Mathew Ivory (b 1765)

Mathew Ivory

Birth: abt 1765 in Ireland
Death: 13 March 1812 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

4th great-grandfather (my relation)

Family

Parents

Unknown Father
Unknown Mother

Spouse & Children

Ann McNulty
- Mathew Ivory (1809-1887)
- Isaac Ivory (1810-)

Historical Overview

Mathew Ivory is my 4th great-grandfather. He is the furthest back I have been able to trace on the Ivory family.

According to Mathew's death and burial records, he was born about 1765 in Ireland. Those two records are the only evidence of when and where Mathew as born. The earliest record found for Mathew is a 1798 tax list in Philadelphia. I don't know when Mathew left Ireland and came to the United States.

Mathew lived in Philadelphia for at least 13 years prior to his death in March 1812. He was buried in Philadelphia and left his wife, Ann McNulty, and two young sons, Mathew Hayes Ivory and Isaac Ivory.

Ann (McNulty) Ivory can be found in Philadelphia city directories for several years after Mathew's death, but then she disappears from directories. More research needs to be conducted to figure out what happened to her and the two young sons.

- Last updated 12 November 2016

Timeline

abt 1765 - Birth

According to Mathew's death record in 1812, he was born about 1765 in Ireland. Although an estimated date and place came from his death record, I have never seen any other kind of documentation/evidence that suggests that date and place.

Due to the date and location, it is very unlikely that any kind of birth/christening record will ever be found for Mathew. If he was baptized Catholic in Ireland, there may be a chance of finding a baptismal record, but the chances of that happening one day are slim. - Last updated 11 November 2016

Ireland

Source: The only source for this information is Mathew's death record from 1812 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA. See below for more details and the death record.

1798 Tax List

1798 - Tax List

The first record I have ever found on Mathew Ivory is a 1798 tax list in Philadelphia. His name was recorded as "Matthias Ivory" but even so this is the same ancestral Mathew Ivory. He was living in the Dock Ward part of the city. He was living in a residence owned by the heirs of John Mifflin, who remains unknown at this time. The address of the residence was on Mifflin's Alley. Mifflin's Alley is a very small alley near the "heart" of the city. It is very close to the Delaware River, and there was likely a lot of traffic during that time since it was so close to the central part of the city The map below shows where Mifflin's Alley was. - Last updated 8 April 2018

Note: I used to say on here that Mifflin's Alley and Mifflin's Court were the same place, but they are not. Mifflin's Alley was in the central part of the city, whereas Mifflin's Court was a separate little street in a newer, southern part of the city. See below for details.

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

Source: United States, United States Direct Tax of 1798: Tax Lists for the State of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City, Dock Ward, page 48, line 266, Matthias Ivory; digital image, “Pennsylvania, U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798,” Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com), accessed January 2015.

Mifflin's Alley vs. Mifflin's Court

After a lot more extensive research I have concluded that Mifflin's Alley and Mifflin's Court are not the same location, as I once thought. Yes, Mathew lived on Mifflin's Alley in 1798 as shown above in the tax list. The list is clear that he was living on the west side of 2nd street up Mifflin's Alley.

(1) - 1798 Tax List (cropped)

An 1810 detailed map, along with the Strangers Guide (street listing to compliment the map) shows that Mifflin's Alley is in the Dock Ward, which is central to the city at the time and very close to the Delaware River.

Just a year later in 1799 Mathew appeared in The Philadelphia Directory for 1799. This time he was living at Mifflin's Court.

(2) - 1799 City Directory (cropped)

I used to think these two locations were the same, but I have found maps that prove otherwise.

(3) - 1810 Stranger's Guide to Philadelphia

(4) - 1810 Map of Philadelphia (cropped)

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

Sources:
(1) United States, United States Direct Tax of 1798: Tax Lists for the State of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City, Dock Ward, page 48, line 266, Matthias Ivory; digital image, “Pennsylvania, U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798,” Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com), accessed January 2015.
(2) The Philadelphia Directory for 1799 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: William W. Woodward, 1799), p. 74, Matthew Ivory, baker, Mifflin’s court; digital image, “City Directories” Fold3 (http://www.fold3.com), accessed January 2012.
(3) John Adems Paxton, (The Stranger’s Guide.) An Alphabetical List of All the Wards, Streets, Roads… in The City and Suburbs of Philadelphia, with References for Finding Their Situations (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Edward Parker, 1810); digital image, “(The stranger's guide.) An alphabetical list of all the wards, streets, roads ... wharves, ship yards, public buildings, &c. in the city and suburbs of Philadelphia, with references for finding their situations on an alphabetical plan,” Internet Archive (https://archive.org/), accessed April 2018.
(4) John A. Paxton, New Plan of the City [Philadelphia] and its Environs (unknown place: unknown publisher, [1810]); digital image, “New Plan of the City [Philadelphia] and its Environs,” Resource Browser, Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network (http://www.philageohistory.org/geohistory/), accessed April 2018.

1799 City Directory (Mathew Ivory)

1799 - Residence (City Directory)

In 1799 Mathew was living at Mifflin's Court. His occupation was a baker. - Last updated 8 April 2018

Current-day map of Philadelphia with a color overlay of where Mifflin Alley/Court used to be.

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

Source: The Philadelphia Directory for 1799 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: William W. Woodward, 1799), p. 74, Matthew Ivory, baker, Mifflin’s court; digital image, “City Directories” Fold3 (http://www.fold3.com), accessed January 2012.

1800 Pennsylvania Septennial Census

1800 - Pennsylvania Septennial Census

In one of the first censuses in Pennsylvania Mathew was recorded as a baker in Philadelphia. The 1800 Septennial Census is one of the only septennial censuses in Pennsylvania that remain mostly intact.
- Last updated 11 November 2016

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

Source: Pennsylvania, Records of the House of Representatives, Records of the General Assembly, Record Group 7, Box 1026, Septennial Census Returns, 1779-1863, Philadelphia Dock Ward, Philadelphia, Mathew Ivery, baker, 1800; digital image, “Pennsylvania, Septennial Census, 1779-1863,” Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com), accessed January 2015.

1802 City Directory

1802 - Residence (City Directory)

Sometime between 1799 and 1802 Mathew moved from Mifflin Alley/Court to Spafford Street in Philadelphia. He was still a working as a baker. At this point there still isn't much known about Mathew other than he had been in Philadelphia for several years and that he was a baker. No known family or friends lived near him.

In 1897 Spafford Street changed to Randolph Street, which remains the the today. In 1802 the area where Spafford Street was built was a new community to the city. - Last updated 11 November 2016

Current day map showing where Spafford Street was, which in current day is Marshall Street.

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

Source: The Philadelphia Directory, City and County Register, for 1802 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: William W. Woodward, 1802), p. 127, Matthew Ivory, biscuit baker, Spafford st.; digital image, “City Directories” Fold3 (http://www.fold3.com), accessed January 2012.

1803 City Directory

1803 - Residence (City Directory)

Between 1802 and 1803 Mathew moved from Spafford Street to Grissel's Alley. He was still a baker, but in this city directory it was specified that he was a biscuit baker.

Grissel's Alley does not appear on any historical maps that I have been able to find. I have spent many hours trying to figure out where in Philadelphia Grissel's Alley was. After many hours and several various resources I have discovered that Grissel's Alley was very close to Spafford Street. Below is a map showing where Grissel's Alley was in comparison to Spafford Street.

Current day map showing where Spafford Street was (currently Marshall Street) and where Grissel's Alley was (currently Randolph Street)

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

Source: The Philadelphia Directory, City and County Register, for 1803 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: William W. Woodward, 1803), p. 130, Matthew Ivory, biscuit baker, Grissel’s alley; digital image, “City Directories” Fold3 (http://www.fold3.com), accessed January 2012.

1804 City Directory

1804 - Residence (City Directory)

In 1804 Mathew was still living on Grissel's Alley and working as a biscuit baker. - Last updated 11 November 2016

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

Source: The Philadelphia Directory, City and County Register, for 1804 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: William W. Woodward, 1804), p. 119, Matthew Ivory, biscuit baker, Grissel’s alley; digital image, “City Directories” Fold3 (http://www.fold3.com), accessed January 2012.

1805-1810 - Residence & Marriage

City directories from 1805 to 1810 were examined in Philadelphia and Mathew did not appear in any of them. This does not mean that Mathew was not living in Philadelphia. There are many reasons why Mathew could have not been included in any of the directories during that time. - Last updated 12 November 2016

During this time Mathew likely met and married his wife, Ann McNulty. I have never found or heard of a marriage date and place for them. What is known is that they had their first child, Mathew Hayes Ivory, in 1809. See below for more information about this child.

Ann McNulty
(unknown-unknown)

Profile

(likely) Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

13/16 July 1809 - Birth of Son, Mathew Hayes Ivory

Mathew and Ann's first known child was Mathew Hayes Ivory. He was born either the 13th or 16th of July 1809. Those two dates appear in several different sources. His Catholic baptismal abstract shows he was born the 16th, so in my opinion that date is more accurate than other sources later in Mathew's life that say the 13th. For more information about Mathew Hayes Ivory, go to his profile page. - Last updated 12 November 2016

Mathew Hayes Ivory
(1809-1885)

Profile

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

Source: Various sources provide a birth date for Mathew Hayes Ivory. See his profile page to view all the sources and more information.

abt 1810 - Birth of Son, Isaac Ivory

Mathew and Ann's second known child was Isaac Ivory. He was born about 1810, but at this time I do not have an exact date for his birth. There have been several researchers/distant cousins who have conducted research on Isaac, but I myself have not. One of the only things I personally know about Isaac is regarding his Catholic baptism, which was the same day as Mathew Hayes Ivory's.
- Last updated 12 November 2016

Isaac Ivory
(1810-)

(likely) Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

Source: I do not have a source for Isaac's birth, but he was baptized on 26 August 1810 in Philadelphia, along with his brother, Mathew Hayes Ivory. See Mathew Hayes Ivory's profile for more information regarding the baptism.

(1) - 1810 U.S. Federal Census

1810 - Residence (U.S. Federal Census)

The first and only U.S. Federal Census where I have found Mathew and his family is in 1810. U.S. census records prior to 1850 only included the head of household's name. All other individuals in the household were only recorded by tally marks in age categories. - Last updated 8 April 2018

Mathew and his family were recorded in the Moyamensing Township part of Philadelphia. Moyamensing at the time was the south eastern part of Philadelphia. Today it is part of the big metropolis, but in 1810 it was the outskirts of town.

The census shows two males under the age of 10. These children would have been Mathew Hayes Ivory (born 1809) and Isaac Ivory (born about 1810). Mathew's wife, Ann, was recorded in the age category 26-44. Mathew was also recorded under that same category. Interestingly, another male 26-44 years old was also recorded in the household. Since the census only named Mathew by name it is impossible to know who this additional person was. He may have been a family member, friend, or boarder.

(2) - 1810 Map showing Moyamensing Township in relation to the city of Philadelphia

In addition to Moyamensing Township, Grissel's Alley, the location where Mathew lived in 1804, is shown on the map above. It is possible Mathew still lived on Grissel's Alley in 1810, but that has not been proven either way.

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

Source:
(1) 1810 U.S. Federal Census, Moyamensing Township, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, p. 127, Line 20, Mathew Ivory household; digital image, “1810 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com), accessed September 2011.
(2) John A. Paxton, New Plan of the City [Philadelphia] and its Environs (unknown place: unknown publisher, [1810]); digital image, “New Plan of the City [Philadelphia] and its Environs,” Resource Browser, Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network (http://www.philageohistory.org/geohistory/), accessed April 2018.

1811 City Directory

1811 - Residence (City Directory)

The last known street Mathew was living on was Grissel's Alley in 1804. Sometime between then and 1811 he moved to Little Oak. Mathew's name was recorded as "Matthias" but this is indeed the same ancestral Mathew Ivory. His occupation was also recorded as a baker.

Like some of the other streets in Philadelphia I have researched, trying to find where Little Oak was proved to be a challenge, but I finally found it. In fact, it was the street just north and perpendicular to Grissel's Alley. - Last updated 12 November 2016

Current day map showing where Little Oak was, which is currently Kenilworth Street

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

Source: The Philadelphia Directory for 1811 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: William W. Woodward, 1811), p. 163, Matthias Ivory, biscuit baker, Little Oak near Shippen; digital image, “City Directories” Fold3 (http://www.fold3.com), accessed January 2012.

Mathew's Residences in Philadelphia

Over the course of about 14 years, Mathew lived in five known locations in Philadelphia. He may have lived in more, but so far I have only found five different addresses. The map below shows those five locations, all in relation to one another.

I have used this same map several times on this page. This is the best map I have found so far that provides all of the streets and alleys that Mathew lived while in Philadelphia. You are interested in seeing this map in an interactive viewer, check it out on the Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network website.

1812 Death Record

13 March 1812 - Death

In March 1812 Mathew became sick with typhus fever. Typhus fever is mainly caused due to poor sanitation conditions in large populated areas. Philadelphia was hit with a minor epidemic in 1812, but later years had worse outbreaks. - Last updated DATE

During the time Mathew was sick, and at the time of his death he was a patient of the Philadelphia Dispensary. The dispensary opened on 12 April 1786 and was the first institution of its kind in the United States.

The principal object of this Institution is to afford relief to the Poor, in those cases where removal to a public Hospital would for any approved reason be ineligible.

The institution provided heath care to the poor, as long as they were a tax-paying resident of the city. The institution was located across the street to the east of Independence Hall on 5th street between Walnut and Sansom. You can read more about the dispensary and view renditions and photographs of the building by viewing the Philadelphia Dispensary page.

Matthew Ivory - a native of Ireland and Patient of the Philad. Dispensary – aged about 47 years – Disease – Typhus Fever – March 13th 1812
~ E. John Dayes Poor

We are fortunate enough to have the death record of Mathew Ivory that we do. Death records were very rare back in this time period. If we didn't have this, there is a chance we wouldn't know who he was or where he was from. The record is a simple piece of paper that the doctor, E. John Dayes, wrote on. Cemetery records in Philadelphia at the time had the doctor create a "death record" to go along with the cemetery records.

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

Source: Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Board of Health, Department of Records, Cemetery Returns 1803-30 June 1860, 1803, St. Mary’s Burial Ground, images 795-796, Mathew Ivory, died 13 March 1812; FHL Microfilm 1862364.

(1) - 1812 Burial Register

(2) - Burial Register

14-21 March 1812 - Burial

Shortly after his death, Mathew was buried in St. Mary's burial ground. This burial ground was likely at St. Mary's Catholic Church, located on 4th street between Prune (currently Locust) and Spruce streets. There is also a possibility he was buried at St. Mary's Cemetery, located at 13th street and Budd (currently Spruce) street. I have not been able to find a headstone/tombstone inscription, and there likely never was on one since Mathew was a poor baker. His family likely could not afford a tombstone. Below is information about St. Mary's burial ground and cemetery and why the exact burial location is unknown. - Last updated 12 November 2016

The early history of Old St. Mary’s parish cemeteries is complicated. The parish had three distinct burial grounds. The cemetery adjoining the church property on South 4th Street is just one of those plots.

St. Mary Burial Ground (located on S. 4th Street) opened about 1759 and remained active until the 1880s. Inscriptions from tombstones were published in Vol. III of the Records of the ACHS. A small section of this ground was used by Holy Trinity Church, but they kept a separate register.

St. Mary’s Cemetery (located at 13th & Budd [Now Spruce] Street) opened in 1800 and remained active until the 1840s. Records contained in the Burial Register volumes 1823-1843 and 1844-1850. In May of 1899 this property was sold and those bodies not claimed by relatives were moved to the "New St. Mary’s" at 11th and Moore. - Information from Philadelphia Archdiocesan Historical Research Center

Though the exact location of his burial, whether it be the burial grounds or cemetery, remains uncertain, the burial register shows "burial ground" and that is why I think he was buried at the grounds behind the church on 4th street.

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

Sources:
(1) Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Board of Health, Department of Records, Cemetery Returns 1803-30 June 1860, 1803, St. Mary’s Burial Ground, images 795-796, Mathew Ivory, died 13 March 1812; FHL Microfilm 1862364.
(2) Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, “Burial Records, Board of Health, Philadelphia, 1807-1814,” Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, Volume 347 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 1917), p. 342, line 4, Matthew Ivory, died March 1812, buried in St. Mary’s; Society Call Number Ph 29A:1, FHL Microfilm 381249.

Notable Research Findings

This is the most thorough research on Mathew Ivory, born about 1765, that I have ever seen. There are many people who have conducted research on Mathew over the years, many of whom are my family members, but none of the research I have seen includes the detail with the amount of records and sources as this page contains.

One of the biggest mysteries that the Ivory family has never been able to solve is "who is Mathew's parents, and where in Ireland was he born." That mystery still remains. A while back I saw on FamilySearch that someone "added" parents to Mathew, however there isn't any documentation that proves those were his parents. People have also attached additional children of Mathew and Ann McNulty to the family tree, but I have never see any documentation as to why people think those are their children. The only evidence I have ever heard about or seen for any children are the baptismal records for Mathew (born 1809) and Isaac (born about 1810). On FamilySearch someone has also added a marriage date for Mathew Ivory and Ann McNulty in Bedford, Pennsylvania. This is not the same Mathew Ivory. Yes, there was a Mathew Ivory who lived in the Bedford area, but they are two completely different people according to all the evidence and records I have found. At a future date I will add all of the documentation on this other Mathew Ivory and his family to prove they were different people.

Mathew Ivory has many descendants, many of whom have searched for genealogy records and evidence to learn more about him and his family. I am more than happy to share information and documentation for him. If you are interested in obtaining copies of my research please reach out to me.

- Last updated 19 November 2016

Disclaimer: All of the information on this site is according to my personal knowledge from conducting thorough research. There are many online trees and other information available online that may have more information than this site, but I do not add information to this site unless I have verified or discovered the information myself. Also, at any time I may change/update information on this site based on new evidence. If you have any questions about the information on this page or you are a distant cousin, let me know!