My ancestors - Blennerhassett - Contents

Thomas O'Connell, MD

A miniature may exist of Thomas O'Connell, MD (died 1785).
This is from a letter of 13 Nov 1968 from Basil O'Connell discussing O'Connell portraits. See p.1 and p.2 and p.3.
He says the miniature is then with his son Maurice H. O'Connell. (They are not actually descended from 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 Susanna Lizard.
His brother's will has the name of the 1st wife, though later researchers thought she was --- Jeffcot.
Thomas had issue by 1st wife:

Rickard O'Connell,
eldest son.
Named by his uncle's will, which says there was a son Rickard by each wife.
Susanna O'Connell.
Named by her uncle's will.
1 other child, 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.
His uncle's will thinks he is 2nd son.
Lieutenant in Royal Navy.
He died unmarried, 1808.
Rickard O'Connell,
must be born 1779.
His uncle's will thinks he is eldest son.
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.
See wikitree.
Lieutenant in HEICS.
He mar 2ndly, 1817, to Mary Mahony.
Maurice died 1825.
Mary died 1862.
They had issue.

Elizabeth O'Connell,
Betsy, or Betsey.
She was bapt 12 Aug 1777, Tralee RC church, sp Nicholas Nelan and Mary Tuohy.
See wikitree.
She mar 1792, Tralee, to James O'Connor [or James Connor] and had issue.
Marriage reported in Freemans Journal, November 6, 1792, so she would be age 15. This is very unusually young. One suspects she was pregnant with Ellen.
Mary O'Connell,
born 25 Sept 1778 in Tralee,
bapt 27 Sept 1778, Tralee RC church, sp Steven Fagan and Elizabeth Fitzmaurice.
Wife of Daniel O'Connell, "The Liberator".
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, sp John Murphy and Helen Hartnett.

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.

RC baptisms

Baptisms of the daughters in Tralee RC church.

Baptism of Elizabeth O'Connell, 12 Aug 1777.
From here.

Baptism of Mary O'Connell, 27 Sept 1778.
From here.

Baptism of Anne Helena O'Connell, 28 Oct 1785.
From here.

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.

References

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]".

Correspondence of Daniel O'Connell

Maurice Rickard O'Connell's card index has references to both published and unpublished letters:

Mrs. Thomas O'Connell (Ellen Tuohy)
Mrs. Henry Blennerhassett (and back) (Ellen Tuohy)
Henry Blennerhassett. This is wrong to call him John Henry Blennerhassett.
Edward O'Connell (and back) (brother of Mary)
Maurice O'Connell (and back) (brother of Mary)

This family in the published [Correspondence of Daniel O'Connell].
Henry Blennerhassett incorrectly called "John Henry".