Person:Hugh Donnelly (5)

Hugh's father, Peter Donnelly, was an Irish-born Catholic, very likely from Dromore, County Tyrone, or the surrounding area. He first appears in American records when he marries New Jersey-born Elizabeth Cole, at the Second River Dutch Reformed Church in Belleville in 1826. Since she was born of New Jersey-born parents, she was almost certainly not Catholic. She was perhaps Dutch Reformed herself, or a Methodist, or possibly a Dutch Reformed convert to Methodism. At some point Hugh Donnelly,who was most likely baptized in the Catholic Church, as were his siblings, converted to Methodism. He became known among his Catholic collateral descendants as “Black Hughie” because he blew out the candles at his father's funeral. He and his wife married before the Methodist minister in Belleville, Rev. John S. Swain, on 21 November 1849. In 1860 he was one of the stewards of the church.

In 1889, his occupation is listed as “foreman.” This would have been at the Hendrick's Copper Mill in Belleville. According to his death certificate, he died at Belleville, on Montgomery Avenue, on 28 June 1898 of acute dilatation of the heart. His occupation is listed as “copper roller.” He was buried in Bloomfield Cemetery. His will, signed on 18 June 1898, was filed and proved on 15 July 1898. He left all his possession to his “beloved wife Ann Matilda”. He appointed his son Samuel W. Donnelly and son-in-law Wright L. Gilbert his executors.

His probate record lists his chidren as: Samuel W. Donnelly, Newark; Marietta Donnelly, Belleville; Esther L. Gilbert, Bloomfield; Bertha Donnelly, Belleville; and Libbie Cook, Newark.

The Newark Evening News of 29 June 1898 ran an obituary on the front page: “School Commissioner Hugh Donnelly of Belleville died yesterday at his home in Soho after a lingering illness. About a year ago, Mr. Donnelly was driving through Bloomfield when his horse ran away and he was thrown from the carriage. The shock he then received, it is said, was the indirect cause of his death. Mr. Donnelly was sixty-five years old, and was born in Belleville. He was twice elected a School Commissioner and was at one time superintendent of Hendricks Brothers’ Copper Works. A widow and several adult children survive him.”

1. ↑ United States. Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865. (Online database: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010).
2.   New Jersey. Surrogate's Court (Essex County). Probate records, 1697-1900. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1967-1968).

   Applications for probate of wills, vol 10-11, 1896-99.

3. ↑ Hugh Donnelly Death Certificate, State of New Jersey. His age is given as 70, which would make his birthdate 1827 or 1828. His marriage record gives his age as 22, which would make his birth date 1826 or 1827. His obituary lists his age as 65, which would make his birth date 1832 or 1833.