Reynolds from Ballynahowna

Kevin:

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Roger McDonnell

THE REYNOLDS ANCESTORS FROM CO SLIGO

MARTIN REYNOLDS AND NAN KIELY. Our Great-great Grandparents were Martin Reynolds and Nan Kiely. Martin “Renils” is listed at Ballynahowna in the 1824 Tithe Applotment Book for County Sligo. Their one known child was Michael Reynolds. Michael’s age was given as 72 at the time of the 1901 Census although his death certificate indicates he could actually have been aged 68. His occupation was listed as “FARMER”.

MR HART AND HONOR CONWAY. Our other Sligo Great-great Grandparents were Mr Hart and Honor Conway. Their one known child was Bridget (Beezy) Hart. Bridget was aged 65 at the time of the 1901 Census.

MICHAEL REYNOLDS AND BRIDGET (BEEZY) HART of Ballynahowna (or Ballinahowna), Parish of Kilmacshalgan, Dromore West, Co Sligo, Ireland. Our Great Grandparents were Michael Reynolds, the son of Martin Reynolds and Nan Kiely of Co Sligo, and Bridget (Beezy) Hart, the daughter of a Mr Hart and Honor Conway. Michael died on 1 Apr 1909 at the age of 76 and Beezy died on 15 Jan 1919 at the age of 83. (Death Certificates held by Kevin McKenna). Details of the family are recorded in the 1901 Census.

The farm at Ballynahowna (or Ballinahowna) that Michael farmed is still in the hands of the Reynolds family - Michael-Joe and Eileen Reynolds and their family live there. The cottage that Michael and Beezy raised their children, including my grandmother Bridget (or Agnes as she chose to call herself in NZ), is still standing and I saw and photographed it in April 1997.

MICHAEL REYNOLDS AND BRIDGET HART HAD AT LEAST 7 CHILDREN:

Name                                                   Baptised          Sponsors                                                  Died
Anne Reynolds 1                                 1856                                                                                 1936
Bridget (Agnes) Reynolds 2              1/1/1866                                                                          23/9/1945 My Grandmother (died in New Zealand)
James Reynolds 3    8/5/1868          12/8/1926
Honor Reynolds 4            
Sarah Reynolds 5                             23/11/1873    Patrick Gordon/Mary McDonald    
Margaret Reynolds 6                        21/3/1876      Patrick Kealy/Anna Reynolds    
Jane Reynolds 7                             16/8/1870       Michael Million/Ellen Carty    

Notes
1.    Information from Bernard Ryan, Wairoa, New Zealand. Anne came to NZ as Mrs Michael Flanelly
2.    I have a birth certificate for Bridget from the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Sligo
3.    Date of birth obtained from Michael-Joe Reynolds of Ballynahowna (or Ballinahowna) in 1997
4.    The existence of Honor(Mrs Hannan?) has come from Kath Owen who remembers her mother talking about her sister
5.    Birth details from the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Sligo
6.    Birth details from the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Sligo
7.    Birth details from the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Sligo

ANNE REYNOLDS In 2001 I received an email from Chris Kennedy of New York (see Thomas Reynolds below). Chris wondered if I know of a man from New Zealand named Bernard Ryan? He said that Bernard's Great-grandmother was a woman named Ann Reynolds who came from Sligo and married a man named Michael Flannelly. What Chris thought strange was the fact that this Ann Reynolds mother was named Hart. Bernard had been told the family came from Balladona, Sligo but was never really sure. I thought there might be a possible connection? Chris put me in touch with Bernard. With some sharing of information we confirmed that his Great-grandmotherand Ann Flannelly nee Reynolds, was indeed my Grandmother's sister, and that a photo I had was of my gandmotherr and her sister Ann, taken not long after Bridget arrived in New Zealand  I guess that Ann had come to New Zealand some time earlier. Ann was married to Michael Flannelly  and they had five children.

BRIDGET REYNOLDS Bridget (or Agnes as she was known in NZ) left Ballynahowna (or Ballinahowna), Co Sligo, Ireland and sailed for NZ in February 1887 on the "ARAWA". The trip took 6 weeks and called at Tenerife, Capetown, Hobart and Wellington to Christchurch where she disembarked. She paid a fare of 16 pounds of which she provided 10 pounds and the (NZ?) government 6 pounds. I have a copy of the ship's passenger list with her name on it showing she was in Cabin 17 which she shared with Annie Breen, Bridget Doherty, Eliza Hannaford, Catherine Moroney, Elizabeth Russell, Selina Walker, Sarah Wilson and Emma Wofforn. Her age is shown as 20 and her occupation as "Domestic Servant". I also have a copy of the Surgeon's Report of the "Arawa" arriving in Wellington on 11 April 1887 - Bridget’s voyage- (Archives Ref: Im 5/4/43, No.581), Bridget married Edward McKenna from Co Clare in Patea New Zealand on 12 February 1895. They had 10 children, my father John Alphonsus Stuart McKenna being the youngest.

JAMES REYNOLDS was the grandfather of Michael Joe Reybolds whom I met with his wife Eileen and children when I visited Sligo in 1997. James and Belinda had three children. Only Michael Joe's details are held. James inherited the farm from his father and married Bridget (Belinda) Thornton. They had 9 children: (Information from Michael-Joe Reynolds, Ballynahowna, Co Sligo and Eileen Kennedy, New York)

Name                                                   Born                         Sponsors                 Died
James Reynolds                                  30/9/1906                                                 31/3/1953 (father of Michael-Joe Reynolds)
Henry Reynolds                                                                                                   28/8/1953
Patrick (Paddy) Reynolds                                                                                    20/4/1954
Margaret Reynolds                                                                                             18/3/1997
Joe Reynolds                                                                                                     ??/3/1976
Mai Reynolds        
Thomas Ignatius Reynolds               5/1/1913                                                    10/7/1957
John Reynolds                                 5/1/1919                                                     13/11/1997
Peter Reynolds                               24/3/1921                                                     3/3/1999

THOMAS IGNATIUS REYNOLDS went to the US and served in WWII as a Tail Gunner in the 15th Airborne Division  He married Margaret Ann Brady Nee Murray (her father was Michael J Murray of Culleens, Co Sligo)., a war widow with 4 daughters in 1947. Tommy and Margaret had no children. I have had contact with Margaret's daughter Eileen Kennedy and her son Chris Kennedy, both from New York, USA.

PATRICK (PADDY) REYNOLDS had a family of four. No other details known.

HENRY REYNOLDS worked and died in the USA. He served in the US Armed Forces in World War II.

MARGARET REYNOLDS spent most of her adult life in the USA, but went to live with a niece (perhaps a child of Paddy's) in her later life. Her brother John buried her in the same cemetery (Easkey) as her father James is buried. Margaret was unmarried.

JOE REYNOLDS had two children.

MAI REYNOLDS lived in Ireland and had a family of four.

JOHN REYNOLDS was unmarried. He lived next door to Michael Joe and Eileen Reynolds, their houses separated by the original cottage in which my grandmother Bridget (Agnes) McKenna and James and their brothers and sisters grew up. I met the very gentlemanly John on my visit to Ballynahowna in April 1997. His first words when I introduced myself were "Joe McKenna was here". John had remembered my Uncle Joe McKenna's visit in the 1950's. John died on 13 November 1997, a few months after our visit to his cottage.

PETER REYNOLDS had lived and worked in England. He married Hannah Fkynn and they had four children - John James Reynolds b. 16 Jan 1952; Peter Anthony Reynolds b 1 Apr 1953; . Bridget Philomena Reynolds b 16 Oct 1954; Catherine Patricia Reynolds b 29 Dec 1962.. Peter went back to Ireland when is wife died, and  lived with his daughter Philomena  until he died in Ireland on 3 Mar 1999 aged 79 years Information from Peter’s daughter Philomena in 2002 and 2003.

Hi Kevin, I think Bridget may have been the mother/sister of my great great grandmother Sarah Reynolds. Emma McGuinness 

Hi Emma. I am so sorry as I have only just seen your message regarding Sarah Reynolds.

I have Sarah Reynolds married to Thomas Connaughton and the names of 7 children from their marriage. One is a Sarah Connaughton.

I have had a contact from a descendant of a sister of Sarah Connaughton. - Celia Connaughton baptised/born in 1911. Celia Connaughton married a man called Langdon. A child from this marriage, Margaret Langdon, contacted m,e a few years ago and we exchanged messages at My Heritage.

My email address is kmckenna@inspire.net.nz.

Hope you receive this and can email me or message me here

Regards

Kevin