Thomas Meaney

Abt 1792 - Abt 1835  (~ 43 years)

• Name	Thomas Meaney
  Born	Abt 1792	Ferryland, Newfoundland   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Research Overview	Thomas Meaney 1792	Ferryland, Newfoundland   [2]
  The absence of church records for Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Parish is a roadblock to identifying family structures in the Ferryland area. In the case of Thomas, the eldest son of Francis and Elizabeth Meaney, we know that he was eight years old per the 'Ferryland Census of 1800'. There are a couple of mentions of Thomas Meaney prior to May 1835. In that month, as ships returned from the annual seal hunt, Robert Carter, the resident magistrate at Ferryland, noted in his journal that Thomas Meaney of Ferryland had died while at the ice fields. Even if church records had survived, they would not have recorded Thomas' death since the Roman Catholic clergy did not document deaths and burials. In March 1837, although there is no direct mention of Thomas' name, "Frank, a child of the Widow Meaney" died of scarlet fever at Ferryland. I believe that this child was very likely a son of Thomas Meaney. Although it appears that Thomas' brother, Francis, was still living at Ferryland in 1840, there is no indication that he ever married. After 1840, and up until 1859, there is no mention of any male Meaneys at Ferryland. This absence is rather strange. On September 19, 1846, a Great Gale (hurricane) caused widespread damage, loss of life, followed by several years of hardships. During these impoverished years, individuals in the area were assisted by Government relief in the form of flour (or cornmeal) and molasses. At Ferryland, several females (probably widows) received assistance, but there was no mention of anyone under the Meaney surname. The absence of the Meaney surname at Ferryland for almost two decades, especially from the voter's list, cannot be explained. Based on later information, the surviving sons of Thomas would have reached the voting age in the 1840s. However, since Thomas' widow was still a relatively young woman when he died, she may have remarried. Of course, if Thomas' sons were living within their step-father's household, the step-father would have been the eligible voter. This possibility could explain why no male Meaneys were eligible to vote. It is also possible that Thomas' widow may have had relatives who took her and her children into their household. Again the same voting restrictions would apply within that combined household. In those days, there were no Government 'social nets' to support widows and their offspring so such family situations were inevitable. Finally, in the late 1840s, the Meaney surname, relative to Ferryland, started to resurface again in the records of the local parishes and those of St. John's city. About 1848, it appears that Mary Meaney married John Swain of Stone Island, Caplin Bay. Although no one is now aware of any family lore about a Swain/Meaney kinship, I think that Mary was likely a daughter of Thomas Meaney. In 1853, the St. John's church records show that Elizabeth Meaney of Ferryland married Patrick Aspell. It appears this couple initially lived at St. John's, however by 1870, Patrick and Elizabeth were living at Ferryland. Likewise, in 1856, James Meaney of Ferryland married Esther Murphy at St. John's. In September 1857, the baptism of their first child, Thomas, was recorded in Holy Apostles Parish, Fermeuse, just south of Ferryland. Thomas' godmother was Mary Kenedy (sic), quite possibly the same Mary Kennedy who later became the first wife of Thomas Meaney of Stone Island, Caplin Bay. In 1859, James Meaney's name first appeared as an eligible voter at Ferryland, living in the area known as The Downs. During the next decade, James Meaney's and Patrick Aspell's families appear to have stayed in the Ferryland area. By 1870, William Meaney, born at Ferryland, had surfaced in the surviving church records showing he too had started a family there. William lived out the rest of his life at Ferryland and died there in 1898. By 1871, James Meaney had either grown restless or saw employment opportunities elsewhere, so he and his family moved to St. John's. Shortly afterwards, the Aspell family also left Ferryland and moved to St. John's. Later records indicate that some members of the families of James and William Meaney and Elizabeth (Meaney) Aspell (including Elizabeth herself) eventually immigrated to Montreal, Quebec. Their interactions with each other, and their associations with other Newfoundland families living there, are documented in various church records in Montreal.
  Special Note	11 Oct 1833	Ferryland, Newfoundland   [3]
  In the Journal of Robert Carter, on Friday 11 October 1833, he mentions Thomas Meaney. He noted that he had "Sent away Oct'r C[ourt] H[ouse] Returns by Thomas Meaney. The 'away' mentioned in all likelihood refers to the routine procedure of forwarding court-related information to St. John's.
  Special Note	18 Jun 1834	Ferryland, Newfoundland   [3]
  Robert Carter's Journal noted, "Thomas Meaney home from the Westward today reports to have 60 Qtls, he was the first boat away & first back with his trip, he reports caplin at the Westward on Monday last".
  Died	Abt May 1835	North Atlantic Ocean   [4]
  Robert Carter recorded in his Journal on May 7, 1835, "Thos. Meaney brought in, he having died at Sea onboard the Water Lily". Carter did not mention the actual cause of Thomas' death but he indicated that the "Water Lily came in from the ice [with] up to 1500 [seal] pelts". However, we know from historical records that the perils and harsh living conditions of the annual Newfoundland seal hunt claimed many, many lives down through the years.
  Buried	May 1835	Non-denominational Cemetery, Ferryland, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, Canada   [5]
  Person ID	I144	Families of Calvert (Caplin Bay), Newfoundland
  Last Modified	14 Dec 2024

  
  

  Father	Francis Meaney,   b. Abt 1760, Ireland? ,   d. Aft 1835, Ferryland, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 76 years)
  Mother	Elizabeth,   b. Abt 1770, Ireland? ,   d. Aft 1800, Ferryland, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 31 years)
  Married	Abt 1790	Ferryland, Newfoundland   [5]
  Since Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Parish was officially established at Ferryland in 1789, it is likely that Francis and Elizabeth were married there.
  Census	1799/1800	Ferryland, Newfoundland   [1]
  Family ID	F93	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Bridget? Meaney,   b. Abt 1800,   d. Aft 1837  (Age ~ 38 years)
  Married	Abt 1820	Ferryland, Newfoundland   [5]
  This approximate marriage date is based on the calculated birth year of William Meaney who appears to be the eldest son of Thomas.
  Children	+ 1. William Meaney,   b. Abt 1822, Ferryland, Newfoundland ,   d. 17 Feb 1898, Ferryland, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 76 years) + 2. James Meaney,   b. Abt 1828, Ferryland, Newfoundland ,   d. 6 Aug 1909, St. John's, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 81 years)   3. Francis "Frank" Meaney,   b. Abt 1830, Ferryland, Newfoundland ,   d. 25 Mar 1837, Ferryland, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 7 years) + 4. Mary Meaney,   b. Abt 1833, Ferryland, Newfoundland ,   d. 11 Jun 1885, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 52 years) + 5. Elizabeth Meaney,   b. Abt 1833, Ferryland, Newfoundland ,   d. 2 Jul 1920, Montréal, Quebec, Canada  (Age ~ 87 years)
  Last Modified	29 Nov 2020
  Family ID	F2046	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - Abt 1792 - Ferryland, Newfoundland Research Overview - Thomas Meaney 1792 - Ferryland, Newfoundland Married - Abt 1820 - Ferryland, Newfoundland Special Note - 11 Oct 1833 - Ferryland, Newfoundland Special Note - 18 Jun 1834 - Ferryland, Newfoundland Died - Abt May 1835 - North Atlantic Ocean Buried - May 1835 - Non-denominational Cemetery, Ferryland, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, Canada  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S18] Ferryland Census of 1800, Newfoundland's Grand Banks, ( http://ngb.chebucto.org/C1800/polepapers-1800-fer.shtml ) (Compiled at Ferryland under the supervision of Robert Carter - J.P., Presented to Governor Charles Morice Pole in August 1800). [S66] Individual Sources Notes., Reddigan, Kevin, (Information from various notes, comments, and observations recorded during research or provided in e-mails from other researchers). [S58] Journal of Robert Carter of Ferryland - 1832 to 1852, Carter, Robert (III). [S107] A Ferryland Merchant- Magistrate - Volume II 1841 – 1852, Edited by Barnable, Curran & Baker, (Print Three, Suite 330, Cabot Place, 100 New Gower St., St. John's, NL A1C 6K3). [S90] Approximate date based on another recorded event, Reddigan, Kevin, (A date calculated by using a recorded date and a person's age, or by estimating the most likely date, based on other recorded life events).