Joseph Martin was born in Ireland in about 1845. His birth county is Wicklow. The Baptism records in Bray have a gap of several months which began 5 days before Joseph's baptism. Joseph's death record was very clear regarding his parents so his wi fe had obviously discussed it with Joseph.
According to census records, he immigrated to America in 1867 and became a naturalized citizen in 1893. He has not yet been found in the 1870 census but sometime by the early 1870s he is in Chicago where he met Kate McNamara. Kate was born in 184 6 in Fanningstown, Limerick, Ireland and immigrated with her family by 1850 to America. Kate and her family lived in Wisconsin initially moving to Chicago in the early 1850s.
Joseph and Kate were married 23 July 1874. Two children quickly followed but Kate sickened with TB which was always a scourge in big cities. She died in 1878 leaving behind a husband and two small children. Joseph must have had a tough time becaus e the two kids when to live with Kate's mom, Anne McNamara. Eventually the daughter went to Denver to live with her aunt and the boy James went to live with his father who had remarried. Joseph remarried in 1890 but never had any more children. H e became a naturalized citizen in 1893 and was listed on the voting rolls in Chicago. He held a series of jobs over the years and died in April of 1921. His son James had died earlier but his daughter is mentioned in his obituary.