John Keenan Family

When John Keenan died in Aug 1863 the parish priest wrote the following in the St. James Colgan parish register......"Burial 28 August, 1866 of old John Keenan aged one of the oldest settlers in Adjala, died after a long illness, strengthened with the consolation of his holy faith.  Aged ninety-three full of age and merits before God and man."  John had out lived his wife by over 35 years and at least two of this ten children.

Nearly forty years earlier John and his family joined the swelling ranks of North Ireland Catholics and Presbyterians that were escaping increasing religious persecution into a new country.

Upon their arrival in Upper Canada John was granted land, but his own illness and that of his family prevented them from moving to the land and working it.  They were forced to ask the York Benevolent Society for support.

So after a period of time in York, twenty-five years before that city was incorporated as Toronto, they settled in the area near Adjala in Simcoe County, where other Keenans had settled.  John nearly lost his homestead as he and his eldest son were too ill to clear it. Read more in Keenans to Adjala.

Life in the frontier was not easy and in 1829 Elenor (possibly Montague) died. John, health improved,  established his farm on Concession 3 Lot 16 in Adjala and raised his children.

Andrew Hunter's, A History of Simcoe County gives a glimpse of the neighborhood which includes many of John's relatives "...As in the other parts of this county, settlement in what people formerly called the wilds of Adjala began at the south end of the township.  The first to arrive in the south east came by way of Albion and King Townships in the twenties......In the southwest, in the vicinity of Mono Mills, a few settlers arrived about the year 1820 and within the next few years the following took up lots in the adjacent parts of Adjala.......James McKenna. con 3 lot 7......The last named person on the above list, James McKenna, died May 12th 1885, aged 89 years.  As early as 1828, some settlers had begun to take up lots in the good lands just north of Baily's Creek.  Among these were the families of Connors, Kelly and Keenan.  It was from the last family that the village of Keenansville had its name.  Robert Keenan was District Councillor (1846-9) and reeve of Adjala, (1857), for twelve years altogether.  He died January 10th, aged 83 years. Michael Haffey settled upon the west half lot 14, con. 5, at this early period.  On the opposite lot in con. 6 where John Haffey lived at a later time, Henry J Pect of Stanley NY, found in 1887 parts of the skeleton of a mammoth.  This is the only instance known of mammoth bones having been found in Simcoe County.  On of the molars is in Elmira Collete, NY. The other bones are in tech Geological Museum of Lafayette College, Eason, PA.....On the lot south of Haffey, George Kidd Settled during this first arrival of settlers, and here arose the village of Athlone......."

Nine of John's ten children have been identified.  All  married and their descendants are spread throughout Canada and the United States.  The Kelly Genealogy written in 1950 mentions over 500 with thirteen priests and eighteen religious sisters.  Unfortunately they did not name those that they had found.

This list includes just John's children and grandchildren.  For later generations and stories about the family read The Descendants of John Keenan and Eleanor

1. Ann Kennan (1800 IRE - 1860 ONT) m. James McKenna (1796-1885)
• Mary (1826 ONT- 1907 ONT) m James Hanrahan at least 7 children
• John (1830 ONT - 1913 ONT) m Catherine Doyle at least 9 children
• Ellen (1831 ONT - aft 1908) m Henry Cosgrove at least 11 children
• James (1833 ONT- bef 1854 ONT) 
• Margaret (1835 ONT- ) m James Burke at least 10 children
• Sarah (1836 ONT -1921 ONT) m Bartholomew Keogh children unknown
• Robert (1838 ONT-1913 ONT) m Bridget Doyle at least 6 children
• Ann "Janie" (1842 ONT-1899 ONT) m Hugh Duggan at least 7 children
2. James Keenan (1802 IRE - 1842 ONT) m Margaret Hammell
• Eleanor (1840 ONT - 1867 ONT) m.  Thomas Kidd 5 children
• Margaret (1842 ONT - 1903 ONT) m. Thomas Kidd 5 children
3. Anne Rose Keenan (1805 IRE - unk) m Thomas McCausland (bef 1815-1835)
• Mary Elizabeth (1834 - )
• Ellen (bef 1835 - )
• Susan (1835 ONT - 1873 ONT) m Seth Ashton
4. Sarah Keenan (1806 IRE - 1871 ONT) m. Francis McLaughlin (1802-1864)
• Ellen (1834 ONT- ) m. Patrick Burke Tracy at least 1 child
• Francis (1836 ONT - 1877 ONT) m Eleanor Mulloy at least 7 children
• John (1837 ONT - 1874)  m Mary Brazille at least 2 children
• James (1838 ONT - )
• Michael (1842 ONT -) 
• Sarah (1844 ONT - )
• Robert (1847 ONT -)
• Peter (1850 ONT - )
5. Mary Keenan (1812 IRE - 1899 ONT) m. Michael McLaughlin (1810-1893)
• John (1832 ONT - )
• Annie (1834 ONT -1882 ONT ) m John Kelly at least 9 children
• Margaret (1836 ONT- bef 1845 ONT) 
• Eleanor (1837 ONT - 1925 ONT) m George Morrow at least 13 children
• Mary (1839 ONT -  1867 ONT)
• Alice (1842 ONT - bef 1857 ONT)
• Margaret (1845 ONT - 1923 ONT )
• Michael (1847 ONT - 1935 ONT) m Mary Beatty at least one child
• Sarah (1851 ONT - ) m Charles Foster
• James Francis (1852 ONT - 1909 ONT) m Isabella Small / Catherine Small
• Thomas (1854 ONT- 1937 ONT) m Mary O'Brien at least three children
• Alice (1857 ONT - 1933) m George Constantineau at least one child
6. John Keenan (1820 IRE - 1886 ONT) n Jane Harkins (1826-1879)
• Catherine (1855 ONT - 1923 ONT)
• Daniel (1856 ONT - 1904 ONT)
• James Joseph (1858 ONT - 1930 ONT) m. Catherine Reilly at least 4 children
• Ann Jane (1860 ONT - 1897 ONT) m Denis Prior at least 2 children
• John Francis (1861 ONT - bef 1871 ONT) 
• Margaret (1863 ONT - ) m Patrick James Mulvogue at least 2 children
7. Margaret Keenan (1819 IRE - 1896 ONT) m. John James Haffey (see Haffey)
8. Robert Keenan (1821 IRE - 1904 ONT) m. Mary Brady (1831-1916)
• James (1854 ONT - 1944 ONT) m. Mary Moran at least 6 children
• Margaret (1856 ONT - 1917 ONT) m John Joseph Skelly at least 9 children
• Catherine (1856 ONT -  ) m James Holland at least 5 children
• Mary (1860 ONT - 1927) m. Daniel C O'Leary at least one child
• Ellen (1862 ONT- ) m Richard Hanley at least 8 children
• Robert Joseph (1867 ONT - 1947) m Mary Margaret McFarlane at least 5 children
9. Ellen Keenan (1825 IRE - 1897 ONT) m. Peter McCabe
• Thomas (1846 ONT-1897 ONT) m Sarah Doyle at least 8 children
• James (1847 ONT - 1922 ONT) m Ann Hanley children unknown
• Peter (1848 ONT - 1926 ONT) 
• Ellen (abt 1850 ONT - 1886 ONT) m Thomaas Quinlan McGoey at least 8 children 
• Sarah Ann (1853 ONT - 1887 ONT) m Bernard Doyle at least 5 children
• Margaret (1855 ONT - )
• John (1855 ONT - )
• Teresa (1861 ONT - ) m Daniel Harrigan at least 5 children
• John Paul (1862 ONT - 1924 ONT)