Returned to Enland, reported to have been homesick and liked the people and friends, etc., in England better.
From Ancestors and Descendants of David Calvin McConnaughey by Betty McConnaughey HIATT and Mary Krueger McConnaughey, 1985.
PrefaceThe first four genearations of this history only serve to show our lines of descent from our first proven ancestor, William Timothy McConnaughey. WE attempt to record in more entirety our line descending from David McConnaughey and Catherine Jane Hibler.
The McConnaughey Society of America, P.O. Box 27051, Indianapolis, IN, 46227-0051, is our depository of information and much is to be found in their files. Pat Gregory, Secretary Treasure and Editor, and her family welcome all researchers "with open arms" and everything is placed at your disposal. The society has many continuing projects and can use help in almost everything. Memberships and donations are what support our Society. Dues are $17.50 per year and this includes receiving the Annual Bulletin and the monthly 'Disa & Data' letters.
Special thanks to cousin Thelma Coons Elliott for making data available to us. She has put much time and effort into researching our William/Ellen line finding as many descendants as possible and is now preparing the final draft for publication. This will be a very thorough work of several hundred pages with pictures. This will be a quality owrk and will not be cheap but will be worth whatever the price will be and there will be no profit made from it's sale, only what is needed to pay the costs. I would like to emphasize this is our line. The sooner you place your order, the sooner a publication date can be established. Your writer intends to order a copy now with a check enclosed to advance funds to get this work published sooner. I urge all interested in this very comprehensive work on our lines to place your order now with:
Thelma Elliott
4644 S. Adobe Ct.
Littleton, Colorado 80127In our immediate line of David Calvin McConnaughey, much of this informaiton has been collected from relatives and only a small portion has been confirmed by legal records. Errors, ommissions and incorrect data will always occur in a work of this kind. We hope that you will let us know of any additions and/or corrections so our history may be recorded and preserved as accurately as possible.
Please address all correspondence to:
Mary H. McConnaughey
P.O. Box 831
Frankton, IN 46044William Timothy McConnaughey
There are conflicting records, letters, stories surrounding our first proven ancestory, William Timothy McConnaughey who married Ellen Louise Berry.
Ellen Louise Berry was born 4 May 1742 in Virginia, daughter of John Dudley Berry and his first wife, Margaret Bell. Ellen's mother died in July 1744 and her father, John D., sent the children to live with his cousin, James Dunn to raise.
In a letter written by Mary Ann Dunn in the fall of 1860, "... Ellen left her cousin James Dunn's home and went to Lancaster to work. She was working in a boarding house. While there she met a young man that had come to America with his three brothers, Robert, Thomas, David and she married William Timothy McConnaughey. The youngest one, Thomas, went back to England as he missed his mother. The family had a flax mill and he missed the crowd around the place. Ellen and William had a large family. I have most of the children's names. Robert born 1764, Elizabeth 1768, David 1776, William 1777, Margaret 1779. She had two or three more that died young. Robert, William and David. My grandmother Elizabeth Berry Dunn was about the same age as Ellen's children and she used to make corn cob dolls for them to play with. They were close neighbors ...".
In another letter written by Elizabeth Bradley Berry in 1875, "... Ellen Louise Berry had left her cousin and gone to Lancaster, VA. She was working in a boarding house and while there she met a young man that had come to America with four of his brothers to seek their fortune in America. Their father had a flax mill in England and the boys had heard all the stories about America so they saved enough money to come. The youngest one, Thomas, went back soon after arriving as he was homesick for his mother. He was the youngest one. He said he liked England best. Ellen's husband was William Timothy McConnaughey. What a long name to give a child. They stayed in Lancaster for awhile and then they went to Glouchester Co., VA. Robert, William's brother, stayed with them for awhile, then he went back to Chester Co., PA. Several of the young men were going there for work. Robert married and had several children. Ellen and William had several children, I knew some of the names but not all. Robert married and had several children. Ellen and William had several children, I knew some of the names but not all. Robert born 1764, Elizabeth born 1768, David born 1776, William born 1777, Margaret born 1779, she had two or three boys that died either at birth or as infants. They were a very happy family. William could always find work. He was killed by lightening either in 1792 or 93. We did not find out aobut it until 1793. Ellen kept in contact with the family for years. As she grew older she went to live with one of her children....".
In yet another version submitted by Ethel Burns Berry in 1927, "... William T. McConnaughey b. 1739 or 40, Inversness, Scotland, came to America as a small boy about 16 years old. His father and brothers had a flax mill but he wanted to come to America. He married Ellen Berry b. 1742. She was working in the rooming house where he got a room. He and his bride were blessed with several children. They all lived around Lancaster Co., Washington Co., PA. Some of the children were Robert born about 1764, Elizabeth 1768, David 1776, William, Margaret ....".
Somewhere the story got started that Ellen L. Bery was a stowaway on a ship, but the records bear out that she was from an old Virginia family. Her father John Dudley Berry's parents were John Berry b. Herefordshire, England and Mary Dudley. mary Dudley's line can be traced back to William the Conqueror, Alfred the Great, Charlemagne and even Lady Godiva; and one not much to be proud of - King John of England. However, by the 1400's were no longer of the royal lines and then it was Dukes, Barons, etc. These charts have been compiled back to 1035 and are on file at the McConnaughey Society of America, Indianapolis, IN. This should account for the presence of "royalty" in the family line that has been spoken of.
One of the letters states William's father had a flax mill in England. Could it have meant Great Britian which would include Scotland? One old timer said her father said William came from Carlisle, England. Could they have moved from Scotland to England or took ship from Carlisle? These are questions that remain to be answered.
Research has centered on Pennsylvania where many of the McConnaugheys were at one time or other, but with recent information placing them more often in Virginia, maybe more may be found of William and Ellen there.
Research is ongoing for the parentage of William and any other brothers or sisters. We do have names for three of his brothers from the letter written by Mary Ann Dunn in 1860 and have tentatively listed them in the following order:
1) Robert McConnaughey m. Rebecca Ashley; lived in Chester Co., PA; had three sons, William, Thomas and David.
2) David McConnaughey
3) William Timothy McConnaughey, m. Ellen Louise Berry.
4) Thomas McConnaughey, who returned to England.It is intersting to note there is a picture in existence that was brought to America in 1755 by William T. McConnaughey. It was passed down to his son, David, then to his grandson, James, to his great grandson, Lemuel Cary, and finally to his great great grandson, Laverne. His widow, Margaret McConnaughey of Hillsboro, OH, owns it now. Laverne McConnaughey also owned an old David McConnaughey/Prudence Thompson bible. Before he died, he gave it to his nephew, Newton McConnaughey, who now lives in Michigan.
Lived in Chester Co., PA and had three sons.
Thompson changes his spelling to McConnaughay.
Thompson changes his spelling to McConnaughay.