Anne Hoey Nolan owned her home free and clear

 

306 W. William Street

A mesmerizing part of Anne Hoey's story is that she owned a home "free and clear."  I wanted to learn more so I registered to search Westchester County, New York property records and found a 1891 Deed of Sale documenting that in August of 1891, Anne Hoey Nolan (as Anna Nolan) purchased a home from James Merritt for two hundred and fifteen dollars  -- that is just over $7,400 in todays dollars.

Women as Home Owners

When I began this research, I was ready to find that a man legally owned the home (perhaps a brother in law or her son John) as I was under the impression that property ownership was restricted to men.  I learned that I was wrong; thanks to Susan B. Anthony, women in New York could own property; Anthony actively campaigned for the right of women to own property and 1847, the State of New York passed the Married Women's Property Act. 

Deed of Sale

The deed of sale for Anne's home (above) is available for reading (pages 107 and 108) I've transcribed the key parts. 

Opening Page of Deed of Sale - Anne Nolan 1891

This indenture was made the third day of August in the year of eighteen hundred and ninety one between James Merritt and Emma Merritt, his wife and Purdy G. Sands and Mary Sands his wife of the town of Rye County of Westchester and the State of New York parties of the first part and Anna Nolan of the same place party of the second part witnessed that the said party of the first part in consideration of two hundred and fifteen dollars lawfully money of the United States paid by the part of the second part that do hereby grant and release onto the said party of the second part her heirs and acquire forever all that certain lot piece of parcel of land situate being and being in the town of Rye, County of Westchester and State of New York and herein as lot number eighty-eight in a certain map entitled Map of Washington Park the property of James Merritt and Purdy G. Sands Port Chester (map filed) in the office of the Register of the County of Westchester. 

Anne purchased the home from James and Emma  Merritt and Purdy G. and Mary Sands  

Mr. Merritt was a sheriff in Port Chester, and held other positions including Post Master and town trustee. Merritt lived in the area all of his life; his grandfather, James Merritt is listed in the 1790 U.S. Federal Census as a resident of Rye, New York. His father Clark, married James's mother, Hannah, and they had 6 children; Hannah died not long after James was born and his father remarried Emily. Emily is listed as James stepmother in the 1870 and 1880 federal census.  James married Emily (Emma) Gendey in 1890. He is listed as working in real estate; I do not find any indication that James and Emily had children. James passed away in 1919.  

The second land owner named in the documentation is Purdy G. Sands (and his wife Mary). The Sands family tree extends back to the American Revolution and I am surmising that they owned a great deal of land in the Rye area of Westchester County. Purdy was the Town Clerk of Rye.  I've not found photos of the Sands nor have I found any documentation of their family; I do note that the Sands name is on many older maps in the Port Chester area. 

The lot purchased was lot 88 in Washington Park

Below is a 1892 map of Port Chester; Washington Park is the top center of the map  - just  north of Regent Street (with the fold line going through the neighborhood map) The second image is a zoomed in view of the Washington Park area. I believe that Lot 88 eventually became 306 W Williams Street, Port Chester.

Port Chester, Westchester County, New York 1892

Washington Park, Port Chester,
Westchester County, New York, 1892

What happened to the home when Anne passed away?

Later in Anne's life, I find her still in Port Chester, and living with her son John and her daughter Margaret at various addresses on Pearl Street (57 Pearl Street and 119 Pearl Street).  

Philip and Margaret Muprhy

I have not found Anne's will so I do not know who she left her home to.  

However, I reviewed home sales in Port Chester by people named Nolan over a 30 year period and found a sale of a home on Williams Street, by Margaret Nolan Murphy (Anne's youngest daughter) to Mary Hassan (the mother in law of Irene Gagan (Mary Nolan Gagan's youngest daughter) who married Daniel J. Hassen in 1925. 

306 W William Street
Deed of Sale 10 June 1930

I also find Mrs. Hassan living at 306 West Williams Street in 1931.  Between the Deed of Sale and the City Directory entry, I feel confident that this is the same house !! 

It feels safe to me to deduce that  Anne's home stayed in the family; with the widow Ms. Hassan ! Below is the Deed of Sale - from Margaret Nolan Murphy to Mary Hassan.  In the home with Mary were her son Charles; her daughter Genevieve, and her son Vincent (with his wife Nellie) 

Snippet from Port Chester City Directory: