John's parents are not known. In the 18th century there was a large family of Conners at Connerville, Co. Cork, Ireland. There is a family legend that John's Conner ancestor was king of Ireland for a day. [A William Con(n)er arrived at Plymouth, Mass. in 1621 on the "Fortune" & received a share in the 1623 land division, but is not in the 1627 cattle division nor elsewhere in colony records. We have no reason to suppose that John descends from him, but the name is curious.] Our John D. Conner was one of the first of 23 settlers in Majabigwaduce [area of Penobscot and Castine; Castine and Brooksville were later taken from the town(ship) of Penobscot]; John resided on the Joseph Benney property in 1761 and in 1766 is listed as having homesteaded 140 acres in present-day Penobscot with 60 rods fronting the Bagaduce River (lot 67 on Peters' 1787 survey). The farm is 1.1 miles from the Castine town line on Dunbar Road (the road to Penobscot).
The surnames Conner, Conners, Connor, Connors as well as O'Conner and O'Connor are descendants of six Irish O'Connor septs dating from the second century: O'Conor of Coromroe, Co. Clare; O'Connor, Kerry, Chief of the Munster; O'Connor Foley of Co. Offaly; O'Connor Kennogh of Ulster; O'Conor Don and O'Conor Ros in Connacht. The final two kings of Ireland were of the Connacht O'Conors, Turlough O'Connor (1088-1156) and Roderick O'Connor (1116-1198). Exiled persons of this surname have established their families in France, Spain, Austria and America. In Ireland the surname is the 9th most prevalent. The name (in Irish, Conchobhair) means Hero or Champion.
Notes for further research: John came from York (Co.), ME and might relate to Conners in Berwick and/or in NH. [Note: York Co. included all of Maine until 1760, when Cumberland and Lincoln Counties were set off from it.] Sylvia Conner Wardwell believes John may have been at Bow, NH in the forestry business. Ann Torbett posted in the Ancestry.com message board in 2001 that a "Sarah Turbett [sic] married John Conner Nov. 5, 1722 Berwick, York Co, ME". A Sarah Conner, wife of John Conner, is listed as attending a lecture 29 Dec 1741 in First Church, Berwick, ME - NEHGR 82:211. [See also http://develop.nmdg.com/virtualhosts/communities/chadbourne/4thgen.html which states this John is "probably son of Jeremy of Exeter." Alis may be a second wife, and he may have children by an unknown first wife - note that a granddaughter Hannah was b. 24 March 1776 per Penobscot V.R. In 1784 there were 9 persons living on John's lot - "Bangor Historical Magazine" (1893) 8:55-57. See article by Marian Conner and Forrest D. Myers in newsletter of Penobscot Historical Society, Nov., 1984. Sylvia Conner Wardwell believes John m. Alis ca. 1777 at Penobscot, ME. "History of the Town of Exeter, N.H.," Charles H. Bell (Exeter: 1888) lists these Conner families:
Jeremiah Connor, Anne Gove (she d. 12 Feb 1723); md. 3 July 1696 - had: Jeremiah, b. 18 Apr
1697, d. Apr 1722), Jonathan (5 Dec 1699), Philip (3 March 1702), Samuel (3 May 1704),
Hannah (20 Sept 1706), Anne (30 March 1709) and Benjamin (7 Sept 1711).
Cornelius Connor - his child, Moses (6 Dec. 1707). [Cornelius was a member of Capt. Harmon's Company, 1721-1722]
Jonathan Connor, son of Jeremiah and Ann Connor, b. 5 Dec 1699, md. 23 Jan 1724 Mehitabel,
da. of John and Mehitabel Thing, b. 19 July 1706 - had: Anne (15 Sept 1724), Mehitabel (5
Dec 1726, d. 30 Aug 1736), Jeremiah (8 Feb 1731), Jonathan (14 Oct 1737), Anne (10 Dec
1739), Mehitabel (27 July 1742) and John Thing (16 July 1745).
Philip Connor, Maria Dudley; md. 14 May 1729 - had Maria (22 Sept 1731), Philip (25 Sept
1733), Joseph (16 Feb 1735) and Joshua (18 Aug 1743).
Samuel Connor, b. 3 May 1704, m. 26 May 1726 Sarah Gilman (b. 18 Dec 1708) - had: Maria (12
May 1728), Anna (1730-1742), Samuel (2 April 1733), Jeremiah (18 Nov 1736), Joshua
(1738-1742), Sarah (1741-1742), Eliphalet (14 Aug 1743), Joseph (7 Aug 1746) and Mary (3 Oct 1750).
Benjamin Connor, Abigail Bartlett; md. 25 June 1734 - had: Abigail (4 Feb 1736), Jeremiah
(26 Mar 1739), Nathaniel (8 April 1742), Abigail (31 May 1744), Anne ( 18 March 1746),
Benjamin (28 March 1748), Mary (25 Jan 1750) and Joseph Bartlett (15 Oct 1752). Benjamin
md. (2) Mary , widow of Jeremiah Leavitt, and had Ephrain (4 Dec 1760) and Nathaniel.
Benjamin d. 18 Oct 1811 and wife Mary d. 20 March 1820.
Jeremiah Connor, son of Jonathan and Mehitabel, md. 1 Sept 1754 Hannah Sanborn (dau. of
Jabal and Abiah) and had Mary (30 May 1755) and Dudley (29 Nov 1756).
There are also later Connor/Conner families given in this history. Jeremiah Connor is in the list of inhabitants 10 Oct 1664 and in 1731 a Jeremiah Conner [sic] was appointed to the committee to replace the old meeting-house with a court house. Jeremiah Conner and Philip Conner purchased pews in the new meeting-house in 1731. The history also lists baptisms in the First Society including these Connors: John and Moses 21 Aug 1748, sons of David; Hannah 6 April 1760, dau. of Jeremiah; Joseph 14 Aug 1758, son of Joseph; Tristram Sanborn 21 Nov 1762, son of Jeremiah Connor. Marriage intentions begin in 1783 and give only one John Conner (p. 79): "John Conner, Jr., Elizabeth Shepard of Brentwood; 16 April 1791."
Torrey's "New England Marriages Pior to 1700" lists only these four Conners: Cornelius Conner (1637-1687) & Sarah Brown (1634-1709), by 1659, Salisbury; James Conmairs (?) [sic] & Naomi Harmon, int. 15 Aug 1696, Boston; Jeremiah Connor (1672- ) & Ann Gove (1677- ), 3 July 1696, Salisbury/Exeter, NH: John Conner & Elizabeth Podington/Purington, 15 May 1691, Salisbury.
Near Concord, NH, Conners appear in the 18th century. "History of Pembroke" (Concord, 1895), I:279: "Samuel Conner was probably the first physician to locate in Pembroke, coming from Exeter, and settling at Buckstreet about 1755...in 1759 he moved to Pembroke Street...practised in town several years, was married, had several children, among whom was Col. Samuel, who was killed in the Battle of Bennington in 1777; and Eliphalet, who also served in the Revolution... October 1, 1781, he leased to his son Joseph the farm inherited from his son Col. Samuel, and the same day deeded to his five children all his real and personal estate so inherited. He died about 1787."; I:70 - David Connor and Samuel Connor, Jr. are among petitioners in 1759; II:111- these Conner [sic] names are on a 1764 petition from Pembroke: David, David, David Jr., Moses; I:85 - Samuel Connor was deeded lot 2 in Buckstreet; I:105 - in 1767 Samuel, David and Eliphalet Connor are among petitioners for a justice of the peace to be provided for Pembroke; I:108 - Samuel Connor is among petitioners for a ferry to be established; II:120-21 - Lt. Samuel Connor, David Connor and John Connor are on list of members of the Presbyterian congregation in 1773; I:109 - Samuel and John Connor are among many petitioners for right of representation of Pembroke in the General Assembly; I:118 - one of two companies raised to serve in the War for Independence was headed by Capt. Samuel Connor; I:120 - signers of the 1776 "Association Test" (supporting the national Declaration of Independence) included John and David Connor; I:126 - David Connor is on the Pembroke Committee of Safety and Inspection; I:375 - David Connor is Selectman 1762-68; I:128 - Samuel was Lt. Col. when he died of wounds 9 Oct 1777; I:136 - also serving in the war were John and Eliphalet Connor, and they are the only Connors on the tax rolls in 1805 (I:162-3), and no Connor is on the tax roll in 1820 (II:184-86); II:148 - in 1782 Joseph Conner is a highway surveyor and John Conner is a hog-reeve by town meeting appointment.
"Bicentennital History of Pembroke" (1976), p. 50, gives the families of two children of a David Conner:
1) John Conner, b. 8 Feb 1746; m. Mary ______ (b. 19 Dec 1747) - their children listed (including Hannah, b. 30 May 1777 - note a Hannah living with John D. Conner in 1790).
2) Dr. Samuel Conner; m. Sarah Gilman of Exeter - their six children are listed (Jeremiah, Eliphalet, Col. Samuel, Maria, Joseph and Mary).
"Collections of the Dover, NH Historical Society", Vol. 1, lists: 29 April 1776 the death of "Joseph Conner, old age"; John Conner among three men drowning in October, 1780; 25 Nov 1783 the death of John Conner, aged 48; 4 Aug 1785 the death of a son of Widow Conner; 31 Aug 1729 (by the Rev. Jonathan Cushing) the baptism of Joseph Connor and Sarah his wife. Probate records of Strafford Co., NH include the estate of John Conner of Dover, cordwainer, administered 16 Nov 1785 by widow Mary Conner and included sale of a lot of land in Middleton, NH; also the estate of Joseph Conner, cordwainer, administered 9 April 1777 by John Conner of Dover, a cordwainer; also the estate of Jeremiah Connor [sic] of Gilmanton, husbandman, administered 9 Oct 1795 by his widow Hannah.
There are no Conners in the index of "Early Record of Londonderry, NH - 1719-1762", in the index of "VR of Hamtpon, NH" (Boston, MA: NEHGS, 1992) or in the index of "V.R. of Kittery, ME" (Camden: Picton Press, 1991). "VR of Berwick...Maine" (Camden: Picton Press, 1993) includes record of marriage of John Conner and Sarah Turbet 5 Nov 1722; marriage of John O. Conner and Sophia Rolf of Berwick 16 June 1825; marriage of James Conner, resident in South Berwick, and Caroline Nelson of Exeter, NH, int. 28 Oct 1815; marriages at First Church, Berwick of James McCarrel and Abigail Conner 8 Aug 1746 and of Samuel Roe and Olive Conner 25 April 1751.
"Guide to the Early Settlers of America," Henry Wittemore (Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1967), p. 102 lists Cornelius Conner "of Exeter, quite early removed to Salisbury, there, by wife Sarah, had Sarah, botn Aug. 23, 1659; John, Dec. 8, 1660; Samuel, Feb.12, 1662; Mary, Dec. 27, 1663; Elizabeth, Feb. 26, 1665; Rebecca, April 10, 1668; RUth, May 16, 1670; Jeremiah, Nov. 6, 1672; a daughter probably Ursula, in record Husly, Aug. 10, 1673; Cornelius, Aug. 12, 1675 and Dorothy, Nov. 1, 1676. Ruth married 1687, Thomas Clough, of Salisbury, as his second wife." Cf. "History of York, Maine," Charles Edward Banks (Baltimore: Regional Pub. Co., 1967), p. 160.
The Town of Penobscot: "Maine Place Names and the Peopling of Its Towns," Ava Harriet Chadbourne (Freeport, ME: Bond Wheelwright Co., 1957), p. 49: "Penobscot, 1787. The name of this town, the only one in Hancock County which has Indian origin, is taken from that of the river and bay upon which it is located. ...the word is best translated as 'the rocky part' or 'the descending ledge place.'"
Conner: The surname may be derived from the Irish name O'Connor (meaning descendant of Connor). After the death of Brian Boru at the Battle of Clontarf, the O'Connors ruled Connacht (a region of western Ireland) from their capital at Rathcrogan. The O'Connor kings emerged as the dominant force in Ireland early in the twelfth century - Tulough O'Conner became King of Connacht in 1106 at age 18, and quickly proved himself an intelligent and able ruler. He was succeeded by Rory O'Connor in 1156 - Rory became High King, the first ruler apparently universally accepted by the Irish. But the Normans defeated the O'Connors in the thirteenth century and Connaught was given to the de Burgo family."Surnames of the United Kingdom," Henry Harrison (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1969), I:90 - Conner = Connor = Celtic "counsel-help") - conn = wisdom + an asp. form of cobhair, "aid, help"). A description of the Conner surname and more genealogy is on-line at http://personal.cfw.com/~connercj/conname.htm in June, 2002.
The LDS Church's IGI file contains a John Conner, b. 31 Mar 1741 in Haresfield, Gloucester, England (son of John Conner). Curious, but no known relationship to ours. A Conner line in New Hampshire from the 17th century is on-line at http://www.landmarknet.net/loisam/#hh in April, 2000.
A family history search in the LDS on-line files, 3 Sept 2000, found:
1. John CONNER - International Genealogical Index/BI
Gender: M Birth: Abt. 1638 Of Market Place, Leeds., Yorkshire, England
2. John CONNOR - International Genealogical Index/BI
Gender: M Birth: Abt. 1639 Wymondon, Leicester, England
3. Johan CONNER - International Genealogical Index/BI
Gender: M Christening: 19 Mar 1640 St. Sampson Or Golant, Cornwall, England
4. Johan COUNER - International Genealogical Index/BI
Gender: M Christening: Mar 1641 Saint Sampson Or Golant, Cornwall, England
5. John CONER - International Genealogical Index/BI
Gender: M Marriage: 1642 Annesley, Nottingham, England
6. John CONER - International Genealogical Index/BI
Gender: M Marriage: 1642 Of Annesley, Nottingham, England
7. John CONER - International Genealogical Index/BI
Gender: M Marriage: 1642 Of Annesley, Nottingham, England
8. John KONNER - International Genealogical Index/BI
Gender: M Birth: Abt. 1643 Of Hamilton, Lanark, Scotland
9. John CONNER - International Genealogical Index/BI
Gender: M Christening: 31 Jan 1646 Saint Mary, Marlborough, Wiltshire, England
"Random Notes of Early Settlers about Brunswick and Topsham" in "Maine Historical and Genealogical Register" Vol. 9 (1898), No. 5, p. 135 records John Conner and wife Elizabeth, daughter of John Purington, has son Gideon of Dover, NH and son John."
_____________________
|
______________________________|_____________________
|
_Christian SNOWMAN __|
| (1690 - ....) m 1712|
| | _____________________
| | |
| |______________________________|_____________________
|
_John SNOWMAN _______|
| (.... - 1801) m 1754|
| | _____________________
| | |
| | _Thomas COOPER _______________|_____________________
| | | (.... - 1705) m 1683
| |_Mary COOPER ________|
| (1693 - ....) m 1712|
| | _James MINOT ________+
| | | (1628 - 1676) m 1653
| |_Mehitable MINOT _____________|_Hannah STOUGHTON ___
| (1668 - 1738) m 1683 (1637 - 1670)
|
|--Gideon SNOWMAN
| (1768 - 1877)
| _Peter STAPLES ______
| | (1648 - 1718)
| _James STAPLES _______________|_Elizabeth BEEDLE ___
| | (1678 - 1725) m 1701
| _William STAPLES ____|
| | (1705 - 1762) m 1728|
| | | _William TETHERLY ___+
| | | | (.... - 1691) m 1683
| | |_Mary TETHERLY _______________|_Mary ROBIE _________
| | (1684 - ....) m 1701
|_Sarah STAPLES ______|
(1733 - ....) m 1754|
| _____________________
| |
| _John JONES __________________|_____________________
| | (.... - 1758)
|_Elizabeth JONES ____|
m 1728 |
| _____________________
| |
|_Rebecca, wife of John JONES _|_____________________
[1244] This child is not verified, but is listed at http://timames.net/snowsite/snowman.html in 2007 with wife Miriam Card (b. ca. 1772 at York, ME, d. 19 June 1836 at Georgetown, ME, m. 2 Feb 1793 in York, ME) - this web site provides their descendants.