Rooneys who came to Dubuque County, Iowa, 1846?
I haven't had much luck going back across the ocean to find out where my family's origins are in Ireland.With the help of the 1860 and 1880 US census, it is pretty clear that my limit is Patrick Rooney, who was one of the first settlers of the Iowa Territory, listed in the 1840 census.It is obvious that he quickly brought the whole family to Iowa (some of this is guesswork):
William Rooney (b. IRE 1771/1779);
His children, Owen, William, Hugh and Ann (all b. Ire.):
Owen Rooney (b. Ire. 1803/1805) m. Rose(anne) (b. 1810) and their children, William (b. 1831), Hugh (b. Tralee, County Kerry (?) 1833), John (b. 1835), Patrick (b. 1837), James (b. 1840), and Owen (b. 1843).These children were all born in Ireland, as listed in the 1850 census.They had one other child, Thomas, who is listed as born in Illinois in 1846 (I think on the way to Iowa).
William Rooney (b. Ire. 1816/1822).He married Mary Margaret Burns.Their first child, George, was born in Illinois, but all other children were born in Iowa:Martin, Hugh Eugene, Anna, William, Joseph, Mary, Margaret and Catherine.
Hugh Rooney (b. Ire. 1812), married Anna Smith (b. 1824) in Dubuque Iowa in 1846.By the time of the 1850 census, they already had Joseph (b. 1847), Elizabeth (b. 1849) and Anna who was 2 mo. old.They later had Catherine, Mary, John, Patrick and Fanny.Also at this time there is listed a Hugh Rooney (b. 1839) living nearby as a laborer in the home of Thomas Wilson, Lawyer.This 11-year-old Hugh may be the Hugh, Jr. that my family spoke of.I am relatively certain he is not the same Hugh as the second son of Owen.
Ann Rooney married Edwin O'Hare, and their children were James, Mary and Anna.I don't know much else about them.
Our family "memory" has some details mixed up, but we are descended from one of the two Hughs.The family centered in the Dubuque County, IA area as well as Red Oak, IA in the western part of the state, and northern Missouri.My grandfather (William Cletus Rooney) and his family were located in the Cameron (northern) Missouri area.
If anyone has any clue how this can go farther back, I'd love to hear from you.Thanks.
Don Rooney
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Re: Rooneys who came to Dubuque County, Iowa, 1846?
Georgia GEske 5/08/10