My ancestors - Blennerhassett - Contents

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:

1. 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:

1. Edward O'Connell,
   bapt 28 Aug 1778.
   Lieutenant in Royal Navy.
   He died unmarried, 1808.

   
   

2. Rickard O'Connell.
   See wikitree.
   He mar 15 Jan 1801 to his 1st cousin Elizabeth Tuohy.
   Captain in British Army.
   She died 1827.
   He died 1832.
   They had issue:
   1. Thomas O'Connell, bapt 1801.
      He mar Susan Shannon and had issue.

   
   

3. 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.

   
   

1. 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:
   1. Elizabeth O'Connor,
      Bess, bapt 1 Dec 1798.
      See wikitree.
      She mar 1817 to Capt. Richard Leyne and had issue.

   2. Rev. Charles James O'Connor, born 1801.
      He wrote out an O'Connell genealogy, 1852.
      He died 1861.

   
   

2. 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.

   
   

3. 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.

   
   

4. 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:

1. 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:

1. (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.

---

Ellen's 2nd husband Henry Blennerhassett

There has been some confusion about Ellen's 2nd husband Henry Blennerhassett.
He is not John Henry Blennerhassett:

• O'CONNELL in [Burkes Irish, 1976, p.895] and MS 42,561 confuse him with John Henry Blennerhassett, who married in 1791 to an Elizabeth O'Connell (her maiden name) and died 1841.
• See John Henry Blennerhassett under 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.

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.

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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:
  1. Ann Lawlor [or Lalor],
     bapt 16 March 1812, Lixnaw RC church, sp John Lalor and Margaret Curnane.

  2. 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:
  1. Catherine Lawlor,
     bapt 13 June 1809, Tralee RC church, sp William Leonard and Winifred Glavan.

  2. Bridget Lawlor,
     bapt 27 September 1810, Tralee RC church, sp Thomas Duoling and Julia Burke.

  3. Daniel Lawlor,
     bapt 25 March 1813, Tralee RC church, sp Thomas Dooling and Joanna Buckley.

---

References

• Mary O'Connell in [DIB]

Erin Bishop

• My Darling Danny: Letters from Mary O'Connell to Her Son Daniel, 1830-32, Erin Bishop, 1998.

• The World of Mary O'Connell 1778-1836, Erin Bishop, 1999.

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]".