My name is Robert John Michael Kanary. I am trying to trace cousins Irish relatives/cousins.

Here is some relevant information (We strongly believe #1 and #2 were born in County Clare Ireland, but perhaps County Limerick or the general province of Munster deserve attention if Clare does not yield much information). My dad’s name was Raphael McCaffrey Patrick Kanary (is McCaffrey a possible link?).

1. Our Great Grandfather, Michael Henry Keniry, Sr. (who appears to have changed his name to Kanary... I've seen the Keniry name engraved on the back of the main family monument) was born in 1830 in Ireland, and died on Sept. 5, 1890, and is buried in Williamsport at Mt. Carmel Cemetery. He became an official citizen on May fourth, 1868 in Lycoming Co, Pennsylvania and the papers say he was a "native of Ireland". The original certificate of citizenship says "Michael Kanary", but the last name has been played with [or so it appears to me]. We know Michael Henry Sr. or his perhaps his son, Michael Henry Keniry Jr., changed the name to Kanary. Is there any possibility that he fought in the American Civil war or 1860 to 1865? Did the north speed up citizenship if someone fought for their side? What was the required time of residency in the USA before one could acquire citizenship –with or without having fought in the war--at that time? I am assuming that he did not serve in the military because no one ever mentioned this to me, and I think they probably would have… Also, my grandfather started out working for the railroad in Pennsylvania [I know he was there in 1901], eventually moved to Coring New York, and finally became the General Chairman of the N.Y. Central Railroad Workers West (in the 1920s or not later than 1931), moving his residence to Syracuse, New York. I think my great grandfather also worked for the railroad in Pennsylvania.

2. Our Great Grandmother, Katherine O'Brien Keniry [probably Kate for short], Michael's Sr. Wife, was born in Ireland in 1827 and died on Feb 9, 1909 (?) to the best of our knowledge. Her father's name was James O'Brien, and her mother's name was Ellen Spellacy. Was she also from Clare, or is it possible she was from a neighboring county? Did any of these folks ever move to someplace like Liverpool before making the trek to the USA? I don’t know.

3. I do not know the year they were married, or the place, but it is possible I might find it yet, or perhaps our contacts in Ireland can help us. Their first child (that we have on record), Patrick Keniry, was born in 1865 in Williamsport, which places them in Pennsylvania USA three years before citizenship. Interestingly, this means that Katherine Obrien (her father’s name) Spellacy (her mother’s name) Keniry was 38 years old when she bore this first son on record. He was named Patrick (is this a link to my great, great grandfather’s first name?). Her second child on record was my grandfather, Michael Henry Jr., who was born in 1867, and the third child was Margaret, who was born in1869. Given these later birth ages (all three of these births appar to have occurred when Katherine was age 38 to 42) is it possible that either Michael Henry Sr. or Katherine O’Brien had older children who remained in Ireland, or even that it was a second marriage for one or both of them (especially in light of the high rates of death during the Potato Famine years)? In the family burial plot in Williamsport Pennsylvania, the Kanary/Keniry family members are surrounded by McNamara, Spellacy, and Egan names. Are these links to cousins born in the same general area Ireland?

We are also related to Margaret Margraff her side of the family (I don't exactly know the connection), and perhaps through her to some of the O'Hallorans, Caffrey clans.

4. Their children were [perhaps there is a clue or two here?]:
A. Michael Henry Kanary Jr. (our grandfather) was born August 2,1867 in Williamsport PA, Lycoming County [Age 13 in the 1880 Census - note, he was the middle child of three].
A. Patrick, born 1865 in USA, PA [age 15 in the 1880 Census] - We have no record of marriage. No date of death available in our records, but he is buried in Williamsport.
B. Maggie, born 1869 in USA, PA [age 11 in the 1880 Census] - Married William Egan on October 22, 1901/ she appears to have died on march 26, 1915 or perhaps 1916 and is buried in Williamsport.

5. Mary Alice Gallagher (grandmother) was born July 2, 1872 in Pittston, PA, and her parents names were James Gallagher and Bridget Duddy [Mary Alice was a decent pianist by the way). I have no idea where her parents were born, but at least one of them was born in Ireland (my dad said that one of his grandparents was Welsh). Maybe one of these forebears is traceable.

6. They married 11/12/1895 (at St. John's Church in Pittston, which is down river from Williamsport, though the license was issued in Williamsport - License numbered 5386)


7. Michael Kanary Jr. died on 5/11/1948 and is buried at Mt. Carmel in Williamsport (I have been to the family grave site, and besides Kanarys, immediately adjacent are McNamara, Spellacy, Egan and O’Brien names, the first two are particularly strong in Clare, and Obrien’s are --as you well know—spread all over Ireland].

8. Mary Alice died 5/11/1948 and is also buried with the Kanarys at Mt Carmel in Williamsport.
All 8 of their children were born in Williamsport, Lycoming Co. Pa.

One note I have on record, "Katherine Keniry (Kanary) Egan was at dinner at the Governor's Mansion in Pennsylvania when they discovered that Lincoln had been shot (1865)

Because of the above, I am sticking with tracing us through our great grandfather (as a Keniry unless I am mistaken) and the names for our great grandmother (she may be our best link since we have our Great Great grandparents names through her, and the Spellacy appears to connect us with Clare, it being a somewhat more prevalent name in that area).

I hope this information provides plentiful clues for a genealogical sleuth. Send replies to: bobkanary@sbcglobal.net / PHONE: (405) 238-3212

Robert Kanary, Oklahoma