ELLEN MARY HOULIHAN
1861-1906
"Helen" is the source of the name of "Ellen", an English name meaning "Sun ray".
Source: Babynamer.com
1861 Events:
Alexander MacKenzie 2nd Prime Minister of Canada,
won the election to the Canada West legislature.
Ellen was born February 1861 to James Houlihan, Sr. and Ellen Margaret Spurvey of Argentia,
Newfoundland. On 25 November 1877 she married Peter Smith, the son of Henry Smith and Jane
Murphy of Point Moll, a part of Argentia. They were blessed with three children. Henry was
baptized 12 October 1878, sponsors Patrick Houlihan and May Smith. Henry drowned 13 September,
1900. He never married. Mary Margaret was baptized 23 August 1880, sponsors Michael Smith and Mary
Houlihan. Jane Anne was baptized 7 December 1882, sponsors Edward Houlihan and Jane Smith.
Mary Margaret married James Joseph Power. She died 10 September 1969 in Bristol, Ct. Jane Anne
married Charles "Harry" Roberts and James O'Flaherty. and died in 1934 at Sydney, Nova Scotia.
After Peter Smith drowned in Placentia Bay about 1885, Ellen went to live with her parents.
About 1888 she married a widower, Philip Summers. Of this marriage four children were born.
See Philip Somers-Summers biography for more information regarding the children of this marriage.
Ellen was buried in the Argentia Cemetery. The Argentia Cemetery was moved to Freshwater by the American
military during WW2 when they built their Navy Base there.
She is buried in the common grave.
Note:
Baptism data verified by Fr. Jim Mason
See also Philip Summers, Margaret Mary Power & Anastasia Summers
biography pages for more family information
RESEARCH NOTES:
Settled about the same time as Placentia in the late 1600s, Argentia was first a small French fishing
village known as Petit Plaisance, which later became known as Little Placentia.
It is located on a small peninsula on the east side of Placentia Bay.
In the early 1940s the Americans built a Navy base at Argentia. About 477 residents were forced to
leave. Starting in the spring of 1942, all those interred in the RC three cemeteries, the two oldest,
and the newest Mount Rosary were removed to a mass grave in Freshwater.
Read about this upheaval in "UPROOTED!" by Eileen Hunt Houlihan,
published by
Creative Publishing, St. John's Newfoundland 1992,
IBSN 1-895387-19-1
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