John Kenny : Short Biography

Equally as important as John Kenny is his wife Margaret McDermott. The birth of their children, between 1805 and 1821, are recorded in the church archives of Killian and Kilronan. Many of these children and their descendants reappear in the American archives for the State of Massachusetts.

1. Patrick, born on February 8, 1805, married to Jane (family name unknown), lived with his wife, daughter and sister Ann in Newton, MA, at the time of the 1850 Federal Census. They had a second daughter, Mary A, around 1857. I was not able to locate further documents on Patrick’s family.

2. Catherine, born on November 9, 1807. I could not find any other records on Catherine

3. Maria, born on March 29, 1810. I could not find any other records on Maria.

4. Ellen, born around 1814. married Matthias Cahill, of Killosolan, son of Martin Cahill, in 1836. They had four children in Ireland before heading for America. She arrives in New York on Sep 20, 1850, without her husband but with her children, except for her younger son. Some trusted family member must have brought him a bit later. The couple settles in Needham, MA and a last daughter is born there in 1852.

5. Lawrence, born on August 8, 1816, Married around 1837 Bridget Cahill whom I assume is the sister of Matthias Cahill, seen above. I believe that Lawrence and Bridget never left Ireland, but most of their children did.
   5.1 Bridget, born in 1838, marries Patrick Monahan in Roxbury, MA, in 1863
   5.2 Ann, born in 1839, marries John Gately in Roxbury, MA, in 1857 
   5.3 Ellen, born in 1840, marries Lawrence Gately, brother of John, in Roxbury in 1864
   5.4 John, born in 1843, goes to England, near Manchester, marries Margaret Mullins (birthplace unknown) in 1863. The couple raises 7 children and in 1893 decide to move to Fall River MA, then a thriving city with cotton mills
   5.5 Catherine, born in 1847, marries Michael Connelly in Killeroran in 1868. This branch of the family remained in Ireland
   5.6 Mary J, born around 1850, married Martin Ford in Boston in 1869

6. Maria, born on July 20, 1818, marries Patrick Fahy in 1838. I do not know what happened to this branch of the family

7. Anna, born on November 25, 1821, moves to the Boston area before 1850. In 1850 the Census shows her living with her older brother Patrick in Newton. She dies in 1892, single, in Needham. Needham is where her sister Ellen had lived.

Places in Killeroran

The Tithe Applotment Books tally 28 families in the Townland of Ballinlass, parish of Killeroran, in 1834. A Lawrence Kenny  rents 11 acres  from Honorable G ffrench. There is also a Laurence Kenny renting in Cousane Loughrawn 13 acres from Edward McCann. A pencil note on the document indicates James Thorngate under the name of McCann. No mention in this tally of John Kenny, Lawrence’s father or of Patrick, the oldest son. There seems to be no entry for John Kenny.. At this point, Lawrence would be only 18 years old.

An extract of the 1851 census shows that Catherine Kenny, daughter of Lawrence, lived then in the Townland of Cornadrum.

 In 1851 following banking setbacks and the Famine the ffrench estate was sold in the Encumbered Estates' Court to James Thorngate.

In the Griffith’s Valuation established in 1855, John, who is now in his seventies, shares parcel 1 of Goortacoosaun with 6 other families, one of them been Martin Kenny (relationship unknown). The parcel is rented from Catherine E. Donnellan. A Lawrence Kenny shares a very small parcel in Cloonabricka with Patrick Tierney. Lawrence, son of John who is now in his forties rents parcel 2 of Cornanantamore, from James Thorngate. This parcel is still in the hands of Lawrence Kenny’s descendants.

Places in Massachusetts

The map attachment shows the various places in Massachusetts where 1) the children of John Kenny and Margaret McDermott and 2) the children of Lawrence Kenny and Bridget Cahill emigrated.

This is only one family in one Townland of one Parish, and the impact of the departures must have been huge on those left behind, in this case John Kenny and Margaret McDermott, or Lawrence Kenny and Bridget Cahill.