Catherine3 O’Connell (1857 -1938) m John O’ Connor (1850 -1896)
Sources: Elizabeth O’Neill granddaughter and Peter O’Connor great grandson of John O’ Connor and Catherine O’Connell, also Patrick N.O’Neill son of Elizabeth O’Neill at – www.pkogenealogy.net
John O’Connor was born circa 1850 at Ballyguiltenane, Glin, son of James O’Connor & Margaret Flahavan. On December 31st 1878 at Shands Track Catholic Church John married Catherine3 O’Connell the daughter of MichaelO’Connell and Catherine2 Lynch of Glenagragra, Glin.The exact date is not known as his baptism is not recorded in the Parish Register as it does not start until December 1850. What is known is that John emigrated to New Zealand in 1877. He sailed on the James N. Fleming in July 1877 from Greenock in Scotland arriving in November 1877 in Otago, New Zealand. He traveled out with John O’Shea, Maurice Culhane and Patrick Sheahan. It is believed that John O’Shea was the brother of Ellen O’Shea who married William Lynch the son of John Lynch and Mary Walsh of Glasha. (see Lynch William further on) Maurice Culhane was the son of Thomas Culhane & Mary Nolan from Ballyguiltenane, Glin and Patrick Sheahan was the son of Patrick Sheahan & Ellen Hanrahan from Tullyleague, Glin.
From Otago, John moved to Canterbury and took up work in the area. On December 31st 1878 at Shands Track Catholic Church John married Catherine3 O’Connell the daughter of MichaelO’Connell and Catherine2 Lynch of Glenagragra, Glin. Catherine3 O’Connell was born at Leitrim Middle, Moyvane, Co. Kerry 1857/58 and died at Kingston Crossing, New Zealand Aug 14th 1938. The connection with Leitrim Middle was through Daniel Flahavan and Johanna O’Connell. Catherine traveled out to New Zealand on the ‘Marlborough’ from Glasgow to Bluff in August 1877. She emigrated with her cousin also called Catherine (Kate) O’Connell. The Passenger list records that both Catherine’s came from Co. Limerick. Catherine3Connell was baptised at the Immaculate Conception Church in Glin on January 17th 1857. Only one godparent is listed and she is Mary Coonery. John & Catherine, therefore would have known each other before emigrating since Catherine’s mother Catherine2 Lynch was the sister of George2 and John2 Lynchof Glasha and George2 Lynch’s wife Mary Flahavan was the aunt of John O’Connor. Catherine (Kate) Connell, who was born about 1856 and died in 1924 in New Zealand at the age of 68 years, was the daughter of Dennis Connell & Mary Beahan from around Ardagh. Catherine (Kate) Connell married Henry Windle, who was born on 11 February 1852, the son of John Nicholas Windle and Ellen Connell of Knockfinnisk, Athea, Co. Limerick. This Ellen Connell was a relative, if not a sister to Michael & John O’Connell, Glenagragra. Two of Henry Windle’s sisters Johanna Windle b1858 and Mary Windle b 1860 also went New Zealand sailing on the Victory arriving in Otago on 23 December 1883. (George Langan/Patrick N.O’Neill/Mike Connolly)
In 1882 John and Catherine moved to Longridge Village, Kingston Crossing to join John’s brother, Michael O’Connor who had emigrated to New Zealand the year before John in 1876. Michael had drawn a ballot lot of 200 acres. The brothers went into partnership on the farm and both families settled there, along with other families who had emigrated from Glin and Athea. The other families included two of George2 Lynch and Mary Flahavan’s children Catherine3 Lynch (who married her first cousin Michael O’Connor in 1878) and George3 Lynch who married Johanna McCarthy. John O’Connor and Catherine2 O’Connell had eight children of whom five survived. See hereunder –
| John O’Connor 1850 – 1896 | m1878 | Catherine3 O’Connell 1858 -1938 | |||
| Margaret4 O’Connor 1880 – 1939 | Michael4 (Morgan) O’Connor 1884 – 1918 | James4 O’Connor 1886 – 1938 | Catherine4 O’Connor 1889 – 1970 | John4 O’Connor 1894 – 1953 | |
| m | m | m | m | m | |
| Richard Ferris | Not married Killed in Action WW1 | Not married | Nathaniel Nicholl | Mary McCartney | |
John O’Connor died March 21st 1896 at Kingston Crossing, Southland, New Zealand at the age of 46 years as a result of falling from his horse while traveling from Kingston Crossing to Balfour (Henry Windle gave evidence at the inquest of the death of John). His death record indicates that he had been in New Zealand 17 years and had married Catherine3 O’Connell in Lincoln, Canterbury at the age of 30 and had three sons and two daughters. Catherine continued to manage the farm bringing up her five children in difficult circumstances. She expanded the farm purchasing more land in the area and eventually bought her brother-in- law Michael’s share of the original block. Catherine3 O’Connell O’Conner died in 1938 at the age of 80 years old.
Letter of Kate Flahavin to her aunt Catherine (Kate) O’Connell O’Connor.
Turraree,
Athea,
27.3.1930.
Dear Aunt Kate,
Just a line hoping it will find you in good health, as you are the only Aunt I now have from mother’s side R.I.P. I’d like to hear that you would be getting on well. I have 3 aunts at father’s side Aunt Mary is about 80 years it is a big age, & she is in fair good health. Old Mike Windle of Glenagragra was buried a short time ago he was 90 years of age his wife is still living. Patrick Lynch of Glosha was buried also, he would be a first cousin of yours his brother Jim who lives in the shop is still living & he is over 80 years. Jer Connolly that is your sister Mary’s R.I.P. husband is still alive he is about 92 years of age. You feel lonely now Aunt Kate without your dear friend Mary R.I.P. Windle. I had a letter from Mrs Nicholl & she gave all news, John Windle is alive, we gave him the news & he felt lonely he has nobody but himself left now. I answered Mrs Nicholls letter, this old man of the Windles is as deaf as his dear sister, so you could get nothing out of him so he asked me to write to ye & do the best I could. I have no more to say at present, but hoping to hear from you soon again.
Wishing you & yours every day’s happiness,
From your loving niece
Kit Flahavin.
Family from the John O’Connor & Catherine3 O’Connell union, 8 as above and as follows –
(1)Margaret4 O’Connor born Feb 9th, 1880-July 28th, 1939 who on Jan 11th, 1905 married Richard Ferris from Gore, Southland, New Zealand.Margaret is buried in Gore cemetery, Southland, New Zealand. See Ancestry. Family of 7 as follows –
i.James Joseph5 “Jim” Ferris, b. 1906, Gore, Southland, New Zealand , d. 29 Apr 1974 (Age 68 years).
ii.John “Jack” Ferris, b. 1907, d. 3 Jan 1968 (Age 61 years)
iii.Catherine “Cath” Ferris, b. 11 Aug 1910, Gore, Southland, New Zealand , d. 19 Dec 1987, Gore, Southland, New Zealand (Age 77 years)
iv.Richard “Dick” Ferris, b. 25 Nov 1910, Gore, Southland, New Zealand , d. 29 Sep 2008, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand (Age 97 years)
v.Mary “Maimie” Ferris, b. 19 Jan 1913, d. 17 Sep 2002, Gore, Southland, New Zealand (Age 89 years)
vi. Leslie Michael “Les” Ferris, b. 1917, Gore, Southland, New Zealand , d. 14 Sep 1978, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand (Age 61 years)
vii.Margaret Ferris, b. 24 Oct 1919, Gore, Southland, New Zealand , d. 11 May 2014 (Age 94 years)
(Patrick N.O’Neill)
(2)?4 ‘Connor died in infancy. 1882
(3) Michael4 ‘Morgan’ O’Connor 1883-1918. Michael was killed in action in the first World War. He was a rifleman (36883) in the New Zealand Rifle Brigade and was killed in action on April 20th 1918 and is buried in France at Martinsart in the Somme in the Mesnil Communal Cemetery Extension, Carne No. 2, Row No. 1, Grave 8. At the time of his death his family were living at St. John’s St, Gore, Invercargill, New Zealand.
See link hereunder provided to me by Patrick N.O’Neill, great great grandson of Catherine Lynch
19770623 – NZ Ministry of Defence – 36883 Michael Morgan O’Connor and 47285 Paul John O’Connor
(4)James4 O’Connor 1886-1938) b. 1886, , Southland, New Zealand , d. 5 Feb 1938, Kingston Crossing, Southland, New Zealand (Age 52 years). James remained single in life.
(5)?4 O’Connor diedf in infancy.
(6)?4 O’Connor died in infancy.
(7)Catherine4 (Kitty) O’Connor born 1889, died on July 21st, 1970 at Gore, Southland. On Aug 13th 1921 at Gore, Southland, New Zealand Kitty married Nathaniel ‘Bunny’ Nicholl born April 27th 1889 at Kingston Crossing and died on Nov 13th 1967 at Kingston Crossing. Their daughter Elizabeth4 Agnes Nicholl (born Dec 20th 1925 at Gore, Southland) and her cousin Mary Walsh came on a visit to Ireland whilst on a Holy Year Pilgrimage to Europe between August 1950 and January 1951 and stayed at Flavin’s, Glenagragra and at O’Connors, Ballyguiltenane. Elizabeth married John O’Neill from Dunedin, New Zealand on August 1951. See photograph hereunder that Elizabeth took of Kate Barrett, Turraree, Glin and Mike Griffin Glenagragra, Athea while on said visit. The photograph was given to me by my good friend Jerry Griffin, Glenagragra. Elizabeth, who was a qualified nurse died on March 11th 2013 and is buried in Dunedin, Otago. Also in the family – John Charters “Jack” Nicholl, b. 6 Jun 1922, d. 16 Nov 1998, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand (Age 76 years). Catherine Mary “Kay” Nicholl, b. 29 Jan 1924, d. 8 Oct 2002, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand (Age 78 years). (Patrick N.O’Neill & George Langan)
Kate Barrett, Turraree, Glin & Mike Griffin, Glenagragra, Athea.
Photo taken December 1950 by Elizabeth Nicholl O’Neill, New Zealand.
Note the snow on the road and on the tyres of the bicycles.
(Photo by kind permission of Gerry Griffin, Glenagragra.)
(8)John Thomas4 O’Connor, b. 15 Oct 1894, Longridge, Southland, New Zealand , d. 4 Dec 1953, Waimea, Southland, New Zealand (Age 59 years). On June 22nd.1922 John married Mary Agnes McCartney, b. 15 Sep 1902, Longridge, Southland, New Zealand , d. 25 Jul 1984, Gore, Southland, New Zealand (Age 81 years). (Patrick N.O’Neill).
Photo courtesy of Patrick N.O’Neill.
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