Thanks to Angela's mention of the McDonagh Three the fascinating story of 
John McDonagh (d. 1850) has opened up. He was a slave owner in New Orleans 
who freed his slaves. As a supporter of the American Colonization Society he 
helped some of them go to Liberia.

Of course this does not mean there is any link with what happened in Sligo, 
but it is nice to speculate that there might have been been a connection 
betwen JMcD in America and the McDs in Sligo; that one of the freed slaves 
or his son decided to leave Liberia to return to post Civil War USA; and 
that knowing that there was a family link he travelled to Britain, made his 
way to Sligo, met and fell in love with Mary, married and then continued 
with her onto the United States.

Sean


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Angela Allison" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 9:42 PM
Subject: Re: Seeking information about an Irish Woman who married a Black 
American c. 1865


School desegregation pioneers: The McDonogh Three is all the comes to
mind, re. the name

but Sake Deen Mahomed comes to mind re. Irelnad. He was a shampooing
surgeon and restaurateur. He had sailed from Calcutta on the Danish
vessel Christiansborg in January 1784, visiting Madras, St Helena, and
Dartmouth (November 1784) en route to Cork, Baker's hometown. Under
Baker's patronage Mahomet studied to perfect his English. In 1786 he
eloped with an Anglo-Irish gentlewoman, Jane Daly(b. c.1772). They had
an Anglican marriage in Cork and Ross diocese, Mahomet having converted
to this denomination.

Angela

On 20 Jan 2010, at 21:31, SEAN CREIGHTON wrote:

> To BASA members and BASAJISC,
>
> I have had an enquiry seeking help to find out about an Irish woman who 
> married a Black American who is believed to have gone with him to the 
> States c. 1865.
>  Her name was Mary Elizabeth McDonagh, but could also be spelt MacDonagh, 
> Mc/MacDonogh, or Mc/ MacDonugh. She was from Sligo.
>
> She was clearly a woman of spirit. A Protestant she had had an affair with 
> one of her father's Catholic workers. They had a son John. She was not 
> allowed to marry the father, and the son was taken into her father's 
> household. Later she met a Black American and married him. Her father 
> would have nothing to do with her, and she went to the States with her 
> husband c. 1865. Her son did not go with them.
> Her husband's name is not known. I am assuming that he was an abolitionist 
> campaigner or an escaped slave who had fled to Britain in earlier years.
>
> If you have been working on Black American Abolitionists and others in 
> Britain does one possibly leaving from Ireland c. 1865 with his Irish wife 
> ring a bell. Any clues as to try and identify him would be much 
> appreciated.
>
> Many local records for the period relating to the family were lost in one 
> of the many fires set to destroy records.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Sean
>
>
>
>

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