An excerpt from my publication from the census of 1911 which relates to Bert and his family.

Coyne & Lawlor: Number 11, a 2nd class public house dwelling had four rooms with three windows in the front of the building. The walls were constructed of stone, brick or concrete and the roof of slate, iron or tiles. There were seven out-buildings and farm-steadings, a stable, a cow house, a calf house, a dairy, a piggery, a fowl house and a turf house. The occupants were recorded as follows;

Bridget Coyne, head of the family, can read and write, aged 56 years, a publican and farmer, widow.

William Coyne, her son, can read and write, aged 20 years, farmer, not married.

Marcella Coyne, her daughter, can read and write, aged 15 years, scholar, not married.

Teresa Lawlor, servant, can read and write, aged 16 years, a domestic servant, not married.

All were recorded as Roman Catholic and were recorded as born in Co. Kildare.

Christopher aged 18 was recorded as a shopman and general assistant in a public house and grocery dwelling, 32 Stephen Street, Royal Exchange in Dublin. He was wrongly recorded as Coyle rather than Coyne.

A few years later Christopher left Ireland from Queenstown aboard The Baltic. He arrived at Ellis Island, New York, 2 May 1914. The passenger information recorded his intended destination as 343 East 47 street, New York, where Denis Clarke from Robertstown, lived with his brother James Clarke, both of Clarke’s bakers Robertstown. In the US census 1915 he was recorded as resident in the home of James Clarke. He was employed as a conductor. He enlisted in the cavalry at Fort Slocum, New York in 1915. Prior to enlisting in the US army he completed a Declaration of Intention, a prerequisite for naturalisation. The declaration was filled out on 6 July 1915. Christopher is described as white, complexion fair, height five feet six inches, weight 146lbs, hair brown and eyes blue.

He was part of the regiment ordered to the American/Mexican border, charged with patrolling against cattle rustlers, they remained until March 1916. They had little luck in their post catching the cattle rustlers as by the time they were informed of such, the cattle rustlers had an advantage of a number of days on the cavalry and were long gone. On 9 March Poncho Villa and his Banditos raided Columbus NM igniting the Mexican Punitive expedition. After many months of riding across the Mexican deserts they failed to capture Poncho Villa and returned home in February 1917. 

The Americans declared war on Germany in April 1917. Christopher and his regiment spent some fifteen months in France and in that time they never took part in direct combat. When they returned to the United States they returned to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia and became what would be known as a ‘spit and polish’ outfit taking part in military horse tournaments and competitive polo. Christopher would finish his military career here. Falling on hard times after leaving Fort Oglethorpe, he spent some time sleeping rough on park benches. He moved to Michigan and found a post on the production line of the Ford motor factory. On one of Christopher’s notebooks he recorded his address as 46 la’ Belle Avenue, Highland park, Michigan and also recorded the date of October 1921. It is not known when Christopher left the United States to return to Ireland. On his return he lived in French Park, Co. Roscommon for a time before returning to Robertstown.

In the census of 1926 Bridget was recorded as head of the household, aged 71 years, a widow, farmer of 24 statute acres.

Christopher was recorded aged 34 years, single and as an asssistant on his mother’s 24 statute acre farm.

William was recorded aged 35 years, single and as assistant on his mother’s 24 statute acre farm. However all are incorrectly recorded as Boyne rather than Coyne.

He was entitled to a US Army pension which he meticulously recorded. His first recorded payment was 16 February 1962, he was sixty nine years old. Christopher’s mother Bridget died in 1942 and his brother William in 1971, this was verified in one of Christopher’s notebooks. Christopher organised his affairs and lived alone from that time until becoming ill and being hospitalised. After being released from hospital he came to lodge in Annie Donohoe’s house. Bert died in Naas hospital in 1982 he was ninety years old. He is buried in Ballintine graveyard in Allen. The Coyne burial plot is located within the grounds of the medieval chapel, under the arched window.