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The CONN Family of Ireland
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Martinwill2



Joined: 04 Nov 2007
Posts: 7
Location: Utah

Post Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 3:28 am    Post subject: The CONN Family of Ireland Reply with quote

While researching my fourth great-uncle Captain John CONN, of H.M.S. Dreadnought and other ships, a key piece of evidence was the account of his Navy career in "The Trafalgar Roll: The Ships and the Officers" by Col. Robert Holden MacKenzie (Greenhill Books, 1989, a reproduction of the original published in 1913 by George Allen & Co. Ltd.) This account is widely available on the web, and I will not reproduce it in full here. However, it states: "Captain John Conn, a member of the Irish family of that name at Mount Ida, Waterford, was born in Ireland in 1764, and entered the service in 1778. ... He was a cousin, by marriage, to Lord Nelson, having married a daughter of Rev. Isaac Nelson, Rector of Meldon and Vicar of Mitford."

If it is true, this account would connect John CONN with the family that built Mount Ida in the mid-1800's, and may also identify John's father John CONN with the one mentioned below, chr. in 1739. However, an alternative is that the father of the Stoke Damerel, Devon, family is a close relative of this Irish John CONN. It is also possible but unlikely that Capt. John CONN was born in Ireland and baptised in Devon. The stated relationship to Lord Nelson is equally unlikely, as the families of Isaac and Horatio do not connect for at least a century earlier, if at all.

I began researching the Irish CONN family in the IGI, and came across the following baptisms in Kill St. Nicholas, Waterford, Ireland (all extracted records):

Mary CONN F C 7 Oct 1736 Kill St. Nicholas, Waterford, Ireland
Susannah CONN F C 7 Oct 1736 Kill St. Nicholas, Waterford, Ireland
John CONN M C 5 Dec 1739 Kill St. Nicholas, Waterford, Ireland
Joseph CONN M C 5 Dec 1739 Kill St. Nicholas, Waterford, Ireland
Parents William CONN and Mary.

The next generation produced the following CONN baptisms, some with deaths recorded.
Kill St. Nicholas - additional IGI entries:
Barbara CONN 26 Feb 1764 Parents John & Mary, (presumed d. before 1774)
Sarah CONN 6 Sep 1766 Parents John & Mary
William CONN 15 Feb 1769 Parents John & Mary, d. 9 Apr 1775
Mary CONN 29 Mar 1772 Parents John & Mary
Barbara CONN 10 Jun 1774 Parents John & Mary
Susannah CONN 8 Mar 1776 Parents John & Mary, d. 13 May 1781
Benjamin CONN 14 Oct 1778 Parents John & Mary
John CONN 26 Jan 1781 Parents John & Mary, d. 31 Mar 1782
Joseph CONN 14 Aug 1782 Parents John & Mary

These baptisms would imply a marriage date of April 1763 or earlier, but I have not found a marriage record, other than what is reported in Burke's Landed Gentry of 1863 (A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland By Sir Bernard Burke pub. 1863 Harrison, London):

"John Conn, esq., who m. about 1774, Mary, dau. of John Underwood, C. E. and niece of the Rev. William Lambly, rector of Youghal, and by her (who d. in 1816) he left at his decease in 1811 a son and successor,
Benjamin Conn, Esq., who filled for thirty-five years the post of principal superintendent of the pilotage of the port harbour and river of Waterford, b. 12 Oct. 1775; m. 19 Oct 1811, Elisabeth Dalton, (who was b. 10 March 1782,) and had issue:
1. John Lambly, now of Mount Ida.
2. Marianne, m. 26 April 1853, to Martin Costellos, Esq., and has one son, Benjamin Conn, b. 15 April, 1854.
Seat -- Mount Ida, co. Kilkenny."

I suspect several errors in the above. Firstly, the marriage of John CONN and Mary UNDERWOOD must have occurred long before 1774, as stated previously. The date is stated as if the author only knew of one son, Benjamin, and supposed the marriage had occurred the year before his (incorrect) birth year. Second, Benjamin CONN was more likely born 12 Oct 1778, in line with his baptism two days later. Other deductions from the above are that Mary's aunt married William LAMBLY, and the middle name of John Lambly CONN is derived from his surname. This also states the marriage of Benjamin CONN was to Elisabeth DALTON, and the marriage date is consistent with the birth date of John Lambly CONN in Aug 1812. Unfortunately, Marianne CONN's birth date is not given, but her marriage is consistent with the entry just below. Her son Benjamin Conn COSTELLO was born one year after their marriage. The account does not mention John CONN and Mary UNDERWOOD's other children listed above.

Of these children, their sons William CONN and John CONN both died young, ages 6 and 5 respectively. This leaves Joseph CONN, who is mentioned in Burke's Landed Gentry of 1899:

"PHILLIPS-CONN OF MOUNT IDA
Highgate Henry Philips-Conn, of Mount Ida, Co. Kilkenny, J.P., M.A., and M.D., Dublin University, formerly Surgeon to the 44th (East Essex) Regt., b. 1841, m. 1870, Fanny, only dau. of the late Henry Meredith, of Edgbaston, and has issue,
1. Thomas Henry Meredith, b. 1883
1. Mabel Constance
Mr. H. H. Phillips-Conn is the 2nd son of the late Major Michael Phillips, J.P. of Glenview, Co. Cavan (see that family), by Mary Anne his wife, and dau. of the late Highgate Tench, of Ballyhealy House, Co. Wexford, Heir to the Mount Ida estates in 1893, on the death of his uncle by marriage, the late John Lambly Conn, and, in accordance with his will, assumed by Royal License 4 July, 1894, the additional surname of Conn.
Lineage. -- This family gave several distinguished officers to the Royal Navy; one, Capt. John Conn, commanded the "Dreadnought" (98 guns) at Trafalgar.

John Conn, m. Mary, dau. of John Underwood, C.E., and niece of the Rev. William Lambly, Rector of Rower, co. Kilkenny, and by her had issue,
1. Benjamin
2. Joseph, who m. Mary Gleeson, and by her had a dau., Sarah, m. Saunders Rogers, of Tramore.
The eldest son,
Benjamin Conn, of Mount Ida, m. 1812, Elizabeth, dau. of Capt. Peter Dalton, of Glenfield, co. Tipperary, and d. 1862, having by her (who d. 1838) had issue,
1. John Lambly, of Mount Ida
1. Kate Elizabeth, d. unm. (possibly a twin of John Lambly?)
2. Marianne, m. Martin Costelloe, and had issue.
The only son:
John Lambly CONN, of Mount Ida, co. Kilkenny, b. 8 Aug 1812; m. 26 Jul 1844, Frances, eldest dau. of the late Highgate Tench, of Ballyhealy House, co. Wexford, and grand-dau. of the late Joshua Nunn, of St. Margaret's, in the same co., and d. 1893, having had issue:
1. Benjamin Higatt, b. 1846, d. unm. 1862
2. John Nunn b. 1847, d. 1849
Mr. Conn devised his estates to his wife's nephew, Highgate Henry Phillips, who has assumed by Royal License the additional name and arms of Conn."

CONN marriages from Kill St Nicholas:
Susannah CONN 18 Oct 1756 James LAVERTY (consistent with 1736 baptism of Susannah CONN above.)
Mary CONN 28 Apr 1767 David ANNAN (consistent with 1736 baptism of Mary CONN above.)
Anstice CONN 15 Jan 1805 Thomas SIMONS
Sarah CONN 13 Apr 1828 Saunders ROGERS
Anne CONN 8 Feb 1845 George MIDDLETON
Mary Anne CONN 24 Apr 1853 Martin COSTELLO (consistent with Burke's, except date is reported as the 26th April 1853)

The next generation includes two baptisms of interest:
John CONN 14 Aug 1812 Parents Benjamin & Elizabeth (John Lambly Conn d. 1893 age 81)
William CONN 23 Mar 1817 Parents Benjamin & Eliza

Benjamin CONN has made his mark in several historical directories:

Pigot And Co., City Of Dublin And Hibernian Provincial Directory 1824:
Conn, Benjamin, King Street (offices), Deputy Pilot Master.

T. Shearman The New Commercial Directory For The Cities Of Waterford And Kilkenny, Towns Of Clonmel, Carrick-on-suir, New Ross And Carlow 1839:
Conn, Benjamin, Harbour Commission, Waterford, Pilot Master Passage.

Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland 1846:
Conn, Benjamin, Great George's Street, Waterford, Pilot Master.

This is clearly the same Benjamin referred to by Burke's.

John Lambly CONN appears to have had two marriages and a number of children.
His first marriage was reported by Burke's (above) to Frances Tench, on 16 Jul 1844, their children being Benjamin Higatt CONN and John Nunn CONN.

His second marriage, to Adelaide Mary Battersby, abt. 1866, produced at least two children:
William Benjamin CONN b. 12 Aug 1867, d. 29 Aug 1893
Adelaide Ida Georgianna CONN b. 16 Aug 1869.

His death is recorded in a monumental inscription at The Abbey, Kilculliheen, Ferrybank, Waterford:
"This monumental record was placed here by John Lambly Conn of Mount Ida in this county in loving memory of his youngest son William Benjamin Conn who passed away on the 29th of August 1893, in the 26th year of his age and rests here. Here also rests John Lambly Conn of Mount Ida who was for many years a resident of this parish and who departed this life December 9th 1893 aged 81 years." (which agrees with a birth in 1812)

The implication of "his youngest son" is that John Lambly CONN had at least two older sons, consistent with the two from his first marriage.

John Lambly CONN also made his mark in several directories:
John L Conn Waterford Ballincrea & Kilcollumb, Waterford Guardian of Poor Law Union Waterford
JOHN L CONN WATERFORD GENTRY & CLERGY LIST MOUNT IDA SLATER 1881 p.281 1881 Waterford
J Conn Subscriber To Agricultural Show Kilkenny Castle Office Kilkenny
John Lambley Conn Parliamentary Elector Mount Ida Waterford Kilkenny (Egan 1884)
John Lambley Conn Waterford Mount Ida Rochestown Waterford Ida Waterford Union, [Juror] Waterford (Egan 1894)
(this last being posthumous!)

MOUNT IDA.
31.1.1857 John L Conn, Mount Ida. [Mod]

Landowners in 1876
County Kilkenny, Ireland
Posted to the Co. Kilkenny Query Board
Reproduced by the permission of Jean Rice
71. J. L. Conn, address Mount Ida, Waterford, owned 971 acres

I have not pursued this line further, as it becomes increasingly unrelated to the life of Captain John CONN, who clearly was not a member of this family unless John CONN 1839 was his father or a close cousin or uncle.

Some possibly related documents are available from A2A:
----------------
Navy Board: Out-letters ADM 354/147/236

John Clevland. The widow of William Conn, late Gunner of the Otter, has petitioned that books and papers to pass her husband's accounts are dispensed with. The Board of Ordnance were asked to give an opinion.

Date: 1753

Source: The Catalogue of The National Archives
----------------
Navy Board: Out-letters ADM 354/147/237

to take care of them even in case of death. Have observed irregularities when William Conn was Gunner and will give reasons for our objections when asked. Enclosure Correspondence National Maritime Museum, Caird Library

Date: 1753.

Source: The Catalogue of The National Archives

Item details: ADM 354/147/237

Copy letter from the Board of Ordnance to the Boar. Opine the Gunner's death is insufficient reason to dispense with the books and papers as there is sufficient provision to take care of them even in case of death. Have observed irregularities when William Conn was Gunner and will give reasons for our objections when asked.

1753 Aug 14

----------------
Online Document PROB 11/715

Will of William Conn , Mariner of Saint Georges in the East, Essex

Date: 1741.

Source: Documents Online (images of documents from The National Archives)
(My transcription excerpted below):
"I, William Conn Mariner of the parish of St. George's in the East in the County of Essex being in Bodily health and of sound and disposing mind ... I give and bequeath and dispose thereof as follows, that is to say to Robert Conn my dearly beloved Brother to ... I leave freely to John Roobart my beloved (unreadable) ..." On the face of it, unlikely to be the will of William CONN of the Otter.

I also found two other wills for John CONN, including this one from 1801 (Online Document PROB 11/1366):
"I, John Conn. Gunner of His Majesty's Ship Trident ... unto my ffriend Anthony Brown ... of Portsmouth in the County of Hants ... "

and a 1759 will (Online Document PROB 11/850):
"I, John Conn, Mariner now going out in the ship Samuel Capt. Kelly Commander being in Bodily health ... unto my beloved cousin Mary Cunningham now living at Stratford near Bow in Essex ..."

---------------
Admiralty: Ships' Musters (Series I) ADM 36/7848

Ship: WEAZLE . Ship: WEAZLE Admiralty: Ships' Musters (Series I) The National Archives, Kew

Date range: 1777 - 1779.

Source: The Catalogue of The National Archives
(might be worth a look as it includes the date when John CONN started his Navy career aboard this ship. His father should also be mentioned.)
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