James Kanalley (1868 - 1923)

Ancestors Descendants

Biography

James Kanalley was born on 15 May 1868 in Hamilton Twp, Ontario, Canada to Irish immigrants Thomas Kennelly and Rose Flynn^[1].

He was a painter and baker. He fell in love with Mary Wallace, who was about 10 years younger than him, and her father would not allow them to marry, according to his daughter Marlene^[2], so they “ran away” to the United States and married anyway in Cleveland, Ohio on 7 January 1901. Perhaps ironically, their first son was named Wallace after the family name, which is documented in a book by one of his descendants^[3].

James, Mary and their 5 children are found on the 1911 Canadian census living in Cobourg, as they returned to Canada shortly after the birth of their eldest child; James is listed as a painter and the family is of Irish ethnicity^[4]. Their children were:

1. Wallace James b. 1902
2. Catherine Rose b. 1904
3. Margaret Mary b. 1907
4. Marlene Frances b. 1909
5. Ann b. 1911

James served in the Canadian Army during WWI, spending time overseas in England, France and Belgium according to military records^[5]. He was wounded in 1917 and the family received a letter notifying them^[6], suffering a leg injury. This was also published in the Cobourg World newspaper. He recovered and made it back to Cobourg on Sunday, May 11, 1919, as part of one of the final groups of Canadian soldiers to return from Europe^[7].

However, his immediate family says he was never the same upon returning from the war. He suffered from PTSD and turned to alcoholism. He passed away on 5 July 1923 in Cobourg^[8]. His wife and children moved to the United States permanently after that, settling in Buffalo, NY.

It is believed that he was buried at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Cobourg, but there is no marker or stone for him. His children born in Cobourg were baptized at St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church.

DNA

Four of James’ grandchildren DNA tested, each through a different child of his, and many more great-grandchildren also tested. These results verified both of his parents with strong autosomal DNA connections to descendants of his older brother Michael^[9], sister Isabella^[10], and younger brother Martin^[11].

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism: St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church Records, Cobourg, Northumberland, Ontario, Canada
2. ↑ Young, Marlene (Kanalley), personal recollections, shared in phone conversations with great-grandnephew Craig Kanalley.
3. ↑ Kanalley, Craig. Wallace Wounded. Lulu.com, 2016. ISBN 9781365065736
4. ↑ 1911 Census: 1911 Canada Census, "Recensement du Canada de 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV9Y-MFVF : accessed 4 January 2022.), James Keneley Family, 1911; citing Census, Northumberland West Sub-Districts 20-29, Ontario, Canada, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; FHL microfilm 2,418,513.

   Canada Census, 1911

   Northumberland West, Ontario, Canada, Coburg

   S. District No. 2, Enumeration District No. 1

   Census Date: June 2-6, 1911 Household Role Birthdate Birthplace Religion Occupation James Head Apr 1869 Ontario R.Catholic Painter (for a contractor) Mary Wife Jan 1878 Ontario R.Catholic - Wallace Son Jan 1902 U.S. R.Catholic - Catharine Daughter Nov 1904 Ontario R.Catholic - Margery Daughter Apr 1907 Ontario R.Catholic - Marline Daughter Mar 1909 Ontario R.Catholic - Ann Daughter Feb 1911 Ontario R.Catholic -

5. ↑ Military Service: Library and Archives of Canada, Personnel Records of the First World War, KANALEY, JAMES, Regimental Number: 314675, Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 4998 - 9. https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=483802. Accessed 4 January 2022.
6. ↑ Cobourg World newspaper, March 20, 1917. Transcription: 'Gunner James Kanaley Wounded' - "Mrs. Kanaley received a letter from her husband, Gunner Jim Kanaley, who went overseas with Capt. A. E. Hopper's draft from the Cobourg Heavy Battery, stating that he had been wounded and was in hospital. His relatives are trying to get further particulars."
7. ↑ Como, Perry L. Cobourg 1914 - 1919, A Magnificent Sacrifice. Published Oct. 1986. Haynes Printing Co. (Cobourg) Limited, 880 Division St, Cobourg ON, K9A 4L1. ISBN: 0-9692131-1-5. Pg. 95: "Jas. Kanalley" is mentioned as one of the "Fighting Fifty" soldiers to return home on Sunday, May 11, 1919.
8. ↑ Death: "Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JK7T-BZ9 : 9 March 2018), James Kanalley, 05 Jul 1923; citing Ontario, p 211, Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,976,691.
9. ↑ DNA Evidence: Paternal and maternal relationships are confirmed by an AncestryDNA test match between his grandson Jim Kanalley and Jim's 2nd cousin, 1x removed KC. Their most-recent common ancestors are Jim's great-grandparents, Thomas Kennelly and Rose Flynn, who are KC's 2nd great-grandparents, as she is the great-granddaughter of another child, Michael. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 2nd - 3rd Cousin, based on sharing 108 cM across 7 segments; Confidence: Extremely High.
10. ↑ DNA Evidence: Paternal and maternal relationships are confirmed by an AncestryDNA test match between his grandson Jim Kanalley and Jim's second cousin RP. Their most-recent common ancestors are their great-grandparents, Thomas Kennelly and Rose Flynn, as RP is the grandson of another child, Isabella. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 1st - 2nd Cousin, based on sharing 479 cM across 16 segments; Confidence: Extremely High.
11. ↑ DNA Evidence: Paternal and maternal relationships are confirmed by an AncestryDNA test match between his grandson Jim Kanalley and Jim's second cousin TG. Their most-recent common ancestors are their great-grandparents, Thomas Kennelly and Rose Flynn, as TG is the grandson of another child, Martin. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 2nd - 3rd Cousin, based on sharing 232 cM across 11 segments; Confidence: Extremely High.