Edward Dorney (abt. 1803 - 1847)

Born about 1803 in County Tipperary, Ireland

Husband of Penelope (Galgey) Williams — married about 1836 in Cork, County Cork, Ireland

Descendants

Died 2 Nov 1847 at about age 44 in Cork, County Cork, Ireland

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Mark Dorney [send private message]

Biography

The master version of this biography, which includes images, is maintained at http://dorneyfamilyhistory.net/famtree_web/History_dorney.pdf

Edward Dorney was born around 1803 in Clonmel, Tipperary, the first child of William Dorney and Catherine Prendergast. No baptism record has been located (not too surprising if you’ve seen the state of the parish registers), but nor has any documentation directly linking Edward to his parents. However, through a combination of DNA matching, numerous circumstantial evidence, and crucially, Edward’s wife evicting tenants from his late mother’s properties in 1852, I’m confident of the relationship.

Edward was a hairdresser by trade, and he spent seventeen years working in the “First Houses in London and Dublin” before returning to Cork in the mid 1830's.

In Cork he initially worked for Mrs. Roche at 119 Old George's Street, before setting up his own business at 45 Old George's street by 1842, but possibly as early as 1839. In earlier adverts his business was referred to as the Royal Albert Hair-Cutting Saloon, but this name was dropped in later years. He also made wigs, or perukes. Old George's Street is now called Oliver Plunkett Street.

Edward was a member of the Odd Fellow's Society, a fraternal society. He is mentioned as an aside in a thoroughly bizarre court appearance in 1844, the article is in an Appendix.

His first child was William Joseph, born around 1830, probably to a different mother than his other children. No record of William Joseph's birth location has been found.

An Edward Dorney married a Sarah Strong on 25 February 1827 in the parish of Kingstown. The residence of both of them was given as Dunleary (probably Dun Laoghaire), and the witnesses were Matthew and Catherine Synott. There was a child, Jonathon, born to this couple, (although all the surnames are indexed as Darney), baptised on 28 December 1827. The issue with this being a match is that the family lived in Dunleary, which was outside of Dublin.

Edward married Penelope Galgey, probably around 1836. They had five children together, all boys.

The five children of Edward and Penelope are: John Patrick, baptised on 30th December 1838. James was born in 1839. Then came Thomas, baptised 18th September 1842, Edward, baptised 14th July 1844 and Joseph, baptised on 28th October 1847. Apart from maybe James, all the boys were baptised at the Church of St. Finbarr South, a short distance away over the south channel of the River Lee.

Both Edward and Joseph had died by the time of Penny's re-marriage in 1857. The other three children all emigrated to Australia.

Edward died in 1847, aged 44, after a long illness. After his death his first son, William, took over his business.

DNA Support

• Paternal relationship is supported by (not triangulated and confirmed) by an Ancestry DNA test between Edward's great-great-grandson Peter Dorney and V.M., Joe McMahon and colinjoemcmahon. They are descendants of Mary Ann Dorney.

Peter shares 123 cM across 4 segments with Joe McMahon and 61cM across 4 segments with Joe's son colinjoemcmahon

Peter shares 48 cM across 3 segments with V.M.

Sources

• Birth: No record has been located. Estimated from age at death
• Death: Newspaper record, Cork Examiner, 5 November 1847 (attached)