The Children of Timothy and Maria Murray Dillon

Robert Dillon wrote the following on the back of this photo:

           "As near as I can tell, this picture must have been taken in about 1899. Matthias Cuddy, the young man up in the rear, was born in 1877, so he looks the right age. Another photo in this set shows him wearing britches. This indicated, however, not that he was of school boy age, but that he and the two young ladies with big featherd hats were out cycling that day.
            The two mature ladies in the group were spinster aunts of Matt Cuddy, and Bill Dillon, in the derby, was Matt's uncle.
             Nora Dillon, one of the sisters of Bill, has her arms folded in this picture. She was born in 1858 and, being as she was a talented dressmaker in trade and in great demand, she would be modishly attired at any time. The 'leg of mutton sleeves', all the rage in the nineties, and her feathered ladies fedora hat, shown in another shot,can pretty accurately identify the time. See the fedora on the grass!
            Elizabeth Dillon, the other sister, was the baby of the family. Her job was sort of a kitchen slavey, stayed home all the time. She was born in 1866 and died in 1956.
             Another sister, Sarah, appears in none of these photos, so perhaps she was operating the camera. Sarah, whom I alway call "Aunt", not "Aunt Sarah", was the one who was the head of the household, in actuality! The nominal head of the household was their father Timothy, who must have been away that day. Timothy Dillon was born in 1811, when Napoleon was in his prime, and died in 1906, the year the radio tube was patented.
             Bill Dillon's hat seems more the style of ten years previously- I could be wrong about this! - But the sides of the brim seem to be rather tightly curled for 1899.
             These four, Bill, Elizabeth, Nora and Sarah, never married. The oldest sister Mary did. She was Matt's mother. And the other brother, John, married. He was my grandfather. If this is actually 1899, then their cousin Michael J. Dillon was just elected the first mayor of New Rochelle, N.Y.
            I dearly loved the four people, the brother and sisters. But none so much as "Aunt". She died in 1932, when I was 15 and a half, and I was much saddened.
            Tim's children: Mary, 1855-1914
                                     Sarah, 1856-1932
                                     Nora, 1858-1928
                                     Bill, 1859-1935
                                     John, 1861-1945
                                     Elizabeth, 1866-1956"

signed RWD