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==Ambrose Joseph Finnegan== Ambrose Joseph Finnegan was born on 11 Jul 1884 in Olyphant, Lackawanna County, [[Pennsylvania]]. His Irish-emigrant parents had possibly both died by the time of the 1900 census, and possibly in Scranton, when he is enumerated in Scranton, Pennsylvania as "nephew" in the household of Peter F Roche and his wife Bridget. It's possible, but not yet evidenced, that he was the son of [[#James Finnegan|James Finnegan]] and Catherine Finnegan. [http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~palackaw/wills/willindexe-g.html This site] which has a will index for Lackawanna County, has the death of Catherine Finnegan on 4 Apr 1886, and James on 1 Mar 1895. That would explain why Ambrose in 1900 is living with his uncle. But please '''note''', that no matter who has told you that James and Catherine are his parents '''must show evidence'''. Ambrose Joseph Finnegan married in 1908/9 probably in Pennsylvania to [[#Geraldine C Blewitt|Geraldine C Blewitt]]. Ambrose either then or slightly before had trained to be a civil engineer, an occupation he held in 1910 as did his father-in-law Edward F Blewitt. You will find mentions here and there on the internet that Ambrose worked for Scranton Gas & Water Company. Most articles and sites say nothing more. So much for those sites. Now for the rest of the story. Being a civil engineer was not to keep Ambrose, by 1918 he had become an advertising solicitor for the Scrantonian Publishing Company. He would apparently work for the Scrantonian the rest of his life, working his way up by 1930 to be Advertising Manager. You would '''think''' that these great newspaper reporters of today '''would have noticed that'''. But no. Ambrose Joseph Finnegan was yet living in 1942 when he filed his WWII Draft Registration Card from Scranton, Pennsylvania, and again he lists his employer as "M L Goodman" of the "Scrantonian-Tribune". In Joseph Biden's autobiographical book (see sources below), his grandfather Finnegan was living when Joe was "12 or 13" (so this would be 1954/6). ===Primary sources for 6=== *[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&rank=0&tips=0&gsfn=&gsln=Finnegan&sx=y&f19=&f20=&f21=&f14=Pennsylvania&rg_81004011__date=1884&rs_81004011__date=2&f16=&f9=&f10=White&_8000C002=&_80008002=&_80018002=&f23=&f22=&gskw=&prox=1&db=1900usfedcen&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&fh=71&recid=58944436&recoff=2+13+17+18&fsk=CIAAHbIDdoZv&bsk=&pgoff= 1900 Census of Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania] showing "Peter F Roche, 44, NY/Ireland/Ireland, Switchman; Bridget 42, PA/Ireland/Ireland; Mary 23 PA; Thomas 20; Annie 18; Peter 13; Nellie 9; Margaret 4/12; Ambrose Fennegan (sic) 16, nephew, PA/Ireland/Ireland, Servant Boy" (Briget (sic) C Roche is a widow in Scranton in 1910 [http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1910USCenIndex&indiv=try&h=24751228 here]). *[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&rank=0&gsfn=Ambrose&gsln=&sx=&f7=PA&f9=Lackawanna&f10=&f18=&f20=&rg_81004011__date=&rs_81004011__date=0&f23=&f17=&f16=&rg_f19__date=&rs_f19__date=0&_8000C002=&f21=&_80008002=&f22=&_80018002=&gskw=&prox=1&db=1910uscenindex&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&fh=45&recid=71423139&recoff=1+21+57 1910 Census of Dunmore, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania] showing "Edward F Blewitt 49 LA/Ireland/Ireland, civil engineer; Gertrude W Blewitt 27 PA/LA/PA; Patrick R 26 PA; Arthur J 24 PA; Ambrose Finegan (sic) 25 son-in-law PA/PA/PA, civil engineer; Geraldina C Finegan 23 daughter PA; Floyd L Hazen 15 ; Pansy B Hazen 11; Lula M Hazen 7" *[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=WW1draft%2c&rank=0&tips=0&gsfn=Ambrose&gsln=Finnegan&sx=&gs1co=1%2cAll+Countries&gs1pl=1%2c+&year=&yearend=&sbo=0&sbor=&ufr=0&wp=4%3b_80000002%3b_80000003&srchb=r&prox=1&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&o_iid=21416&o_lid=21416&o_it=21416&fh=3&recid=18682978&recoff=1+3 World War I Draft Registration Card] showing "Ambrose Joseph Finnegan, born 11 Jul 1884, Advertising Solicitor for Scrantonian Pub. Co., nearest relative Geraldine C Finnegan (wife), grey eyes, dark hair, registered 12 Sep 1918 in Scranton, Pennsylvania" *[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=1920usfedcen%2c&rank=0&tips=0&gsfn=Ambrose&gsln=Finnegan&sx=&gs1co=1%2cAll+Countries&gs1pl=1%2c+&year=&yearend=&sbo=0&sbor=&ufr=0&wp=4%3b_80000002%3b_80000003&srchb=r&prox=1&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&o_iid=21416&o_lid=21416&o_it=21416&fh=1&recid=82144404&recoff=1+3 1920 Census of Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania] showing "Ambrose J Finnegan, 35, PA/Ireland/NY, Advertising Solicitor, Newspaper; Geraldine, 33, PA/LA/PA; Gerard 9; Edward 7; Ambrose 5; Eugenia 2 6/12; Edward Blewitt, 61, Father-in-law, LA/Ireland/Ireland, Civil and Mining Engineer, Coal Mine; Gertrude Blewitt 39 PA/Ireland/NY" *[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=1930usfedcen%2c&rank=0&tips=0&gsfn=Ambrose&gsln=Finnegan&sx=&gs1co=1%2cAll+Countries&gs1pl=1%2c+&year=&yearend=&sbo=0&sbor=&ufr=0&wp=4%3b_80000002%3b_80000003&srchb=r&prox=1&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&o_iid=21416&o_lid=21416&o_it=21416&fh=2&recid=95951476&recoff=1+3 1930 Census of Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania] showing "Ambrose J Finnegan, 45, first marriage at 24, PA/NY/NY, Advertising Manager, Newspaper Office; Geraldine B, 42, first married at 21, PA/LA/PA; Gerald J 20; Blewett E 18; Ambrose J 15; Catherine E 12; John A 9; Gertrude G Blewitt, sister-in-law, 46" *[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=WWIIdraft%2c&rank=0&tips=0&gsfn=Ambrose&gsln=Finnegan&sx=&gs1co=1%2cAll+Countries&gs1pl=1%2c+&year=&yearend=&sbo=0&sbor=&ufr=0&wp=4%3b_80000002%3b_80000003&srchb=r&prox=1&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&o_iid=21416&o_lid=21416&o_it=21416&fh=0&recid=1775612&recoff=1+3 World War II Draft Registration Card] showing "Ambrose Joseph Finnegan, born 11 Jul 1884, residence Scranton, Lackawanna, Pennsylvnia; born at Olyphant, Lacka Co, Penna.; Employer M L Goodman, Scrantonian-Tribune; blue eyes, blond hair; April 27, 1942" *[http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alaine/records/wwiilackaaf.html "Lackawanna World War II Army Air Force Honor Roll", 27 May 1941 - 31 Jan 1946], Died, non-battle -- Finnegan, Ambrose J, 2 Lt *[http://www.scrantontimes.com/articles/2008/08/23/news/doc48af9add4ec8e036486859.txt "Biden's NEPA roots run deep"], by Borys Krawczeniuk, 23 Aug 2008 :<blockquote>The city of his youth is part of the first paragraph in his book, "Promises to Keep," released last summer by Random House. "The first principle of politics, the foundational principle, I learned in the 1950s in my grandpop’s kitchen when I was about 12 or 13 years old," Mr. Biden wrote the book’s opening line. "My parents had recently moved us to Delaware, but most Friday nights mom and dad would load me, my sister Val, my brother Jimmy and the baby, Frankie, into our car and drive up to Scranton, Pa., to spend the weekend at grandpop Finnegan’s house."</blockquote> ===Secondary sources for 6=== *[http://www.wargs.com/political/biden.html "The Ancestors of Joe Biden", Ancestry research by William Addams Reitwiesner, "most of this work was contributed by Robert Battle"] *A site reader tells me that : "The only resource I can think of for more about Ambrose's advert job would be Joseph X. Flannery who was at the newspaper so long that he could be/is its historian. He very likely knew the Finnegan family. ( His book: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/presssite/metadata.epl?mode=synopsis&bookkey=185391). If he's deceased or has retired, call the paper. Contact list at http://www.scrantontimes.com/customer_service/. Scrantonians are just like Joe B. -- heart of gold with a strong world view and talk too much. (and absolutely nothing like The Office!)."
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