Descendants of 'unknown' CUNNINGHAM

Third Generation

5. Bryan CUNNINGHAM (Myles , 'unknown' ) was born in Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry. He died in prob Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry.

One would have expected that the name Myles would have been given to Bryan's first-born son, following the tradition at the time of naming the eldest son after the child's paternal grandfather. Perhaps Bryan did have a first-born son called Myles who may have died young.

Bryan married Johanna HUDSON, daughter of Richard HUDSON and Margaret FINUCANE, in 1847 in Gortmore House, Strand St., Tralee, Co. Kerry. Johanna was born about 1822 in prob. Trieneragh, Duagh, Co. Kerry. She died 1 Dec 1897 in Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry and was buried in Murher Cemetery, Moyvane, Co. Kerry.

It's possible Johanna and her family were living in Gortmore House (the old Hudson family home and now the Bon Secours Hospital) on Strand Street in Tralee at the time of her marriage in 1847 as she and Bryan were married there. It was common practice at the time to marry in the bride's home; after 1850 it became mandatory to marry in a church.

According to Tom Sheehan of Kilbaha, one of her great-grandnephews, Johanna was remembered as "a very tall and strong lady who could carry a heavy sack of meal up a hill". She and Bryan may have had more children than those listed below.

They had the following children:

+ 15 F i Johanna CUNNINGHAM was born about 1850 and died 12 Dec 1927.
+ 16 M ii John CUNNINGHAM was born about 1851.
  17 M iii
James CUNNINGHAM was born in Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. He died date unknown.

Unfortunately nothing is known of James. There is a 1901 census return for the household of a James Cunningham in Kilbaha North, but it's probable this relates to James's second cousin, James, who was a son of "Little Bryan" Cunningham. Both Jameses had sisters named Margaret, and a Maggie Cunningham is listed in the census return as a sister to the head of the household, but the sister of the above James was long married by 1901 and is listed as Margaret Hanrahan in the return for her own family's household elsewhere in Kilbaha.
+ 18 M iv Edward CUNNINGHAM was born Nov 1856 and died 11 Jan 1924.
+ 19 M v Richard (Richie) CUNNINGHAM was born about 1858 and died 24 Dec 1926.
+ 20 F vi Margaret CUNNINGHAM was born Sep 1858 and died 1918.

6. Ellen CUNNINGHAM (Myles , 'unknown' ) was born in Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry.

Ellen married Daniel (Dan) KEARNEY. Daniel was born in Moyvane, Co. Kerry.

It's possible, but there's no evidence, that Dan was the Daniel Kearney of Kilbaha North as listed in Griffiths Valuation, carried out for the Kilbaha area in 1853. Daniel is the only Kearney listed for the whole of Kilbaha (North, South, West and Middle).

They had the following children:

+ 21 M i Patrick KEARNEY (Caution: not verified) was born about 1850.
  22 M ii
Daniel KEARNEY was born about 1855 in prob Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry.
       
Daniel married Ellen 'UNKNOWN'. Ellen was born about 1865.
+ 23 M iii Myles KEARNEY (Caution: not verified).

8. Mary CUNNINGHAM (Myles , 'unknown' ) was born about 6 Oct 1832 in Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 6 Oct 1832 in Newtownsandes, Co. Kerry.

Sponsors at Mary's baptism were James Cunningham and Mary Woulf.

Mary married James MOORE. James was born in Aughrim, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. He died date unknown.

It's thought by one source that Myles's daughter, Mary, married a Pat O'Sullivan from Knockbawn, and that they emigrated to the United States where Pat was killed in a railway accident in the course of his work. However it's felt that it's much more likely that Mary married James Moore from Aughrim. There's a record of the marriage of a Mary Cunningham to a James Moore from Aughrim on 28 August 1874, but the name of Mary's father on the register is John, not Myles, so it's not altogether certain that Mary's husband was James Moore.

It's not known if Mary and her husband had more than one child.

They had the following children:

+ 24 M i 'unknown' MOORE

9. Margaret (Peg) CUNNINGHAM (Myles , 'unknown' ) was born about 5 Mar 1835 in Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 5 Mar 1835 in Newtownsandes, Co. Kerry. She died after 1910 in prob Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry.

Sponsors at Margaret's baptism were Daniel Kelly and Mary Kelly.

Margaret married Michael HANRAHAN, son of 'unknown' HANRAHAN, on 15 Jan 1854. Michael was born in prob Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry. He died prob. bef. 1902 in prob Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry.

MANY THANKS TO PÁDRAIG KENNY, A GREAT-GREAT-GRANDSON OF MARGARET AND MICHAEL, FOR THE INFORMATION BELOW ON MARGARET, MICHAEL AND THEIR FAMILY. FURTHER DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE ON PÁDRAIG'S WEBSITE, www.hanrahanfamilytree.com.

They had the following children:

+ 25 M i John ("The Major") HANRAHAN was born about 27 Jan 1856.
+ 26 M ii William HANRAHAN was born 1860 and died 1918.
+ 27 F iii Johanna HANRAHAN was born 1862 and died 1909.
  28 M iv
Patrick HANRAHAN was born 1864 in Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. He died prob young.
  29 M v
James HANRAHAN was born 1865 in Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. He died 1889 in Melbourne, Australia.

James died of typhoid fever in his twenties.
  30 F vi
Catherine HANRAHAN was born 1868 in Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. She died prob young.
+ 31 F vii Mary Jane (Jane) HANRAHAN was born 1872 and died 1945.
+ 32 M viii Michael HANRAHAN was born 1874 and died 1926.
+ 33 F ix Ellen HANRAHAN was born 1876 and died 1934.

10. Anne (Nance) CUNNINGHAM "Nance" (Myles , 'unknown' ) was born in Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry. She died before 1902.

THANKS GO TO DENISE MURPHY FROM CALIFORNIA, A GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER OF NANCE AND PAT, FOR SHARING HER INFORMATION ON THEIR FAMILY.

Nance married Patrick (Pat) O'CONNOR, son of Thomas O'CONNOR and 'unknown' BROSNAN. Patrick was born about 1833 in Islandanny, Duagh, Co. Kerry.

After their marriage, Pat and Nance lived in Kilbaha - they were immediate neighbours of Nance's brother, Bryan. Pat and Nance's year of marriage (abt. 1857, provided by a family source) doesn't tie in with the years of birth of their children as listed here. Perhaps the marriage date is incorrect, or maybe Pat and Nance had children prior to Thomas. I have a hunch the former is more likely.  

There are 1901 and 1911 census returns from Kilbaha North for Pat's household. The 1901 returns give the following information:

Patrick (67), head
Thomas (31), son
Mary (28), daughter
James (26), son
Nora (22), daughter
John (19), son

In 1911, Pat is listed along with his son Thomas and daughter, Mary.

Kevin O'Connor from Kent has provided information on the family of a Patrick O'Connor who was born in 1834 in Shronebeirne, Duagh and who settled in Kilbaha as a young man. The information we have about this Patrick indicates that he may have been Pat O'Connor above who married Nance Cunningham; apart from the fact that the two Patricks were born in Duagh around the same time, we're told that Patrick from Shronebeirne "married into the farm near Brian Cunningham's" which ties in with the fact that our Pat and Nance's farm was next to that of Nance's brother Bryan. Furthermore we're told that Patrick from Shronebeirne and his wife had several children, some or most of whom emigrated to the United States. This was also true of Pat and Nance's children.

If Patrick from Shronebeirne was indeed Nance's husband then we know that the father of Pat above was Thomas O'Connor and that his mother's last name was Brosnan. Besides Patrick, Thomas had five other children that we know of: Mary, born in 1827; James (Kevin's great-grandfather), born in 1828 who went to farm in Meenahorna, Duagh; Thomas who farmed at Shronebeirne; John T. who moved to Farranpierce in the parish of Killehenny; and Denis who emigrated to the United States. Kevin has put his family history together in a book 'The Descendants of the O'Connors of Carrigafoyle Stemming from the Datheenachs Line' (2006). Besides  the O'Connors, other families covered in Kevin's work include the Brosnans of Shronebeirne, the Byrnes of Coolanelig in Duagh, the Keanes of Ballygrennan in Finuge, and many more. For further information contact Kevin at kevin@oconnor4488.fsworld.co.uk.

They had the following children:

  34 M i
Thomas O'CONNOR was born about 24 May 1868 in Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 24 May 1868 in Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry.
  35 M ii
Myles O'CONNOR was born about 24 Oct 1869 in Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 24 Oct 1869 in Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry. He died in poss USA.

Myles emigrated to the United States in 1899. It's thought he lived initially in Poughkeepsie where he had a cousin (on the ship manifest, the cousin's name looks like Mary Lally of St. Mary's Church, Church St. Poughkeepsie) and later moved to New Jersey. It seems he subsequently lost contact with his family.
  36 F iii
Mary O'CONNOR was born about 13 May 1872 in Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 13 May 1872 in Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry.
  37 M iv
James O'CONNOR was born about 3 Jan 1874 in Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 3 Jan 1874 in Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry.
+ 38 F v Johanna (Josie) O'CONNOR was born 3 Jan 1876 and died 29 Apr 1961.
+ 39 F vi Honora (Nora) O'CONNOR was born 27 Apr 1878 and died 29 Apr 1959.
  40 M vii
John O'CONNOR was born 1881 in Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry. He died in poss USA.

According to Ellis Island records, John emigrated to the United States in September 1906. He was headed for San Francisco to join his sister Josie. Unfortunately nothing more is known of him.

11. Brigid (Biddy) CUNNINGHAM (Myles , 'unknown' ) was born about 27 Sep 1840 in Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 27 Sep 1840 in Newtownsandes, Co. Kerry. She died date unknown.

Biddy and Johanna were twins.

Biddy's sponsors were Alexander Ahern and Bridget Cunningham.

Brigid married Jer or John MULVIHILL in 1861. Jer was born in Aughrim, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. He died date unknown.

Could Jer/John have been somehow related to Daniel (Danny) Joseph Mulvihill who was born on 15 November 1899 in Kilbaha and who emigrated to the US in 1920. Danny eventually settled in Chicago where he co-founded Comhaltas North America (Comhaltas is an organisation set up to promote traditional Irish music, song, dance and language). In case there is a connection, here is some further information on Danny taken from a tribute on www.moyvane.com:

Danny was the second child and first boy in a family of eleven children. He attended school in Moyvane until 1915 when his mother passed away leaving his father with the responsibility of eleven children with the oldest 16 years of age and the youngest just an infant. Sometime around 1918 he became a volunteer in the Kerry Brigade of the Irish Republican Army and because of his involvement in IRA activities he was forced to leave Ireland in 1920. He lived in New York for about a year before moving to Chicago where he would spend the rest of his life. In Chicago he worked as a conductor for the Surface Lines Transit Systems and after 12 years there he joined the Chicago Fire Department and retired as a Lieutenant in 1963. Danny married Mary Agnes Mulvihill from Ballybunion, Co. Kerry and they had two children, Danny and Mary-Jane. Danny (senior) died on 5 February 1996.

It's known Danny's youngest sibling was Maurice who was born shortly before his mother's death in 1915. Maurice died in September 2007 in Co. Sligo to where he and his wife, Winnie O'Hara, had retired having spent many years in London.

And could Jer/John have been related to a Fr. Michael Mulvihill who was born in 1847 in Aughrim to Patrick Mulvihill and Hannah Walsh?

They had the following children:

  41 M i
Michael (Mick) MULVIHILL "Mick" was born in Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. He died date unknown.

Mick was known as "Mick the Manager", because he was assistant manager of Newtownsandes Co-Op Creamery.

12. Johanna CUNNINGHAM (Myles , 'unknown' ) was born about 27 Sep 1840 in Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 27 Sep 1840 in Newtownsandes, Co. Kerry.

Johanna and Biddy were twins.

Sponsors at Johanna's baptism were Brian Cunningham and Ellen Kerby.

Johanna married Thomas (Tom) CRONIN in 1857. Thomas was born about 1831 in Leitrim West (Poul), Moyvane, Co. Kerry.

They had the following children:

  42 M i
John CRONIN was born about 7 Jan 1859 in prob. Leitrim, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 7 Jan 1859 in Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry.
  43 M ii
Timothy CRONIN was born about 24 Oct 1860 in prob. Leitrim, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 24 Oct 1860 in Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry.
  44 F iii
Mary CRONIN was born about 26 Oct 1862 in prob. Leitrim, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 26 Oct 1862 in Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry.
  45 M iv
Jeremiah CRONIN was born about 2 Aug 1868 in prob. Leitrim, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 2 Aug 1868 in Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry.
  46 M v
Patrick CRONIN was born about 17 Mar 1870 in prob. Leitrim, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 17 Mar 1870 in Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry. He died in poss San Francisco.

It's possible Patrick emigrated to the United States and settled in San Francisco. There's an Ellis Island record for a Thomas Cronin, believed to be a son of Johanna Cunningham and Tom Cronin, who was headed to San Francisco to join his brother Patrick.
  47 F vi
Ellen CRONIN was born about 17 Jul 1872 in prob. Leitrim, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 17 Jul 1872 in Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry. She died in poss San Francisco.

Ellen emigrated to the United States as a young woman and settled in San Francisco. She was joined there in 1899 by her sisters Anne and Nora.
  48 F vii
Anne CRONIN was born about 17 Oct 1876 in prob. Leitrim, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 17 Oct 1876 in Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry. She died in poss San Francisco.

Anne emigrated to San Francisco in 1899.
  49 F viii
Margaret CRONIN was born about 17 Oct 1876 in prob. Leitrim, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 17 Oct 1876 in Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry.

It seems Margaret and Anne were twins. Because another Margaret was born to Tom and Johanna about seven years later, it's likely this Margaret died as a child.
  50 M ix
Thomas CRONIN was born about 1879 in prob. Leitrim, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry. He died in poss San Francisco.

Tom and Johanna had either a son named Thomas or a close relative named Thomas Cronin who emigrated to San Francisco - a grandniece of Tom and Johanna, Nancy Manley, remembers a relative named Thomas Cronin often visting her parents in San Francisco (she also remembers a relative by the name of Mulvihill who visited). Based on this information, an Ellis Island record was located for a Thomas Cronin from Leitrim, Co. Kerry who emigrated in 1902 and was headed for San Francisco to join his brother Patrick. It seems likely therefore that this Thomas was a son of Tom and Johanna, although Thomas was not among the children of Tom and Johanna for whom birth or baptismal records were located. According to the ship manifest for Thomas's voyage, his brother Patrick lived at 48 Prospect St. in San Francisco, which was also the address of his probable cousin Josie O'Connor whose sister Nora travelled on the same voyage to the States as Thomas. It's believed by the family that Thomas never married.
  51 M x
Daniel CRONIN was born about 31 Oct 1880 in prob. Leitrim, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 31 Oct 1880 in Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry.
+ 52 F xi Honora (Nora) CRONIN was born 20 Jan 1883.
  53 F xii
Margaret CRONIN was born about 22 May 1883 in prob. Leitrim, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry and was christened 22 May 1883 in Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry.

13. Honora (Norrie) CUNNINGHAM (Myles , 'unknown' ) was born in Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry.

Honora married James (Jim) THORNTON "Jim" on 10 Feb 1884.

They had the following children:

+ 54 M i 'unknown' THORNTON (male).
+ 55 M ii Myles THORNTON was born 1857 and died 7 Apr 1930.
  56 F iii Nonie THORNTON
  57 M iv Jack THORNTON

14. Bryan ("Little Bryan") CUNNINGHAM "Little Bryan" (Daniel , 'unknown' ) was born in Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry.

Little Bryan married 'UNKNOWN'.

Bryan and his wife may have had more children than those listed below.

They had the following children:

+ 58 M i James (Jim) CUNNINGHAM was born about 1862.
  59 F ii
Joanie CUNNINGHAM was born in Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. She died date unknown.
       
Joanie married James (Jim) HARRINGTON "Jim" in 1852. Jim was born in Irremore, west of Listowel, Co. Kerry.
  60 F iii
Norrie CUNNINGHAM was born in Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. She died date unknown.
        Norrie married Michael MULVIHILL
  61 F iv Nance CUNNINGHAM
        Nance married Con or Mick MULVIHILL
  62 F v
Nell ("Little Nell") CUNNINGHAM "Little Nell" was born in Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. She died date unknown.

Little Nell never married.
+ 63 M vi Maurice CUNNINGHAM (Caution: relationship to Little Bryan not verified) was born about 1866 and died date unknown.
  64 F vii
Margaret (Maggie) CUNNINGHAM was born about 1871 in prob Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. She died date unknown.

We know of Maggie's existence from the 1901 census in which she's listed in the return of the household of her brother James in Kilbaha North. Her occupation is given as shopkeeper.

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