Facts about the birth of Ellsworth Joseph Conover are not easy to locate. Multiple records indicate his birthplace as Pennsylvania but his marriage certificate suggests that he was born instead in Baltimore, Maryland. His date of birth is often noted as January 1 either in the year 1884 or 1885. The first record of Ellsworth we have located is from the 1900 census and notes him as Ellsworth Conover, the 16 year old adopted son of Henry and Mary Muldoon. Inconsistencies about his birth date or location could be due to his adopted parents not being certain about those facts. January 1 could also have been used just have been because it was the first day of the year.

1900 census Muldoon family living in Philadelphia with adopted son Ellsworth Conover

It’s likely that Ellsworth’s family was from England because we have record of him departing Liverpool, England, on October 4, 1899, at age 14. It is not certain if he was returning to the United States after visiting family or immigrating there for the first time. It is possible that as an adult he lied about his birth location to shortcut his way to citizenship or for some other reason.

Ellsworth Muldoon departure from Liverpool, England, on October 4, 1899

Passport applications and immigration records show that he traveled to England again in 1914. On December 23, 1915, he married Nellie Hegarty in Manhattan, New York City, New York. A year following their marriage, Ellsworth applied for a passport to re-enter the United States while in Nassau, Bahamas. His appearance is described as 5’10” with grey eyes, light hair, a prominent nose and a long face. A photo is also included in the passport application.

1916 passport application for Ellsworth Muldoon

By 1918 Ellsworth and Nellie had moved to Chicago, Illinois, and Nellie gave birth to their daughter Marianne Muldoon. The last documentation found of Ellsworth is a 1920 census record in Chicago where he was residing with Nellie and Marianne. Inquiry within the family also provides no additional information about what could have happened to Ellsworth.