Mary Jane (52 Ancestors - #7)

Mary Jane (Shaw) Shaw was born to John Thomas and Ellen (Meehan) Shaw on September 15, 1887. She was obviously very beloved as you can tell by the fond memories and loving way my brother-law, James (Chip) Bruynell tells us her story...

John, Mary Jane and Mary

Nanny, we pronounced it “Nah’-nee”, was born in a sleepy quintessential fishing village known as Little Heart’s Ease on Newfoundland’s Coast. Most villagers eked out a living there fishing the bountiful waters known as the Grand Banks.

Soon after marrying James Shaw (December 30th, 1909), Mary Jane and James, with their two sons Ronald and Anthony emigrated to the U.S. and settled in the predominately Irish Catholic neighborhood of South Boston known as “Southie” to those who took up residence there. James embarked on a trade as a carpenter while Nanny lovingly raised a family of three boys and one girl. John and Mary rounded out the family and were born as U.S. citizens. (Mary Jane naturalized on December 8th, 1952).

James and Mary Jane Shaw (1949)

They lived on the upper end of G Street historically known as Dorchester Heights even though it was located in “Southie”.  Nanny loved her Romany rye bread and could venture down to Doc’s one block away at the bottom of the hill for staples for her kitchen.  Sundays were a special day on G Street for “Sunday Dinner”. Her favorite meal to prepare was a boiled dinner consisting of either a daisy roll or smoked shoulder with carrots and potatoes with pot liquor on the side.

James and Mary Jane (1949)

In October, 1951, while working at his shop, James suddenly died of a heart attack. Mary, the youngest of the family, was already 7 months pregnant with their first grandchild and unfortunately James would never get to share that joy with Mary Jane.

Nanny was deeply religious. Every night at precisely 6:40, she would brew herself a cup of either Tetley or Lipton tea, butter a piece of toasted Romany rye bread and take a position at the kitchen table where an old style radio with a rotary tuner would be preset to her favorite and only station. Sitting around the table with whomever was staying or visiting, all were fervently glued to the radio as the familiar scratchy drawling voice of Richard Cardinal Cushing, a very predominant figure in Boston, would intone the Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary. There were to be absolutely no diversions to be undertaken until the last “Amen”. Bedtime prayer time would follow for any of the grandchildren present. The prayers typically would begin with a litany of “God bless … where they would list individually all those near and dear to them. On one occasion, the first and last of its kind, Nanny became a little upset when one of the grandchildren concluded his prayer with “God bless Sparky and Spooky”, the family household pet dog and cat. That was one of those religious taboos.

James (Chip) Bruynell with his beloved grandmother, Mary Jane (about 1957)

Nanny eventually moved to Chickatawbut Street in Dorchester where she shared a duplex with her daughter Mary and husband Kenneth and their five children. This was very advantageous for the grandchildren because they knew that she made a habit of “spoiling” them. Nanny always had a cache of nickels on hand and she doled them out like she meted out her prayers on those she loved. Back in the day, one could go to Ike’s and buy a candy bar for 5 cents. There were extra bonuses for those who would do her grocery shopping which usually consisted of a loaf of her favorite bread and a quart of milk to go with her tea. Both of these items could be purchased for under 60 cents.

Nanny possessed the benevolence of a saint and the patience of Job. Her three sons would often visit her. They were all considered “Masters of Tease” no doubt a Shaw trait passed down even to this day. Ron, the oldest, was the best at it. With him it came as second nature. On one particular occasion after Nanny had made sure that at Sunday dinner everyone was served, she would, at last, sit down to enjoy the meal after “Grace” had been said. She was still donning her apron in case she had to refill a serving dish besides kitchen duties were never concluded until the last dish was dried and put away. Ron made an excuse to momentarily excuse himself from the table and on his way back, unbeknownst to Nanny, stealthily sneaked behind her chair, unfastened her apron strings, and reattached them snuggly to the chair. It wasn’t until sometime later when she tried to get up to refill a platter that she discovered that she wasn’t going anywhere easily unless the chair was attached to her butt. Flustered, she would reprimand any of her sons if the occasion warranted with a phrase she would use quite often and you knew it was coming. On that and any occasion she would say, “Ron, ye ain’t got a grain of sense in that head of yours”. Nanny still had a trace of that “Newfie” accent and was very accustomed to the local vernacular which she never lost despite her years here.

When Mary and Ken needed a well-deserved break from the kids and decided to go out for an early night, Nanny would always come over and sit with the kids and made sure they were behaving. Rewards were always more predominant than admonitions.

Mary Jane's Prayer Card

Nanny’s health soon began to deteriorate. She became increasingly unsteady on her feet and her memory was starting to fade. On one summer morning shortly after rising for breakfast she finally succumbed. It was that day that the angels sang and she went peacefully and lovingly to her maker to whom she always remained faithful.

Note: If Nanny was alive today I would ask her about her parents. She also had a daughter Madeline who died young while in Newfoundland who I would like to know what happened to her.

James Shaw (52 Ancestors -#6)

James is my husband's grandfather who passed away before even my oldest brother-in-law was born in 1951.  I've always heard about him and knew he must have been a great guy given he raised my mother-in-law Mary and she is pretty terrific.  So I sent my husband Buddy out last week to be the roaming genealogist for me and find out about the person who was his grandfather, and this is what he discovered about James Shaw.

In the tiny village of Little Hearts Ease, Newfoundland, James Daniel Shaw was born on August 15, 1886 to Daniel and Catherine (Flynn) Shaw. James was the third of seven children. Little Hearts Ease was a very scenic rural village with a population of about 250 and they saw their first post office in 1896. Located to the south of Trinity Bay, it was surrounded by coves and it's harbor considered quite secure. Many men, including James, had the occupation of fisherman and townspeople could pick raspberries, blueberries, bakeapples, black berries, and partridgeberries up in the slopey green hills above the coves.

James Shaw - 1940s

In December, 1909 he married Mary Jane Shaw and their wedding was witnessed by William Shaw (of Daniel) and Mary Shaw (of James).

Like many of his relatives, James decided to move his family to Massachusetts. James arrived in Boston in January, 1924. His wife and sons Ron and Anthony (Mike) followed almost two years later, in December, 1925.

When he came to the US he lived at various locations in South Boston including 614 and 524 East 6th Street and G Street. Once settled, James and Mary Jane welcomed two more children, John and Mary Catherine. James decided he liked living in Southie and became a US citizen on the 6th of February, 1939.

Left to Right: James and Mary Jane Shaw, their daughter Mary and her new husband Ken (1949)

James was a very small in stature and a stern man. He would never yell at you...he would just give you a look and that was enough, you knew what he wanted. James worked hard as a carpenter for a company he referred to as Sharkies and did a lot of work on the side as a carpenter.

In James' spare time he enjoyed going to evening baseball games at M Street Park and he enjoyed playing cards...his favorite game was called 45. He also enjoyed going to Castle Island in nice weather or would take the street car to Everett to visit relatives. James never drove and therefore was always dependent on the street car to get him everywhere.

Another favorite pastime for James was playing the dogs. Oddly enough he never went to the track. Instead, he would go down to the corner bar and place his bets with a bookie! We never found out how lucky (or unlucky) he was with his bets.

James lived a simple, uncomplicated life and had minimal belongings. One of his most prized possessions was a ship that he had worked diligently to build inside a bottle.

James often hung around the local fish piers in Boston because many of those he knew were family and friends who worked on the O’Brien boats. Every week like clockwork James would bring home fresh cod off these boats, salt it and hang it on the clothesline on his back porch to dry it out for a week. When they were ready to eat the fish they would soak out the salt then deep fry it in pork fat.

James (Jimmy) Shaw on his last trip to Newfoundland

James only returned to Newfoundland once after his son Mike got out of the service. He worked until the age of 65 at which time he died suddenly of a heart attack while at work on October 17th, 1951.

Note: On my ride home tonight from picking up my husband from work, I asked him if his grandfather was still around, what would he ask him.  My husband was interested in James' fishing methods while he was still in Newfoundland, so that is what his conversation would revolve around.