Hello everyone,
I have not posted my Kearney/Carney history before on this board, but after
doing a little reading, I have learned that should have done this long ago!
My 3x great grandfather was John Kearney/Carney. In my family, we have
always pronounced his last name as "Ker-ney" I could very well be mistaken
in the pronunciation of his surname. John was born in Glin, Limerick
Ireland. I do not know if he was born in Glin Town or Glin Demesne. I have
learned that Glin could also refer to Kilfergus Parish in Limerick. He
therefor could have been born in any townland in Kilfergus parish.
In his declaration of citizenship from 1847 in Portland Maine, he states
that he was born in 1819 in Glin, Limerick Ireland. This birth year differs
from all the other records I have for him regarding his birth year of 1806.
On all the census records and even his head stone, he was born in 1806. I
have been told that he most likely lied about his age on the declaration
because he was nervous of lawyers and lawmakers. On his declaration he
signed his name John McKearney. I have census records from the 1850's to the
1870's with his family. All the census records are from Yarmouth,
Cumberland, Maine, USA.
In his declaration he also tells us of his immigration to Canada. He arrived
in Saint John NB in May or June 1842. He lived there until 1843 when he
relocated to Sidney, Kennebec county Maine. He lived there until 1845 when
he relocated again to the Portland Maine area.He says nothing about his wife
in his declaration. He made the declaration in 1847 and by 1850 he was
living in Yarmouth Maine with his wife Mary McKearney, nee Scanlon, and his
two daughters Mary, born 1847, and Nellie/ Ellen born @1850.
I do not know where John and Mary Scanlon met, but most people think they
met in Ireland and most likely married there too. I am not completely
convinced that he came in 1842 to Saint John NB. In doing further research
on his daughter Mary, born 1847, it is listed that she was born in Maine,
but in census records after her marriage to John Slattery, she says that she
was born in Ireland, not Maine. If that is the case, then maybe the John
Kearney family did not come until 1847 or later. But they wanted it to look
like their first daughter was born in the US. Just a hunch.
I have also found many John Kearney's born in 1806 in ships lists from
1832-1838 and another from 1847.
Any ideas or information would be welcomed. John and Mary's history is very
important to me. I live in the house he built @ 1850-1855 in Yarmouth Maine.
I am the 6th generation to live here.
Warm regards, Liz, Yarmouth Maine