Things to do - O'Connell theory

• The theory of O'Connell descent

• The top theory is that:
  • George Cashel's mother is a sister of Mary O'Connell.
  • Or maybe Mary's teenage niece Ellen O'Connor.
  • She has an affair in 1807-1808 with a Blennerhassett man.
  • She gives birth in mid 1808. The baby is adopted and baptised in July 1808.

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Henry Blennerhassett

• Henry Blennerhassett, as the stepfather of the girl, and a close relation of the man, is likely to be highly involved in the case. He is most likely to have placed the baby for adoption.
• Expand Henry Blennerhassett branch. Find sources.

• Revisit Garvey research (D950/1/9) because Henry Blennerhassett is ancestor of Garvey.
  • There might be more on Henry Blennerhassett and Ellen Tuohy.
  • Sadly he stopped wills in 1810.

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Search Blennerhassett documents for surnames

New search of Blennerhassett-related deeds / documents for new surnames:

• Thomas O'Connell, MD family:
  • Connor
  • Ford
  • Lalor
  • Mara
  • O'Connell
  • O'Connor
  • O'Mara

• Maurice O'Connell family:
  • McCarthy
• Tuohy family:
  • Tuohy
  • Chute

• DONE: All new surnames in my core Blennerhassett wills.

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Search O'Connell documents for surnames

• Search O'Connell-related documents for:
  • Blennerhassett
  • Cashel
  • Ford
  • Hassett
  • Lalor
  • Mara
  • Neligan
  • O'Mara

• Search Daniel O'Connell books. Search full text.

Correspondence of Daniel O'Connell

• [Correspondence of Daniel O'Connell].
• DONE: All "Tuohy"
• DONE: All 1808
• DONE: All Ellen O'Connor

Why is the 1808 story not mentioned?

• One cloud over the theory of an O'Connell baby in 1808 is surely it should be easy to see in the O'Connell letters?
• DONE: First pass of the main O'Connell letters for 1808. No mention of a sister of Mary (or anyone similar) giving birth in 1808.
• So does this cast doubt on our entire theory? How could it not be mentioned?
• Consider:
  1. There are only a few letters for 1808 surviving. There may have been a weeding of letters.
  2. There will be no letters when the couple are together, only when they are on the road and separated.
  3. There is in fact no mention of any sister other than Elizabeth, even though we know at least one other sister existed.
• [Bishop, 1999, p.3] notes the large gaps in the letters. No letters survive between Mary and her mother or her sisters.

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NLI

• O'Connell papers at NLI

• Search for (might be in UCD):
  • Ellen Fitzsimon says Miss Tuohy is mentioned in a letter from Daniel O'Connell, 13 April 1806, from Cork.

• Events:
  • Richard Francis Blennerhassett duel with Daniel O'Connell's brother, John O'Connell, Jan 1813.
  • Rowan Cashel trial, Mar-Apr 1816. Defended by Daniel O'Connell.

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UCD

• O'Connell papers at UCD
• UCD letters seem to have quite a few of the letters we want.

• Search for 1806 letter above.
• Search for events above.

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NAI

• Henry Blennerhassett will existed, 1816.
• Ellen Blennerhassett will existed, 1836. Notes in Irish will register 1836.

• Ellen O'Connor will 1859?

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Newspapers

• Bishop funeral 1828.

• Kitty Tuohy in 1806 newspapers
  • DONE: Searched Tuohy in 1806 in Irish Newspaper Archives.
  • To do: See original Limerick Chronicle.
  • To do: Other Limerick, Kerry, Munster newspapers.

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LR

• See original Tuohy deed of 1 May 1792. Not online at LDS.

• O'Connell to O'Mara deeds
• O'Connell to Cashel deeds
• O'Mara to Cashel deeds

Henry Blennerhassett marriage settlement 1803, and related deeds

• Basil O'Connell in letters of Mar-May 1969 says there was a marriage settlement of November 1803 when Ellen O'Connell married Henry Blennerhassett. He says he has seen it.
• He thinks it would be under Blennerhassett or O'Connell or even Tuohy.
• He thinks "Splinter" got a share of the settlement. He thought "Splinter" was son of Ellen but it seems he is nephew of her late husband.

• DONE: All Henry Blennerhassett as grantor
  • DONE all Henry Blennerhassett as grantor deeds registered in 1802-1816.
  • Some are Henry Blennerhassett MD.

• Search for O'Connell to Blennerhassett, Tuohy and others in 1803 and this period.
• Search for Tuohy to Blennerhassett, O'Connell and others in 1803 and this period.

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Misc

• Having trouble fleshing out Stephen Cashel family. Just nothing on them.

• The only O'Connell in Cashel records:
  • Witness of Agnes Cashel marriage in Buttevant parish, Co.Cork, in 1870, is Bridget A. O'Connell.
  • A Cashel cousin invited in from another county? Not necessarily. She might be witness from the groom's side since one already exists from the Cashel side. The groom is David Sheahan of Buttevant. Buttevant is Mallow union.
  • Cannot find her in O'Connell tree.
  • O'Connell might not be her maiden name.