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Submitted: 8/18/21 • Approved: 8/19/21 • Last Updated: 8/22/21 • R448573-G0-S3
Aged 79 years, 11 months, 25 days
**last name spelled incorrectly on marker**
According to Kenneth Connelly in a 2004 Connelly family Gen Forum post (#1071) - William Connelly is now known to be the son of James Connelly. He was a lesser son and not mentioned. James moved to Virginia. He was then married. His family was from Burk County, North Carolina. James was the son of Bryan Connelly. Bryan was from Ireland, 1720-1795.
William Connelly was born in Virginia. He married Jane Castleman in 1814 in Tennessee. Their three children were born in Kentucky in the 1820's.
William Connelly came to Burleson County, Texas in 1836 with his son, JOSEPH and daughters, HARRIETT and MARGARET. William Connelly received a 2nd Class Headright in the Republic of Texas in 1837. This family was among the earliest settlers of Burleson County, Texas and son, Joseph served in Ross' company of Texas Volunteers in the Mexican War (1846.)
Before 1850 William Connelly married his second wife Elizabeth. She was more than 20 years his junior and they had no children together.
July 13, 1847 court records in Burleson County, Texas show that William Connelly disowned and disinherited his only known son Joseph Connelly for his unnatural conduct. There is no evidence that this was ever corrected. More litigation with his children was to follow...
Upon the death of his son-in-law, Henry C. McCoy, in Upshur County, Texas in 1854, William Connelly, was appointed the legal guardian of his daughter, Margaret Louise Connelly McCoy's five minor children eight days after she was remarried to Alonzo Henderson White:
In Burleson County, Texas Court:
Ordered \ Succession of H. McCoy \ January 18, 1855
* * *
Upon the petition of William Connelly and the court bring fully satisfied that lawful notice has been given and no objections bring filed. It is that William Connelly aforesaid be and he is hereby appointed Guardian of the persons and Estate of his grand children, Brice D. McCoy, Sarah McCoy, William Wallace McCoy, Lavinia McCoy and Monroe McCoy Minor heirs of Henry McCoy deceased on his entering into bond with two good Securities in the sum of Six hundred dollars as the law directs.
This bid for custody was overturned however and the McCoy children continued to live with their mother and new step-father Reverend Alonzo Henderson White -- all moving to McLennan County, Texas where Margaret had five more children.
JOSEPH CONNELLY MURDERED!
In the early 1860's William Connelly's only son, whom he'd disowned and disinherited in 1847, was murdered. This story is according to Addison from his book about Burleson County, Texas, Reminiscences, published in 1883. He personally knew William and Joseph Connelly.
According to Addison... " William Connelly came to the county in 1838 or '39, remaining until his death, at which time he was well advanced in years. His son, Joe, was quite young when his father came to the county, but had become quite a man of mature years when murdered, sometime between 1860-1865. He had been "out west", perhaps to Mexico, possibly Salt Lake, and was no great distance from home, having camped for the night or was preparing to start in the morning when he was shot down in cold blood. There was never a public disclosure in regard to the perpetrators, though it was intimated there was a man who "could a tale unfold" if his tongue were not held by fear.
No other information concerning this event has been found. Nor has Joseph's grave been located. Joseph is listed as teamster and note that in his estate there were oxen and wagon's listed. It has been reported that besides ranching he took goods and cattle from Burleson County and returned with goods such as salt from Mexico or "salt lake." There were considerable salt deposits in Northern Mexico at the time.
Further, after Joseph's death in 1860-61 William attempted to take Joseph's children away from his surviving wife, Mary Hughes Connelly. After the court battle she won, she later married Drury Dobbins and moved away from Burleson County with some of her Hughes relatives.
This sort of behavior may explain why none of William Connelly's children inherited his considerable estate in Burleson county and why Elizabeth (William's wife) resorted to being cared for by her neighbors. In fact, these neighbors were left his estate. This reinforces that Elizabeth was not the mother of Joseph, Margaret or Harriet but the second wife. Elizabeth's considerable younger age also hints at this. I have found a marriage certificate of a William Connelly and a Jane Castleman (Casselman, Kasselman) in Tennessee. Some of the Casselman researchers relate that she was the first wife of the William Connelly in Burleson (and mother of his three children).
The headstone on the grave of William Connelly in Providence Cemetery in Burleson County Texas reads:
WILLIAM
CONNELY
DIED
Nov 2, 1867
AGED
79 yrs 11ms 25 ds
(died about five days short of his 80th birthday, therefore probably born November 7, 1787.)
Sources:
maggiemaxine34 via Ancestry.com
Kenneth Connelly
Addison from his book about Burleson County, Texas, Reminiscences, published in 1883.
Census and public records
Contributed on 8/18/21 by deanakh1
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Record #: 448573
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