Hi Whitey,
This is a long story, but you just might be interested re a possible link between "Canny" and "Kenney".
Scottish records tell me that my great great aunt Jane McNab was married to a soldier, Michael Kenny, - they had a child Mary Kenny, and then Jane died in Glasgow in 1872. After loads of research, help from Rootschatters and luck, I finally found Michael and Jane's marriage not in Glasgow, but in Thurles, Tipperary, Ireland, and the 1866 birth and baptism of child Mary also in Thurles.
The Irish marriage was hard to find as Michael was in fact named as Michael "Canny" and his father was named as John Canny, Farmer. Much to my shame, I was convinced that "Canny" was in fact a misspelling/anglicisation of "Kenny", not knowing that the name "Canny" even existed!!
I have military records for my Michael "Kenny" which show that he was born in Tulla, County Clare, possibly around 1830'ish. Jane "Kenny" (McNab) having died and leaving the 5 year old Mary, and Michael having been posted overseas with army, we have then lost trace of the child Mary Kenny. Michael was discharged from the Army in December 1873, saying he would reside in Limerick Ireland. I think I have found the deaths of Janes parents (Francis and Mary McNab) in Co. Tyrone (their birthplace) around 1890, - where it would appear they had returned after some years in Glasgow Scotland. Did they in fact take the young "Mary Kenny" back to Ireland? They had applied for "Poor Law Relief" for her in Glasgow, but had been refused, possibly because she was in fact born in Thurles, Tipperary - not Scotland. So, the mystery of what happened to "Mary Kenny/Kenney" - ? "Canny" remains. Now that I have seen your post and website, I see the possibility of "Kenny/Kenney" being also "Canny". Is this something you have come across in your research of the "Canny" family? I doubt that there could be any distant link with my Michael from "Tulla" - is this a place you have come across? I too live in Australia - have done so since 1962.
Would love to hear what you think of the Kenny/Canny connection.