Fr. Thomas Shannon, Clare to Philadelphia

[smcarberry]

As a child, Thomas was brought to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he received his education and left a fine legacy in
building parish resources in nearby Norristown.

As a sidenote, my father's uncle Joseph lived in that county (Montgomery Co.), as did my father's family at the time of his birth although my father always referred to Philadelphia as his place of birth, just five miles away from the family home since at that time the city of Philadelphia occupied the whole of the county of Philadelphia. In the 1800s, though, it was common to speak in terms of the various communities which were later absorbed by the city of Philadelphia. Thus my family lived in Manayunk after arrival from Montreal, until they had the resources to move up the hill, to Roxborough. The genealogy-friendly St. John the Baptist Church down near the river in Manayunk remained the church of the older generation.

Sharon Carberry

[pwaldron]

Sharon

Your "not researching ..." postings are forming an invaluable archive for other researchers.

1. A couple of days ago, Michael McNamara asked whether my Frost research had uncovered any information about the O'Grady/Frost family of Brookland (Brooklyn?) commemorated at another St. John the Baptist Church, M.....k - the one in Meelick, co. Clare. First hit in my google search was a message from you on the old rootsweb IRL-CLARE list a couple of years ago.

2. A couple of years ago, Eric Shaw asked whether my Frost and Kenny research had uncovered any information about the subjects of a collection of about 15 old photographs sent to him from Canada by a Kenny/Frost descendant, some undated, others dated in the 1880s. These included a photo inscribed "To Uncle Michael Kenny from Rev. T.F. Shannon," taken in Philadelphia, undated. I have attached it to this posting and think you will agree that it is the same person.

The photographs came from a greatgrandson of Michael Kenny, solicitor (1826-1894) of Freaghcastle, Miltown Malbay and his wife Bridget Frost.

The puzzle now is how Rev. Thomas F. Shannon (b.1844) whose parents' surnames were Shannon and Coghlan could have an uncle named Kenny. At least the dates fit. Can anyone resolve this conundrum?

Paddy

[smcarberry]

It is one thing to post a picture but it's something else to see one and then remember a photo seen years earlier. Excellent,
Sherlock. I agree that the photo is a young Thomas Shannon. I cannot help immediately with the Kenny connection but
will keep it in mind. After all, the sole witness to my Montreal-born Patrick Carberry's 1883 wedding in Philadelphia was a
Maria Kenny, who might be the same as the Maria Kenny, housekeeper in a RC priest's household in 1880, Philadelphia.

Sharon C.

[smcarberry]

I can't draw any strict conclusions here but sometimes joining the priesthood runs in a family, so this line of Shanahans
might have some relationship with the Shannons of Clare.

Sharon C.

Mt. St. Lawrence RC burials, Limerick
http://www.limerickslife.com/mtstlawrenceextracts.htm
"T. R. Very Rev. V. G. Shanahan
Buried: 1915
Age: 90 years
Calculated Birth Date: 1825
Comments: Saint Munchins
...
FURTHER NOTE on T. R. Very Rev. V. G. Shanahan: Pretty sure but not 100% that this Rev. Shanahan is Father Timothy Shanahan; one of 4 brothers who were all priests (Denis Shanahan, Gerald Shanahan and Patrick Shanahan)."

[mgallery]

thomas Shannon was married to Harriet Coughlan. She was the sister of Joseph Coughlan. It is said he was from Kilkenny but I doubt this as the whole family seem to have married in Clare. Joseph Coughlan was married to Mary O'Kelly who after his death married Mathias Kenny, Mathias Kenny was Michael Kennys father. I don't know why the title uncle except it may have been a courtesy one as Michael was a lot older. The Kennys were also related to the Shannons several times. Mathias grandmother was Mary Shannon and I shannons signing leases with the kennys.

I have this deed showing who Thomas and Harriet were (I keep meaning to investigate shannons
An Edmond Kenny married a Miss MacNerny and lived at Annfield. He lost his money and absconded to America in 1849. I thought he was related but written out of the family history but am more sure he may have been after reading this but am not sure who he was exactly

I keep meaning to research the Shannons

Margaret
1836 25th Dec Indenture of Conveyance, Acheson Lyle
2nd remembrance of HM ct of exchequer in Ireland
1st part Patrick O’Kelly of Cascade lodge Co clare gent
2nd part Patrick O’Kelly the younger of sth king st city of Dublin
eldest son of sd Patrick O’Kelly (the elder)
3rd part Matthias Kenny of Freagh, James O’Brien of Dromelihy
assigness of the effects of Patrick O’Kelly the elder discharged as an
insolvent debtor
4th part Thomas MacNerny of Annfield Co Clare gent
Sd Matthias Kenny & Mary Kenny once Coghlan once O’Kelly his wife,
Joseph Coghlan, William Coghlan, Thomas Shannon and Harriet Shannon
once Coghlan his wife, Thomas Darcy and William Stackpoole trustees of
settlement of said Mary with her former husband Joseph Coughlan
5th part Anthonly O’Loughlin surviving trutee of of the settlement of
Thomas McNerny and Lucinda his wife
6th part Thomas Mahon of Ennis esq heir at law of Charles Mahon
surving trustee of settlement of 15th August 1803
7th part Thomas Crowe of ennis surving trustee ofthe term of 500
years created by sd deed
8th part John Kelly of Deerpark father of John Kelly matthew Kelly parties
9th part John Kelly the younger and Matthew Kelly both of Kilrush merchan

[mgallery]

I probably should have explained I am kenny descent a few times through David of Treammanagh and Edmond of Dysert hence my interest. Michael Kenny was my gt grandfathers second cousin. There were several other Shannon Kenny marriages that I know of Edmond son of Patrick married a Shannon and Paddy Waldron has a daughter of David's Catherine Kenny marrying a Shannon. This ref comes from the Gibson family record. This is the only place she every appears she is in none of the wills or on the Kenny trees. this does not mean she did not exist just strange she is not mentioned anywhere else.

Margaret

[pwaldron]

The obvious explanation for the inscription on the photograph above is that Fr Shannon may have been a grandson of Mary O'Kelly by her first marriage to Joseph Coghlan and that Michael Kenny was a son of Mary O'Kelly by her second marriage to Matthias Kenny. This would make Michael Kenny a half-uncle to Fr. Shannon.

The extracts which Margaret quotes from the deed do not explicitly say that Mary O'Kelly's first husband Joseph Coghlan and Fr. Shannon's mother Harriet Coghlan were siblings. Until I see clear evidence that they were siblings, I am more inclined to believe that they were father and daughter. Can anyone confirm or refute either hypothesis?

[mgallery]

I think Paddys hypothesis is more likely to be true than mine though it seems strange that the half siblings are not on the Kenny trees
(of which there are more than one from more than one branch)
BTW Thomas MacNerny of Annfield is another story I think already on this forum. His daughter married Edmund Kenny of Annfield who absconded to the US leaving his wife and children with his debts in 1849. I think he was probably related to me as well but written out of the history./
Margaret

[mgallery]

The Shannons lived at Craggaknock and kildimo, I do not know which family these were. Edmond Shannon lived in Berry Lodge, his widow married Pierce Shannon merchant of New Orleans and Mayor of Limerick.

In 1846 courtcase re Craggaknock, James Shannon is described as having sacked as an excise officer and having a rich uncle. Well both Pierce Shannons were rich...

There were also well off Shannons in Derry and in Ennistymon (James Shannon MD and James Shannon solicitor who I think were first cousins)

[PaddyShannon]

mgallery,

Could you expound upon the Shannon's of Kildimo, Craggaknock and
Edmond, Both James Shannons and/or point me to the source of your
information so that I can do some additional research?

Thanks in Advance,

Paddy

[mgallery]

I got onto Paddy directly. What I know is Mathias Kenny married Mary Shannon sometime in the 1740s or 50s and that she was said to be the daughter of David Shannon of Kildeemo. She is my gt gt gt gt grandmother (and 5 gt grandmother).

Denis Shannon probably has more Shannon info than I do though he is from a different branch, he is very thorough

[mgallery]

I have Thomas Shannon jnr letting a farm
To be set the farm of in Kildymn ? in 1790 60 acres within 2 miles from Miltown, proposals to thomas Shannon jnr

(prob Kildimo). I dont know if he is too old to be Thomas married to Harriet coughlan

[mgallery]

Hi
I found a part transcript of Joseph Coghlans will made in April 1810 in the Silles Kelly notebooks in the National Archives

1. Joseph Coghlan had a sister called Harriet according to a note after the will but she was married in Kilkenny to Moran. Maybe she remarried. I was correct that Joseph had a sister called Harriet.
2. Joseph mentions his three surviving children and his wife Mary. He Joseph, William and Mary. He asks that his two sons be educated in the Protestant religion. As they were not fully grown in 1810 it is unlikely that Harriet was his granddaughter but not impossible. She is not his daughter as he specifically mentions his three surviving children and names them

Silles Kelly also has the will of High Cox married to Eliza vowell and writes out a cox tree which explains some of the other people mentioned in the doc that I have

These notebooks do not seem to be a widely known source as there are other notebooks in the NLI

[pwaldron]

There is another photograph of Fr Shannon in the parish history of St. Francis Xavier parish in Philadelphia, which states:

It would be Father Shannon's task to rally the parish in one of its most difficult moments. On March 31, 1906, a building then located at 24th and Wallace streets caught fire and was completely destroyed. During that event the fire managed to leap to the newly opened church at Green Street and it too was severely damaged. The roof of the church was completely destroyed, and a great deal of damage was done to the interior when the roof fell.

Almost immediately after the fire, reconstruction of the church began. A temporary alter was erected in the school on Green Street and Mass was celebrated there until the Church reopened on April 5, 1908. The cost of the reconstruction had been one-hundred thousand dollars. During the next seven years Father Shannon devoted much of his efforts to clearing away the debt the parish incurred during the reconstruction. He had almost completely succeeded at the time of his death on November 16, 1915.