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This is a family riddled with secrets caused by my 4th grgf. My gr, aunt Florence who documented our history lived in the home as a child with Sylvester, Margaret, their first born son Frederick Conley, her mother and siblings. She being the eldest dau. looked after her grandparents and were very close. She documented their stories. On her 70th birthday she presented the family with a genealogical booklet, which she had been working on upon her retirement from the Cuyahoga Co. School District. I have no doubt my gr. aunt documented them correctly, as told. I have taken up her torch and have learned that there are more secrets to unvail and it starts with 4th grgf.

Looking for:

4th grgf. Lord Laurence (Lawrence) (Byram (?) or Byron) Connolly (Conley) b. 11 Jun 1793 emigrated from Co. Cork  Birth date may not be correct. It was found on death cert. from Madoc, Ontario, Canada. Canadian census age range from 1791-1794. 

Explanation of name:

Name in parenthesis, except for middle, is how name is transcribed in Canada. 

"Laurence," spelling found on his grandsons baptism along with his son Jr's. given name spelling.

Byron is found on my side of the family as a middle name.

Byram is the surname of 8th grgf. Doctor Nicholas Byram b.1610 Eynesford, Kent, Eng.  Byram is found in the lineage of my gm. Ermina Katherine Eastman Conley. A branch of her family during 4th grgf. arrival owned lumber mills in Vermont. Although he was born in Kent, shortly after his birth f., who is described as a "English gentleman," removed to Ireland. Nicholas was raised in Ireland until age 16. Branches of this family are found where Laurence Sr. lived in the states. Could this be an allied family, mothers maiden name or nothing at all? Refn.: Paine ancestry. The family of Robert Treat Paine, signer of the Declaration of Independence, including maternal lines, by Paine, Sarah Cushing, b. 1838; Pope, Charles Henry, 1841-1918 [96p.] https://archive.org/details/paineancestryfam00pain/page/94/mode/2up?q=B…

Ancestry and descendants of Samuel Bartlett and Lucy Jenkins, by Sumner, Edith Bartlett, b. 1882. [28p.] https://archive.org/details/ancestrydescenda00sumn/page/28/mode/2up?q=B…+

"Connolly" folklore told by descendants of his 2nd m. in Canada.

Banished from Ireland: abt. 1814 to USA. Banished for being a rake by his peers. 

My lineage descends from first born son in the USA. We knew of origin but family of 2nd marriage in Canada did not. We did not know of title or banishment. That was discovered upon gr. aunts research visit to Cork in 1968, before copy machines and cell phones. We have no references or documentation.

Occupation in the states:  Maritime; lumber schooner capt.

Religion found on Canadian census: 1851 P; 1861 FC (Scottish terminology); 1871 C Presb.;Death certificate list denomination as "none." His wives religion: 1.Christina Eaman and 2. Mary Jane Rupert were both Dutch Reformed.

DNA: Along with family events proves he had a brother named James Conley b. 1795 Leap, Co. Cork according to The Heritage years: a history of Stirling and district https://archive.org/details/localhistory_2mt/page/n335/mode/2up

Combining ethnicity of family DNA matches for Laurence Sr. we were all Scottish and Swedish, Irish was not consistent. Not sure 4th grgf. was born in Cork or Scotland. If he was born in Cork he may be first generation.

Other families from Cork lineage:  3rd grgf. Timothy Sheehan b. 1798 Schull East, Co. Cork, Ireland, d. 1861 Oswego, NY, occupation sailor, m. Mary Donovan bpt. 1 Aug 1820 Lisgoold, Co. Cork, Ireland, d. 1878 Oswego, NY. They are found in Diocese: Cork and Ross after the birth of their first son Jeremiah b.1836. Their dau. Maragret Sheehan m. Sylvester Conley, grandson of Laurence in 1864. Based on family events before during and after the marriage, Margaret's mother, Mary did not approve of marriage.

Lastly surname Deane is also found in gm Eastman's lineage, Co. Cork, as a timber merchants in Vermont upon Laurence Sr.'s arrival and 1st. wife to grandson David Henry Conley, son of Laurence Jr. Reference on Deane family in Co. Cork is found in Brief Memoirs of John and Walter Deane, two of the first settlers in Taunton, Massachusetts, and of the early generations of their descendants, by, Deane, William, Reed, 1809-1871. [5p.] Moses Deane, the ancestor of the present Lord Muskerry of Springfield Castle, County Limerick, Ireland, resided in the beginning of the 17th century “ in the vicinity of Taunton,” Somersetshire, England, “ where the Deanes had lived for centuries.”** His son, Matthew Deane, settled in Ireland, “ near the time of Cromwell,” |t which would be soon after John and Walter Deane, also from the vicinity of Taunton, came to this country. He purchased large estates in Dromore, County Cork, and was created a Baronet by Queen Anne. He died Jan. 10, 1710, aged 84. The Hon. Sir Matthew Fitzmaurice Deane, the present Lord Muskerry, is his great-great- great-grandson.^ There are now in the possession of Lord Muskerry at Springfield Castle the portraits of his ancestors, Moses Deane and his wife, “ dressed in the style of covenanters.” Walter Deane is my 8th grgf. Could the Deane's be an allied family and they are why 4th grgf came to Vermont?

Being American and ignorant of titles, where to search for them and what they even mean. I have tried and got lost with all who carry the title of lord. I listed the above names Byram and Deane since I know them to be titled families in Ireland and found in VT. where Laurence settled in the USA. Do not know if they are associated with 4th grgf or a coincidence? My gr. aunt's research did not find birth, christening or any hint that he was born their. Folklore could of assumed he was born in Cork since he emigrated from there. The only proof of his existence are in the courts. Honestly, what has been uncovered, the half truths during the 4th, 3rd and 2nd generation on my side of the blanket, I am expecting it. Finding his brother James and his knod to Leap, Co. Cork was encouraging until I discovered Leap was a refuge for political upstarts during 4th grgf. time. So was Leap a fact or an amusing misdirect? James' dau. death cert. claims he was born in Albany, NY. There was no 1795 birth cert. found in the USA from Albany. James' birth year has been consistent on documents.

I need help.....I can do the research someome just please point me in the right direction

Thanks for reading, Pam

 

 

Pam

Tuesday 29th Dec 2020, 12:56AM

Message Board Replies

  • Hi Pam, I have contacted a volunteer who maybe able to help, 

    Denise, IrelandXO

    IrelandXO Moderator DC

    Tuesday 25th May 2021, 05:22PM
  • Pam:

    First of all I have to commend you and your great-aunt for the thorough research conducted on your family. I'm not sure I will be able to add to your research.

    It appears from your message that Laurence was likely not Roman Catholic. I'm not aware of sites that would have records back to the 1790s for non-RC churches. You also mention that Laurence may have been born in either Cork or Scotland. I'm not knowledgeable on Scottish resources but ScotlandsPeople is one site that may be helpful.

    https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwhr2FBhDbARIsACjwLo2bX…

    You also mention James Connolly.

    As you likely know, the free site www.irishgenealogy.ie has mainly RC records for the parishes in the Diocese of Cork and Ross. These parishes are mainly in the south and west of Co. Cork. The parishes to the north and east are in the Diocese of Cloyne and those records are only available on subscription sites like Roots Ireland, Ancestry and FindMyPast. You mention that James Connolly may have been from Leap and if he was RC then the home parish would have been Skibbereen where records start in 1814 and are on www.irishgenealogy.ie  and too late for your interests.

    I looked at the Tithe listings from the 1820s for Kilmacabea civil parish where Leap is located and did not find any Connolly records.

    The 1852 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Kilmacabea parish  showed 16 Connolly households so the surname was certainly prominent in the area.  https://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/cork/kilmacabea.htm

    Let me know if you have any questions.

    Roger McDonnell

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Thursday 27th May 2021, 04:03PM
  • Denise and Roger,

    Thank you both so very much for your assistance. Roger, I appreciate your suggestion immensely. I am coming up empty on any information on Laurence Sr. as of late, the man was crafty. 

    After discovering Ireland xo and reading members’ research techniques, started a DNA search in the Munster region.  My DNA has already narrowed my search quite a bit in Ireland since it is Munster and Dingle Peninsula specific. Focused my GEDMatch on the Kerry and Cork genealogical sites. 

    These sites have brought me to verify that I have the correct Sheehan clan, however I have not found a DNA connection to the Donovan’s or Conley’s. I thought if I approached the families who obviously knew Sr. from Cork it may lead me to him. 

    The Griffith Valuation: I found these maps prior;

    https://connolly.dnagen.org/records/irelandgriffiths/connollymap.html  

    http://sites.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/ihm/barony-map-munster.htm

    I was encouraged to discover the rootsweb map since the only Barony which logically connected my Scottish heritage was Carbury in Sligo Co. The Carbury (Carbery) regions the map includes are the ones which all my Irish family lived around the late 1700’s.

    Your Scottish website brought me to Argyll, Scotland. Family  Scottish surnames in the vicinity to Carbury Barony in Sligo Co. to Argyll family members start to connect.

    Southend of Argyll Scotland, Refn. Southend, Argyll wikipedia, “used mainly for farming and forestry.” Upon Sr.’s arrival to the states his occupation was in lumber. In addition found  Wright’s who married a grandson of Sr. in Ca. 

    North Argyll I find more of my scottish family Douglas, Sinclair, Thomson (Thomson illegitimate Stewart) and Ross clans. 

    Griffith Valuation revealed Conley‘s were the guardians to the O’Donovan clan. This fact leads me to wonder if there was a personal insult with Sr. to my 3rd grgm Mary (Donovan) Sheehan’s clan. There is no doubt that all ties were cut to Margaret Sheehan Conley upon marrying Sylvester, Laurence’s grandson. Does the slight have something to do with the trial and banishment or something else? 

    • Refn. Wikipedia Carbery Barony; Name and founding seeds of the later Carbery kingdom began to develop in the 13th century. At 1200, the Uí Chairbre were primarily composed of and ruled by the Uí Donnobhains (now O'Donovans), 

    • Great O'Donovane, as the Irish call him, whose father was a most notorious Rebel, doth much spoyle about the Leape, Castlehevane, Bantry, Rosscarbery and divers other places, his father burnt the Town of Rosse down, Refn. Vigors, by Reverend Urban Vigors, [p.303]

    • This is now two references to Leap, Cork, Ireland 1. James Conley b. Leap; 2. Donovan’s, although need further research to connect Great O'Donovane to mine.

    James Conley and RC parishes would probably of not revealed anything since he was Wesleyan Methodist in Ca. To further connect Sr. to James, Laurence Jr.’s son Laurence was baptised Wesleyan Methodist, the church James attended. The Conley’s were definitely not Catholic although they did not restrict their marriages to their faith. 

    This leads me back to my grau Florence's only discovery with Sr. in Cork. We both searched church documents so the only clue is in the trial documents. Do you know where I can find Cork court documents dating 1813-1814? She read them and said they were rather sensationalized and if it was tried today (1968) he would have been found not guilty. She did not think of a man capable of all the carnal activity in a day that was claimed upon him although she never attended a college spring break in Florida.  I on the other hand want the names of the players in the trial. These facts I believe will lead to origin.  Do you know of any websites that may have the trial information?

    Thank you both again for all your help! Pam

     

    Pam

    Thursday 3rd Jun 2021, 04:40PM
  • Pam:

    I use a subscription site FindMyPast.ie  to look for court records. I just looked and did not see any court records in Co. Cork back to 1813.

    Maybe another site might have earlier info.

    Roger

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Saturday 5th Jun 2021, 04:25PM

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