P.J. Kennedy (1858 – 1929) , the father of Joseph Kennedy, played an important role in John F. Kennedy’s family history. P.J’s father, Patrick Kennedy, was born in Dunganstown, County Wexford, Ireland.
Upon his arrival in Boston in 1849, he worked as a cooper on Noddle’s Island. Five months later, he married Bridget Murphy, also a recent immigrant. On November 22, 1858, ten months after P.J. Kennedy’s birth on January 14, Patrick Kennedy died of cholera. Bridget Kennedy was left destitute with four children to raise on her own.
Determined to provide a good life for her children, Bridget found work at a stationery and notions store. She eventually saved up enough to purchase the business, which prospered. P.J. helped to support his family by working as a stevedore, and saved his money to purchase a failing saloon. He turned the tavern into a thriving business, enabling him to purchase two more saloons.
These successful ventures allowed him to buy a wholesale whiskey distributorship. He became increasingly involved in the politics of Boston’s Ward Two, and in 1886, won a seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
A year after being elected, Kennedy married Mary Augusta Hickey, the daughter of a successful Boston contractor. He left the senate in 1895, and spent the remainder of his political career in various appointive offices, including work as an elections and fire commissioner.
