Who can tell me about Peter York, after whom a very short San Francisco street is named. When did he live? What did he do? Does he have a biographer(s)? Who were his associates in life? What were his ambissions and accomplishments? My grandmother came to San Francisco in 1915 and used to talk about a Catholic priest named Peter York. Is this the same Peter York?

-- Edward J. Susank (esusank@concentric.net), November 09, 1997

Answers

Response to Who was Peter York

Just a brief checking into this I've concluded that the Catholic priest by the name Peter C. York (actually spelled according to the city directories is Yorke) has no relation to the street name. The street York was in existance at least as far back as 1875. Peter Yorke was not living here at that time or at least wasn't old enough to warrant his own name in the directories. He was pastor of St. Peter's in 1914. As to the Peter York the street was named for I'll have to do more checking.

-- Barbara Hoddy (bhoddy@library.berkeley.edu), November 19, 1997.

Response to Who was Peter York

Your inquiry on Peter Yorke was forwarded to me.  You can find out more
about him from the following:



Author:        Brusher, Joseph Stanislaus, 1906-
Title:         Consecrated thunderbolt : Father Yorke of San Francisco / by
                 Joseph S. Brusher. Hawthorne, N. J. : J. F. Wagner, c1973.



Author:        Cronin, Bernard Cornelius, 1909-
Title:         Father Yorke and the labor movement in San Francisco, 1900-1910
                 / by Bernard Cornelius Cronin. Washington, D.C. : Catholic
                 University of America press, 1943.



Author:        Farrell, Agatha Ann.
Title:         Father Yorke and the Japanese problem in California, 1902-1916,
                 by Sister M. Agatha Ann Farrell. 1970.
               Thesis (M.A.)--University of Santa Clara.



Author:        Walsh, James P., 1937-
Title:         Ethnic militancy; an Irish Catholic prototype, by James P.
                 Walsh. San Francisco [R and E Research Associates] 1972.



Author:        Walsh, James P., 1937-
Title:         Regent Peter C. Yorke and the University of California,
                 1900-1912. Ann Arbor, Mich., University Microfilms [1971]
               Thesis (Ph.d.)-University of California, Berkeley.

-- anonymously answered, November 26, 1997

Response to Who was Peter York

Father Peter Yorke was pastor of St Patrick church on Mission St in San Francisco. He was deeply involved in the labor movement. The short street across from St Mary's Cathedral was indeed named for him.

-- Joe Thompson (anonymous), November 29, 1997.

Peter Yorke was a priest associated with St Peter's Church and influential in the labor movement prior to WW1. York Street, which is not far from St Peter's, was probably named (along with its neighbor Hampshire) to entice Brits to buy homesteads. Notice "New" is conspicusouly absent from these streets.

In the redevelopment of the Geary Boulevard Corridor in the 60's two historically significant clergy were honored. The Rev Starr King got the South ramp which goes a few feet from his tomb. The Rev Peter Yorke got the North ramp.

-- kurt Iversen (iversenk@aol.com), March 02, 1999.

Peter York is burried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, CA

-- Judy De Bella (judydbella@aol.com), July 02, 1999.

There is an annual mass held for Father Yorke at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma. This year about 100 people showed up. After the mass, a procession led by an Irish Drum and Fife band lead a procession to his grave site where more speeches are made. All are welcome to attend!

-- PCYorke (celt11@yahoo.com), March 25, 2002.

I have a piece about him on my website...

The San Francisco History Experience

-- Sean M. Hall (chunkylover53@sfhe.cjb.net), May 30, 2003.

FATHER BRUSHER, A HISTORY TEACHER AT SANTA CLARA BEFORE HIS DEATH WROTE ABOUT PETER YORKE, AN EARLY SAN FRANCISCO PRIEST. YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO FIND HIS BOOK IN THE LIBRARY AT SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY.

IF ANYONE KNEW ABOUT FATHER YORKE IT WAS FATHER BRUSHER. HE ENCOURAGED ME TO WRITE THE THESIS ON FATHER YORKE'S DAYS IN SAN FRANCISCO AND IT WAS A FASCINATING TASK. AFTER FATHER BRUSHER'S CLASS AND THE RESEARCH I WAS REQUIRED TO DO, I FELT THAT I KNEW THIS MAN PERSONALLY.

-- AGATHA ANN FARRELL (agathaafarrell@aol.com), January 03, 2004.

Well, there is a York Street in the City but I have no knowledge of how it was named. It is in the South of Market area, near Franklin Square and runs north south. There was only one Father Yorke in San Francisco, and he did many things to help members of society.

I am a fourth generation San Franciscan, and am a cousin of father Peter Christopher Yorke. My family has many stories about him and he was a priest at Saint Peters in the city, while my grandfather attended that school. That was around the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. There is a Peter C. Yorke Way in San Francisco. The Archdiocese of San Francisco is located at 1 Peter C. Yorke Way, which is located near Geary Blvd and Post street.

-- Thomas Harold Whiteley (tomwhiteley2@comcast.net), April 24, 2004.

I am the great grandaughter of Bill Yorke an elder brother of Father Peter Yorke. The Yorkes were Dutch back in the 16th century, who spelled their name Jorke, but this changed when they came to Ireland. Christopher Yorke, Peter's grandfather first came to Galway in the early 19th century. Peter was the youngest son of Captain Gregory Yorke and Brigid, whose maiden name was Kelly. My Great Grandfather came to New Zealand in 1876

-- Tracey Yorke (burtenshaw8@hotmail.com), June 19, 2004.