MOTT HAVEN - a novel

An excerpt from the novel, MOTT HAVEN PART ONE – THE FIRST GENERATION Chapter One June 6, 1913 It was a humid summer morning in New York harbor when the RMS Mauretania slowly crawled into the terminal at Ellis Island, her engines exhausted from the transatlantic journey. The ship, affectionately known as Maury, was the sister ship of the Lusitania and had disembarked from Queenstown, Ireland. Originally named Cobh, the busiest port in County Cork was renamed for a visit by Queen Victoria in 1849. Queenstown was a popular port for Irish people immigrating to North America. Hundreds of Irish immigrants were on board the steamship that day and many more participated in the diaspora until World War II. On the ship’s manifest, the name “Albert Sean Reynolds” appears in the handwriting of J.H. Wubbenbosch, Immigration Officer. Albert, or, Sean, as he liked to be called by the lads, was listed as 19 years of age and held the occupation of “Clerk.” The City or Town for Sean was listed as Armagh, which is actually one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. The name and complete address of the nearest relative or friend in country whence alien came was listed as “Susie Reynolds, Mother” and “Patrick Reynolds, Brother.” The Final Destination for Sean Reynolds was listed as “Bronx, NY.” Specifically, Sean was headed for the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, where his 20-year-old brother and 40 year old, Gaelic speaking mother had arrived in the freezing cold of January of 1913. This is their story. This is New York City’s story.