Thomas O'Connell, MD
Death of Thomas O'Connell, MD.
From Limerick Chronicle,
Thur 1 Sept 1785.
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 mar 2ndly to
Ellen Tuohy [Catholic, born 1752, dau of Edward Tuohy and Ellen FitzMaurice].
[Cusack, 1872, p.780]
says:
"The mother of the Liberator's wife was a Miss Fitzmaurice, of Lixnaw, of the
same family as the Marquis of Lansdowne."
The sons were raised as Protestants
and the daughters as Catholics.
Lived at
Ballymacprior Lodge, Killorglin.
Thomas dies, 1785:
He died Fri 26 Aug 1785, at Tralee.
This left Ellen with young children.
The family was left in reduced circumstances.
Daniel O'Connell courted Mary in secret,
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, 31 Oct 1803 [her age 51] to
Henry Blennerhassett.
MS 42,561
and
O'CONNELL in
[Burkes Irish, 1976, p.895]
confuse him with
John Henry Blennerhassett,
who married in 1791 to an Elizabeth O'Connell (her maiden name).
See also BLENNERHASSETT in
[Burkes Irish, 1976, p.138].
See also John Henry Blennerhassett
on page
F22
of
Bill Jehan's tree.
And O'Connell
on page
K59.
In fact Ellen's husband must be John Henry's father
Henry Blennerhassett.
He is the only candidate for a Henry listed in
[Burkes Irish, 1976].
He had long separated from his wife, who had died recently.
Her will was proved 25 May 1803.
It must be him.
That Henry is 1st cousin of
Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 1st Baronet.
Both Thomas and Henry being cousins of the 1st Baronet
may be significant.
See Theory of O'Connell descent.
We know
Ellen's husband
Henry died before 1836.
(Note our suspected
Henry
died 1816.)
Ellen outlived all of her sons.
She is listed as of Tralee at death.
Her will dated 17 Feb 1836.
She died 24 Feb 1836, age 84, at her house in Tralee.
Will pr 16 June 1836.
Executor Rickard O'Connell (perhaps her grandson).
"All monies [to] Mary O'Connell." (her dau).
Her dau Mary died only a few months later.
Thomas and Ellen
had issue:
- Edward O'Connell,
bapt 28 Aug 1778.
Lieutenant in Royal Navy.
He died unmarried, 1808.
- Rickard O'Connell.
He mar 1801 to Elizabeth Tuohy.
Captain in British Army.
She died 1827.
He died 1832.
They had issue:
- Thomas O'Connell, bapt 1801.
He mar Susan Shannon and had issue.
- Maurice O'Connell,
bapt 28 Aug 1780.
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,
bapt 12 Aug 1777, Tralee RC church.
See wikitree.
She mar 1792, Tralee, to James O'Connor [or Connor].
See notice in
Freemans Journal, November 6, 1792, p.3.
He was an attorney.
They lived in Day Place, Tralee.
She died 1815.
He died 1819.
They had issue:
- Elizabeth O'Connor,
Bess,
bapt 1 Dec 1798.
See wikitree.
She mar 1817 to Capt. Richard Leyne and had issue.
- Rev. Charles James O'Connor, born 1801.
He wrote out an O'Connell genealogy, 1852.
He died 1861.
- Mary O'Connell,
born 25 Sept 1778 in Tralee,
bapt 27 Sept 1778, Tralee RC church.
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.
MS 47,336/2
lists another daughter, called Maria, albeit with question marks.
This does not seem to make sense since there is already a daughter Mary.
Anyway, according to that Ms, there is a daughter Maria, who must be older than Anne Helena:
- Maria O'Connell.
She mar --- Lalor.
MS 47,336/2
notes that she is not mentioned by her "genealogical nephew" Rev. Charles James O'Connor.
But he does not seem to aim at any complete listing.
He lists the sons, and Elizabeth and Mary.
[Burkes Irish, 1976]
does not have Maria, but
inserts an unnamed daughter before Anne Helena:
- (dau) O'Connell.
She mar Patrick O'Mara and had issue.
Death of Ellen Tuohy, 1836.
From Kerry Evening Post,
February 24, 1836.
Summary of will and probate of Ellen Tuohy, 1836.
From
p.328
in
Irish will register 1836.
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
MS 47,336/2.
Left:
See full page.
Right:
See full page.
Mary O'Connell.
1812 portrait.
See full size.
From here.
References
Family trees
The only Connell-Lalor (or variants) couple I can find at Tralee in this period is:
- 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.
