UPDATED! History of the Treacy Christening Gown

Figure 1. Matthew Timothy Dippold in the Treacy christening dress on 1 Jul 1979 with his mother, Janet Fenlon Dippold, and grandmother, Anne Treacy Fenlon, who were also baptized in the same gown in 1942 and 1910, respectively. 

This post explores the rich 147 year history of the christening gown sewn by Mary Hayes Treacy in 1874.  Like every post on this blog, this one relied on input from many people. Thanks to Brian and Kate Fenlon for suggesting this as an interesting subject, to Janet Fenlon Dippold for providing the history of the gown and many photographs and to Peggy Fenlon, Tricia Fenlon Lowe, and Mary Beth Fenlon Lewis for also providing photographs.  It takes a village to compose a post and I appreciate all the help. 

The Gown

The family christening dress was sewn by Mary Hayes Treacy, for her first child, John Aloysius Treacy, who was born on 8 Oct 1874 in Syracuse, NY.  Mary was born in 1842 in County Tipperary, Ireland and learned to sew from the nuns at the Convent School in Nenagh, Ireland.  Mary and her husband Dennis Treacy were married on 24 Feb 1867 in Syracuse.  They waited 7.5 years for their first child and Mary spent months of her pregnancy making this Victorian style dress.  It is made of a very fine cotton (like lawn) and has delicate lace in the bodice and rows and rows of tucking.  The detail is exquisite.  

Mary also created a bonnet and cape to go with the dress, but they were worn out or misplaced at some point. The photo of Lizzie Kilcoyne Fenlon holding Emmett John Fenlon (Figure 4 below) wearing the dress, cape, and bonnet is the only family photo we have of a baby wearing the complete set.

As an aside, my grandparents Anne Treacy Fenlon and Emmett Fenlon visited Ireland in 1977 with my uncles Tim and Brian. During the trip, they went to Nenagh and visited the Convent School there.  

People Christened in the Treacy Gown

In the nearly century and a half since it was made, the gown has been worn by 26 babies at their christening (Table 1, Figure 2).  The dress was worn by John Treacy and his brother Dennis.  People in succeeding generations who have worn the gown are: John Treacy's 3 daughters, 7 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, and 6 great-great grandchildren. Unfortunately, the full descendant chart (not shown) and the Anne Treacy branch of Figure 2 do not translate well to the blog.  If you want a high resolution version of these please email me. 

Figure 2. The descendants of Mary Hayes and Dennis Treacy. People with a red star wore the Treacy gown at their christening. If you would like a high resolution pdf of the whole chart please contact me. 

Photographs of Babies in the Gown

Below is a collection of photographs, arranged chronologically, of family members in the gown. The photos span over a century, from Anne Treacy in 1910 to Siena Dippold in 2021. Unfortunately, we do not have a photo of all 25 people in the gown. We are missing photos of John, Dennis, Mary, & Catherine Treacy; Michael & Francis Hugh Kelly; Mark, & Brian Fenlon; and Rory Dippold. If you have any additional photos of the gown please send them to me and I will add them to the post. 

First Generation (Mary Hayes Treacy's children)

Unfortunately we do not have a photo of John or Dennis Treacy in the gown. 

Second Generation (Mary Hayes Treacy's grandchildren)

The only photo we have from the second generation is of my grandmother, Anne Treacy Fenlon, who was born on 21 Dec 1909 and christened in 1910 in Syracuse. 

Figure 3. Anne Laurentine Treacy Fenlon in 1910. 

Third Generation (Mary Hayes Treacy's great-grandchildren)

In my father's generation there were seven babies that worn the gown and we have photos of two of them. Emmett John Fenlon was born and christened in 1939. Figure 4 shows him being held by his paternal grandmother, Lizzie Kilcyone Fenlon. This photo is the only one that shows the gown, cape, and bonnet. Figure 5 shows him being held by his maternal grandmother, Jennie MacDonell Treacy. 

Figure 4. Lizzie Kilcoyne Fenlon holding her first grandchild, Emmett John Fenlon, on his christening day in the summer of 1939. 

Figure 5. Jennie MacDonell holding her grandson, Emmett John Fenlon, on his christening day in the summer of 1939.

UPDATED: Janet Fenlon Dippold was Christened in the gown. A photo of her is shown in Figure 6a. I am not sure if the dress shown is the Christening gown, but either way it is a wonderful photograph. 

Figure 6a. Emmett John Fenlon; Anne Treacy Fenlon; and Janet Fenlon Dippold (Velvet the cat) ca. 1942 

The third photograph from this generation is of Tim Fenlon, Figure 6b. Aunt Janet told me the story behind this photo: "A traveling photographer came through Copenhagen, visiting homes and taking photos. He asked Anne Treacy Fenlon if she would like a photo of her baby.  Tim was the baby at the time, so she dressed him in the Christening dress and a beautiful photo was created."

Figure 6b. Timothy Edward Fenlon in the Treacy gown ca. 1947. 

Fourth Generation (Mary Hayes Treacy's great-great grandchildren)

I was the first of eight people in my generation to be christened in the gown. Figure 7 shows me with my parents at my christening on 26 May 1968 outside St. Margaret's church in Mattydale, NY.  I was baptized when I was only 24 days old, which I believe is very young compared to most. I have been told that the event could not come quickly enough for my maternal grandmother, Catherine Funke Hoyt, who insisted that my mother carry around water (holy water?) with me during the first three weeks of my life in case something were to happen and I needed to be baptized on the spot -- because original sin needs to be cleansed! The entry in my baby book related to the christening is shown in Figure 8. As you can see, the gown is mentioned as an important detail from the day. 

Figure 7. Mark Fenlon, Mary Hoyt Fenlon Docteur, and me (Edward Emmett Fenlon) on 26 May 1968.

Figure 8. Entry in the baby book of Edward Emmett Fenlon describing his christening. This is my mother's handwriting.

My sister Mary Beth was the next person of the fourth generation to be baptized in the gown. A photo of her in it is shown in Figure 9. Some of the beauty and detail of the gown is nicely shown in this photo. 

Figure 9. Photo of Mary Elizabeth Fenlon Lewis in the Treacy christening gown in the summer of 1969. Also shown are her parents Mark and Mary and her brother Ed. This photo was taken at 202 Elbow Road, North Syracuse, the home of Catherine Funke Hoyt (her maternal grandmother).

The next two people in the fourth generation to be christened in the gown were my first cousins John and Alex Dippold, Figures 10 and 11, respectively. They are each pictured with our grandparents, Emmett M. Fenlon and Anne Treacy Fenlon.  

Figure 9. John Ronald Dippold in the Treacy gown on his christening day 22 Oct 1972. He is pictured with his grandparents, Emmett Martin Fenlon and Anne Treacy Fenlon. This photo was taken at Ron Dippold's parent's home at 114 Brace Street, Syracuse 

Figure 10. Alexander Emmett Dippold in the Treacy gown on his christening day 14 Sep 1975. He is pictured with his grandparents, Emmett M. Fenlon and Anne Treacy Fenlon. This photo was taken in his parents home in Skaneateles, NY.

The next two people in the fourth generation to be christened in the gown were my first cousins Tricia Fenlon Lowe and her sister Caroline Fenlon, Figures 12 and 13, respectively. 

Figure 12. Patricia Anne Fenlon Lowe in the Treacy gown at her christening in January 1976. She is being held by her father Emmett John Fenlon and her mother Peggy Piser Fenlon is also pictured.  Mark Fenlon (L), Ron Dippold (R), and the priest are also shown.

Figure 13. Caroline Amy Fenlon in the Treacy gown on her christening day in May 1979. She is being held by her mother Peggy Piser Fenlon. Also pictured are her father, Emmett John Fenlon, and her sister, Tricia Fenlon Lowe.

The last two people in the fourth generation to be christened in the gown were my first cousins Matt Dippold and his brother Rory Dippold.  Figure 1 (above and repeated below) shows Matt in the gown with his mother Janet and his grandmother Anne. This gown photo is one of the few that have three generations of people who worn the gown in it.  Rory was christened on 31 May 1981, but unfortunately we do not have a photo of him in the christening gown.  

Figure 1. Matthew Timothy Dippold in the Treacy christening dress on 1 Jul 1979 with his mother, Janet Fenlon Dippold, and grandmother, Anne Treacy Fenlon, who were also baptized in the same gown in 1942 and 1910, respectively.

Fifth Generation (Mary Hayes Treacy's GGG grandchildren)

Kevin Lewis and his brother Melvin Lewis were the first two people of the fifth generation to be christened in the Treacy gown, Figures 14 and 15, respectively. 

Figure 14. Photos of Kevin Jeffrey Lewis in the Treacy gown at his christening on 1 Nov 1998. He is pictured with his parents Mary Elizabeth Fenlon Lewis and Jeffrey D. Lewis. 

Figure 15. (Top) Melvin Clark Lewis in the Treacy gown on his christening day 27 Aug 2000. He is being held by his mother Mary Beth Lewis.  (Bottom, L to R) David Lewis, Kevin Lewis, Jeffrey Lewis, Melvin Lewis, Mary Beth Fenlon Lewis, Mark Fenlon, Mary Hoyt Docteur, and Marie Lewis. This photo also has three generations of people that wore the gown: Mark, Mary Beth, and Melvin. 

The next two people in the fifth generation to be christened in the gown were Genevieve Dippold and her broth Edward Emmett Dippold, Figures 16 and 17, respectively. 

Figure 16. Genevieve Fenlon Dippold in the gown on her christening day, 28 Nov 2009. Genevieve is being held by her mother, Jean Healey Dippold, while she is attended to by her Godparents: John Ronald Dippold and Rosamund Healey Conroy. Her father Alex Dippold and the Priest also are shown. 

Figure 17. Edward Emmett Dippold in the gown on his christening day, 18 Feb 2012. He is being held by his father Alexander Emmett Dippold. Also pictured are his uncles John, Rory, and Matthew, and his grandfather, Ronald J. Dippold. Edward's Godfathers are Matthew Dippold and Dominic Healey.  

The 25th person to be christened in the Treacy gown, 145 years after John Treacy was the first person, is Declan Dippold.  Figure 18 shows Declan in the gown with his parents, Rory and Kathleen Dippold. 

Figure 18. Declan Victor Dippold in the Treacy gown on his christening day, 9 Nov 2019. (Top) Declan being held by his father, Rory Benjamin Dippold. (Bottom) Declan being held by his mother, Kathleen Bible Dippold with Rory Dippold.  

UPDATES

Figures 19-23 are from the Christening of the most recent person to wear the Treacy gown, Siena Elizabeth Dippold. She was born September 16, 2021, and baptized November 12, 2021. At the Baptism there were 7 descendants who have worn the Treacy Christening gown: Emmett John Fenlon, Janet Fenlon Dippold, Tricia Fenlon Lowe, Matt Dippold, Rory Dippold, Declan Dippold and Siena Dippold.

Figure 19. Declan, Matt, Siena, Rory, and Tricia.

Figure 20. Siena with her parents at the Christening.

Figure 21. Siena with her paternal grandparents at the Christening. 

Figure 22. Janet Fenlon Dippold and Emmett John Fenlon at Siena's Christening. 

Figure 23. Three generations of Dippolds -- Janet, Rory, and Siena.

Ed Fenlon 
1 March 2020 (initial)

5 Jan 2021 (UPDATE)
efenlon -at- fandm -dot- edu