McCONAGHY, Henry

   Cause of his death was senility.⁴

   Other names for Henry were McCONAGHY, Bernd, McCONNACHIE, Henry ¹ and McCONNOCHIE, Harry.⁵

   User ID: L183.

  General Notes:

"Church Baptism Record

Name: Bernd McConaghy
Date of Baptism / Birth: 31/01/1857
Address: Analoist
Parish / District: SHANKHILL
Gender: Unknown
County Co. Armagh
Denomination: Roman Catholic
Father: Michael McConaghy
Mother: Margaret O'Neal
Sponsor 1 /Informant 1: Elizabeth McTeagh

© Copyright Armagh Ancestry"

from www.rootsireland.ie

In the Church Baptism Record (see above), a transcription of the parish register entry, made available by the Irish Family History Foundation, the name for this child baptised on 31 January 1857 is "Bernd" McConaghy. All other evidence points to this child actually being Henry, the youngest son, and second youngest child, of Michael McConaghey and Margarey O'Neill. The year and date of birth of the man born to these parents and who was later known as Henry is compatible with this record. To complicate matters, the original parish register shows "Richard" as the father and "Margaret O'Neal" as mother, living at Analoist. [There was a Richard McConaghy fathering children at the time: he lived in Seagoe parish, and his wife was Mary McVeagh.] Henry was the first son to have been born since 1854, when the first son and eldest child of Michael and Margaret, Bernard, had died, aged 17 years. Naming a newborn for a loved sibling who died is a well known phenomenon, and a mark of respect and remembrance.

The child's address was recorded in the document as Analoist. The baptism was a Roman Catholic one that took place in Shankill parish, County Armagh. There was one baptismal sponsor named, as well as the parents of the child, Michael McConaghy and Margaret O'Neal, She was Elizabeth McTeague.

The Christian name of Henry is more commonly found as an O'Neill name than as a McConaghy name in the Armagh records.

Henry McConnachie seems to have come from Ireland to Scotland some time before the 1881 census, perhaps between 1872 when his father died and the year of the census.

The 1881 census for the west district of the parish of Shotts, Lanarkshire, recorded 'Henry McConochie', a freestone quarrier, boarding at the home of Edward Lynch and his mother Ann Lynch at 10 Omoa Square in Cleland. Edward's brother Peter, along with Peter's wife, Ellen, and their daughter, Ann, were also part of the household. Henry was unmarried, 26 years old, and had been born in Ireland.

At the time of his marriage at Cleland, Lanarkshire, in March 1884, Henry was recorded as 28 years old. He was employed as a quarrier, and his home was in Greenhill. He made his X mark rather than signing his name. His father Michael, a labourer, was dead at the time of Henry's marriage. His mother, Margaret, was still living, and was an O'Neil by birth.

"Name: Henry Mcconachie
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Birth Date: abt 1856
("calling"): stonedresser
Place of Origin (country of which they are citizens): Scotland
Departure Port: Glasgow, Scotland and Moville, Ireland
Destination: USA
Arrival Date: 27 Mar 1884
Arrival Port: New York, New York, USA
Ship Name: Devonia"

from New York, Passenger Lists

Henry made his X mark when registering his first child, Mary, before William Spence, at Cleland, on 3 February 1886.

In 1887, when his daughter, Helen, was born, Henry was employed still as a 'quarryman'. Again, he made his mark X on the birth certificate rather than signing his name.

When his daughter, Margaret, was born in 1889, Henry, who was present where the birth occurred, gave notice of her birth before the registrar, William Spence, at Cleland on 22 April 1889, and made his X mark. His occupation was recorded as quarryman.

The 1891 census recorded 'Henry Connachie' as a firestone quarryman. He lived at 14 Spoutscroft, near Cleland. He was 35 years old and was born in Ireland. His wife was Catherine aged 29 years, and he had three children: Mary 5 years old, Ellen 3 years old, and Margaret 2 years old, all born in Shotts parish. There were also two boarders staying at their house: Edward Connachie, aged 37 years, a quarry labourer, born in Ireland, and William John McGhee, aged 20 years, a coalminer, also born in Ireland.

Henry's first son, Michael, was born on 13 March 1897. Henry notified the registrar and made his X mark. His occupation was noted as quarryman.

The 1901 census for Cleland, in the civil parish of Shotts in north east Lanarkshire, recorded 'Harry McConnochie' as head of a household living at Shotts Road, Greenhill. Two rooms of their living quarters were windowed. Living there were Harry and his wife Catherine, six of their children, and a boarder who was Harry's unmarried brother, Edward. Harry was recorded as 45 years of age and worked as a freestone quarryman. His birthplace was Ireland.

Henry gave notice of the birth of his daughter, Teresa, in 1903. He made his X mark before William McGill, registrar, on 23 September 1903 at Cleland. He gave his occupation as quarryman.

Ellen, Henry's daughter, was married in 1911 and Henry was recorded in her marriage certificate as a Quarryman, as he was in Teresa's in 1933. In 1922 when Margaret was married he was termed a 'retired quarryman' and in 1934 when Mary married, just before his death, he was 'formerly quarryman'.

In 1927 Henry's son Michael, married. Henry was recorded in his marriage certificate as a quarryman. Michael's address was the same as the one noted seven years later, in Henry's death certificate, as the place where he died.

When Henry died in 1934, his age was recorded on his death certificate as 74 years. This seems a conservative estimate, as it makes his year of birth 1860. In the 1881 census he was recorded as 26 years of age, in 1884 he gave his age at his marriage as 28 years, and in 1891 the census recorded him as 35 years. It is likely, then, that he was born in 1856-7, which makes his age at death about 78 years.

He was recorded in his death certificate as 'formerly a stone quarryman, widower of Catherine Vallely.' His son, Michael, who was present where his father's death took place, informed the registrar, Alexander Craig, at Cleland, on 20 December 1934, of his father's death. Michael's address was noted as 23 Omoa Road Cleland.

When his son, Michael, died in 1865, Henry was recorded again as a quarryman deceased, as he was when his daughter, Helen, died in 1975 in Cleland. ^{1 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14}

  Research Notes:

CLELAND

The Roman Catholic Church of St Mary's Cleland was built in 1877.

QUARRY

There was a brickwork and a freestone quarry at Auchenlee, owned by Mr Gibb, and a freestone quarry on the Bellside estate, owned by Mr King of Motherwell.

RANGE OF HENRY'S AGE

1881 -26 years year of birth 1855
1884 -28 years year of birth 1856
1891 -35 years year of birth 1856
1901 -45 years year of birth 1856
1934 -74 years year of birth 1860

The average of these gives a date in late 1856, almost 1857. Since the second 'Bernard' was baptised in January 1857, it strengthens the possibility that no baptism can be found for Henry - among all his siblings - because he was actually baptised Bernard then later called Henry in everyday usage. This practice of naming children for dead relatives was common in Irish culture. ^{15 16}

  Medical Notes:

The cause of death was certified by John Lithgow MD

M. McConnachie, Henry's son who had been present where the death occurred, gave notice of his father's death before the registrar, Alexander Craig, at Cleland on 20th December 1934. The informant's address was noted as 23 Omoa Road Cleland.

Note:
'Senility' can mean anything related to 'old age', but in itself it is no longer generally regarded as acceptable for doctors to state this as a cause of death in people under 80. It appears to have been a shorthand for the ailments and diseases that accompany the later years of a person's life. ⁴

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Time of death: at 10.30 am.

Henry married Catharine VALLELY, daughter of Thomas VALLELY and Catharine QUIN, on 10 March 1884 in RC Chapel, Cleland, Lanarkshire, Scotland.^{1 2} (Catharine VALLELY was born on 20 January 1862 in Greenhill, Shotts Parish, Lanarkshire, Scotland ¹⁷ and died on 30 May 1906 in Ashfield Place, Cleland, Lanarkshire, Scotland.). The cause of her death was gall stones with localised inflammation and peritonitis over seven days.⁴

  Marriage Notes:

Henry McConnachie and Catherine Vallely were married in Cleland according to the rites and forms of the Roman Catholic Church. Father John Hughes married the couple, and their witnesses were Mary Vallely, probably the bride's sister, who signed the register, and Peter Lynch who made his X mark.

Henry made his X mark, and Catherine signed the register.

Catherine was 23 years old and Henry 28 years old. She worked as a brickworker and he was a quarrier. Both were from Greenhill, which was in the administrative parish of the West District of Shotts.

Henry's father, Michael, was deceased. His mother, Margaret O'Neil, and both of Catherine's parents were still living.

The marriage was registered at Cleland on 13 March 1884, Alexander McGill being assistant registrar.
²