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Some Connor/Conner/O’Connor, Manch, Dunmanway, West Cork, 17th century  Deeds, Wills, With Numerous Local People Named.

There are two theories of the origin of the Connor family, one that they descend from a London Merchant granted lands in Bandon. The other that they are of the ancient O’Connor family.  Only DNA would solve this conundrum.  Descendant of the extended family are prominent in Irish Legal Circles.

As Magistrates:

George Connor, 1751, Ballybricken, Monkstown

James Connor, 1778, Killelough, Fermoy?

Daniel Connor, Manch House, Member Commission on Magistrates 1838. Two Daniel Connors one at Ballybricken.

Daniel Conner/Connor Esq., Ballybricken/Manch House, Dunmanway, Pre 1831.  Listed 1835. Subscriber Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland 1837. Member Hanover Association meeting Cork 1791 re Whiteboys. Member Commission on Magistrates 1838. Refusal to convict those accused of firing at Orange Parade in Dunmanway regarded as partisan.  Sitting Ballineen, Dunmanway 1835.   County Freeman of Cork voting in Cork City Election 1837. Member Provisional Committee projected Bandon to Bantry Railway 1845.  Attending Landlord Meeting Bandon Courthouse 1846. Attending Famine Relief Meeting Dunmanway 1846.  Voted 1850 for Denis Galwey as High Constable for Ibane and Ballyroe (Clonakilty), listed 1854 as Manch, sitting Dunmanway 1861 (Connor), listed 1875-6.

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Daniel Conner/Connor, 1868, Manch House, Ballineen, Resident, £374.   1840 petition for Catholic Equality.  m Patience d Henry Longfield JP, Waterloo, son 1859, Henry Daniel, JP, Barrister, Bencher King’s Inns, listed 1875-6.   listed 1843, 1870, 4,196 acres.  1847 distribution of New England Relief Committee Famine Relief for Dunmanway.

Daniel Connor, Esq., Ballybricken, Carrigaline/Monkstown, Ex-Officio Poor Law Commissioners 1839,  listed 1843.  Member Provisional Committee projected Bandon to Bantry Railway 1845

Daniel Conner, 1880, Ballybricken, Monkstown, Cork, Resident, £271 Subscriber as JP Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland  1837.  Father and son?

Henry Daniel Conner TCD MA KC, (1859-, Manch House, Ballineen, 16 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin, son Daniel JP, Manch House, Patience d Henry Longfield JP, Waterloo, Ed Stratford-on-Avon, TCD, King’s Inns, Inner Bar, author Fisheries Law In Ireland, Bencher Chancellor Diocese of Killaloe, m Annie d Rev Goodwin Purcell, Glenanne, Co. Cork, listed 1922.  Henry Daniel Conner, KC, MA, JP, Manch House, Ballineen and 16 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin, eldest son of Daniel Conner, JP of Manch House, and his wife Patience, daughter of Henry Longfield JP of Waterloo, Co Cork.  Born at Manch House on 3rd October, 1859.  Educated at Stratford on Avon and Trinity College, Dublin.  MA, Senior Exhibitioner and Golf Medalist.  Barrister at Law 1882. QC 1899.  Justice of the Peace in Co Cork, Chancellor of the Diocese of Killaloe.  Bencher of Kings Inn. Author of “The Fishery Laws of Ireland” 1892 (2nd edition 1908).  Recreations: shooting and fishing.  Married in 1881, Anne, daughter of Rev. Goodwin Purcell, of Charlesworth and formerly of Glenanore Co Cork and had issue two sons, Daniel Goodwin (Royal Field Artillery) and Henry Longfield and one daughter, Alice Mary.  Clubs:  University, Dublin and County Cork.

Robert Longfield Conner, 1784, Connerville, Dunmanway, possible son Roger and Anne Longfield

Roger Conner, 1757, Connerville, Dunmanway

William Connor, Bandon, Provost,  witness to deed 1740.

William Conner, 1752, Connerville, Dunmanway

William Conner, 1789, Mosestown, Whitegate

William Conner/Connor, Pre 1828, Mishells, Bandon. 1828 Bandon Quarter Sessions. Committee Protestant Conservative Society 1832.  Protestant protest meeting Cork 1834. Protestant Protest Meeting Bandon 1834.  Subscriber Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland  1837,  listed 1842.  County Freeman Cork City voter Cork City election 1837. As Captain William R. Anti-Repeal Meeting, Dunmanway 1843 as Manch House. 1870, 1,970 acres.

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The Mellifonts: David Mellefont, 61 Grafton St., Dublin, Tories 17th Century Ballingeary, Melefont family member attained as rapparee in Balingeary area 1690, 1731 Convert Roll Gilbert Mellifont, Dunmanway, Magistrates, Lawyers, Middlemen Later, Bantry, Dunmanway.

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https://durrushistory.com/2016/11/23/proceedings-at-the-high-court-of-justice-at-dublin-and-cork-1652-1654-for-trying-irish-catholics-arising-from-rising-of-1641-mentioned-belgooly-bandon-garretstown-included-triall-jo/

https://durrushistory.com/2016/04/01/mellifonts-of-donemark-bantry-west-cork/

https://durrushistory.com/2015/08/17/raparees-tories-whiteboys-anti-tithers-of-muskerry-the-mellifonts-first-boycott-wife-of-the-bold-tenant-farmer-his-cottage-at-ballinascarty-and-michael-oriordans-communist-party-of-irelan/

https://durrushistory.com/2015/06/28/1840-evictions-by-lord-kenmare-and-his-middleman-david-mellifont-at-ahil-bantry-west-cork-and-other-areas-distress-typhus-borrowing-from-butter-merchants/

https://durrushistory.com/2015/05/24/some-rent-receipts-kenmare-estate-1741-46-bantry-beara-area-william-sullivan-florence-sullivan-rev-thomas-miller-mort-sullivan-gilbert-mellifont-donemark-michael-murphy-newtown-and-mills-bev/

Will:

http://www.irishmanuscripts.ie/digital/Registry%20Of%20Deeds%20Abstracts%20Of%20Wills%20Vol%20II%201746-85/

Colonel John Townsend and his cousin in Australia have a web site devoted to the West Cork, Townsend family (part Galwey), there are a number of Mellifonts (spelling varies) in the extended family:

http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~townsend/tree/home.php

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https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Flats,+Ballyvourney,+Co.+Cork/@51.9454909,-9.1728442,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x48459fe7ccd270df:0x231e3744ac95441a!2sRusheenaniska,+Durrus,+Co.+Cork!3b1!8m2!3d51.6217112!4d-9.521993!3m4!1s0x48451e3c05829a7d:0x2600c7a819bb3a11!8m2!3d51.9455347!4d-9.1639709

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballyvourney

Reclamation Work 1829 to 1834 at Ballyvourney, (Baile Bhúirne/Mhúirne), Barony of Muskerry, Co.Cork,  by Charles Colthurst, Agent to Colthurst Estate.

His evidence to 1841 Parliamentary Commission was that there was major scope for Land Reclamation.

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As Magistrate:

Charles Colthurst, Clanmoyle, Peake, Coachford, Pre 1830. Member 1832 Cork Friendly Club. Listed 1835. Member Commission on Magistrates 1838.  Listed 1842.  Subscriber Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland  1837.   County Freeman Cork City voter Cork City election 1837. House reputedly built late 18th century by Coulthurst of Ballyvourney demesne now occupied by Moremiles Ltd.  Charles operated Clonmoyle Mill c 1846-1854, later owned by John Young and Sons Ltd, who lived at Clonmoyle House at Peake.  Died Adelaide Terrace formerly Tivoli 1865 probate to Joseph Colthurst Dripsey Castle and Alfred Greer, Dripsey House, £19,000.  Agent from c 1806 for 35 years to  Sir Nicholas Colthurst extensive estates.Evidence 1841 Commission on possibility of scope for extensive reclamation in Ballyvourney, operated model farm.

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1560s.  Fiants of Queen Elizabeth 1 of England with West Cork References Multiple Pardons (McCarthys. O’Driscolls, Crowleys/O’Crowleys/Dalys/O’Mahonys/O’Cullanes/Collins for ‘Rebels’.

The format of the surnames is different to that now used.

Abstracted by John T. Collins, Cork Historian in the 1930s.

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If access to photos is required insert comment

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Fiants of Queen Elizabeth 1 of England West Cork References

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1656. Petition of The Following, ‘That Daniell O’Donovand als O’Donovane of Curraghnylickey, Most Knew Him before 1641 Rebellion, as a Civil Honest, and Quite Gentleman’, Samuell Browne, Edward Renys, Edward Clerke, Francis Barnett (Mark) Mathew Perrott, Amos Bennets, Robert Osborne, Dermod O’Mahowby, Samuel Skinner, William Holcombe, Thomas Attridge, Barnabe Witcherly, Der. Coughlan, Will Corlless, Thomas Recraft (Roycroft), Mathew Sweethman (Sweetnam), Geyles Smith (Mark), Timothy Coughlane, Ja? Base, Abel Marshall, John Vallyes (mark), Ralph Fuller, Teig Has (O’Hea?), Phippip Ottrrydge (Attridge), John Baily, John Abbott, Philip Madoxe, Rowland Neild, William Ottrydge (Attridge), Thomas Hungerford, Samuel Poole, James Dyer, Richard Nobbs, John Chamberlen (Mark), Bart Philpot, Richard Skines  (Skuse?) (Mark), Henry Abbott (Mark), Richard Chambers (Mark), Thomas Duggen.

Curraghnylickey, in Drinagh

There is a further certificate dated 1661 from Henrie Becher testifying that Daniel O’Donovan was civil to all English of the Chief Gentry. At his burial he was poor, there was a great conflux of all class of English.

Bennets around Clonakilty.

The Dyer family had members in the Customs service in Crookhaven.

The various Coughlans probably Protestant branch Carrigmanus, Mizen.

Hungerford probably The Island, Rosscarbery.

From papers copied in the 1950s by Paddy O’Keeffe, Bantry businessman and historian.

Courtesy Barry Bradfield:

Curraghalicky

Curraghnylickey meaning the field of the stones is about four miles north east of Drinagh. It is currently spelt Curraghalicky and is in Drinagh Parish.

Down Survey and Daniell O’Donovan / O’Donavane.

Daniel held Courelicky (639 +176 acres) and the adjoining townland of Toughbaune (602+35+23 acres) These were plantation acres and would amount to about 2400 statute acres.

In fact Daniel O’Donovan had 47 different properties.

Amongst these properties was Castledonovan.

It was the so-called “seat” of the Clann Cathail sept of the O’Donovans for a period during the 16th century. The original name of the castle, and when the O’Donovans were actually living in it, was Sowagh (or Sooagh, Suagh) before the 17th century. The name of Castle Donovan, after the Manor of the Castle of O’Donovan, is associated with a regrant from James II of England in 1615.

According to tradition the tower was severely damaged by Oliver Cromwell’s soldiers in the late 1640s, blown up with powder in retaliation for Donal III O’Donovan joining the Stuart side and for his involvement in the rebellion and massacres of 1641, and has been uninhabited since that time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Donovan

His son Donal Óg had Raheen Castle across from Castletownsend,

He appears to have fought for the Stewart King Charles in the 1641 rebellion and this petition appears to be against the confiscation of his estates at that time.

He may have had portion of his estates returned after 1660 on the Restoration of Charles 2nd but I failed to locate him on the 1670 landowners list. A lot of the names on the petition are from Bandon but some are further west from Bandon.

Barry adds:

Mathew Perrott as I had recently being doing some research on the Perrott family and failed to locate them in the 1641 Depositions or the 1659 Census of Ireland etc. I had found details published mid 1800’s by a Perrott family from near Bandon who went to America which claimed their ancestor was a Mathew Perrott who came over with King William in the 1680’s.

I did locate a Mathew Perrott marriage in the 1680’s near Bandon to a Carey woman.

April 1689. Selection of MPs for Borough of Baltimore.  Cornelius O’Donovan, Morrogh O’Donovan, Cornelius O’Donovan of Kilmacabea, Daniel O’Donovan of Kilgliny, Daniel Regane, Daniel O’Donovan of Gortnaskehy, Tymothy Regan, Daniel O’Donovan of Fournaught, Thady Regan of Ballinacloghy, Cornelius O’Donovan of Ballynacala, Keadagh O’Donovan als O’Donovane, all Burgesses of Baltimore have chosen Daniel O’Donovan and Jeremie Donovan Esq. as Member.

Jeremie may have been an attorney in Dublin interfacing on behalf of local families with the authorities.

In many ways this was the last horray of the old local Gaelic Order.  In the following year the Battle of The Battle of The Boyne would settle affairs for over 200 hundred years. Families of English origin were in the area since around 1600 such as the Bechers and Townsends.  Relations seem to have been reasonable between the local Gentry.

After the confiscations, the O’Regans miraculously managed to hold onto their lands:

https://durrushistory.com/2016/02/21/early-genealogy-of-sir-teague-oregan-of-balltnaclohy-and-gortniglogh-killeenlea-near-leap-carbery-west-cork-temporary-holding-of-lands-from-1615-by-sir-walter-coppinger-loss-by-forfeiture-and-s-2/

Courtesy Wikipedia

Jeremiah O’Donovan (Irish: Diarmaid Ó Donnabháin), The O’Donovan of Clan Loughlin, Lord of Clan Loughlin,^[1] was MP for Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland, in James II‘s Patriot Parliament of 1689,^[2] alongside his kinsmen Daniel O’Donovan (MP Baltimore) of Clancahill and Daniel O’Donovan (MP Doneraile).

Obtaining letters patent from Charles II, his extensive landholdings were erected into the manor of O’Donovan’s Leap, or the Manor of the Leap, in 1684.

He was also appointed Registrar of the Admiralty in Ireland by James II.

Jeremy O’Donovan was the son of Daniel Mac Murtogh O’Donovan, Lord of Clan Loughlin. A Protestant, he married in 1686 Elizabeth Tallant, daughter of Oliver Tallant, and they had issue 1) Jeremiah, 2) John, and 3) Anne.

Jeremy Donovan served in the Patriot Parliament of 1689, his Protestant standing kept him from being outlawed as were the other O’Donovan members of the House of Commons of the Parliament. Daniel O’Donovan, Esq. (M.P. Doneraile) and Daniel O’Donovan, gent. (M.P. of Baltimore) were both outlawed as they were Catholic, while Jeremy was not.

He died in 1709, leaving his sons minors. He was succeeded by 1) Jeremiah, who inherited his estates, but sold the manor in its entirety in 1737 to Richard Tonson.

The Jeremy Donovan’s of Leap.

The Jeremy Donovan’s had 3 townlands near Leap in 1670. Details of size, owner in 1641 and numbers on the land from the 1659 census follow.

1827, Select Vestry Returns, Church of Ireland, Including Some Named Vestrymen and Churchwardens, Abbeystrewy (Skibbereen), Ballyvourney, Castlehaven, Creagh, Drinagh, Durrus, Fanlobus (Dunmanway), Innishannon, Kilbrogan, Macroom, Morogh, Tullagh (Baltimore)

In some Parishes Innishannon and Kinsale, there are probably more the first Vestry meeting took place to consider church business all being Church of Ireland members. The Vestry reconvened some time later that day and dealt with non religious local business, paupers, burying indigent dead etc.  This Vestry also numbered local substantial Catholic farmers and business people. Probably a relic of the Medieval pre Reformation Irish Church influenced by Norman practices.

By scrolling through Eppi Project (Digitalization of Irish Parliamentary Records 1800-1922 it may be possible to locate other parishes.

http://www.dippam.ac.uk/eppi/documents/9813/page/214917

https://durrushistory.com/2016/01/06/1827-vestry-returns-for-dioceses-of-cork-and-cloyne-church-of-ireland-the-state-church-2/

https://durrushistory.com/2011/10/27/st-james-durrus-select-vestry-1827/

https://durrushistory.com/2015/06/30/1827-sums-allotted-by-church-of-ireland-then-state-church-dioceses-of-cork-ross-and-cloyne-often-for-foundlings-and-burial-of-paupers/

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/wp-admin/edit.php?s=vestry&post_status=all&post_type=post&action=-1&m=0&cat=0&paged=1&action2=-1

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New Book on West Cork Railway System Including Colour Photographs of Some of the Last Journeys Pre 1962.

The book os for sale in Skibbereen in Cathal O’Donovan’s bookshop

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https://durrushistory.com/2015/04/28/west-cork-railway-map-1940-comic-postcard-schullskibbereen-tramway-timoleague-line-with-ardageen-last-train-out-of-macroom-1953-1956-diesel-railcar/

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