Re: Joseph McConnell

I received this from Marcia MacConnell Davidson.

I do have some information on Joseph's parents. Marenus Gilbert McConnell was b c 1801-1804 in New York State. He died on 5-12-1878 in Goodland, Lapeer, MI. His death record information is online at GENDIS under Mirona McConnell (I think). They revised their information since its been posted and I can't remember what they actually have up as his first name. They show that Marenus' parents are Eli McConnell and Roxey/Rosey (again, originally, it said Rosey but I think they changed it to Roxey). I have never written for the actual death record.
Marenus was married first to Sophia Clark (according to his son Eli's death certificate). She was b Canada so they may not have married until he moved to Canada. His son Eli was b in Ontario 1824 and William was born in "Prince Edward District" Ontario (Prince Edward County) in 1825.
Pte Murenius McConnell, age 27, was listed in the Prince Edward County Militia on 1-8-1829.
Merinus McC was naturalized as a Canadian citizen in 1831. He was living in Hillier Twp, PE County.
Norman Ballard McC was also b in Prince Edward District (acc to his marriage notice) in 1832 (1901 census).
The family may have moved to Northumberland County around 1839. 1878 County Atlas lists William McC as moving to Northumberland County at that date. Since he would have been 14, I assume he moved with his family.
Joseph's marriage record shows he was b in Brighton, Northumberland c 1842.
Marenus married again on 1-19-1846 in Murray, Northumberland Co to Mary Simmons.
1848 Census shows Maremis McConell as living in Concession 2, Lot 30, Murray, Northumberland County but he may have moved to Yarmouth, Elgin Co, Ontario by 1850 when his son Eli was married there. He was there for sure in 1857 (and sounded as if he'd been there a while) in a letter to his sons William and Ballard in Northumberland County and was still in Yarmouth for the 1861 census (under the name "Gilbert" McC)
By 1870 census Marenus was living in Goodland, Lapeer, MI.
When I listed Joseph's siblings in my last message I forgot Robert b c 1840.

My interest is in Marenus' father, Eli McConnell. There is a schoolteacher contract dated 1818 inPrince Edward County where Eli McConnell is included on a list of those agreeing to pay for a schoolteacher for that term so he had school age child/children at that time. Roxy McConnell shows up in Quaker records in PE County between 1819-1826 at which time she was asked to leave because she was no longer dressing plainly enough. There is no mention of Eli in the Quaker records that I have found so far. His death date is unknown. The last mention of "Rockselane McConnell" is in 1832 when there is a notice in the newspaper about a promissory note. Whether value was not received because she died is also not clear (But seems likely). I can find no burial or death date for either of them in Prince Edward County.
I am descended from an Eli and Sarah (Cummings) McConnell of New York State. Sarah died in 1793 leaving Eli with three young boys. The 1800 Oneida County, NY census seems to indicate that he may have married again. There is an Eli McConnell on the 1814 landowner list in Oneida County but again it is unclear whether it is him or his son Eli (b 1792). That is the last reference to my Eli McConnell. I do not know if the Eli who shows up in Prince Edward County Ontario in 1818 is my Eli McConnell or not.
My brother has recently had DNA testing done at my request and I am in the process of getting a male descendant of William, son of Marenus, to have the same test. In a few months I expect to know whether it is likely that the Eli's are one and the same or not. ( I told myself I wasn't going to do any more research on the Canadian McConnells until I had the DNA test results, but as you can see, I'm not holding to it.)Marcia MacConnell Davidson
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She also sent me this:Joseph McConnell, age 9, living with Williamand Catherine Clark in the 1851 Prince Edward Co., Ontario.Joseph was the only McConnell listed in Hallowell in 1851.WilliamClark was 71 years old, b. NY and indicated that Joseph was a family member.
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Since Sophia Clark was married to Marenus McConnell, the Clark he was living with may have been related to her.

I am not totally sure Joseph is Marenus's father, but he was living next to Eli McConnell in Kansas in 1885.

1885 Larned Post Office, Pleasant Valley, Pawnee County, Kansasenumerated on the 1st. day of March
Lived next door to Joseph W. McConnell, my gr-grandfather.

3 3Eli McConnell60MWMFarmerCanadamoved from Michigan to Kansas
Ellen McConnell54FWMNYmoved from Michigan to Kansas
Marrion McConnell16MWSMImoved from Michigan to Kansas