James McAvoy uilleann

James McAvoy

piper, violinist, teacher

b. Co. Roscommon, Ireland circa 1844
d. Brooklyn, NY Feb. 7, 1917

The piper is probably James senior. First known appearance of this photograph was in an Advocate ad Jan. 16, 1915.
NY Advocate Jan. 29, 1916 p. 6 column 6
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1916-1918 - 0064.pdf

Mr. and Mrs. McAvoy, James, Irish pipes, and Ellen, violin, were a musical team. They were active in the New York City region at least from 1896 to 1917 and played for hundreds of dances and other Irish American events. Their son James, also a piper, often played with them. James Junior played engagements with his mother after James Senior's death in 1917.

According to an obituary James McAvoy was born in County Roscommon about 1844. McAvoy was married to Ellen Walsh (c. 1857-1924) at Westport, County Mayo, May 30, 1873. Michael Kelly of Dublin, Ireland, points out that the church record gives their place of residence as "vagus," that is, no fixed abode. This likely means that they were Travellers.

Census records indicate they immigrated to America in 1875 or thereafter. The obituary says "in early life [McAvoy] was well-known in theatrical circles and ... toured the country many times with his wife, Ellen, as an Irish comedian...." I have found no evidence for this, although in the late 1880s through the 1890s there was a James McAvoy in vaudeville, a singing comedian and "renowned author and vocalist." Little is known about the vaudevillian McAvoy, but his career overlaps with that of the piper. Piper McAvoy is not once mentioned as a comedian or writer, nor the vaudevillian as an instrumentalist, which suggests that they were two different people.

James McAvoy, musician, is listed at five different addresses in Brooklyn, NY, city directories 1889-1902. Perhaps this is the piper. The first solid reference is from July 1896, when "Mr. and Mrs. McEvoy" played at a picnic of the Irish Volunteers organization on Staten Island, NY.

By 1904 the family was well-established at 820 Bergen Street, Brooklyn, where James and Ellen would live for the rest of their lives. At least by this year they began advertising in almost every issue of the weekly Irish American Advocate newspaper, and would continue to do so for years. Their earliest ad said:

The McAvoys had five children, James (b. 1876), Luke (b.1878), Mary (b. 1888), Nellie (b. 1893) and John J. (1889-1921). James and Luke were active musically. James Jr's occupation in the 1900 US and 1905 NY Censuses is "musician." Advertisements after James Sr's death in 1917 list James, presumably Junior, as the contact person, with pipes still on offer. Luke's activities as a musician may have been of shorter duration; he was listed only in the 1905 New York Census as "musician;" he is not otherwise mentioned by name as a performer or player.

From 1904 to 1916 the McAvoy's are mentioned scores of times as supplying music for dancing classes, dance contests, balls and picnics. This was an era and place when dance and ball organizers were often obliged to have both a band which could play "American" music and other musicians to play for the Irish dances. At a dance American and Irish were sometimes played alternately; sometimes Irish was in a separate part of the venue. The McAvoys were hired to play for the Irish dancing. A typical announcement, this for the Second Grand Annual Ball of the Hawthorn Ladies' Social Club, Manhattan, Nov. 11, 1911, reads "Prof. L. J. Kehoe's full orchestra will furnish the music, assisted by Mr. and Mrs. McEvoy, who will keep matters lively in the upper hall for all those who wish to participate in the Irish dancing."

Not one reference has been found for the McAvoys playing at a concert or any kind of theatrical production. With one exception - procession music for a wedding - all their known engagements were for dancing.

In late October or early November 1904 Mr. and Mrs. McAvoy were playing at a ball at Palace Hall, Brooklyn. Ellen's playing went over well and she was treated to drinks. Her playing and behaviour deteriorated as a consequence. James tried "to get her started for home, and she promptly thumped him over the head with her violin." The fracas continued outside. Police intervened and she spent the night at the Bedford Avenue station. "The woman was penitent and admitted that she had forgotten herself when she was arraigned before Magistrate Higginbotham, and upon her promise not to repeat the offence she was allowed to go."

In later years they enjoyed the stability of regular engagements: Dancing every Sunday night at the Imperial Lyceum, Manhattan, Oct. 1912 to June 1913, later called the Galway Dancing Class, same time, same place, Sep. 1913 to Oct. 1914. In summer they played regularly at Celtic Park, an athletic complex in Queens, NY, which sometimes hosted thousands of people at Irish-American sporting and social events.

Announcements and advertisements for engagements fall off after 1914 but pick up again in 1916. An obituary says James Sr. "at one time was widely known as an Irish bagpipe player and violin instructor." He died at home February 7, 1917 after a stroke. Ellen also died at home, February 17, 1924. James McAvoy was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn, and Ellen McAvoy in St. John Cemetery, Queens.

Selected References

"Amusements. The Elk's Benefit." [a different McAvoy, a vaudevillian] Washington DC Critic Feb. 2, 1891 p. 2 column 5 advertisement column 7
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn2008058171/1891-02-02/ed-1/seq-2/

"Irish Volunteers' Picnic." West New Brighton NY Richmond Co. Advance July 11, 1896 p. 1 column 2
http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn88079199/1896-07-11/ed-1/seq-1/

"Obituaries. Ellen McAvoy." Brooklyn [NY] Standard Union Feb. 19, 1924 p. 4 column 7
Brooklyn NY Standard Union 1924 - 2781.pdf

"Obituary. James McAvoy." Brooklyn NY Daily Standard Union Feb. 8, 1917 p. 3 column 4
Brooklyn NY Standard Union 1917 - 0432.pdf

"Second Grand Annual Ball of the Hawthorn Ladies' Social Club." NY Advocate Nov. 4, 1911 p. 3 column 5
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1911 - 0777

"Woman Fiddler Imbibed." Brooklyn [NY] Daily Eagle Nov. 1, 1904 p. 21 column 6
Brooklyn NY Daily Eagle 1904 Grayscale - 8066.pdf

Nick Whitmer
August 2018 additions Jan. 2019