Eugene Kenny 1799 : Short Biography

Comments

Hi,

I had a look at the available records but couldn't find anything definitive on a Eugene Kenny from the Castleisland area. The Church Records for Castleisland start from around 1820 and I did find some Kenny families living in the region at that time but none of these had a Eugene. I noted on one of his transportation records that on leaving Ireland he was married with three children, but without knowing the names of his wife or any of his children, it wouldn't be possible to link him to any of the Kenny families living in Castleisland at the time. I wonder if you have a list of the names of the children born in Australia? Irish families of the time tended to follow a particular naming tradition, and this might provide some clues. I also wonder if anyone in your family has taken a DNA test, and if so, did it provide any leads to Kenneys that aren't directly descended from the Australian branch? My hunch about the Eugene Kenny that sponsored Catherine Mansfield in Dingle, is that he's unlikely to be your ancestor. There were a number of Kenny/Kennie families living in the Dingle area at the time and that Eugene is probably one of those. We would need further evidence of a link to the Mansfields for verification.

If you can give me any more information, I will see if I can be of further assistance.

Best Wishes,

Joan Holland

Joan Holland, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

Saturday 21st November 2020 11:28PM

Hi Joan

Many thanks for your assistance.  Eugene's children in Australia were, min order:  Margaret, Alexander (his wife's father's name), David, Andrew, James, Catherine (his wife' mother's name), and Janet.  Also, can you point me in the direction of the transportation document which indicates he was married with three children when he left Ireland?  I have heard it rumored before, but have never seen the document.

Cheers

Lindsay Dunn

Lindsay Dunn

Monday 23rd November 2020 07:15AM

Hi Lindsay,

Looking at the names and order of Eugene's children, it could confirm that he was married with three children before being transported to Australia. In Ireland in the past, the eldest son was named after the father's father, the eldest daughter after the father's mother, the second son after the mother's father, the second daughter after the mother's mother, the third son after the father and the third daughter after the mother. This naming tradition was followed on the mother Janet's side - Alexander, Catherine and Janet. This possibly means that the three children born in Ireland were boys, one called after Eugene's father, one called after his wife's father and one called after himself. This implies that his mother's name was possibly Margaret  and that either David, Andrew or James were siblings names. I found Kenny records of Margarets and James' in the Castleisland birth and marriage records of the early 1800s but there isn't enough evidence to link them definitively with Eugene. 

I will send you the record that mentions that he was married with three children, via Jane Halloran Ryan, as I cannot attach it to this message. I will also include other Australian records that I found, though you possibly have these already. I note that he married an Elizabeth Pascoe in 1876 and she is mentioned in his will. It seems like he was quite a character!

I hope this helps,

Joan 

Joan Holland, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

Saturday 28th November 2020 05:34PM

Hi Joan,

Thank you so much for looking into this for me.  I really appreciate your efforts.

Yes, Eugene married Elizabeth about a year after his first wife Janet died.  Elizabeth HANCOCK was her maiden name, she had been married to James PASCOE and had 14 children together. 

My direct email is     lindsayd@bigpond.net.au      if you want to send the information directly to me.

Many thanks again,

Lindsay

Lindsay Dunn

Saturday 28th November 2020 07:31PM

Dear Ireland Reaching Out readers

How exciting to find your discussion of Eugene Kenny!

As it happens, I am researching Eugene's life for a chapter in a family history book I'm writing. When Eugene married my widowed g g g grandmother Elizabeth Pascoe (nee Hancock) in 1876 he became my step g g g grandfather. As it happens he was not well at the time and he died three years later. 

I'd love to share my Eugene story with anybody who is interested, but first can you help me with evidence for the date and place of birth for both Eugene and Janet, and for the date and place of their marriage. 

Various dates are given on web sites for Eugene's birth with 1799 being cited several times, but according to his obituary (likely to be unreliable) he would have been born as early as 1794. I suspect that 1799 is more likely - in which case he would have been only[!] 77 when he married Elizabeth. If 1794 is correct then he would have been well into his 80s. She was 54.

Eugene was a former convict who did well in farming and investment and in community affairs. Elizabeth’s first husband James Simpson Pascoe - with whom she had 14 kids - was a convict too. It is interesting to compare his life with Eugene's because, as far as I can discover, he remained poor and did not earn high public recognition.

I can find no evidence that Eugene arrived in Australia with either a wife or three children. Can anybody provide such evidence?

It may be of comfort to Irish Kennys to know that Eugene lived in the beautiful, sunny, fertile, well-watered, Paterson Valley where he grew wonderful oranges. Etc.. He seems to have flourished there.

But all of this will be in my story.

Can you help with evidence for those dates?

Regards

Roland Bannister

Newcastle NSW Australia

Roland

Sunday 22nd August 2021 05:08AM

Hi Roland

If you send me your email address, I will send you everything I have on Eugene KENNY.  Mine is   lindsayd@bigpond.net.au

 

Cheers

Lindsay Dunn

Adelaide, South Australia

Lindsay Dunn

Sunday 22nd August 2021 05:50AM

Dear Roland and Lindsey,

It is exciting to see people connect with each other through our IrelandXO platform (and thank you to Joan for your help!). I would love to see Eugene's story told a bit more and maybe we could help you both connect with living relatives in Castleisland, if they are to be found. If you have the time to write a synopsis of your findings, I will integrate it with the original posting about Eugene and hopefully be able to connect you with more descendants.

Best wishes

Laura

IrelandXO Volunteer LC

Monday 23rd August 2021 09:12AM