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George McChesney or Machesney

Hello everyone. I am looking this year to hopefully make a connection with my Irish relatives. I am in Australia. My ggg grandfather George McChesney or Machesney was born 25 Feb 1804 in Ireland (I do not have exactly where) and died in 1 March 1861 in Pennsylvania. George married my ggg grandmother Mary Mitchel and had two children Martha and Mary in around 1828. I have no further information on his wife Mary, but believe she died in childbirth 1828. This, I feel is the case because George married again to Sarah Conkley who was born in Ireland 26 April 1806 and died in Pennsylvania 28 March 1864. George and Sarah had two children in Ireland Elizabeth born 29 April 1832 and Charles born 23 March 1834. After 1834 they left Ireland and settled in Pennsylvania where they had 6 other children, George jnr, Mary Jane, Robert, Sarah, Isabella and Mary. I would very much like to find out anything about George McChesney or Machesney, Mary Mitchel or Sarah Conkley. Any information, no matter how small is greatly appreciated.

Regards, Carolyn

carolyn.mcpher…

3 replies

Carolyn,

A birth in 1804, and marriages in the 1820s are long before the start of statutory birth & marriage registration in Ireland (1864). If you don’t know where in Ireland your ancestor originated, and his precise denomination, it may be hard to trace him. And not every church has baptism records for the early 1800s. You can use this site to see where the name was found in Ireland in the mid 1800s:

https://www.johngrenham.com/findasurname.php?surname=McChesney

As you can see it wasn’t found in many places. It was most common in Co. Cavan and then other parts of Ulster. None outside Ulster.

Do you know the family denomination? The vast majority in the 1901 census of Ireland were Presbyterian (indicating they were of Scots origins). That and their location in Ulster points to them very likely being descendants of Scots who settled in Ireland in the 1600s. John Grenham’s site says McChesneys came from Galloway (ie south west Scotland).

Mitchell is a common surname and found all over Ireland. Not sure about Conkley. That is unknown in Ireland. There isn’t anyone with it in the country in 1901 or 1911. None in Griffiths Valuation c 1850. I suspect that surname has got garbled or guessed somewhere along the way. Not sure what it should be though.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you for your detailed email and suggestions.  Yes, the Machesneys were presbyterian and you are quite right with Co. Cavan, but I didnt think to look in Scotland.  I will follow this up.

carolyn.mcpher…

Hi Carolyn,

I am an American descendent of George McChesney and Sarah Conkey, through their child Robert Conkey McChesney (turned Machesney). I have gathered a fair bit of information about George, Sarah, and their children in America that I would be happy to share. Like you, I am also interested in learning more about George's Irish roots, as I have not established who his parents were, but have found some evidence that three of George's brothers (Robert, Charles, and John) also immigrated to America. Please feel free to message me here or at my email (alexandra.copper@gmail.com). Look forward to connecting!

Thanks, Alex

alexandra.copp…

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