NOW, THE GREAT GREAT GRANDPARENTS' GENERATION: ANCESTOR NO. 15: JOSEPH KIRNER, SR. (~1837-1907)

 

Joseph Kirner is a brick wall ancestor. That means he is the most distant Kirner ancestor for whom I can NOT find evidence of parents. Every document found that names him occurs in the second half of his life. No baptism or marriage record has been found for him, and he is not found in any census record until he was in his mid-thirties.

He was born in New York City, and his parents were German immigrants.[1] His surname evolved from Körner to Kerner to Kirner, and was sometimes assumed to be Kernan, Kearny, or Kiernan, an Irish name. His trade as a bricklayer, also called a mason, helps distinguish him despite the recorded name variations. On a few documents, he was named John Joseph, but most called him Joseph. German men of the era often had the first name John (Johann) and went by their middle names.

Joseph probably married Rosanna McGuire/Maguire in 1860 in New York City, judging from the age of his eldest child, John Joseph Jr., who was born on May 27, 1861.[2] His second son, William Henry, was born on February 12, 1864.[3]

Since there was no one else of that name in New York City, I assume he was the volunteer fireman who was also a mason in that city in 1864 and 1865.[4] In 1866, he was a member of the fire department in Jersey City, New Jersey, across the river from Manhattan.[5] He held leadership positions in both of those organizations.

Although he could afford to have his photograph taken, I have not found one for him. But since he was a bricklayer and a fireman, I suspect he was at least of average height and weight. At that time, that would have been about five feet eight.

On August 17, 1868, Joseph’s third child (George Washington, baptized as Carolus) was baptized at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Jersey City. The priest recorded that the baby’s parents were Joseph Körner, Protestant, born in New York City, and Rosa McGuire, born in Ireland.[6] St. Boniface was a church in a neighborhood of primarily German-speaking people, located at 250 1^st St; Joseph lived at 153 S. 8th Street.

In October 1869, Joseph paid $850 to buy two lots in the Jersey City suburb of Greenville.[7] The newspaper announced in 1879 and 1882 that the lots would be sold for failure to pay taxes dating back to 1873, the start of a nationwide depression. However, they got a loan to improve this in 1899, so they were able to pay the taxes before repossession.[8]

Although apparently living in the U.S. when the census was taken in 1850 and 1860, Joseph was counted for the first time in 1870. He was recorded as a 32-year-old brick mason born in New Jersey, owning $3,000 in personal property and $10,000 in real estate (this is most likely $1,000). His wife was Rose, 27, born in Ireland, and his three children were John, 9, born in New York (our ancestor), William, 6, born in New York, and George, 2, born in New Jersey.[9] In 1880, the census showed the family living on Walker Avenue, and said Joseph was born in New York.[10]

In the next few years, sons Joseph Jr. and William married. Joseph Jr. and his wife, Mary Ellen Quinlan, lived with their baby, George, with Joseph Sr. and Rose when New Jersey took a state census in 1885.[11] A few years later, Joseph Jr. bought a house around the corner, on Woodlawn Avenue.

The Freemasons were very popular in the late 1800s, and Joseph joined the branch called the Hiram Lodge No. 17 in Jersey City.[12]

In 1899, Joseph was the President of the Bricklayer’s International Union No. 1 (also called No. 10 in some articles). He led his union in the campaign for an eight-hour workday and a pay schedule of 45 cents an hour.[13] The union met every Tuesday night. Newspaper articles indicate the term of office was about a year. It had a picnic every summer.

In 1900, Joseph and Rosana were empty nesters at 100 Armstrong Avenue (the new name of Walker Avenue). The census said he was born in March 1837 and that they had been married for forty years. Joseph, 63, still worked as a bricklayer but had not worked for three months that year, probably during the coldest months of the winter. The census said Rose immigrated in 1855 and had borne three children, an unusually low number for a Catholic woman of that time.[14] Rose and Joseph had a stormy marriage and drank heavily, which will be discussed in her bio.

On September 26, 1902, they sold their house and lots.[15] In 1903, the couple lived at 58 Rose Avenue. Rosana died of a heart attack in September of that year.[16] She was buried at Holy Name Cemetery in the plot where their son Joseph Jr.’s children were buried.[17]

After his wife died, Joseph moved to 124 Winfield Avenue, a boarding house.[18] There was probably no room at his son Joseph’s, who had seven sons, or his son William’s, who also had seven children. His son George lived in Brooklyn, N.Y. Joseph died at the hospital of a heart attack on February 13, 1907, age 69. Because he was Protestant, the Catholic cemetery where his wife and grandchildren were buried would not allow him to be interred there. He was buried at New York Bay Cemetery, a few blocks away. Joseph’s son William hosted the funeral at his home.

 

 

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[1] For birthplace, "New Jersey Births and Christenings, 1660-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89ZM-38HQ?i=76: accessed 1 Oct. 2019), Carolus Körner, born 7 Jul. 1868, baptized 17 August 2019; IGN (image group number) 7433521, image 77. Note: baptismal names sometimes differed from secular names. The birth date agrees to the death certificate of George W. Kirner. For origin of Joseph’s parents, 1880 United States Federal Census, Hudson County, New Jersey, population schedule, 5th Precinct, 6th District, Jersey City, ED 39, p. 6 (penned), sheet 146B (stamped), Walker Avenue, dwelling 47, family 55, Joseph Hernan [sic]; “1880 United States Federal Census,” database and images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 16 May 2022) > New Jersey > Hudson > Jersey City > 039 > image 6 of 50; from NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 784.

[2] “U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925” for John Joseph Kirner, “Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925 > 1906-1907 > Roll 0003 - Certificates: 8182-8881, 14 Mar 1906-26 Mar 1906,” images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1174/images/USM1490_3-0257?pId=832907: accessed 30 October 2025), image 273 of 811, no. 8424. Note: her maiden name McGuire was shown in the baptism record of her third son, see first footnote.

[3] New Jersey, death certificate, Jan. 14, 1942, William H. Kirner.

[4] “Annual Report of the Chief Engineer of the Fire Department,” New York Daily Transcript, 18 Oct. 1864, p. 4, col. 1; images, GenealogyBank (https://www.genealogybank.com/: accessed 25 April 2020).

[5] Untitled item, The American Standard (Jersey City, N.J.), 4 Oct. 1866, p. 2, col. 3; Jersey City Free Public Library (https://jerseycity.advantage-preservation.com/: accessed 3 Feb. 2022.

[6] See footnote 1.

[7] Hudson County, N.J.; Deeds, 1840-1901; Deeds, v. 200 1869, p. 667-668, James & Elizabeth Baker to Joseph Kirner; IGN 8591532, image 366-367.

[8] “Mortgages,” The Jersey Journal, 2 June 1899, p. 9, col. 1; image, Newspapers.com.

[9] “1870 United States Federal Census,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 27 September 2019); Joseph Kirner, Ward 4, Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, p. 4 (penned), sheet 241B (stamped), line 23, dwelling 17, family 31, image 4 of 192.

[10] 1880 United States Federal Census, Hudson County, New Jersey, population schedule, 5th Precinct, 6th District, Jersey City, ED 39, p. 6 (penned), sheet 146B (stamped), Walker Avenue, dwelling 47, family 55, Joseph Hernan [sic]; “1880 United States Federal Census,” database and images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 16 May 2022) > New Jersey > Hudson > Jersey City > 039 > image 6 of 50.

[11] 1885 New Jersey state census, Hudson County, Sixth Ward, Jersey City, p. 230 (penned), number 21, Joseph Kirner; “New Jersey, U.S., State Census, 1885,” database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 17 May 2022) > Hudson > Jersey City, District 5 > image 649 of 737; from New Jersey State Archive, Trenton, N.J.

[12] “Kirner,” The Jersey Journal (Jersey City, New Jersey), 15 February 1907, p. 2, col. 1; images, GenealogyBank.com (https://www.genealogybank.com: accessed 27 September 2019).

[13] “Bricklayers and Masons,” The Jersey Journal (Jersey City, N.J.), 3 May 1899, p. 4, col. 6; image, Newspapers.com: accessed 2 Nov. 2025).

[14] “1900 United States Federal Census,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 27 September 2019); Joseph Kirner, Fifth Precinct, Jersey City, Hudson County, N.J., sheet 206A (stamped), line 28, dwelling 216, family 270.

[15] Untitled, The Jersey Journal, 27 Sep. 1902, p. 10, col. 6.; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/1189186971/?match=1&terms=Kirner: accessed 1 Nov. 2025).

[16] “Obituary: Rosanna Kerner,” The Jersey Journal (Jersey City, N.J.), Saturday, 12 September 1903, p. 3, col. 1; images, GenealogyBank (https://www.genealogybank.com: accessed 15 May 2022).

[17] Catholic Cemeteries, Archdiocese of Newark (https://www.behar.info/ords/kiosk/r/102/adne-nj-deceased-info?P6_ID=513852: accessed 3 Nov. 2025), search for Kirner, 1903.

[18] Advertisement, The Jersey Journal (Jersey City, N.J.), 23 May 1906, p. 12, col. 4; image, Newspapers.com: accessed 4 Nov. 2025).