Connollys from Cork

Denis and Bridget (O'Brien) Connolly lived in Skibbereen, Cork, Ireland during the Irish Potato Famine. They toughed it out through the worst of it, but by the 1870s, the future for 11 children was bleak. Seven (Cornelius "Con", Patrick, Dennis, Thomas (my great-grandfather), Dan, Tim, and John) of the 9 boys and Ellen, the oldest girl, had all emigrated one-by-one, to Massachusetts. They didn't stay in the city, but moved out to the rural communities of Dunstable, Pepperell and Groton to farm. In the 1890s, Thomas, now married to Ellen Kiely with 3 children (3 others died in infancy), caught Gold Rush Fever and traveled to the Yukon to stake a claim in the Klondike. He was there for two trips and a total of about 5 years, just eking out enough to pay off his farm before coming home. [I have the letters he wrote to his wife while he was away.]

Ellen (Kiely) Connolly was not very pleased when her youngest son, Francis Gregory, fell in love and married a French Canadien, Beatrice Edna Hawley. She had picked out a nice little Irish girl for her son, and although Bea was Catholic, it wasn't enough to prevent Ellen from treating Bea poorly for the first few years of their marriage. For financial reasons, Bea and Francis had to initially live with Thomas and Ellen for those first years. Bea worked in a shoe-string factory in E. Pepperell while Francis worked at the Ford Motor Company in Fitchburg, repairing engines. Bea's shift went late into the evening and she would come home after dinner had all been cleared away. Ellen would greet her with, "there's cold potatoes in the ice box. They've been cooked once, I'm not heating them again!" and leave Bea to fend for herself. Bea's daughter, Anne (my mom) remembers Ellen staying at their home for extended visits and as a child, didn't notice any ill will--Bea never said anything negative about her mother-in-law--so Ellen must have worked out her issues eventually.

Bea and Francis left a legacy of hard work and determination. They build their own home using free "hurricane" lumber (harvested from the local forest, blown down by the strong winds), then helped three of their own sons to build their homes. During World War II Francis, too old to serve in the military, served as an Air Raid Warden in his local community of Dunstable. He was issued a helmet, a whistle and a flashlight, and would patrol the area looking for Germans (Dunstable is located near the former Army Base of Ft. Devens.)

Mom grew up not realizing she came from a poor family, as they always had food to eat (slaughtered their own pigs and chickens) and clothes to wear (hand-me-downs from her older sister, and gingham dresses made from grain sacks provided by the town.) It wasn't until she took a job in the "big city" of Fitchburg and saw how others lived (running water, flush toilets, electricity) that she realized how primitive her life in the country had been. b2ap3_thumbnail_ellenKiely.jpg

Heirloom Quilt Square tells a story
One Hot Day: How We Lost the Andersons
 

Comments 6

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Dick Pellek (website) on Tuesday, 26 March 2013 23:16

Very interesting history. They left you something to share with your family, and you did just that. Good example of putting something of yourself into the story.

Thanks for sharing.

Very interesting history. They left you something to share with your family, and you did just that. Good example of putting something of yourself into the story. Thanks for sharing.
Marlene Damery (website) on Monday, 01 April 2013 11:13

How do you know that Beatrice was treated that way? It's a good story, but shouldn't there be a small reference to verify its truth?

How do you know that Beatrice was treated that way? It's a good story, but shouldn't there be a small reference to verify its truth?
Gail Park (website) on Monday, 01 April 2013 13:31

Marlene, it was Bea who told me everything in this narrative. Go to my audio files here and listen to Bea's history in her own words. It is all there.

Marlene, it was Bea who told me everything in this narrative. Go to my audio files here and listen to Bea's history in her own words. It is all there.
Marlene Damery (website) on Sunday, 07 April 2013 23:55

This is great! So, the written part is a transcription of the audio?

This is great! So, the written part is a transcription of the audio?
Gail Park (website) on Sunday, 07 April 2013 23:59

Not a transcription, but the Gist of the story. I paraphrased. I encourage you to listen to the audio.

Not a transcription, but the Gist of the story. I paraphrased. I encourage you to listen to the audio.
Marlene Damery (website) on Monday, 08 April 2013 01:38

I can't get the audio on my iPad. I am able to open the page with bea's picture. I also see the words that say click the green arrow, but the green arrow is not there. I suspect it is a compatibility issue. I'll check it out tomorrow on my Mom's computer.

I can't get the audio on my iPad. I am able to open the page with bea's picture. I also see the words that say click the green arrow, but the green arrow is not there. I suspect it is a compatibility issue. I'll check it out tomorrow on my Mom's computer.