Father: John SHANNON (-)
Mother: Bridget FRIEL (-)
The Ennistymon church records show Margaret as a child of John and
Bridget. This was originally researched by Mary (Shannon) Flood in
the late 1990s. Nothing more was known about Margaret by Mary Flood.
In 2003, a letter surfaced which was written by Mrs. Owen Considine
to her brother John Shannon. The letter was dated Jan. 21, 1907 from
Knockaskeheen, Lisdoonvarna, Ireland. Circumstances lead me to believe
the recipient was John Shannon (1843--1909) of Chicago.
This letter mentions another unnamed brother who had recently died.
This fits well with Margaret's and John's brother Thomas who died in 1906 in
Chicago. When I first saw the letter, I thought it must be from
Margaret's sister, Bridget, who Mary Flood's family records have married
to Thomas Considine. I thought perhaps there was some confusion in Mary's
family records over the names Thomas and Owen. After seeing the 1901 Irish
census, I have come to the conclusion that Margaret also married a Considine.
In the 1901 census of the Knockaskeheen townland, Co. Clare (which is near
the town of Lisdoonvarna) is listed a Margaret Considine, head of the family,
a 69 year old widow farmer. Listed with Margaret are her son Michael, age 34,
daughter Margaret, 31, son Patrick, age 29, and granddaughters Mary
Callinan, 12 and Delia Callinan, 11. All are Roman Catholic, born in Co. Clare.
In the same townland is the household of another Patrick Considine, 41,
with his wife Bridget, 31; children: Maryanne, 9, Austin, 7, Thomas, 5,
and Lizzie, age 1; his father Patrick Considine, age 74, retired farmer;
and Nora Marrinan, sister-in-law, age 23.
Margaret's age of 69 is a little bit younger than Margaret Shannon would have
been in 1901, but shaving a couple years off the age is consistent with
what I saw in the 1901 census for Killeinagh.
The conclusion I draw from all this is that Margaret married Owen Considine,
he had died before the 1901 census, and it is Margaret who wrote the
letter to her brother John in Chicago in 1907. The letter writer never
mentions her husband, but does mention her children, as if she were a widow.
Griffith's Valuation of 1855 also shows an Owen Considine as living in
Knockaskeheen townland. Though of course that might be a generation before
Margaret's husband Owen. There are two other Considine's in Knockaskeheen
in the 1855 Griffith's Valuation, Michael and Michael (Mac).
Furthermore, Mary Flood's records show that Mary believed Bridget
(Mrs. Thomas) Considine came to Chicago.
