Donnellys in County Cavan
For some years I have been investigating John and Catherine Mary (nee Brown) Donnelly who were convicted of larceny and separately sent to Tasmania as convicts during 1847. One of many queriesI have is thelocationofwhere they lived in Cavan. Convictdocuments record that John's parents were John and Catherine/Mary and that his siblings were James and Mary-Ann. John was born in 1822 on the basis of his death certificate in Melbourne. Catherine Mary was born in 1823 on a similar basis. Her parents were John and Mary Brown. Her siblings from convict records were James, William, Ellen, Ann and Mary. On line Catholic parish registers show some details for convict John Donnelly'ssister Mary Ann. She married John Early in Urney and Annagellife Parish on 24 November 1849. The baptism of one of their children, Catherine, is also recorded in the same parish on 25 June 1854. Is this parish close to Cavan Town and in which church within the parish did these events take place?I have presumed that there would be several churches in this parish around 1850. The location of this church within the parish may give a better idea of where convict John Donnelly's family lived. Mary Ann and John Earlyhad 2 other children in Ireland - Margaret (b.1850) and Thomas (b.1851). In addition they had 3 more children in Tasmania. Mary Ann and John moved to Tasmania in 1855. Any help or ideas regarding John Donnelly and Catherine Brown during their time in Ireland would be much appreciated. MIke Dunphy - mdunphy@bigpond.net.au
