John McNamee, was born July 6, 1852. He was the son of John and Elizabeth McNamee. John arrived aboard the Anglia on June 9, 1870 sailing from Moville to New York. John is located on the second enumeration of the 1870 census, living on S 7th Street with John Johnson, his wife Mary Ann and twin daughters Ellen and Mary Ann.
(Update: After searching for 9 years, I believe at long last, I've found John McNamee's birth place. On May 31st, 1872, Hugh McGurk and Catharine McNamee gave birth to Mary Anne McGurk in Strabane, County of Tyrone, Ireland. They were godparents sixteen years later to John McNamee's youngest daughter, Mary. They remained in Ireland).
On July 3, 1874, John was best man at the marriage of his sister, Margaret McNamee to Patrick Connor at St. Agatha's Church, 3801 Spring Garden St., Phila., PA. His then fiancee, Rose Flanagan, was the other sponsor.
Rose Flanagan arrived at the Port of New York on May 13, 1868 at the age of 16. She was accompanied by her brother, Thomas Flannigan, age 23. In 1870 first enumeration census, Rose was a servant in the home of Joseph Cardeza. The City Directory of 1871, lists Joseph Cardeza living at 2316 Green Street.
I'm not sure information is available as to where John was living at the time of his marriage. First actual Philadelphia address is the birth of his son, John at 3862 Story Street, May 8, 1875. This is confirmed by the Philadelphia City Directory of 1875. It is important to locate actual passenger list to find out if John had more siblings than Margaret, Bernard, Thomas and William.
I have viewed every reel for 1872 Philadelphia and can find not one McNamee or Flanagan. From the recorded date to 1875, nothing indicates John was living in Philadelphia. As of this time, I firmly believe that John and Margaret arrived in New York and went to Shenandoah, Pottsville for at least two years.
**All of the above has been documented with church records, city directories and census papers. John McNamee was a very family oriented person who always had at least one of his children's family living with him, his entire life. His children always lived on the same street or the next street over as well as his brothers and sisters. Most of their life in the U.S.A. was spent in St Agatha's parish or St. James and Mother of Sorrows, a small area of West Philly.