Records indicate that a Mrs. Lyons served as a midwife to the women who lived at the Blue Ridge Tunnel from 1855 until 1856.  Mrs. Lyons does not appear in either the 1850 or 1860 census. This suggests that she may have arrived after the Fall of 1850 and left before the Fall of 1860 when the census was taken. In 1880, the census shows a Margaret Lyons in Beverly Manor District, Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia.  She is 65 years old, widowed, and living with her son and his family.  Could this be Mrs. Lyons the midwife? 

Mrs. Lyons reported most of the births recorded from the month of January of 1855 until December of 1856.  The names of the parents, the place of the birth, the name of the child, and the date of birth are recorded.  Occasionally, the father’s occupation is listed.  There are two sets of twins born during this time, one set of females and one set of fraternal twins.  The two females died of  pneumonia in less than a year.

The following names appear in the birth records and on our master list:

Dennis Murphy, Mike Sullivan, Dennis O’Brien, John Lynch, Edward Hayes, Cornelius Sullivan, Michael Hurley, Patrick Hanley, Michael Sullivan, James Hagerty, Michael Kelly, John O’Brien, Patrick McCarty, Michael Conner, Patrick Sullivan, Timothy Driscol,  David Nelligan, Dennis O’Bryan, and  John Lehane.

Irish Births in Augusta County

Augusta County Births at the Main Tunnel

1855

1.Julia Murphy, b. Jan 1, 1855 at Rockfish Gap, father: Dennis Murphy, mother: Ellen Murphy, reported by Mrs. Lyons, midwife.  

2.John M. Maggette, b. 1855 at Rockfish Gap, father: Patrick Maggette, mother: Ellen Maggette, reported by Mrs. Lyons.

3.Unnamed Male Sullivan, b. April 1855 at Rockfish Gap, father: Mike Sullivan, mother: Anna Sullivan, reported by Mrs. Lyons, midwife.

4.Unnamed Female Sullivan, b. April 1855 at Rockfish Gap, father: Mike Sullivan, mother:  Anna Sullivan, reported by Mrs. Lyons, midwife.

5.Mary O’Bryan, b. May 1855 at Rockfish Gap, father: Dennis O’Bryan, mother: Mary O’Bryan, reported by Mrs. Lyons.

6.John Lynch, b. July 7, 1855 at Rockfish Gap, mother: Catherine, reported by Mrs. Lyons, midwife.

7.Catherine Hays & Johannah Hays, b. July 15 at the Rockfish Gap, father: Edward Hays, mother: Ellen Hays, reported by Mrs. Lyons, midwife.  (These children die in 1856?)

8.Catherine Sullivan, b. Aug. 1855 at Rockfish Gap, father: Cornelius Sullivan, mother: Mary Sullivan, reported by Mrs. Lyons, midwife.

9.Unnamed female, b. Sept., 1855 at the Rockfish Gap, father Michael Hurley, laborer, mother: Hannah Hurley, reported by Mrs. Lyons, midwife.

10.Mary Hanley, b. Sept 1855 at the Rockfish Gap, father Patrick Hanley, mother: Mary Hanley, reported by Mrs. Lyons, midwife.

11.Michael Sullivan, b. Sept. 1855 at Rockfish Gap, father: Stephen, mother: Catherine, reported by Mrs. Lyons.

12.James Hagerty, b. Oct. 1855 at the Rockfish Gap, father: James, mother Ellen, reported by Mrs. Lyons, midwife.

13.Mary Morris, B. Oct. 25, 1855 at Rockfish Gap, father: Patrick Morris, mother: Mary Morris, reported by Mrs. Lyons, midwife.

14.Jernie? Kelly, b. Oct. 31, 1855 at the Rockfish Gap, father: Michael Kelly, mother: Hannah Kelly, reported by Mrs. Lyons, midwife.

15.Dennis O’Brian, b. Dec. 1855 at Rockfish Gap, father: John O’Brian, mother: Mary O’Brian.

16.Unnamed male, b. De. 12, 1855 at the Rockfish Gap, father: Patrick Hurley, mother: Mary Hurley, reported by Mrs. Lyons, midwife.

17.Daniel McCarty, b. Dec. 15, 1855 at Rockfish Gap, father: Daniel McCarty, mother Momney?, reported by Mrs. Lyons, midwife

18.Savannah Connor, b. Dec. 28, 1855 at the Rockfish Gap, father: Michael Connor, laborer, mother: Catherine Connor, reported by Mrs. Lions, midwife.

1856

1.John Sullivan, b. Jan 29, 1856 at tunnel, father: Patrick, mother: Ellen, reported by Mrs. Lyons.

2.John Driscol, May 1856 at tunnel, father: Timothy, railroader, mother: Margaret, reported by Mrs. Lyons.

3.Mary Harrington, born Aug 1856 at tunnel, father: railroader, mother: Ellen Harrington.

4.Thomas Lute/Sute?, born Sept 1856 at tunnel, father: A. D. Lute, mother: Sarah, reported by parents.

5.Ellen Nelligan, born Sept. 1856 at tunnel, father: David, mother: Ellen, reported by Mrs. Lyons.

6.Margaret O’Bryan, Sept. 1856 at tunnel, father: Dennis, mother: Mary , reported by Mrs. Lyons.

7.Cornelius Sullivan, b. Oct 1856 at tunnel, father: Cornelius, mother: Mary, reported by Mrs. Lyons.

8.Ellen Lohon/Lehane?, born Dec 22, 1856 at tunnel, father: John Lohon, mother: Mary Lohon, reported by Mrs. Lyons.

9.Thomas Martain, b. Dec. 28, 1856 at tunnel, mother: Sarah Martian, illegitimate, reported by Mrs. Lyons.