Beatrice Hennessey & the Censuses

Census Sunday
Halcro-Varone Project
By Don Taylor

Sometimes you run into things you’ve never encountered before. In my Halcro-Varone project, I discovered a name change that I found confusing. I knew Beatrice M Hennessey[i] married Vincenzo Varone on 23 October 1916. I thought, “Ah, easy; I’ll just follow her back and see where she lived before her marriage.

Comparison – 1900–1910 Censuses

I quickly found her in the 1910 census with her parents, but when I saw her in the 1900 census, I became confused. Could it be, she changed her first name as a child? I decided that using charts of the family would probably show the error of my ways.

The confusing thing was that Beatrice in the 1910 Census was Bridget in the 1900 Census. There was no change in address for the family; it was 236 Richmond Avenue in both censuses. My next thought was that the census taker in 1900 must have gotten the name wrong or transcribed it incorrectly. Then I found the birth registration for Bridget Mary Hennessey, daughter of John and Margaret (Prendergast[ii]) Hennessey. Bridget was born on 4 August 1894. In all of the records I’ve encountered, the child is Beatrice from the 1910 Census on and Bridget before the 1910 Census. I’ve just never encountered a name change like that before.

Beatrice appears to live with her husband and children in 1920, 1925 R.I., and 1930 Censuses. She seems to have separated from her husband about 1932. (Her husband, James Varone, began living with another woman, Albertina, about 1933.) In the 1940 Census, she appears as Beatrice Varone but as Beatrice Hennessey in records after 1940.

Conclusion

It appears Beatrice had severa names:

• • Bridget Hennessey 1894-1909
  • Beatrice Hennessey 1901-1916
  • Beatrice Varone 1916-1940
  • Beatrice Hennessey 1955-to her death?

When she switched back from Varone to Hennessey isn’t clear yet.

Sources:

“United States Census, 1900,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M97R-JSB: accessed 12 November 2021), John Hennesey, District 1 Providence city Ward 5, Providence, Rhode Island, United States; citing enumeration district (E.D.) 41, sheet 7B, family 146, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,507.

“United States Census, 1910,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MP6L-L4X: accessed 10 November 2021), John Hennessy, Providence Ward 4, Providence, Rhode Island, United States; citing enumeration district (E.D.) ED 183, sheet 3A, family 48, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1442; FHL microfilm 1,375,455.

Endnotes:

[i] The surname Hennessey and Hennessy are used interchangeably in various records.

[ii] The surname Prendergast, Pendergast, and Penderghast are used interchangeably in various records.