BIRTH NAME: John McConnell
BIRTH: 1827 06 Ireland (Newry in County Down ?)
FATHER: unknown
MOTHER: unknown
SIBLINGS: unknown
MARRIAGE: unknown, prob New York
SPOUSE: Jane [mnu] b. abt 1827 County Down, Ireland
CHILDREN: James McConnell
John [W] McConnell
Hugh McConnell
William McConnell
Jane McConnell [called "Jennie"]
VOCATION: Brick & Stone Mason
MILITARY: none known
RELIGION: Roman Catholic ? uncertain
DEATH: 1917 03 14 [Ohio Deaths Index]
OTHER: Immigrated to NY from Ireland 1850; in Ohio from 1856 onward
This biographical narrative is based primarily on information from censuses of the United States
in the years 1860 through 1910. Other information is from a variety of old records but choices
have been made in the absence of definitive evidence. For example, in 1850, which is the year John
said he emigrated from Ireland to America [census 1900], there are five men named John McConnell
who were born about 1827 who were immigrant passengers to New York. Only one of them gave his
origin as Newry, County Down, Ireland where we believe John was born.
His wife Jane was born about 1837 in County Down, Ireland [newspaper obituary] or 1831-34 according
to cnesus entries in 1860, 1870 and 1880. A Jane Shannon of the right age made the voyage from
Ireland also in 1850. In the period in which they were born and lived in Ireland it was part of
the British Grand Union, today known as Northern Ireland. There is also a town, rural area
actually, Newry, Wicklow County, in the modern Republic of Ireland. A search for Newry, Ireland
will turn up the wrong place. A search for Newry, UK yields the one in County Down.
They left Ireland at about the height of the potato famine which engulfed the island, along with
agrarian crisis throughout much of Europe. In addition to the famime, Roman Catholics in Ulster
were heavily persecuted under British rule but we do not have evidence that they were Catholics.
What little info we have shows them interred at cedar Hill Cemetery in Newark, not a Catholic
burial ground, and the marriage between granddaughter Jennie and Albert O'Neill was performed
by a priest at Blessed Sacrament Church in Newark, announced in the newspaper months later.
[ Albert's son Bernard O'Neill married a Lutheran in the priest's rectory rather than a church
wedding prohibited by the Roman church. ]
John and Jane had two children born in New York; sons James 1852 and John 1854.
There is no online record of a marriage.
There could be a marriage rcord in New York which has not turned up via internet searching and
would require a visit to scour records from the era.
They moved from new York to Ohio before 1857 when third child, son Hugh McConnell, was born. The
1860 census places the family on East main Street in Newark, Licking County, Ohio. John gave his
occupation as farmer. Possibly there are land records in Licking County which we might some day
find.
We have no explanation for why John and Jane went to Newark, Ohio. McConnells were in Ohio as early
as the 1820 census and probably before but Ohio was not yet a state at the time of the 1810 census.
Hannah McConnell was present in Licking County in 1830. By the 1850 census there were nine
McConnells in Licking County. No research on the other McConnells has been conducted so it is not
known to us if John was related to any McConnell already in Ohio. If a link were to be established
it might be surmised that John was drawn to where he had relatives.
The top map at right shows the location of County Down in Northern Ireland. The center map shows
location of Newry in County Down, UK. The bottom map shows the Google Earth view of the port city
of Newry from which John McConnell sailed in 1850 aboard the "Marchioness of Bute".
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John McConnel highlighted in blue has the best match
for our John. The passenger lists reveal no John McConnells born in 1827 who arrived in New York
in 1850. The birth year 1828 is an estimate. Actually, the ship arrived May 15. John was born in
June 1827 making him still age 22 when the passenger list was written. Had he arrived in July 1850
he would have been age 23 and the estimated birth year would read 1827. This is our John.
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Exact Search Results - New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
You searched for John Mccon* born in 1828 Refine your search
Name Arrival Estimated Port of Departure Ship Name
Date Birth Year
John McConnel 15 Jul 1850 abt 1828 Liverpool, England St George
John McConnel 7 Nov 1850 abt 1830 Bristol, England Zareton
John McConnell 15 May 1850 abt 1828 Newry, Ireland Marchioness of Bute
John McConnell 24 Apr 1850 abt 1828 Glasgow, Scotland Mary Morris
John McConnell 25 Nov 1850 abt 1829 Liverpool, England James Wright
New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
Name: John McConnell
Arrival Date: 15 May 1850
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1828
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Newry, Ireland
Ship Name: Marchioness of Bute
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Line: 38
Microfilm Serial: M237
Microfilm Roll: M237_88
List Number: 346
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Jane is more challemging. At present there is no way to identify
spouse Jane. Her obituary in the Newark Advocate November 20, 1889 page 4 states that she was
62 years of age; therefore, she was born in 1827 unless born in December 1826 and not yet turned 63.
It also states she was born in county Down, Ireland and came this country about forty years ago making
her immingration arrival 1849 more or less.
Extensive searching using JANE with open surname field, birth in Ireland abt 1827,
immigration from Ireland, turned up hundreds of Janes. Because John's wife was born in County Down, which
is where the port city of Newry is, search was narrowed to departure from Newry.
The seven Janes listed below fit the criteria.
Name Arrival Date Age Gender Port of Departure Place of Origin Ship / [NY Marriages 1840-60]
1 - Jane Adams Dec 20, 1849 23 F Newry, Ireland Ireland Janet [4 not to McConnell]
2 - Jane Cahill Aug 14, 1849 21 F Newry Ireland Marchioness [none]
3 - Eliza Jane Convery Oct 8, 1849 22 F Newry, Ireland Ireland Brothers [none]
4 - Jane Kennedy Oct 8, 1849 21 F Newry, Ireland Ireland Brothers [1 not to McConnell]
5 - Jane Shanes May 31, 1849 21 F Newry, Ireland Ireland Brothers [none]
6 - Jane Quinn May 15, 1852 24 F Newry, Ireland Ireland Brothers [1 not to McConnell]
7 - Jane Feris Jun 3, 1851 24 F Newry, Ireland Ireland Brothers [none]
Numbers 1, 4 and 6 married in New York to someone not named McConnell or similar in any form.
No. 2 Jane Cahill meets criteria except may be a year younger.
No. 3 Jane Convery meets the criterai in the obituary. But, her first name is Eliza, a name which does not
appear for any of Jane McConnell's descendants.
No. 5 Jane Shanes is closest on age, arrival and origin.
No. 7 Jane Feris is closest on age but arrival is less than forty years before death, yet early enough to
have married and given birth to son James in 1852.
Unless and until more information comes to light, these four are all candidates for John's spouse. It is
unfortunate for our research that Jane McConnell did not live until the 1900 census. In that year the
month and year of birth as well as immigration year was enumerated. That data would help narrow the choice.
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