Rigney, Martin

The following data is extracted from Genealogy and Biography of Ontario County, New York.

Martin Rigney was born in county Kings, Ireland, and came in 1851, when a young man, to this country, landing at New York City. He followed his trade as a baker in that city for three years and in 1855 came to Bloomfield, New York, where he was employed at first as a farm laborer. He bought a farm there in 1870 and conducted it the remainder of his life. He died there in 1880. His widow continued on the homestead and carried it on until her death in 1887. He married Mary McGory, also a native of county Kings, Ireland. Children : Maria, John, James, Martin, Keiran, Sarah, Edward E., mentioned elsewhere.

Edward E., son of Martin Rigney, was born at West Bloomfield, New York, November 28, 1865. He worked on his father's farm when a boy and attended the district school. He began to follow farming on his own account at the age of twenty on the homestead in partnership with his brother James. Two years later he spent a winter in Florida in the orange groves. Upon his return he purchased of his brother Martin a general store at West Bloomfield and he conducted the business very successfully for many years. He still owns an interest in this business. In May, 1893, he opened what is known as Rigney's Department Store in the village of Holcomb, Ontario county, New York, and has built up a large and prosperous business. Since 1902 he has had a farm at Holcomb and since then he has acquired and conducts three other farms. He is a prominent Democrat. During President Cleveland's administration he was postmaster of West Bloomfield. He is at present supervisor of the town of East Bloomfield and he is an influential member of the board of supervisors of Ontario county. He has shown much public spirit in working for the welfare and development of the county. He made a vigorous and successful fight for the establishment of the State Tuberculosis Hospital in this county. This institution is located at Oak Mount. East Bloomfield. Mr. Rigney has been chairman of the Democratic county committee and is now (1910) a member of the Democratic state committee. He is a member and a generous supporter of the Catholic church. He married, in June, 1905, Marguerite, daughter of Cornelius and Marguerite O'Neil, both natives of Ireland, who came to this country and settled on a farm at East Bloomfield. They have one child, Edward E., born October 5, 1908.

Source: Genealogy and Biography of Ontario County, New York

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