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.