More about the Connor Family at the turn of the century

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

In my last update, I had found my grandfather Denis O’Connor’s immediate family in Laccabaun, in the 1911 census. John and Lizzie Connor (my great grandparents) were married around 1888, and had their first child on March 15^th in 1899. So I went back to the 1901 census, to see if they we’re in Laccabaun 10 years earlier. It actually brought me back one more generation:

In 1901 John and Lizzie (or rather Elizabeth here) have had James and Edward, whose ages match up with their known birth dates, verifying the document. Here’s what clues it give us:

1. Bryan Connor (John’s older brother) was born sometime around 1869, and was still single in 1901. From my family records I know he is later married and has 4 children.
2. Mary Connor (John’s younger sister) was born sometime around 1873, and was single in 1901.
3. Kate Carmody (Lizzie’s younger sister) was born sometime in 1885, and is single in 1901. She has a listed profession as a “General Servant Domestic.” It was actually this clue of Kate that made me re-investigate the Carmody family. More on that later…
4. James Connor (John’s father, my great-great grandfather) was born sometime around 1831, and is a retired farmer living with his son. This document also tells us he spoke Irish (some would say Gaelic) and English, was widowed before 1901, and he never learned to read or write.

When I found that James Connor had never learned to read or write I was afraid I might have reached the end of the line for my Connor family investigation. I have no record of James’ wife, and if he couldn’t read or write, what hope could I have for finding records of him? I was about to conclude that James’ wife died sometime before 1901, and that James died sometime between 1901 and 1911, when I found a clue in comparing the Laccabaun building returns from 1901 and 1911:

In 1911 there is a James Connor living next door to John and Lizzie and their 6 children. This record also states the John owns the home that James is living in, so I checked the Return of Out-Offices and Farm-Steading (Form B.2) for Lackbawn, to find that John’s estate (Home #13) has a stable, a cow house and a piggery. (I don’t know what a piggery is, and I think I’m okay with that…)

Next door at James Connor’s place (Home #14, which is really owned by his son John), there are no out-offices or farm-steadings, which seems to be uncommon for the township. I checked the census records and I found James and Bryan in 1911:

Here Bryan is 44 and still single (I’m a little curious as to why) and I can’t help but comment on how he has labeled himself twice now as an “agricultural labourer” instead of just “Farmer.” Perhaps this is my American ignorance talking, but is there a difference? It seems that he and his father didn’t have a farm, so maybe Bryan worked on John’s farm? I think I will have to ask around in the family for more.

Finding the O'Connors! Kind of...

Things a Novice has learned about Irish Genealogy:

1. The most important information to have about an ancestor is their name, the year they were born, and what town they are from. If you can find out the County, Parliamentary Division, Poor Law Union, District Electoral Division (DED), Townland, Barony and/or Parish, then you have a good shot at finding their records. Even though countrywide records may be consolidated for historical purposes, they are still categorized by location.

2. When searching in historical records it is essential that you try alternate spellings of the baronies, townships, streets, and names. Often towns can have many records in the same year with different phonetic spellings. Also, last names can have many different spellings and people’s first names in their later years can be a nickname that does not match their birth certificate.

I’m still trying to find my grandfather’s immediate family in 1911. As I’ve mentioned, ‘cousin John’ is the keeper of the records, so I went to him with what I’ve found. He knew about my grandfather living in Ballyduff with the Carmodys, and furthers that his father (my grandfather’s twin) was with the rest of the family in Muinganear, Knocknagashal. Because the area around Knocknagoshel is divided strangely among parishes and baronies in 1911, I decided to do some research.

Under the 1863 Registration Act, county Kerry was divided into six Superintendant Registrar's Districts, based on the Poor Law Unions. These were subdivided into 33 more districts, grouping the whole or parts of Civil Parishes. Since I know Knocknagoshel is in Tralee Poor Law Union, I’ll focus my search for the O’Connor family in this area. Tralee’s registrar districts were: Brosna, Castleisland, Castlemaine, Kilgobban, and Tralee. These districts are subdivided into DEDs, or District Electoral Divisions. Working backwards, Knocknagoshel is the DED my grandfather lived in, and it’s in the Brosna registrar district. However, Knocknagoshel is part of the Castleisland Parish. Having looked through Brosna and having found no O’Connors that matched my family, I decided to look to the Castleisland area. There in the DED of Laccabaun (now spelt Lackabawn, Lackabaun and Laccabawn), I found them- The O’Connors - But they were not exactly who I was expecting. Here you can see why:

Known Birth Dates of my Grandfather’s Family:

• John O’Connor – born unknown date, married Elizabeth Carmody on an unknown date.
• Elizabeth (Carmody) O’Connor – born 17 February 1871, wife before 1899
• James O’Connor – b. 15 March 1899 – would be 12 in April 1911
• Edmond O’Connor – b. 05 Dec 1900 – would be 10 in April 1911
• Denis O’Connor – (my grandfather) is 8 and living with the Carmodys in 1911
• Jeremiah O’Connor – (Denis’ twin) b. 09 Oct 1902 and would be 8 in April 1911
• John O’Connor – b. 01 Jul 1904 – would be 7 in April 1911
• Patrick O’Connor – b. 07 Oct 1907 – would be 3 in April 1911
• Dan O’Connor – b. 19 Apr 1908 is living with brother Denis & the Carmodys in 1911
• Julia O’Connor – b. 1906 – would be 4 or 5 in April 1911
• Brian O’Connor – b. 10 Apr 1910 – would be 1-ish in April 1911
• Hanna O’Connor (b. 1913) and Tom O’Connor (b. 1915) would not be on the 1911 census.

This is what I found:

The family’s names and ages line up perfectly (except for the exclusion of Patrick?) EXCEPT they’re not O’Connors! They’re Connors!! It completely shocks me that my last name might be less than a century old! Who added the O? And does anyone in my family know about this? I’m not surprised to find out that dad’s cousin John did, but when I showed this to my father he was completed surprised. How weird must it be to know your dad was born to The Connor family, after identifying yourself as an O’Connor your whole life?

What we now know from this document:

1. John Connor was born around 1868
2. This document verifies Elizabeth Carmody's baptism records of 17 February 1871, because she would be 40 in April 1911.
3. Patrick Connor was not with the family in 1911. (where is he?)
4. John Connor and Lizzie Carmody were married around 1888, because it states they've been married 13 years in this census. Also, they have not lost any children.