Out of Our Past
Kennaley in Peterborough County
Keene Hotel, as it looks at Lang Pioneer Village 2006
Owned by Martin and Mary Jane (Logan) Kennaley
The family name of Kennaley in the Peterborough area, has several spellings, including Kinneally, Kennealy, Kennalley, and Kennelly. Today the family spells the name Kennaley.
One of the earliest in this family to be found in Otonabee Township, Peterborough County, is Dennis Kennaley. He was from County Tipperary, Ireland, born there in the later 1700s. He married Mary Henesey and four sons are known to be their children. Mary (Henesey) Kennaley died in Ireland. About 1852 Dennis came to Canada West with his boys. Here he died 8 January 1853.
The sons of Dennis and Mary were John, born 1816, Michael born 1822, Martin also born about 1822 and Dennis Jr., born about 1826.
John Kennaley Family
John may have married twice. His first marriage took place in Ireland and from this union, a son was born about 1847 and a daughter, Mary Maria was born about 1848. In 1855, another son, John was born. He was followed by Martin, born about 1858 and another daughter, Margaret, born in 1860. Following the birth of Margaret, John’s wife died, for in 1861, John was a widower, living in Otonabee Township and raising his children.
During the years of the 1860s, John married again. His second wife was Margaret Richardson. Their dates of death were not located. Of John’s children, his first born son died about 1860. Nothing more was learned about his daughter, Mary Maria. John Jr., born in 1855 died 12 July 1944. He married Johanna Mahoney, daughter of Daniel and Margaret Agnes (Kennaley) Mahoney.
Martin Kennaley, the fourth child of John, was born about 1858 and died 13 November 1872 after being kicked by a horse. John’s youngest child, Margaret was born in 1860. Nothing more was learned about her lifetime.
Michael Kennaley Family
Michael, born about 1822 in County Tipperary, Ireland was the second son of Dennis and Mary (Henesey) Kennaley. Michael married Margaret Logan on 8 January 1853 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Peterborough. Margaret was born in Douro Township, circa 1831. She was a daughter of John Logan and Anne Doris.
Michael and Margaret had seven children. Denis, born in 1854 was their only son. He married Mary Anne Barnett in September 1883. Margaret Anne Kennaley, eldest daughter of Michael and Margaret, was born in Douro Township in March 1856. She married William Clancy on 19 January 1876, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Peterborough. Margaret (Kennaley) Clancy died in 1933.
Mary Margaret, the second daughter of Michael and Margaret, was born in 1857. She married Charles O’Reilly on 26 April 1898.
Johana, the third daughter of Michael and Margaret, was born 7 May 1859. She married George Whitty.
Catherine Jane, the next daughter of Michael and Margaret, was born 10 November 1861. She was baptized on 1 December 1861 at St. Joseph’s Church in Douro Township. This child must have died young since another daughter was also named Catherine Jane Kennaley. She was born and died 13 September 1863.
Elizabeth was the youngest daughter of Michael and Margaret Kennaley. Elizabeth was born 1 December 1865 in Douro Township. She grew up to marry James bowie on 29 April 1896. Elizabeth (Kennaley) Bowie died 19 September 1947 at Lang, Peterborough County.
Martin Kennaley Family
Martin, son of Dennis and Mary (Henesey) Kennaley, was born in Ireland in July 1822. In Canada West he grew up and married Mary Jane Logan. Mary was born in May 1834 in Otonabee Township, Peterborough County. She was a daughter of John and Anne (Doris) Logan.
Martin and Mary Jane (Logan) Kennaley had a family of ten children.
Martin Kennaley died 29 April 1909 at his home in Otonabee Township. His wife, Mary Jane (Logan) Kennaley died 19 June 1920. They rest in St. Peter’s Catholic Cemetery, Peterborough.
Martin and Mary Jane (Logan) Kennaley. Parishioners and owners of the Keene Hotel, now at Century Village
Dennis Kennaley Jr. Family
Dennis, born 1826 in Ireland, was the fourth known son of Dennis and Mary (Henesey) Kennaley. As a young man in his twenties, Dennis wed Margaret Roach on 21 April 1852, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Peterborough. Margaret was born about 1828, a daughter of Thomas and Mary (O’Brien) Roach. She and Dennis had four children before Margaret’s untimely death about 1860.
Dennis married again. His second wife was Catherine Crowley, born about 1839. They had a family of nine children. Dennis Kennaley died in Peterborough in 1879. Catherine (Crowley) Kennaley died 14 March 1886.
