Robert Kernohan of Ingham County, Michigan Lineage

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: Kernohan One_Name_Study

Navigation: > Robert Kernohan [1815-1890] of Scotland > Antrim, Ireland > London, Ontario > Ingham, Michigan > Robert Kernohan of Ingham County, Michigan Lineage

Everything currently known about the early life of Robert Kernohan was found in his death notice in the Ingham County News of Mason, Michigan. ^[1]

Mr. Robert KERNOHAN died at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. O. C. Hoyt, July 14, of consumption. He was born at Dundee, Scotland, June 3, 1815, and his death was aged 75 years, one month and 11 days.

At the age of four he moved to County Antrim, Ireland, and in October 1843 was married to Martha Barr. In 1847 he crossed the water to London, Canada, and from there in 1855, he came to Ingham County, Michigan where he purchased a farm. His wife died July 18, 1874, since which time he had lived a widower.

Nine children were born to them, of whom six are still living, Mrs. A. C. Clark, Lancing; James P. Kernohan, Grand Island, Nebraska; Thomas Kernohan, of Saginaw County, Michigan; Joseph Kernohan, of Kirkwood, Cal; Mrs. O. C. Hoyt, of this place; and Fred H. Kernohan, of Wescott, Nebraska.

The old gentleman's health had been very poor for the last two years and in January last an attack of LaGrippe rendered him quite helpless, from which he could not recover.

In his young life he was converted to Christianity and joined the Presbyterian church and has always since been a consistent follower of that faith. Funeral services were held at the Presbyterian church of this city yesterday and the remains were placed at rest near his old home in Bunkerhill, Rev. J. A. Barnes officiating. Many will miss the cheerful, kindly face of Mr. Kernohan.

Contents 1 Unconfirmed Facts of Death Notice 2 Facts confirmed 3 Recent discovery 4 Other Possible Connections 5 Children of Robert and Martha 6 Sources

Unconfirmed Facts of Death Notice

• No record can be found of a Robert Kernohan/Carnochan being born in Dundee, Scotland for the time given. Sources investigated have been Ancestry, Family Search, and Scotland's People.
• Some researchers have his birth year as 1818. No record has been found of this.
• The marriage record of Robert Kernohan and Martha Barr in October 1843 has not been confirmed. A marriage date of 23 Dec 1844 has been found on Ancestry Family Trees. Not source can be found that confirms this.
• Baptismal records for their older two daughters that were born in Ireland have not been found.
• Robert Kernohan cannot be pinpointed in Antrim, Ireland on the records available. Many researchers have attempted to find his connection in the past.

Facts confirmed

• Robert Kernohan and family were found in the Dorchester area a little east of London, Ontario on the 1851 census. His last name was spelled Karnhon on the census. Appearing to live with Robert, Mattie, Elizabeth, James, and Thomas is an Andrew Karnhon, age 61, born in Ireland, widowed. Robert listed in 1880 that both of his parents were born in Scotland but maybe he really didn't know. It is not known how Andrew is related. ^[2]

Recent discovery

A Robert Carnochan was found in a listing on Ancestry. The birthdate is 3 Jun 1816, one exact year after Robert Kernohan's birthdate given in the death notice. The baptismal place was Portpatrick, Wigtownshire, Scotland. The birth date did not have a place listed. Parents listed are James Carnochan and Mary Spence. No further information can be found on this couple.

Other Possible Connections

• Andrew Kernohan, born ca 1790 in Antrim, Ireland. Found living with Robert and family on the 1851 census of Canada, Dorchester area. May have been in the area as early as 1819. Buried at Dorchester Union Cemetery is a William Kernohan, born 1823, possibly a son, married to Elizabeth.

• William Kernohan, born ca 1798 in Antrim, Ireland. William is believed to have been in the London Township area of Middlesex, Ontario, Canada as early as 1818. On 11 Dec 1832, a crown deed was awarded to a William KERNOHAN for 100 acres described as the "north half of Lot Number 3, Second Concession" of London Township. In his petition, this William stated that he had been born in County Antrim, Ulster. William died in Nov 1838 and is buried in Grove Cemetery. His property passed to his wife [name unknown] and was recorded for the first time at the Middlesex County Courthouse in London in 1838. The property is the site of present-day Kernohan Orchards [in 1990].

• Joseph Kernohan, born 1820 is also buried in Grove Cemetery. Also William Kernohan, born 1820, married Margaret Russell and then Jane Russell. Also William Kernohan, born 1826, married Sarah Ann Tackabury.

Children of Robert and Martha

1. Elizabeth Kernohan, 1845 - 1919; born in Ireland; married Andrew C. Clark
2. Mary Jane Kernohan, 1847 - 1847; died during crossing of the Atlantic
3. James Patrick Kernohan, 1849 - 1922; born in London, Ontario; married Ella Packer and Hannah Elizabeth Casson
4. Thomas Kernohan, 1851 - 1934; born in London, Ontario; married Francina Jane Diamond
5. Joseph Kernohan, 1853 - 1930; born in London, Ontario; married Mary Anna Bradfield
6. Mary Jane Kernohan, 1856 - 1862; born in Ingham County, Michigan
7. Margaret A. Kernohan, 1859 - 1863; born in Ingham County, Michigan
8. Martha Ann Kernohan, 1862 - 1930; born in Ingham County, Michigan; married Oscar Charles Hoyt
9. Frederick H. Kernohan, 1865 - 1935; born in Ingham County, Michigan; married Minnie A. Mickle and Julia May Graybill

Sources

1. ↑ Ingham County News, Mason, Michigan, July 17, 1890, page 3
2. ↑ Sub-district: Dorchester; Ancestry.com. 1851 Census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWDT-34V : 18 February 2021), R Kernohan, 1860.

• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW3H-GNW : 19 February 2021), Thomas Kernohan, Marion, Saginaw, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district ED 294, sheet 84A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,601.