John Connolly : Short Biography

Comments

Is John Connolly related in any way to Fritz Connolly/Connelly from Clifden, County Galway? 

Lisa Mojica

Thursday 20th June 2019 05:24PM

Lisa, we were in Clifden just a month ago wandering around town for a few days and doing a bit of geneaology/family history.

Written family history says John's parents were Thomas and Homora Joyce Connolly/Conneely. That history also says John is the only one of 9 children to survive and that the other 8 died between the ages of 4 and 7. We know nothing about those siblings. He left Clifden at age 11 in 1844 accompanied by what we believe was a 16-year old cousin, Peter Connolly/Conneely. They arrived in New York City and both went to work for the railroad. They're located in New Hampshire in the 1850 census as a railroad workers along with several hundred other Irish men. John is in Tennessee in 1860 where he's working on the railroad along with a number of others who later settle in the same community he does after the Civil War. He winds up in what's now Randolph County, West Virginia near the Irish community of Kingsville. There are many from Clifden and their children buried with him in St. Vincent's Cemetery and many others from Clifden buried in the near-by town of Elkins.

The name Fritz is not found in any family information we have, but it could be he's related to Thomas. We have nothing definitive about where Thomas and Honora were before coming to Clifden, probably in the mid-late 1820s, anything about their pedigrees, nor when and where they died. We suspect they were married in 1825 in Ballindoon Parish, but lack proof.

Tell me about Fritz.

Paul

Thursday 20th June 2019 06:14PM

Paul,

Thank you for providing the information on John Connolly.  

 

Unfortunately, I don't know too much about Fritz Connolly/Connelly. I will share what I know.  

 

Fritz Connolly married Catherine Walsh. I do not know their dates of birth.  They were my 3x great grandparents.

They had a daughter named Anna Connolly/Connelly in or about 1860/1861 in Clifden, County Galway, Ireland.  

 

In 1880 Anna married John Mannion who was born 22 Jun 1858, Clifden, County Galway, Ireland.

 

John and Anna had three children in Ireland and four more in Carnegie, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. 

 

The three children born in Ireland were Delia aka Bridgette, born in 1881; Annie, born in 1882 and my great grandmother Catherine "Katie" Agnes Mannion/Manion who was born 8 Feb 1884, Foorglass, Ballynahinch, Ballindoon, Clifden County Galway, Ireland. According to the 1900 US Census Record Katie arrived in the Unites States 1888.  On January 15, 1906 in Mahoning, Ohio she married Homer Bowes Williams. By the 1910 US Census they are living in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania where she will reside until her death in 1958. 

 

My goal is to find more information on Fritz Connolly and Catherine Walsh. 

 

Thank you,

 

Lisa 

Lisa Mojica

Friday 21st June 2019 07:08PM

Hi
I am writing from Australia. My mother was a connolly. Her grandfather was John Bourne Connolly abt 1838]1840-1897, born Ireland , died Sydney. His father I think is John Bruce Connolly, Galway and that is all I know about him except that his wife Ann Joyce. From my ancestry DNA I have some US \Connolly connection as well.
Would love to know abt John Bruce and Ann. bankart22@hotmail.com
David Kennedy Sydney

D Mclean

Sunday 21st July 2019 08:18PM