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The Earliest Irish in Bristol RI - Statement of John H. Duffy
Submitted by Robert Sherman

From Bristol RI Town Hall, Bristol, RI, Births & Deaths, Vol. 4, 1778-1920, between pages 147-148.

I, John H. Duffy, of the Town of Bristol, in the County of Bristol, in the State of Rhode Island, on oath make affidavit and say that I was born on July 6, 1838, at Manchester, England, my father and mother being named respectively James and Margaret (Lowry) Duffy; that I emigrated to the United States arriving at the port of New York via the sailing vessel “Mortimor Livingstone” on November 11, 1848, and came directly from New York to said Town of Bristol where my father who had emigrated the year before was living; that with me on the journey were my mother and my uncle, James Lowry and my sister, Caroline Duffy and my brothers James Duffy, Thomas Duffy and William Duffy; that there were living in said Town of Bristol at the time of our arrival the following named persons of Irish lineage, viz:- Peter Lynch, Patrick McDonnell, Patrick Luby, William Doonan, Michael Duffy, Patrick Hamill, James Culley, Sarah Luby, Margaret Degnan, Margaret Riley, Bridget Guckin, Julia Manion, Sarah Luby, Betsey Rohan, Andrew Rohan, John Rohan, and William Rohan;  that at the time the only two Roman Catholic families living in Bristol were the families of James Duffy and Andrew Rohan and there was no Catholic clergyman resident in Bristol until the year 1852, when masses were celebrated in a building which still stands on the easterly side of Thames Street between State and Bradford Streets.

[signed] John H. Duffy

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 20^th day of July, 1927.

[signed] William J. O’Donnell Notary Public