Shown, left to right, is Julia Lynch Sullivan (Laundress), her husband Timothy Sullivan (Assistant Gardener), and Julia’s sister, Nellie Lynch (Chambermaid), who worked at The Elms. Julia was born in Cork, Ireland in 1903 and emigrated in 1923. Her older sister, Nellie, was already employed at The Elms, so after a few years in New York, Julia joined her in Newport. Julia was employed by Miss Julie Berwind for eighteen seasons at The Elms. Photo courtesy of The Preservation Society of Newport County

The Museum of Newport Irish History has announced the second talk in its 20th Annual Michael F. Crowley Lecture Series, to be presented “virtually” on Monday, October 25, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom. 

Dr. Margaret Lynch-Brennan and Ms. Leslie B. Jones will present a talk entitled, ”The Irish Bridget: Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930 With Spotlight on Irish Servants of the Newport Mansions.” 

Shown, left to right, is Julia Lynch Sullivan (Laundress), her husband Timothy Sullivan (Assistant Gardener), and Julia’s sister, Nellie Lynch (Chambermaid), who worked at The Elms. Julia was born in Cork, Ireland in 1903 and emigrated in 1923. Her older sister, Nellie, was already employed at The Elms, so after a few years in New York, Julia joined her in Newport. Julia was employed by Miss Julie Berwind for eighteen seasons at The Elms. Photo courtesy of The Preservation Society of Newport County

Margaret Lynch-Brennan is a public historian, educator, consultant, and author of the book “The Irish Bridget: Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930.”  Leslie B. Jones is Director of Museum Affairs and Chief Curator for The Preservation Society of Newport County.

Dr. Lynch-Brennan will discuss the work and social lives of “Irish Bridgets,” the young Irish immigrant girls who labored as cooks, maids and nannies in middle and upper-class homes in urban America. She will share insights from her book regarding their impact on Irish-American life, and their contribution to American ethnic, labor, and women’s history.  Leslie Jones will share the research the Preservation Society of Newport County has produced to spotlight the life experiences of Irish immigrant women in servitude at The Elms and other Newport Mansions.

A complete talk overview and full speaker bios may be found on the “Lectures” page of newportirishhistory.org (click “Details”), where you may reserve for this lecture and view videotapes of many past talks.  

The lecture is free of charge, but reservations are required to receive the Zoom login information.

For additional information, contact Ann Arnold at newportirishhistory@gmail.com or (401) 841-5493. 

To learn more about the Museum of Newport Irish History, visit www.NewportIrishHistory.org

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