John William Foley (1848)

Born 1848 in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Ellen (O'Shaughnessy) Foley — married 1871 in Victoria, Australia

Descendants

Died [date unknown] in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Brad Foley [send private message] and Lesley Morgan [send private message]

Biography

Marriage

William Foley married Mary O'Shaunessey on Feb 16, 1876 in Richmond, Victoria, Australia. He was 26, a bachelor. He was a carpenter, born in Halifax Nova Scotia, the son of John Foley (blacksmith) and Margaret Hurley. She was 21, a spinster, born in New Melbourne, the daughter of Patrick O'Shaunessey (hotel keeper) and Ellen Hurley.^[1]

Research notes

William seems to have gone by several alternate names, including Jacob, John William and James William at various points in his life. Most commonly in Australia, he went by William or John William. It seems unlikely he was given the first name John or James, since he had brothers with these names.

There is some genetic support for the family tree, in several DNA matches between Brad Foley and descendants of John William, detected via Ancestry Thrulines:

• a 24cM on 1 segment match to J Foley child of Kevin Patrick Foley (1922-1998)
• a 33 cM on 1 segment match to J Jenkins child of Eileen Mavis (Foley) Sedgwick (abt.1919-)
• a 29 cM match on 1 segment, to a grandchild of Elizabeth Carlyon (1916-2004)

This support falls short of the standards for "DNA confirmed", as yet, but research is ongoing.

Sources

1. ↑ Colony of Victoria, Certificate of Marriage, see linked image.