Downtown Taghmon

Downtown Taghmon
Main Street, Taghmon, County Wexford, 2011

About James Connor and Anastasia Colfour (Colfer)

About James Connor and Anastasia Colfer

James Connor (c1818-1897) and Anastasia Colfour (Colfer) (c1821-1884) married in the Parish of Taghmon in 1842 and emigrated from County Wexford, possibly the town of Taghmon, between c1852-1854. History states that James preceded Anna by two years. Shortly after arriving in America, they settled in Evanston, Illinois. They lived and farmed in an area of Evanston now known as Stockham Park until about 1862 when they moved to the corner of Ridge Avenue and Lake Street in Evanston. Several siblings of James' also came to the U.S. around the same time and resided in Evanston. They include his twin siblings Katherine and Thomas, both of whom never married; and, his brother Patrick who married Margaret Welsch. James and Anna had six children, the first five of whom were born in Ireland. They include Ellen (Sullivan) (1843-1919), James C. (1846-1890), Bridget Lucy (Headen/Hayden) (1849-1876); John A. (1852-1932); Mary E. (Haughey) (1854-1934); and, Thomas E. (1857-1929). Anna died of typhoid pneumonia on April 15, 1884. James, lived to be 79, spending the last thirteen years living with his son Thomas. James died on October 2, 1897.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Ballybrennan Cemetery, Bree, Wexford

In Cantwell's Memorials of the Dead, a transcription of a head stone located in the Ballybrennen Cemetery, Townland of Bree, Wexford reads:

Erected by Thomas and Catherine Connor
of Bree in memory of their parents
James Connor
who died May 2nd 1848 aged 72 years
and Bridget Connor
who died July 7th 1850 aged 62

Although I have no proof the inscription was written by Thomas and Katherine Connor, siblings of James Connor, some facts seem to support the possibility.
  • Bree is about 10 miles from Taghmon, the town that was named in a Connor obituary
  • Thomas and Catherine were twins who never married and lived together for their entire life
  • James and Bridget's ages would be consistent with the ages of their children - Thomas bc1810, Katherine bc1810, James bc1818 and Patrick bc1823.
  • The Connor siblings came to America in the early 1850s
  • All the other "Connor" inscriptions in the surrounding cemeteries use "O'Connor."  This is the only inscription which uses simply "Connor."
To view the transcription of grave #80 click on Ballybrennan Cemetery.

Although this is a long shot, it is intriguing.  More work needs to be done.

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