Deedy.com Blog

Once again I have been spending hours looking through the historic Boston Globe archives searching for any mention of various family members. This time I decided to look into another person in the Sullivan branch of the family tree - Patrick Leo Crowley, husband to Margaret Sullivan (Maurice Sullivan BPD eldest daughter). Patrick and Margaret never had any children of their own, but the couple was very involved with their many nieces and nephews. Both had passed away by the time I was born, but I grew up hearing stories about them and when I reach into my recipe box I pull out cards made by Margaret who was famous in the family for her cooking.

But it is Patrick L. Crowley I am focusing on in this post and what I have uncovered about his very interesting career. The December 30, 1911 Boston Globe article: Commissioner O'Meara Promotes Reservemen reports that Patrick scores the highest grade on a policeman's test. A new tool introduced by the commissioner to help identify those men who deserve promotion. Prior to the test, police appointments and promotions depended more on who you knew and were related to than how well of a job you did. This portion of the article was most interesting for me:

Crowley secured a percentage of 97.5 and at rollcall tomorrow night his pay will jump from $2 per day to $1,000 a year, or $19.17 a week. Crowley was appointed to the department Feb 27, 1911, and for several months before his shift to East Dedham st was on duty at Division 12, City Point.

From April 30, 1906, until Feb 26 of the present year he was a member of the Fire Department, serving at Ladder 11, Brighton and Ladder 21, Saratoga st, East Boston. Prior to that he was a well-known athlete, being the manager and playing center on the East Boston A.A. Basketball team which a few years ago was defeating all comers. He is a brother of James J. Crowley, the High School athletic instructor, and John J. Crowley, formerly a fireman, and potato race champion.

So Patrick L. Crowley was first a fireman then a patrolman. Family lore has it Margaret Sullivan first met Patrick while he was working as a fireman at the Saratoga street firehouse. I wonder if Margaret's father, Srgt. Maurice Sullivan, had anything to do with interesting Patrick in switching careers.

Labels: Sullivan