Re: General history of the Condon Family
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In reply to:
Re: General history of the Condon Family
7/19/00
Hello and thanks,
Another person also suggested that I try the Mitchelstown area as well, so maybe I'm digging in the right area.
Unfortunately, one of the reasons I know very little about my gggrandmother is that she appears to have landed in the Ottawa Valley by fate and circumstance without many family from home near by. There was one other Condon in our area my grandmother told me she thought they might have been brother and sister.
Catherine was said to have been married in Ireland to a Mr. George O'Kane. Sometime in the late 1840's or very early 1850 she and her husband and 4 children left for North America. Some people say they were going to the States, some say to eastern Canada. Tradgedy struck enroute. Mr. O'Kane and all 4 children, Bridget, Ann, Hanna, and Georgedied.
Catherine herself, disembarked in New Brunswick. At some point, she met Patrick McDonough. He was a native of Galway who had already been in Canada for some time. He had been granted a chunk of land in the Ottawa Valley and he and Catherine settled here where they raised 4 children of their own, William Peter, James, Catherine and Jane. All the children were born in Canada in the 1850's.
The other Condon family was headed by Patrick Condon ( born c1819)and his wife Mary Scully. At least two of their children, John ( born c1841) and Margaret (born c1843) were born in Ireland. 7 others were born in Canada Catherine, Michael, Bridget, Patrick, Mary, Ellen and Anne.
My ancestors tombstones in the parish cemetery are amongst this family's plots as well as among other Scully families too. Catherine may have come up here with her brother's family who were travelling with her onboard as well and met Patrick here. Or she may have came up here, having no where else to go after her first husband died and settled with a brother who had previosly left. Or it may be a coincidence that her new husband took up land near another Condon family but it seems as if they must be related because the tombstones are practically touching.
This area was settled by Irish immigrants. Most, like my ancestors were Catholic. Most were from Cork, Clare, Limerick, and Galway. They are among the founding families of our part of the Ottawa Valley who are largely responsible for settling and opening up this part of Canada. They worked very hard because it isn't the most arable section but it is very pretty!
I don't know if any of this is helpful. I have only a few scraps of info on Condons beyond what I have written here. I am hopeful some of this matches up with info your family might have. It would be amazing if it strikes some chord as I have not had any success. I am also looking for Catholic Bradley families from Cork.
I have fairly extensive knowledge or access to books and info on other local Irish families so if your family is looking for connections in the upper Ottawa Valley I might be able to return the favour. There are a great many Irish families here.
Hope I haven't bored you with detail.
elizabeth
More Replies:
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Re: General history of the Condon Family
Carolyn Ravenscroft 2/18/02
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Re: General history of the Condon Family
Carmel Beal 7/21/00
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Re: General history of the Condon Family
7/20/00