When I was talking to my brother at Easter, he told me he’d met a Presbyterian Connolly from Rasharkin, whose family used the name Robert, just as our line does; both my brother and his acquaintance wonder if there is a link. The Rasharkin man had information on a couple of generations back, and thinks they originally came from Armoy, where we also had connections several generations ago. I was sure I could let the Rasharkin man have a bit more information, because I’d worked on that line at one time. When I checked on Rootschat this week, it was interesting to see that the discussion on those families has been live again recently; coincidences!
I have found a good bit of material online; the Irish censuses, of course, and GRONI and Irish Genealogy but also from Causeway Coast and Glens Family History Society members’ pages (thanks to Kate Connolly and colleagues for their trasncriptions), and also Bill Macafee’s pages and Ballymoney Museum. And of course Rootsweb and the helpful people here; most of the earler material was dug out by Aghadowey and others and posted on Rootsweb. So here is a suggested line of descent cobbled together from all of these hints and info.. Let me have any warnings about errors before I contact my brother and his acquaintance in Rasharkin. I don’t want to mislead the Rasharkin family.
The Rasharkin man’s grandparents were Robert Connolly and Agnes Campbell. Robert was christened Robert Henry C. but also known as Robert Scott Connolly. He was born around or in 1879. Robert and Agnes married in 1906; he was from Churchtamlaght, Rasharkin, she from Fernagh, her father Alexander. His was John Connolly (1831?-1914). I had a bit of trouble figuring out John’s family, because I believe he married twice and both his wives were called Nancy and both died young, possibly in childbirth?? First marriage was in Kirkinriola in 1855 to Nancy Scott, b. 1829? her father was Robert. Second marriage was to Nancy McMullan 1846-83, who was thus a lot younger than his first wife. I believe Robert Scott Connolly was son of this woman, rather than of Nancy Scott; it confused me that he has the name of the Scott father of Nancy Scott, but possibly there had been a close relationship with Robert Scott, or an inheritance? even after Nancy Scott Connolly’s death which was in 1868. John and Nancy McMullen had a daughter Jane, who died in 1874 aged 18, presumably called for her grandmother Jane, who was wife of Malcolm Connolly.
John was apparently son of Malcolm Connolly and Jane, whose dates seem to be 1788?-1850, and to have been with them in the 1841 census, in the td of Granagh, according to the OAP query forms. Here is where it gets a bit more speculative; Charles Connolly of Rasharkin married Bessie Steele in 1849; he also is son of Malcolm. Robert Connolly a sub-constable in the RIC, son of Malcolm, in 1849, married Sarah Quigley in Burt co. Donegal, where presumably he had been stationed. In this instance, Malcolm is said to have been a farmer with interests also in the linen trade (Rootschat; family lore Dinny). Are these three thus all brothers? A Malcolm died in 1866 age 81. Esther Connolly daughter of Malcolm married James Murphy in 1852 in Rasharkin and went to Canada, apparently.
So in conclusion, any connection with Armoy is long ago, and Rasharkin has been their home for more than the three generations that was believed. However, there are or have been Malcolm Connollys in Armoy, even recently; there was a Malcolm Connolly a grocer in Armoy in 1959, just as there was a Malcolm Connolly, grocer, in Moneyleck, Rasharkin who died in 1918, aged 45. Our Kilraughts Connollys seem to have been related to Connollys of Drumdollagh, near Armoy, who were grocers. But apart from these coincidences, I can’t see a clear connection. But probably there was one, we have forgotten how!