, Massachusetts, population schedule, New Bedford, Page 255A, dwelling #416, family #817, Saml W. Rodman household;  imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, Roll 309.

4. "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1915," indexed database and digital images, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (http://www.AmericanAncestors.org), Marriages: Volume 60, Page 84, New Bedford, 1852, John C. Paul and Maria T. Beamish entry, 29 April 1852.

5. 1860 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Cook County, Illinois, Chicago Ward 8, page 101 (penned), dwelling #671, family number 746, John C. Paul household; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); original records on National Archives microfilm M653, Roll 331.

6. "California Voter Registers, 1866-1898," digital images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), San Francisco > 1872-1873, "Great Register, San Francisco County," page 511, John Charles Paul entry.

7. 1870 United States Federal Census, San Francisco County, California, population schedule, San Francisco Ward 10, Page 247B, dwelling #624, family #911, John C. Paul household; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 June 2017); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M593, Roll 83.

8. "California Voter Registers, 1866-1898," digital images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), San Francisco > 1878, "Great Register, San Francisco County," page 71, #4792, John Charles Paul entry.

9. "San Francisco Chronicle," database, SFGenealogy (https://www.SFGenealogy.com), citing original documents at San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, Calif., John C. Paul death notice, 3 June 1879, page 4.

10. 1880 United States Federal Census, San Francisco County, California, San Francisco, ED 99, Page 458A, dwelling #79, family #88, Maria Paul household; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T9, Roll 75.

11. 1900 United States Federal Census, San Francisco County, California, San Francisco, ED 37, Page 10A, dwelling #120, family #196, Maria Paul household; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T623, Roll 101.

12. "California Death Index, 1905-1939." database, FamilySearch (https://www.FamilySearch.org), San Francisco County, Maria Paul entry, 9 December 1909.

Relationship

John Charles Paul (1823-1879) and Maria T. Beamish (1827-1909) are maternal 2nd- great-grandparents of my wife, Linda (Leland) Seaver (1942-still living), through:

•  her great-grandnother Mary Ann Paul (1854-1908)  who married Herman Schaffner (1851-1921) in 1876 in San Francisco
• her grandfather Paul Frederick Schaffner (1879-1934) who married Edna Catherine McKnew (1884-1974) in 1906 in San Francisco. 
• her mother Edna May Schaffner (1913-1979)  who married Leo Severt Leland (1911-2002) in 1937 in San Francisco.

========================================

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.