James Conboy (1837-1902)

James Conboy I (1837-1902) Immigrant to USA (b. 1837, Hollygrove, County Galway/Roscommon, Ireland - d. June 08, 1902, possibly Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, 07307, USA)

Birth
James was born in, or near, Hollygrove, Athleague parish, Killeroran district, County Roscommon/Galway in 1837.

Siblings
He had at least two siblings: Winifred Conboy (c1833-c1905) who married John Hogan (c1835-c1886) who had many of their children come to the US; and Bridget Conboy (c1840-?) who married Thomas Carr (c1840-before1901) and had many of their children come to the US.

Marriage
James Conboy married Bridget White (c1840-1866?) around 1860, and it is said that she died in childbirth in Ireland around 1866.

Children

 * James Conboy II (c1862-?)
 * Margaret Agnes Conboy (1866-1951) aka Maggie Conboy, who married Owen McLaughlin (1863-1931)
 * Patrick Conboy (1864-1927)
 * Thomas Conboy (c1865-?)

Autograph book
Margaret Conboy was given an autograph book and all of her brother's names were recorded in it.

Emigration
James moved to the US around 1880.

Saloon
From 1889 to 1892 there was a James Conboy in the Jersey City directory living or working at 835 Newark Avenue with an occupation of "liquors" and "saloon".

Death
James Conboy I, died in 1902, most likely in Jersey City, New Jersey but his death certificate has not been located yet.

Burial
He was buried in Holy Name Cemetery with his children: Patrick Conboy (1864-1927) and Margaret Agnes Conboy (1866-1951). Also in the grave was Owen McLaughlin (1863-1931) and Margaret and Owen's child: James Aloysius McLaughlin (1892-1964). The only people of this first generation to America with identified photographs are Sarah Jane Carr and Katherine Carr.

Related Conboys
Rita M. Haney (1918-1990) once told her husband that she thought there were Conboys in the family living in Houston, Texas in the 1970s.

Griffiths Valuation
Griffiths lists the following Conboys in Athleague parish: James Conboy of Curraghbaghla; John Conboy of Curraghbaghla; Michael Conboy of Cloonruff; James Corboy aka James Conboy of Easterfield or Cornacask; John Conboy aka John Conboy of Ballaghdacker; and Patrick Corboy [sic] aka Patrick Conboy of Coalpits. The land was either owned by Denis Kelly or James Thewles.

Hollygrove and Coalpits, Ireland

 * Ann Elizabeth O'Malley (1933- ) wrote: "On September 28, 1982 Fred and I drove to Roscommon in search of Catherine Carr's birthplace. We asked the postmaster for directions to Holly Grove or Coal Pits. Before leaving the U.S., I spoke to Joe Kennedy, Catherine Carr's son, who suggested that we speak to Postmaster Flannigan in Roscommon. Unfortunately he had been transferred to another office. In Athleague, the closest town of any size to Coal Pits, we asked the first elderly man we saw if he had ever met Thomas Carr. He said if it is the Thomas Carr who married Mary Kelly then he had. That was our lucky day. He directed us to the Holly Grove/Coal Pits area. We stopped in front of a two story granite house and asked a middle aged man if he knew whether this was the former residence of Thomas and Mary Carr. As luck would have it, once again he said that it was not, but that he owned the old Thomas Carr estate. His name was Mr. McCann and he said that the property had been divided and the Rourkes had built a house on a portion of the original property. He stated further that the house was in bad condition because no one was living in it and that cows had roamed through it. He also said that the house was hard to spot because it was very far back from the road. Mr. McCann also said that his mother would love to talk with us but unfortunately we could not find her house. We drove back and forth several times and finally saw an elderly woman who had known Tom and Mary. She said that they frequently cycled into Athleague. The neighbor also said that Mary loved children and often gave them sweets. We turned the car around and spotted the house high on the hill. It is hard to say how much property was originally with the house. It might be as little as twenty acres or more than one hundred. It would have been an interesting question to ask Mr. McCann. At the entrance to the property there were two stone posts. We walked approximately 600 feet straight ahead and then turned to the left and continued up a slight grade approximately 200 feet. It was a stone house with a door framed in an interlacing pattern of diamonds and ovals. There were quoins on the two front corners of the house. The front door was boarded up so we climbed through a back window into the kitchen which still had only a mud floor. At the front entry hall there was a staircase straight ahead and a hallway to the left of the staircase leading to the kitchen. There were two large rooms, one on each side of the entry hall both with interesting fireplaces. A stairway with nicely carved banisters, still intact, led to the second floor. The second floor like the first consisted of two large rooms, both with a fireplace. To the left of the house was a stone shed. There was also a spring on the property and someone said that many years ago it was used as a community spring. It was a great thrill to see the house where my grandmother was born and grew up. If only the cows had not roamed through it and destroyed the floors it would still be a picturesque house on a hill. After dinner that evening we went to a general store in Athleague and mentioned that my grandmother, Catherine Carr, was born in Coal Pits. They said that Mary Kelly's sister, Mrs. Haughey, was still alive and lived in Athleague right next to the church. We also learned that there were Carrs in neighboring Fuerty Parish. We went to see Mrs. Haughey the next day and her son came to the door and said that his mother was very low. He asked if we could come back later. Unfortunately our schedule was tight and we reluctantly headed for Donegal." Bridget White died in Ireland and is buried in Ireland.


 * Eula wrote on June 09, 2003: "I did not say that the Hogans bought the Conboy home. What they bought was the land. If there was any dwellings there at the time (it was in the early Fifties) they would have torn them down. As the families emigrated and no son was left to inherit the farm the neighboring families always bought up the land. This was because they were all land poor. At the turn of the century they were trying to raise huge family and survive with sometimes only ten to twelve acres. The sons and daughters that emigrated would send money home to the father to buy any land that came on sale so that the son that remained home would have enough land to support his family. You have to realize how poor they were. In the past 35 years the changes I have seen have been remarkable. From a poor country without even outhouses they now have the best educated young people in all of Europe. The homes our nieces and nephews own all have at least four bathrooms. They are absolutely beautiful and would cost a future in this country. Actually they cost a future over there. The prosperity is remarkable. It is amazing how much has been accomplished. All right, next lesson. The land around Hollygrove Lake consisted of four villages. Hollygrove (the old school). Easterfield, Knockaunarainy, and Curraghbaghla. There were ten families in the village of Curraghbaghla, two of which were Mattias Hogan and James Conboy."

Uncompleted tasks
His death certificate has not been located in either the New York City Archive or the New Jersey Archive. More attempts will have to be made to locate it. His death certificate should name his parents and take this line back another generation in Ireland. He has not been found in the US Census either.