James T. Ferriter

Birthplace: West Springfield, MA

b. December 1843
d. February 22, 1902
father: Patrick Ferriter
mother: Catherine Sullivan Ferriter

James Thomas Ferriter was born in December, 1843, either in New York or Massachusetts to Irish immigrant parents. Most census data lists his birthplace as Massachusetts. It is quite likely that he was born in West Springfield, MA, as he had a brother, Patrick, who was born there in 1849. His parents, Patrick Ferriter and Catherine Sullivan Ferriter, had married in Ireland on February 14, 1840. They moved to America and travelled where there were railroads to be built. Patrick's family landed in Dummerston, Vermont, in 1850, where many people with Irish surnames and the job title of 'railroad laborer' are listed in the census. By 1855, the family lived in New York long enough to welcome James' sister, Johannah ('Hannah') into the world. The family then moved to Richmond in 1857 when James was 14 years old. Richmond had become a busy center for railroad expansion and tobacco exportation. It was the only city... Read More