Jeremiah Donovan was a son of Joseph Donovan and Mary Burke of West Cork, Ireland
Margaret Hurley was a daughter of James and Mary Hurley

Jeremiah Donovan and Margaret Hurley married in England in 1850.
 

Children:

John Donovan, (1851 - 1919)

Joseph W. Donovan, (1855 - 1910)

Mary Ann Donovan, (1858 - 1858)

James Donovan, (1859 - 1860)

Jeremiah Donovan, (24 Dec 1862 - 1862)

Hannah Donovan, (1863 - 1864)

Margaret E. Donovan, (1865 - 1889)

Patrick Donovan, (1868 - 1873)

Catherine V. Donovan, (1869 -1888)

Daniel Donovan, (1871 - 1871)

Julia L. Donovan, (1873 - 1873)

Of the 11 children, 7 die as young children. Then, Margaret E. and Catherine V. die in the late teens, early twenties from tuberculosis

Census 1860:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZHJ-QVK

Massachusetts State Census 1865:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQCG-6DC

Census 1870:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDQS-4FP

Census 1880:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHXH-2TQ

We quote from the writings of Thomas J Donovan:

"PART 2 - Jeremiah was born about 1823 and died in Brookline in 1901. From several U.S. records we determined that he travelled to England before coming to Boston. It was common for the Irish to go to England for work and survival. From several U.S. records, we can see a son John was born in England and Jeremiah was married to Margaret Hurley. There is one record from England that may be helpful or maybe it is not him.

On 5 November 1850, in St. John the Baptist Church, Eltham, England, Jeremiah Donovan, a bachelor and Margaret Hurley, a spinster were married. Both living in Liberty of Kidbrook. It is interesting of the terms of bachelor and spinster. Today, bachelor means a bachelor, while spinster means an old women, never married. Back in that era a spinster was any unmarried woman. Going back to Part 1, Daniel at the death of his father was listed as an inmate. Back then inmate = resident. On the marriage record, Margaret is listed as a minor. From my calculations, Margaret was 16 at the time of marriage. The one problem, John the Baptist Church was not a Catholic church but rather Church of England (Protestant).

Next we find Jeremiah, Margaret and son John living in Boston in 1855. A later record indicates they immigrated in 1852. In 1858, the family, including a new son Joseph, moves to Brookline. Jeremiah had purchased a lot on Davis Place, later renamed to Pearl Street in the Brookline Village area. In 1860, we find brother John and family living in the same household.

Early on, I found two Josephs in Jeremiah's household. It took a while to figure out that the second Joseph was the son of our great uncle John. John had died and Jeremiah had raised John's son Joseph.

In 1873, Jeremiah purchased two lots on Kimball Street, Boston. Kimball Street no longer exits. In 1890, the property was taken by eminent domain by Boston Board of Park Commissioners. So if you are driving down the Jamaica Way, the property would be somewhere toward the Brookline side as you approach the Brookline Village area.

The family in Brookline included 11 children. Six children died within a year of birth, Three more died at a young age, and only two, John and Joseph W. lived into full adult age. Several of the young children had no cause of death. But, one death certificate had the cause of death as teething.

Jeremiah's wife Margaret Hurley (1834-1882) died on 15 October 1882. Her sister, Joanna Hurley was married to Jeremiah's brother John. Margaret was born in Ireland and died at the age of about 48 of dysentery. Two days prior to her death, she made out her will, signed with an X. "Furniture to daughter Margaret and property on Kimball St., Boston. Request that husband give adjoining property to daughter Katy." Not sure how Margaret obtained title, since the property was in Jeremiah's name. It appeared that the property was never conveyed to Margaret who died in 1889 at the age of 23.

The next record on Jeremiah was in 1882, a legal action. A filing in the Norfolk Registry of Deeds lists a Petition to Partition in Norfolk Superior Court. The lawsuit was initiated by Joseph Donovan (assumed to be the son of John and not Jeremiah's son) against Jeremiah Donovan. The property being the homestead on Davis Place. The lawsuit must have been dismissed, Jeremiah owned the property at the time of his death.

In 1890, our great grandfather, Daniel loans Jeremiah $1,500. Later that loan was paid back.

Jeremiah died on 9 October 1901 of pneumonia. His age was 78. On 7 October, Jeremiah made out his will and left his property to his sons John and Joseph, equally.  It is interesting to note, during his life, he was listed as a laborer, he owned property in addition to his home and his will was signed with an X.

Jeremiah, his wife Margaret and the deceased young children, along with his brother John and his wife are interred at Holyhood Cemetery, Cross Avenue, walk D, lot 105 & 107. (see attached picture of monument, below)."