James Connell : Short Biography

My family originated from the County of Galway, moving eventually to Yorkshire, to Allerton Bywater where Mining was central to the Community.

The 1901 census shows ‘Catherine Connell’ (age 65) living with her husband James (age 65) in the townland of Addergole Beg, civil parish of Dunmore, Co. Galway. Also, resident in the house on the night of the census were the couple’s children, Michael (age 18) and Mary (age 16). James Connell’s occupation is ‘farmer’, while Catherine’s is not recorded. Neither James nor Catherine could read, though their children were recorded as being able to read and write. All four state that they were born in Co. Galway. A summary of the return is shown below:

• James Connell Head of family RC 49 Farmer

• Catherine Connell Wife RC 49

• Michael Connell Son RC 18 Farmer’s Son

• Mary Connell Daughter RC 16 Farmer’s Daughter

In 1901 the family lived in house no. 11 in Addergoole Beg, situated between the villages of Garrafrauns and Dunmore.

The townland was small, comprising about 160 acres and accommodated a total of 12 families in 1901. The family were on a par with their neighbours in terms of relative wealth. The family lived in a house with walls of ‘brick, stone or concrete’  and the house was the same as all of the neighbours in that it was constructed from ‘thatch, wood or other perishable material’. The Connell household had between ‘2 and 4 rooms’ and two front windows, again like their neighbours. Overall, the house was categorised as a house of the 3rd class. James Connell was the recorded landowner on whose holding the house was situated

Ten years later, the family are still living in the same house, this time recorded by the enumerator as house no. 6. James and Catherine are now aged 75 and 74 respectively. Their unmarried son Michael aged 37 was living with them. James and Michael are still recorded as farmers.

In the 1911 census, it appeared at the time of the census (April 1911), James and Catherine had been married 40 years. The census confirmed the number of children born alive and those still living were 5 born, 4 living.

In 1911 the family were no longer doing as well as their neighbours. Their house stood as the only 3rd class house in the townland. Their home remained thatched with only 2 front windows. James Connell still owned the land and their holdings were supplemented by a cow house; a building central to their farming life. Theirs was one of the lowest outbuilding number however, most neighbours having been two or three out-houses on their plots.

Catherine’s was born according to census information between 1836-1837 in Co. Galway. As she was born prior to 1864, the year in which it becomes law in Ireland to register all births, marriages and deaths, she will not have a birth record. However, the census records show she is married.

A search shows she married James Connell on 12 February 1866 at the parish church in Dunmore, Co. Galway. Fr Geraghty was the recorded celebrant and the event was witnessed by Martin Connell and Honor (Nora) Connell, possibly siblings or close relations of the bride and groom. Neither could read or write but placed their ‘mark’ on the record. James Connell was of full age at the time of the marriage (over 21) but Catherine was a ‘minor’ (age 20 or under). James Connell’s father was named John, a landholder, and deceased by the time of the marriage, while Catherine’s father was also recorded as John Connell, and owned land. Both James and Catherine were living in Addergool at the time of their marriage, and as a wedding would usually take place in the home parish of the bride, this leads me to believe that Catherine was a local girl from the townland, probably someone James knew all his life.

Using the additional information from the marriage record, a search was conducted for the baptism in Galway for a child Catherine or Kate born to a father John Connell in 1840 +/- 5 years. The focus remained on the parish of Dunmore as this is where the adult Catherine married. The civil parish of Dunmore corresponds to the Roman Catholic parish of Dunmore, where records start in March 1833 for baptisms and marriages. There are gaps however in these registers between March 1846 and December 1847 (the height of the Great Famine) and October 1859 and September 1877 for baptisms, and September 1860 and January 1861 for marriages.

Original church baptism record for Catherine Connell 27 January 1842.  The only baptism record for a child named Catherine born to a father John in the parish of Dunmore 1835-1845 was for 27 January 1842. This search puts the range within that identified on the census for the period 1836-1837 but places the actual baptism date outside that range by 5-6 years. The recorded mother of this child was Brigit Mannion and the family lived at ‘Clonfean’. This townland is adjacent to Addergoole Beg.

Other possible children born to this couple included:

• James baptised on 28 April 1838, sponsors Pat Conalty and Brigit Toole.

• Judith Connell baptised 25 February 1845. sponsors are Martin Connell and Brigit Lyons.

Given the gap in ages between James 1838, Catherine 1842 and Judith 1845, there may have been other children born to this couple. Church marriage records show that a John Connell and Bridget Mannion married in Dunmore RC Church on 12 October 1837. At that time, if the above baptism information is correct, Bridget would have been 6 months pregnant. Witnesses to the marriage were Martin Kirwan and Mary Hanly. There is no baptism record for her (or for her husband John Connell) as baptisms for Dunmore begin in 1833. Assuming a marriage age of at least 21, Bridget Mannion was born c. 1816 though probably slightly earlier. She does not appear in Dunmore for the 1901 census so must be deceased by that time. A search in the registration district of Tuam located one relevant death record for a Bridget Connell.  Bridget, a widow, died on 5 February 1891 at her home in Addergoole. She was aged 80 and her daughter Kate Connell was present at her death. This provides an approximate year of birth as 1811.

The major question surrounding Catherine stems from the various date ranges available for her birth year. The above baptism refers to 1842 though the census points to 1836-1837. I do not know her age at marriage, but presumably even though a minor, she was at least 18-20 giving a possible birth year of 1846-1848.

There is only one relevant civil death record for Catherine Connell in Dunmore. She dies on 18 November 1942 aged 104 years. Her grand-daughter Mary is present at her death. This age of death adds another dimension to the possible birth year of Catherine as 1838. Catherine died at her home in Addergoole, Dunmore. All this information indicates that Catherine didn’t know her true age and like many of the time changed the details to suit the document in question.

James Connell died on 21 May 1913 at Addergoole. James Connell,has proved elusive with Birth, though his father was named John in Dunmore parish, there is another Connell family living in Addergoole at this time, a daughter Mary is baptised on 4 July 1835, potentially the sister of James. The sponsors to the baptism are Patrick Miskell and Honor Connell. This is the only baptism located for children born to this couple John Connell and Mary Meade.

These parents do not have a marriage record, so they were either married in Dunmore prior to 1833 before records begin, or in another parish and at a time that predates marriage records there too.

The children of James and Catherine Connell are known to be five in total; Patrick, John, James, Michael and Mary. All the children were born in Addergoole Beg.  

• Patrick was born on 29 February 1871 and his mother Catherine registered his birth on 3 March.

• John was born on 2 January 1875; his birth was registered by his father James on 5 February.

• James was born on 26 February 1877 and Catherine registered his birth on 23 March.

• Michael was born on 24 October 1879; his birth was registered by Catherine on 5 December.

• Finally, Mary was born on 26 October 1884.

By 1911 Catherine Connell has recorded the death of one of her children. It is not clear which child this refers to. It seems that Patrick Connell emigrated with his younger brother John Connell as both are visible on the census there. The 1911 Census of England shows a Patrick Connell (age 40) living with his brother John (age 35), wife Mary Julia and children Catherine, James, John and Thomas (my grand father) at 19 Bowers Allerton Bowers Allerton Woodledford Nr Leeds. The family live in a four-room house. Patrick and John record their place of birth as Dunmore, Co. Galway and both are working as colliery stokers.  This was Allerton Bywater Pit, which is now no longer there.

It is believed that John died sometime in late 1938. There is a death record at the GRO UK for a man of this name who died in the registration district of Tadcaster.

No further information could be located about Patrick Connell at this time.

On 27 January 1916, Michael Connell from Addergoole married Bridget Connell from the townland of ‘Dooray’, (probably meant to be Darray), Dunmore at the parish church in

The couple went on to have at least 2 children, daughters Mary born in November 1916 and Kate born in July 1918.3 It is likely that the above Mary is the granddaughter present at the death of Catherine Connell at Addergoole in 1942.

Michael is the last of the Connell sons to farm the land at Addergoole Beg. If the above detail in relation to Patrick and John Connell living in the UK is correct, it could be that the child to die prior to 1911 was in fact James Connell.  A record refers to a child, James Connell of Addergoole, Dunmore who died on 17 March 1877 aged 18 days.

Finally, in 1911 Mary Connell would have been aged 27. She is not recorded on that census living with her family in Addergoole, so she had married or moved away. No marriage or death record relevant to the search could be located.

It is clear that my family, Connell have deep-rooted connections to the parish extending back to the early 1800s.  I am looking for further information, help or possible existing living ancestors.