Magner Family Genealogy

Selected baptisms in and near Galbally:

1. Ellenor Magner, August 5, 1865 - parents Thomas Magner & Ellen Power.

2. Margaret Massy, December 21, 1866 - parents Henry Massy & Emelia Magner.

3. Daniel Wallace, February 11, 1867 - parents Daniel Wallace & Mary Magner.

4. Margaret Dwyer, April 29, 1864, parents Edmond & Ellen Magner. Bansha, County Tipperary.

5. Mary Dwyer, Oct 16, 1869, parents Edmond & Ellen Magner, Bansha, County Tipperary.

6. Thomas Magner, Jan 1, 1867, parents James Magner & Mary Conway, Bansha, County Tipperary.

7. Mary Magner, Aug 27, 1865, James Magner & Honora Sheely, Bansha, County Tipperary.

8. Elizabeth Brien, March 15, 1865. John Brien & Margaret Magner, Tipperary

Birth records in Galbally, Ireland

It would seem that Thomas Magner (1827-1891) is the younger brother or nephew of James Magner. Elizabeth Fruin, the wife of Thomas (1829-1893) should be related to Margaret Fruin, the wife of James Magner. Thomas and Elizabeth lived in a large plantation style home in Wilmington. The house was later used as a funeral home for over fifty years.

Research indicates the Magner family first settled in Naugatuck, about 4 miles south of Waterbury, CT and then moved to Will and Grundy Counties, IL. Waterbury, CT (New Haven County) is 30 miles from Bridgeport, CT, 127 miles from Boston, 96 miles from New York, and 815 miles from Will County, Illinois.

William Fruin was born in April 1798 in Aherlow, County Tipperary Ireland and died October 8, 1880 in Waterbury, CT. He married Johanna Magner who was born in 1811 and died January 12, 1891. William and Johanna had three children: James J. died 1906; Johanna (1839-1887) and Robert (1843-1893). James J. married Mary Jane Slocum and owned the Fruin Hotel in Waterbury, CT.

NOTE: Aherlow and Galbally are two current Catholic Churches in the Galbally Parish of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. In 2001, there were three primary schools and three priests serving the Galbally parish.

The Fruin Family and the families of James Magner and Thomas Magner all appeared to have first settled near Waterbury, CT. The Magner families were living in America in 1856. We have no records of ship manifests indicating when these families first arrived.

Members of the Fruin, Magner, Henneberry, Cushing and Keily families were married and baptized in the Church of Christ the King in Galbally, Ireland. Anne Magner, the daughter of James Magner and Judy Fruin, was baptized on Feb. 12, 1815. This fact traces the Magner-Fruin families back at least 184 years.

Brother & sisters of Elizabeth Magner from Christ the King Church in Galbally, Ireland
John, baptized April 23, 1821; Ellen, baptized April 6, 1830; Julia, baptized April 20, 1839
Parents were James Magner and Margaret Fruein.

Children of James and Margaret Fruin Magner

Elizabeth who married James Henneberry on Nov 30, 1862.

Julia who married Patrick Henneberry (the brother of James) on Sep 23, 1863 in Will County.

Aimee who married William Keily. James Magner married Margaret Kiely on Feb. 10, 1834 in Galbally, Ireland.

Jerome: Brother Jerome, see information below.

John: may have stayed in Ireland.

Ellen: may have stayed in Ireland or could be Margaret.

James: no information.

Family History Notes:

Robert Jerome Magner was a Franciscan monk known as Brother Jerome and became an educator in several Catholic institutions. He later became the president of St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York.

Photo taken in the Alva Pearsall studio at Fulton St. opposite Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn.

Magner, Jerome Age : 23

Country of Origin : Ireland

Date of Arrival : Sep. 10, 1858

Final Destination : USA

Gender : Male

Occupation : Monk

Port of Debarkation : New York

Ship's Name : Pacific

Manifest ID Number : 901329

Port of Embarkation : Galway

Purpose for Travel : Staying in USA, but not a citizen of USA

Mode of Travel : Steerage

Family history notes from Margaret, the oldest daughter of Elizabeth Magner and James Henneberry. The James Magner family lived in the Glen of Aherlow, County Tipperary, Ireland. This Magner family came from the Parish of Castletownroche, Diocese of Cloyne in County Cork. Castletownroche is in the Poor Law Union of Fermoy and the Barony of Fermoy in the Province of Munster. The Census of 1766 has records for David, John and William Magner, and a Michael Magner in the Parish of Kildorrery. The parish church in Castletownroche is the Immaculate Conception and the church in Kildorrey is St. Bartholomew. They were considered "landed gentry". The children were well educated, and music and dancing masters came to their home. Tutors were also obtained for other educational subjects. The Henneberry Family lived about 5 miles from the Magners. Elizabeth and James did not meet in Ireland but in Wilmington, Illinois. One of the tutors in Illinois was Margaret Magner Massy (Margaret was baptized in Galbally, Ireland, the daughter of Henry Massy and Emelia Magner. Emilia Magner was baptized on November 10, 1832 the daughter of James Magner and Bridget Bruady.

Brother Robert Jerome Magner was the President of St. Francis College in Brooklyn. St. Francis was founded by the Franciscan Brothers in 1858 and was the first private school in the diocese of Brooklyn. Father Joseph Magner Kiely, nephew of Brother Magner, attended St. Francis.

Brother Jerome brought his sisters, Elizabeth and Julia from Ireland in 1861. He promised to find husbands for them in America. Elizabeth married James Henebry and her sister, Julia, married Patrick Henebry, brother of James.

Click Here for photos of Galbally, Ireland.

Another link between the Magner and Henebry families can be found in the
Index to Griffith's Valuation of Ireland, 1848-1864.
Landowners in County Limerick, Parish Galbally were James, Michael and Thomas Henebry and Thomas Magner. James and Thomas Magner were also landowners in County Tipperary, Parish Clonbeg.

Elizabeth Magner born May 1, 1832 in Married James Henneberry on November 30, 1862 near Joliet, IL in Will County. James Henneberry: born Feb 3, 1832 in County Tipperary, Ireland died: July 28, 1908 in Dalton City, Illinois. Father of James born in County Limerick, Ireland; mother born in County Tipperary. Elizabeth Magner Henneberry moved to Dora Township, Moultrie County near Dalton City and Bethany, Illinois in 1874/1875.

From the Bethany Echo, Bethany, IL: Friday August 31, 1917.

"Elizabeth Henneberry. The funeral of Mrs. Elizabeth Henneberry was held at 10 o'clock Friday morning in the Sacred Heart Church. (Mrs. Henneberry was born May 1, 1837 and died Aug. 22, 1917.) Solemn high mass was celebrated with Rev. Fa. Joseph Kiely as celebrant, Rev. Fa. J. Magner as deacon and Rev. Fa. Smith as master of ceremonies. Rev. Fa. Kiely and Rev. Fa. Magner are both nephews of Mrs. Henneberry.
Music was furnished by the regular choir of the church, with Miss Morrison as accompanist. The flowers were in charge of Misses Louise and Margaret Vollmer, Nina Wehmoff, Marie Foley, Loretta Burns and Louise Henneberry, all nieces of the deceased.
The pallbearers were Edward Foley, Ray and Leo Kinney, Thomas Magner, William and Emmett Henneberry, Homer Dunn and Merrill Wehmoff, all nephews of Mrs. Henneberry. The internment was in St. Isidore's Cemetery.

Nephews of Elizabeth Magner Henneberry:

Bishop Francis Joseph Magner (March 18, 1887 Wilmington Twp, Will County, IL died June 13, 1947 in Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan. Buried in the Crypt of Marquette Cathedral, Marquette, MI. He was the bishop of the dioceses of Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

Msgr. James A. Magner (1901-IL - 1995 Palm Beach, FL) author, professor at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. Magner Hall a dormitory at the university is named after Msgr. Magner. Both of these priests were the children of James Magner (CT 1857-1937 IL) and Margaret Follen (Ireland 1862-1925 IL). They are both buried in Mt Olivet Cemetery in Wilmington, IL. The grandparents were Thomas Magner and Elizabeth Fruin.
Click for obituary for Msgr. James Magner.

Michael Magner from Illinois 1880 Census: Vol. 23 ED 8 Sheet 12 Line 24 Michael, age 42 born in Ireland. Residence: Morris Twp. Grundy County, Illinois Bridget, age 32 born in IL: Mary, age 13 born in IL, Katie, age 11 born in IL: Maggie, age 9 born in IL: Anusta, age 5 born in IL Laurense Welch, age 71 born in Ireland, (father-in-law).

From: Lawrence & Thompson's Grundy County Directory 1877-1878. Michael Magner, carriage manufactory and blacksmith shop; a large assortment of single and double buggies, carriages and democrat wagons always on hand; horseshoeing a specialty; corner Liberty and Jackson; residence same.