My Genealogy Hound

PATRICK McGROARTY, attorney at law, Georgetown, was born in Ireland June 21, 1824. In 1831 he emigrated with his parents, Neil and Catherine (Bonner) McGroarty, to America, coming directly to Cincinnati. Remaining there only a short time, Neil McGroarty moved his family to the farm on which Fayetteville, in Perry Township, this county, now stands. In 1835, he returned to Cincinnati, and was a contractor in the construction of turnpikes and the Little Miami Railroad until his death in 1839. His widow, Catherine, still resides in Cincinnati. Patrick attended school there, and completed his education at St. Mary’s College. Lebanon, Ky., graduating in 1841; he then entered the law office of Timothy Walker, of Cincinnati, and pursued the study of law. In 1845, he was admitted to the bar by the Supreme Court, sitting at Urbana. He began practice in Cincinnati, and in 1848 moved to Georgetown. During the winter of 1848-49, he reported the debates and proceedings of the Lower House of the State Legislature for the Ohio Statesman, and, at the same time, reported for the Cincinnati Enquirer, being the first regular correspondent for the latter from the State capital. At the close of the session, he returned to Georgetown, but the same year he removed to Cincinnati, where he continued in the practice of law until 1863, when he moved again to Georgetown, and has been engaged in his profession at this place since. While at Cincinnati, he was Assistant Prosecuting Attorney of Hamilton County two years. During his term, he prosecuted the Nancy Ferrer murder case, in which ex-President Hayes appeared for the defense. He was also City Solicitor. At the Democratic primary, he won the nomination over E. A. Ferguson, who built the Cincinnati Southern Railroad, and at the election defeated the Whig candidate, Rutherford B. Hayes. He is the oldest of eight children. In the order of their ages, his brothers and sisters are Mary Ann (deceased, who was the wife of Dr. D. A. Doniphan, of Tensas Parish, La.), Susan (now Sister Julia, Superior of the Convent of Notre Dame, Philadelphia), Stephen (a General in the late war, who was elected Clerk of Hamilton County, but died before entering upon his duties from the effects of a wound received in service), Letitia (deceased), William (a Captain in the late war, killed at the battle of Wausatchie, on Kenesaw Mountain), John G. (accidentally killed at the Neil House, Columbus, Ohio), and Ellen (wife of R. C. Rogers, of Cincinnati). The subject, of this sketch was married, October 29, 1850, to Elizabeth, daughter of Dr. Philip J. Buckner, an eminent physician of Georgetown, afterward of Cincinnati. They have four children — Charles N., Stephen, William and Alma (wife of I. L. Ronsheim, of Georgetown). Charles N. became editor of the Augusta (Ky) Chronicle in April, 1874, and conducted the paper nearly two years. In April, 1877, he purchased the Georgetown Sentinel, and has been its editor and proprietor since. He was married, October 6, 1874, to Evangeline, daughter of the late Dr. T. M. Tweed. They have two living children — Catherine Elizabeth and Lucina Frances.