Thomas O'Connell, MD
Thomas O'Connell, MD,
of Rathkeale and Tralee,
born c.1735, Protestant.
Descendant of
Edward III.
He was
2nd cousin (through his mother) of
Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 1st Baronet.
See
wikitree
and
thepeerage.
He was educ Aberdeen. MD.
He mar 1stly to
--- Jeffcot and
had issue:
- 3 children, O'Connell.
Lived at one time at
Ballymacprior Lodge, Killorglin.
He mar 2ndly, pre-1777, to
Ellen Tuohy
[Catholic, born 1752].
They had a large number of children in a short time, and then he died.
The sons were raised as Protestants
and the daughters as Catholics.
"Thomas Connell"
is listed
in Limerick Chronicle,
13 Jan 1783,
as Surgeon to the First Munster
Provincial Regiment of Foot.
Thomas dies, 1785:
Will dated 9 July 1785.
He died Fri 26 Aug 1785, at Tralee.
Will pr 16 Mar 1786.
He left Ellen with young children.
The family was left in reduced circumstances.
Daniel O'Connell courted Mary in secret in 1800-1802,
and married her in secret in 1802,
since he knew his family would not approve
of him marrying a woman with no money.
Ellen mar 2ndly, 1803, to
Henry Blennerhassett.
Thomas
had issue by 2nd wife Ellen:
- Edward O'Connell,
bapt 28 Aug 1778.
Lieutenant in Royal Navy.
He died unmarried, 1808.
- Rickard O'Connell,
must be born 1779.
Captain in British Army.
He died 1832.
- Maurice O'Connell,
bapt 28 Aug 1780,
sp Thomas Chute and Maria Tuohy.
Bapt cert transcript is in Kerry BMD by Gerald O'Carroll.
He refers to "British Library, India and
Oriental Dept., Cadet Papers, L/Mil/9/107/206".
This must be
East India Company cadet papers.
Lieutenant
in HEICS.
He mar 2ndly, 1817, to Mary Mahony and had issue.
He died 1825.
She died 1862.
- Elizabeth O'Connell,
Betsy, or
Betsey.
She was
bapt 12 Aug 1777, Tralee RC church,
sp Nicholas Nelan
and Mary Tuohy.
See bapt image
from here.
See wikitree.
She mar 1792, Tralee, to James O'Connor [or James Connor]
and had issue.
See notice in
Freemans Journal, November 6, 1792, p.3.
- Mary O'Connell,
born 25 Sept 1778 in Tralee,
bapt 27 Sept 1778, Tralee RC church,
sp Steven Fagan
and Elizabeth Fitzmaurice.
See wikipedia
and wikitree.
She mar 1802 to Daniel O'Connell, "The Liberator"
and had issue.
- Catherine O'Connell.
She mar William Ford
[of Abbeyfeale, Co.Limerick].
She died at Abbeyfeale, think Fri 12 Oct 1838.
(Notice says "Friday last".
Think if it was Fri 19 Oct it would just say "Friday".)
See notice in
Tralee Mercury, Sat 20 Oct 1838.
William fl 1838.
- Anne Helena O'Connell.
Born probably after father's death on 26 Aug 1785.
She was
bapt "Ann Helen Connel", 28 Oct 1785,
Tralee RC church.
Maurice Rickard O'Connell
in a paper tree in
MS 47,336/2
lists another daughter, called Maria, who married Lalor, albeit with question marks.
This does not seem to make sense since there is already a daughter Mary.
Maurice Rickard O'Connell
notes that she is not mentioned by her "genealogical nephew"
Rev. Charles James O'Connor.
Though O'Connor does not seem to aim at any complete listing, and just lists the sons and Elizabeth and Mary.
However
Maurice Rickard O'Connell
drops the Lalor girl from his 1994 tree,
so it seems he changed his mind.
Anyway, for what it is worth, that earlier paper tree
has a possible daughter Maria, who must be older than Anne Helena:
- Maria O'Connell.
She mar --- Lalor.
[Burkes Irish, 1976]
does not have Maria, but
inserts an unnamed daughter (before Anne Helena) who married O'Mara.
Maurice Rickard O'Connell
also drops the Lalor girl from his 1994 tree in
MS 47,336/2,
and instead he includes the O'Mara girl:
- (dau) O'Connell.
She mar Patrick O'Mara and had issue.
"Thomas Connell"
listed in Limerick Chronicle,
13 Jan 1783,
as Surgeon to the First Munster
Provincial Regiment of Foot.
Death of Thomas O'Connell, MD.
From Limerick Chronicle,
Thur 1 Sept 1785.
Thomas O'Connell
among the O'Connell entries in
[Vicars' index of wills 1536-1810].
His will would be burnt in 1922.
There are also many "Connell" wills.
Ellen's 2nd husband Henry Blennerhassett
There has been some confusion about
Ellen's 2nd husband
Henry Blennerhassett.
He is not John Henry Blennerhassett:
He is called Henry Blennerhassett:
-
Ellen's death notice in 1836 says the husband was the late
"Henry Blennerhassett", formerly of Dublin, latterly of Tralee.
-
MS 47,336/2
says "Henry Blennerhassett".
- Basil O'Connell in
letters of 6 Mar 1969 and 12 Apr 1969
says he is "Harry Blennerhassett".
He is John Henry's father:
- He is in fact John Henry's father
Henry Blennerhassett.
He was a solicitor in Dublin.
He had long separated from his wife, who had died recently.
Her will was proved 25 May 1803.
- Basil O'Connell in
letter of 21 July 1969
confirms this is him.
Basil O'Connell in
letter of 21 July 1969
confirms the identity of Ellen's husband Henry Blennerhassett.
See
full page.
The children
This branch listed
in
[Burkes Irish, 1976, p.895].
Baptism date of Elizabeth is wrong.
It is interesting that one of the daughters, who married O'Mara, is unnamed.
Miscellaneous daughters of Thomas listed in a paper tree by
Maurice Rickard O'Connell
in
MS 47,336/2.
Left:
See full page.
Right:
See full page.
Daughters of Thomas listed in a computerised 1994 tree by
Maurice Rickard O'Connell
in
MS 47,336/2.
Top: See full size p.75.
Bottom: See full size p.76.
Mary O'Connell.
1812 portrait.
See full size.
From here.
Lalor
Searching for an O'Connell-Lalor (or variants) couple in Kerry at this period yields:
- Mary Connell.
She mar Thomas Lawlor [or Lalor].
Listed in 1812-1814 as of Clohercannon [or Clohercanon].
They had issue:
- Ann Lawlor [or Lalor],
bapt 16 March 1812,
Lixnaw RC church,
sp John Lalor and Margaret Curnane.
- Mary Lawlor,
bapt 10 April 1814,
Lixnaw RC church,
sp Morgan Connell and Ellen Ria.
- Margaret Connell.
Also transcribed as "Mary".
She mar Jeremiah Lawlor.
Listed in 1809 as of "Bally".
Listed in 1813 as of Lisinearla.
They had issue:
- Catherine Lawlor,
bapt 13 June 1809,
Tralee RC church,
sp William Leonard and Winifred Glavan.
- Bridget Lawlor,
bapt 27 September 1810,
Tralee RC church,
sp Thomas Duoling and Julia Burke.
- Daniel Lawlor,
bapt 25 March 1813,
Tralee RC church,
sp Thomas Dooling and Joanna Buckley.
References
Family trees
- Thomas O'Connell family trees in
MS 47,336/2
by
Maurice Rickard O'Connell.
- First tree.
See p.1
and p.2.
- Second tree.
See p.1
and p.2.
- Third tree.
See p.1
and p.2.
- Maurice Rickard O'Connell in these early trees thinks
"Splinter"
is brother of the Liberator's wife.
However in correspondence in the same collection he clearly changes his mind about this.
In his 1994 tree he agrees "Splinter" is 1st cousin of the Liberator's wife.
- Trees in
MS 42,561.
- Thomas O'Connell family and James O'Connor family on
p.41.
- Mary O'Connell family on
p.63
and p.64.
- Mary O'Connell family
on tree in
MS 49,850/10/2.
See photo.
-
Thomas O'Connell family
on tree by Oliver O'Connell, Co.Clare.
Photographed by
Gerald O'Connell.
-
Among the children it misses out Maurice
but lists "[Another]".
Jeffcott references
No mention of O'Connell in any of these.
Sources yet to be consulted
This family in
[Correspondence of Daniel O'Connell].
