Joseph Corley Jennings [1827-1918], Monaghan Street, Newry, County Down

 Joseph Corley Jennings was the son of Charles Jennings, Monaghan Street, Newry, County Down and his wife Sophia Corley daughter of Patrick Corley, Clones, County Monaghan. He was baptised in Newry.

Joseph of Charles Jennings and Sophia Corley, 1827, sponsors Arthur O'Hagan and Anne Jennings.[1]

He was apprenticed as an engineer with William Dargan, but subsequently emigrated to USA in 1845.

Joseph appears to have been married and living in Iowa for some time. His wife, whose name is not known, came from Pennsylvania. They had at least four children. Family lore suggests that he had a large family.

1. Sophia [1856-1934] was born in Iowa. She became a school teacher and never married. She is buried with her father in Chicago.
2. Charles P. [1858-] Charles may have married a Mary H. Garrigan in 1883. They had three daughters, Margaret, Rose and Mary; however a notice of the marriage which appeared in the Dubuque Times casts some doubt on this as it cites two uncles of Charles P Jennings who are not members of this family.[2] Possible the information contained in the notice is itself incorrect. There was a Dr Charles B Jennings in Dubuque, but he was not related to Charles P Jennings.
3. Elizabeth Blanche [1863-1949] also became a teacher and never married. She is buried with her father in Chicago.
4. James. [-1927] is buried with his sisters and his father in Chicago.

By 1890 Joseph was in Californa.[3]  His second wife Margaret Bryan was born in Canada in 1846.  The 1900 US Census records that there were no living children from the marriage with Margaret Bryan.

J.C. Jennings, San Francisco City, b. Nov 1827 Ireland. m. 16 years. m. est. 1884. Imm. year 1845.[4]

In 1910 they had been married 27 years. Joseph was 82. Margaret was 67. They lived at 39 Farallone Street, San Francisco Assembly District 33, San Francisco, California. Joseph owned his own house, and appeared to be self employed as a solicitor working in insurance. He was a naturalised American.[5]

He died in California on 6^th July 1918 aged 90. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, Cook, Illinois, United States with two of his daughters, Sophia and Elizabeth Blanche and his son James.[6]

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[1] Catholic Church Records, Newry, 05502/01 P. 19. www.nli.ie

[2] Dubuque Times 21 Sept 1883

[3] 1890 San Francisco Great Register of Voters.

[4] 1900 US States Census

[5] US Federal Census 1910

[6] Chicago Roman Catholic Cemetery Records, 1864-1989