Margaret Devlin

Margaret Devlin

~1801 - 1897

Margaret Devlin was born in Ireland around 1801. Very little is known of her early life and emigration to the United States. Her husband was Joseph Devlin, and they appear in the 1860 and 1870 censuses, living in Lower Makefield Township. Joseph’s family lived nearby: his brother, James, his wife, Mary, and their two children, Margaret and Philip. Joseph Devlin died on February 17, 1879. Margaret is listed as a widowed housekeeper in the 1880 census in Lower Makefield.

On November 20, 1897, Margaret died at the age of 96 at the home of her brother-in-law, James Devlin. While it was assumed it was because of old age, her death soon became a mystery. Several newspapers throughout the region picked up the story that her death was not natural. It was reported that she died suddenly that Saturday morning, and her burial was hurried. A rumor went around that she was buried alive. The coroner received an anonymous call that Mrs. Devlin had met a violent death. She was exhumed, and a deep wound in the right breast through the lung and into the flesh of the back was discovered. There was a question of whether it was due to the embalming process. An investigation took place, and the coroner and undertaker were spoken to. The coroner did another examination and reported there was nothing suspicious in her death, and with all testimony received, the jury rendered the verdict of death by natural causes.

Margaret and Joseph Devlin had no children. In her will, Margaret specifically requested to be buried at the old stone graveyard near the village of Yardley. She left money for some of her friends and the remainder of her estate to her nephew, Philip. In a bizarre twist, Philip was found dead in the roadway outside his residence in 1899, with the paper reporting his body was badly bruised and there was suspicion of foul play. She also requested a tombstone for her husband, who is buried in Bristol, with his name and date of death on it.