{"id":210670,"date":"2019-12-19T08:36:40","date_gmt":"2019-12-19T13:36:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=210670"},"modified":"2019-12-19T12:15:21","modified_gmt":"2019-12-19T17:15:21","slug":"uncorking-the-mysteries-of-the-message-in-a-bottle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2019\/12\/19\/uncorking-the-mysteries-of-the-message-in-a-bottle\/","title":{"rendered":"Uncorking the Mysteries of the Message in a Bottle"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A message in a bottle that tumbled out of a 112-year-old wall that was torn down during renovations of College Hall has proven an irresistible genealogical treasure hunt, leading to the descendants of one of the men.<\/p>\n<p>The lives of the two bricklayers \u2013 William Hanley and James Lennon \u2013 were all but forgotten until the note\u2019s discovery earlier this year. With the help of family historians and a Montclair State alumna who is also an ancestry expert, family trees have unlocked some of the mysteries of the two skilled craftsmen from Newark, New Jersey.<\/p>\n<p>Descendants of James Lennon now understand more about the man they knew only through a single photograph. The fate of William Hanley is poignant and best understood through the newspaper account of his young wife\u2019s funeral just a few months after the co-workers built and left a note in the wall.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Video: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Message in the Bottle\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/J8tXo7tjCLQ?feature=oembed\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen style=\"width: 500px; height: 281px; border: 0px solid #000;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Message in a Bottle<\/h2>\n<p>With the bricklayers\u2019 personal histories linked to their note dated July 3, 1907, among the oldest ever discovered, fascination over finding family piqued interest around the world.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is to certify that this wall was built by two bricklayers from Newark, N.J., by the names of William Hanly and James Lennon, members of No. 3 of the B.M.I.U. of America.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That message, written in fanciful script, was placed inside a beer bottle; the pieces of the mystery coming together from clues to their roots in the note and broken glass. The bottle was manufactured by the Consolidated Bottling Co. and made for pale ale or porter and was broken when a worker started tearing down the wall.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can imagine what they were doing the day before the Fourth of July, kicking back, having a couple of beers and deciding to write a note and put it in the wall,\u201d says Robert Kanaby, the demolition laborer who made the discovery.<\/p>\n<p>Finding their families has provided a lesson on the tremendous interest in genealogy, and the popularity of online sites to discover ancestors and television programs that trace family roots.<\/p>\n<h2>Story Goes Viral<\/h2>\n<p>A feature story on the discovery was first published in the Fall issue of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/magazine\/fall-winter-2019\/message-in-a-bottle\/\"><em>Montclair<\/em>, the Magazine of ÌÇÐÄvlog.<\/a> Spreading on social media, local and then national media outlets picked up the story, sending out an SOS to long lost family. It traveled as far as Russia and Thailand, was front-page news and had millions of views.<\/p>\n<p>Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, cousins, nieces and siblings connected to Lennons, Hanleys and Hanlys, began reaching out to each other. They had seen the story in <em>People<\/em> or CNN or locally in New Jersey and wondered, \u201cCould <em>that<\/em> William Hanley be Uncle Bill?\u201d \u201cIs James Lennon the same man as my grandfather in this old family photo?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Family historians contacted\u00a0Montclair State to share mementos, with a photo of James T.\u00a0 Lennon in his 40s setting the search on the right path.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_210673\" class=\"responsive-image-holder wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mlt-responsive-image\" data-original-image=\"\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2019\/12\/121619_7429_Lorraine-Arnold-s.jpg\" src=\"\/responsive-media\/cache\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2019\/12\/121619_7429_Lorraine-Arnold-s.jpg.0.1x.generic.jpg\" alt=\"Lorraine Arnold \u201911, a buildings archaeologist\/ genealogist, returned to her alma mater to see first-hand the College Hall renovations and to assist in the search for descendants of the bricklayers. She\u2019s shown with Sharon Mahoney, the University\u2019s director of construction management.\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lorraine Arnold \u201911, a buildings archaeologist\/ genealogist, returned to her alma mater to see first-hand the College Hall renovations and to assist in the search for descendants of the bricklayers. She\u2019s shown with Sharon Mahoney, the University\u2019s director of construction management.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>With the pieces of the puzzle coming together, Lorraine Arnold, a buildings archaeologist\/ genealogist and founder of Legacy Roots, a company devoted to legal, historical, genealogical and biographical research, visited the campus to look over the clues. The BA in Jurisprudence she earned from Montclair State in 2011 has opened a professional career finding missing evidence and people who have gone incognito.<\/p>\n<p>This message in a bottle makes for a good mystery, she says. \u201cWhen you have very little information, that\u2019s what makes the plot intriguing and interesting.\u201d And with a 112-year-old note signed by men with common last names \u2013 with possible different spellings of Hanly and Hanley \u2013 \u201cwe have very little information to go by.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But what seemed like \u201clittle information\u201d when the search began turned out to be quite a lot. \u201cBy moving beyond face value, gleaning and researching the facts that are listed, multiple doors open that ultimately bring the story to life,\u201d Arnold explains.<\/p>\n<h2>Census Data Provides a Clue<\/h2>\n<p>The\u00a0message in a bottle was found during the restoration of a campus centerpiece \u2013 an original mission-styled building erected to train teachers.<\/p>\n<p>Concealed in a space within an 18-inch thick wall, the note was meant to remain hidden for a very long time, perhaps forever. The message could only \u2013 and then only possibly \u2013 be found if and when the wall was torn down.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBack then, blood, sweat and tears went into building this wall. When we found the bottle, a little bit of tears were shed,\u201d Kanaby says.<\/p>\n<p>Historians and family members have gathered primary sources, including newspaper articles, birth and death certificates, directory and census records, which point to James T. Lennon, the youngest child of a bricklayer named Thomas, as the most likely Lennon to have worked on College Hall in 1907.<\/p>\n<p>Genealogy is not an exact science, but researchers can make reasonable conclusions. \u201cSometimes you have to take a leap of faith based on the overwhelming documentation that you have available to you,\u201d Arnold says.<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_210679\" class=\"responsive-image-holder wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mlt-responsive-image\" data-original-image=\"\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2019\/12\/James-Lennon-graphic_HIGH-RES-2.jpg\" src=\"\/responsive-media\/cache\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2019\/12\/James-Lennon-graphic_HIGH-RES-2.jpg.0.1x.generic.jpg\" alt=\"A sample of the records from the New Jersey State Archives and a family photo helped unravel the mystery of the descendants of the bricklayers.\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sample of the records from the New Jersey State Archives and a family photo helped unravel the mystery of the descendants of the bricklayers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Connecting the Dots<\/h2>\n<p>The U.S. Census provided leads to the craftsman, beginning in 1900 with the occupation of James T. Lennon of Newark \u2013 mason. Later in life, at the age of 43, James, and his wife, Otillia (Bakker), 39, had their only child, a daughter, Eileen, born March 30, 1914, according to the New Jersey certificate and record of birth.<\/p>\n<p>A marriage certificate shows that on April 1, 1939, Eileen married Charles Richard Moore. A Moore family historian shared a meticulously organized binder of old records and photos she has researched and collected over the years that trace the roots of not only the Moore side of the family but the families they married.<\/p>\n<p>Eileen and Charles had two children who survived infancy. Their daughter, Nancy Foster, is a teacher who lives in Florida. A son, Jon, died in 2005. An indexed section of family keepsakes records Eileen\u2019s parents and her life. There are a few photos \u2013 Eileen\u2019s mother, who was known by her nickname Tilly, as a girl; Eileen as a toddler; and Eileen\u2019s father, James, seated in formal attire in a photo believed to be taken in 1917.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis opened a door for me,\u201d says Foster, noting the remarkable connection of her teaching career and her grandfather\u2019s role in building one of New Jersey\u2019s early teachers\u2019 colleges.<\/p>\n<p>James died on Oct. 27, 1942, two years before his granddaughter was born, and is buried in an unmarked grave at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in East Orange. Neither Tilly or Eileen passed down family stories, Foster says. Pieces of James life in particular remain a puzzle \u2013 his travels between Newark and Ohio, where he died, his burial in the sprawling New Jersey cemetery and his wife in another.\u00a0It\u2019s a broken story, that begs as many questions as it answers.<\/p>\n<p>The act of signing his name and taking proud ownership of a job well done, resonates with his great-granddaughter Ali, who is retired from the Air Force and lives in Alaska. (She asked that only her first name to be used to protect her privacy). \u201cThey did good work, so that means I now know where I get my work ethic from,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_210675\" class=\"responsive-image-holder wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mlt-responsive-image\" data-original-image=\"\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2019\/12\/121219_6453_Robert-Kanaby-s.jpg\" src=\"\/responsive-media\/cache\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2019\/12\/121219_6453_Robert-Kanaby-s.jpg.0.1x.generic.jpg\" alt=\"Robert Kanaby, the demolition laborer who made the discovery, says the camaraderie between union members is strong. \u201cOnce you make a bond with someone, it&apos;s almost a bond for life.\u201d\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Robert Kanaby, the demolition laborer who made the discovery, says the camaraderie between union members is strong. \u201cOnce you make a bond with someone, it&#8217;s almost a bond for life.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Union Bonds<\/h2>\n<p>Looking deeper into the life of William P. Hanley reveals a strong relationship between the two bricklayers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe camaraderie between union members and laborers, bricklayers, masons, carpenters is very tight,\u201d Kanaby says. \u201cOnce you make a bond with someone, it&#8217;s almost a bond for life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hanley and Hanly are common names. Census records point to the family of Patrick Hanley, a mason, and Bridget Fleming and their sons, William and David, who were also working as masons. William married Mary O\u2019Mara on April 15, 1897; her funeral when she was just 29 confirms the close relationship between her husband and James Lennon.<\/p>\n<p>Mary Hanley\u2019s death was sudden, according to an article in the <em>Newark Evening Star<\/em> on November 20, 1907. \u201cLast Saturday she apparently was in the best of health. In the morning, she washed and dressed her children, whose ages are one to ten years, and sent them off to play. In the afternoon, she complained of pains in the region of the heart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>James Lennon, the article notes, was a pallbearer at the service held at St. Rose of Lima Church in Newark.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s difficult to trace what happened to William after his wife\u2019s death. The 1910 Census shows their daughters living in orphanages and a son William Jr. being raised by a widow. A daughter, Estelle, died at the age of 19 and the son died at age 26 while living in California, according to death certificates. William P. Hanley\u2019s date of death is unknown.<\/p>\n<h2>Renovation and Dedication<\/h2>\n<p>College Hall opened in September 1908 as the New Jersey State Normal School at Montclair. Over the decades, generations of students have passed through its doors as the school itself has grown into Montclair State, now New Jersey\u2019s second-largest university.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe knew we had something special with this building early in its renovation,\u201d says Shawn Connolly, vice president of University Facilities.<\/p>\n<p>Workers found notes on the attic walls to students heading to World War II wishing their safe return, Connolly says.\u00a0Other mementos have also been discovered: A 1940s business card belonging to C.H. Little, a business representative for the craftworkers labor union, BMIU of Montclair, No. 11, with \u201coffices at 617 \u00bd Bloomfield Ave., Montclair, NJ.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The message in the bottle notes that P. W. Lynch \u201cwas also working on the job.\u201d A review of Newark City directories finds a Philip W. Lynch, bricklayer, who likely helped Hanley and Lennon by bringing in batches of cement and brick as the project\u2019s \u201chod carrier.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s interesting that the workers identified themselves by their membership in a craft union,\u201d says Nancy C. Carnevale, an associate professor of History at Montclair State. \u201cWe know that Irish immigrant workers were concentrated in such unions, which fostered a greater identification by specific trade or job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The families will be invited to a ceremony being planned after the renovations are complete and the note and artifacts exhibited.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not sure the masons who placed the message in the bottle ever thought it would be found. But it\u2019s a time capsule of sorts, giving us a glimpse of the men who constructed the building,\u201d Connolly says. \u201cNow they and their families will forever be a part of our history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Story by <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/profilepages\/view_profile.php?username=lehrenma\"><em>Marilyn Joyce Lehren<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Research contributed by <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legacyroots.com\/\" target=\"blank\"><em>Lorraine Arnold<\/em><\/a><em>; James Lennon family tree and photos were shared by his granddaughter\u2019s paternal cousin, the former Phyllis Moore.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Photography by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/profilepages\/view_profile.php?username=petersm\">Mike Peters<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Video by <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/profilepages\/view_profile.php?username=apostolouc\"><em>Christodoulos Apostolou.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/\/ Output tags as a list for Google Analytics custom dimension\nwindow.MSU_TagList = [];\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Historians, families trace descendants of bricklayers who built the foundation for ÌÇÐÄvlog<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":210672,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-210670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-university"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=210670"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210670\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":210686,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210670\/revisions\/210686"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/210672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=210670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=210670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=210670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}