Genealogy of the Lalor Family
'Tenakill', Co. Laois, Ireland

Peter Lalor (1827-1889) is a significant figure in the history of Ballarat and the establishment of democracy in Australia. He was the leader of the Miners in the Eureka Rebellion of 1854 during which he was shot and had his arm amputated and in Nov 1855 became a parliamentary representative in the state of Victoria.
Following is an outline of the genealogy of the Lalor family from Tenakill, Co. Laois, Ireland and any additional information on this family group would be appreciated.
Daryl Povey, Ballarat Genealogical Society - EMAIL

The Ballarat Genealogical Society appreciates the following
Lalor Genealogy supplied by American Lalors at:
IrishLalor@AOL.com




1st Generation

Patrick Lalor (b. ca 1730)

Patrick Lalor was born c. 1730 and married Mary "of Doon." They built the present home of Tenakill, Co. Laois, Ireland ca. 1771. Patrick and Mary Lalor had the following children: James, Edward, Patrick, Thomas, Julia, Fintan, Joseph, and Mary.

2nd Generation

Julia Lalor (b. c. 1770)

Julia Lalor was born c. 1770 and married a Mr. Kelly. There is one known child of this union; Mary Kelly.


Joseph Lalor (b. 1780)

Joseph Lalor was born in 1780. Nothing is known of a marriage of Joseph. Joseph was the Governor of the Granada. Family stories state that he assisted the Duke of Wellington oust Napoleon from Spain. This has yet to be proven.


Mary Lalor

Mary Lalor's birth date is unknown. We do know from family letters that she married William Dillon. William Dillon's sister, Anne, was the first wife of Patrick Lalor. William and Mary had a daughter, Maria, who emigrated to America and married Dr. O'Brien in Wisconsin.


Patrick Lalor (b. ca 1781)

Patrick was born c. 1781 at Tenakill. His first wife was Anne Dillon, married c. 1806 and they had twelve known children. Patrick was known as "Honest Pat Lalor" and was the first Catholic M.P. for Queens County, Ireland since the reign of James II. Patt was instrumental in the abolishment of the Tithe System. Anne died on 4th Jun 1835 and between September 5, 1848 and October 15, 1850 Patrick married Ellen Mary Anne Loughnan. They had no known children. Patt died on 10 Apr 1856.

The following is what is known of Patrick and Anne (Dillon)'s twelve children:

    1. James Fintan (b. 10 Mar 1807 / d. 27 Dec 1849)
    2. Margarett (b. 01 Aug 1808 / d. unknown)
    3. William A., Sr.(b. 23 Jul 1810 / d. 05 Nov 1892)
    4. Joseph (b. 08 May 1812 / d. unknown)
    5. Patrick (b. 28 Mar 1814 / d. unknown)
    6. John (b. 01 Jun 1815 / d. prior 04 Nov 1874)
    7. Mary (b. 25 Mar 1817 / d. 30 Aug 1850)
    8. Jerome (baptized 25 May 1818 / d. 31 Dec 1898)
    9. Thomas (baptized 06 Aug 1820 / d. 05 May 1864)
    10. Richard (baptized Apr 1823 / d. 12 Nov 1893)
    11. Catherine (baptized 06 Apr 1825 / buried 29 Jul 1885)
    12. Peter Fintan (baptized 05 Feb 1827 / d. 9 Feb 1889)


Thomas Lalor (b. ca. 1789)

Thomas Lalor was born c. 1789. In 1820 he married Catherine Kelly in Portlarington, Ireland. They had the following children: Peter, Michael, and Patrick Joseph. His son, Patrick Joseph at some time emigrated to Australia. It is a possibility that Patrick Joseph Lalor was the same Patrick Lalor that was convicted with James Bergin and transported to Tasmania.


3rd Generation

1. James Fintan (b. 10 Mar 1807 / d. 27 Dec 1849)

The firstborn of Patt and Anne Lalor was James Fintan born on 10 Mar 1807 at Tenakill. He was reportedly deaf and of poor sight. James Fintan advocated and pursued for land reform. His arguments on this subject were published in the Dublin newspaper, The Nation. He was arrested for treason and jailed at Nenagh, County Tipperary, later transferred to Dublin and released. James Fintan died unmarried and is buried at Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin.








The English translation of the Gaelic inscription on James Fintan LALOR's headstone:

In loving memory of James Fintan Lalor.
Born 10th March 1809, and died 27 Dec. 1849.
A faithful (loyal) Irishman who gave his life seeking the freedom of our country and improving the state of the Irish people in their native land.
May his soul be at God's right hand.






2. Margarett (b. 01 Aug 1808 / d. unknown)

Margarett was born on 01 Aug 1808 at Tenakill. Margarett, also known by her middle name of Ellen, had married James Bergan in November 1832. James was transported to Tasmania. There is a story that that James & Margaret, (or Helen or Ellen) were the owners of the Colonial Inn at Campbell Town in Tasmania known as "The Fox Hunter's Return" but this is yet to be verified.


3. William A., Sr. (b. 23 Jul 1810 / d. 05 Nov 1892)

William A. was born on 23 Jul 1810 at Tenakill and emigrated to America in 1837 on the packet ship "Pennsylvania Swallowtail." He lived for sometime in Hillsdale, Michigan before he ventured to LaGrange County, Indiana. He married Amelia Arabella Fox in December 1845 in LaGrange County, Indiana. They settled on a farm in Dunn Township, Wisconsin. William died on 05 Nov 1892 and is buried, along with Amelia at Calvary (now Resurrection) Cemetery in Madison, Wisconsin.





The photograph on the right was labelled as:

"Sons of William & Amelia. Richard on right, James, John, William. My Dad's Uncles & Father."

The four men are the same four brothers in the above photograph of William, Amelia & their family and have been identified from right to left as Richard, James, John & William.






4. Joseph (b. 08 May 1812 / d. unknown)

Joseph was born on 08 May 1812 at Tenakill.


5. Patrick (b. 28 Mar 1814 / d. unknown)

Patrick (#3) was born on 28 Mar 1814 at Tenakill and he was a medical student who never completed that education before his death. He passed away on 8 June 1835 due to typhoid.


6. John (b. 01 Jun 1815 / d. prior 04 Nov 1874)

John was born at Tenakill on 01 Jun 1815. He reportedly married Ellen Dunne and moved to England. His descendants are presently located in Canada. John passed away prior to 04 Nov 1874.


7. Mary (b. 25 Mar 1817 / d. 30 Aug 1850)

Mary was born on 25 Mar 1817 at Tenakill. She married Joseph Grierson Fox on 22 Jun 1845. They emigrated to America and settled in Dane County, Wisconsin. Mary died young on 30 Aug 1850.


8. Jerome (baptized 25 May 1818 / d. 31 Dec 1898)

Jerome was baptized on 25 May 1818. He emigrated to America in 1845 and married Margaret Conklin on 21 May 1855. Jerome died on 31 Dec 1898. Jerome is buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa.


9. Thomas (baptized 06 Aug 1820 / d. 05 May 1864)

Thomas was baptized on 03 Aug 1820. Thomas emigrated to America and married Mary Cantwell on 21 May 1855, the same time and place as Jerome married Margaret Conklin. He enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army and was killed on 05 May 1864 at the "Battle of the Wilderness" in the U.S. Civil War.


10. Richard (baptized Apr 1823 / d. 12 Nov 1893)

Richard was baptized in Apr 1823. He married Margaret Dunne. He traveled to Australia with his brother, Peter on the ship Scindian. Upon his father's request, he moved home to Tenakill. He was elected to represent Queens County in the Parliament in London. Richard died on 12 Nov 1893 and is buried at Raheen Churchyard. His descendants inherited Tenakill.








11. Catherine (baptized 06 Apr 1825 / buried 13 Sep 1900)

Catherine married David Kennedy and they lived in England for some time. In 1869 she emigrated to America with her two daughters. Catherine is buried at St. James Cemetery in Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts.

    Catherine Lalor Kennedy was my ggg-grandmother. She died 13 Sept. 1900 and is buried in the St. James Cemetery, Haverhill, Essex County, Massacusetts along with her daughter and several others. Information supplied by Lari Hamel LariHamel@aol.com and Rick Goodwin goodrick@juno.com



12. Peter Fintan (baptized 05 Feb 1827 / d. 9 Feb 1889)

Peter Fintan Lalor was baptised on 05 Feb 1827. Peter emigrated to Australia aboard the ship Scindian in October 1852. He married Alicia Dunne on 10 Jul 1855 at St. Mary's Church in Geelong, Australia. On 03 Dec 1854 he led the miners' uprising at Ballarat, Victoria. He was wounded and his arm was amputated. He was later elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly.

Peter Fintan and Alicia had the following children: Ann, Mary, and Joseph Peter. He had five known grandchildren from Joseph Peter who was born in 1857.

For information on Peter LALOR and the Eureka Rebellion, Ballarat in 1854 visit our Eureka pages & links.

Researchers looking for or with information to share on Peter Fintan LALOR & family



External Links on Peter Fintan LALOR & family



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Emigration to Australia

    Les Blake in his book - 'Peter Lalor - the man from Eureka', published in 1979 stated:

      As unassisted migrants four members of the Lalor family embarked at London in 1852 on the 'Scindian', 649 tons, James Cammell, master. The passenger list showed 192 adults and 77 children. The Lalor group comprised Richard, aged twenty-six, listed as farmer, Margaret, aged twenty-four and D. Maria(or Marie), aged twenty-one; no occupation was listed for these three. Although it is commonly believed that Alicia Mary Dunne also travelled with them her name, as such, does not appear in the passenger list.

      Two young Scots aboard were Samuel Craig, aged nineteen, and William Craig, eighteen, both printers; they possibly came from Lanarkshire. William admired Peter Lalor whom he described as a person of manly bearing, good looks and polished manners. He found Peter's height -six feet one-and-a-half inches -impressive.

      The 'Scindian's' voyage lasted four months, the ship reaching Melbourne in October. As they sailed across Hobson's bay, William Craig counted fifty ships, deserted by their crews, riding at anchor. After landing at Coles Wharf the passengers saw the open-air market where immigrants who already had run short of money, offered for sale many of their goods, carefully chosen in England and cherished, now quite superfluous to their immediate needs in Australia....

Sources of Information:

      • Legal documents located at the National Library of Ireland
      • Baptismal Records
      • Death Certificates
      • Obituaries
      • "The Nation"
      • "History of Dane County"
      • Lalor Letters located at the National Library of Ireland
      • Gravestone photographs
      • Marriage Certificates
      • Passenger lists
      • Gold License
      • United States Military Records
      • "History of Queens County"
      • "Peter Lalor - the man from Eureka", Les Blake, 1979
      • Marriage Register of St. Fintan's Catholic Church, Raheen, Leix County, Ireland
      • Irish Transportation Records



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Please email Daryl with any additional information
or corrections to the above information.

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