In 1851, John B. Spellacy married Bridget Townsell in Carrollton, New York. They had six children, four girls and two boys. As the children continued to grow, the Spellacy family extended. Read on to learn more about the lives of the Spellacy family.

John B. Spellacy was born in 1823. He moved to New Ireland, and in 1851, married Bridget Townsell. A year after the marriage, John and Bridget had their first child, Michael. Their next child, a girl, Bridget was born (circa) 1856. The Spellacy's had four other children: Mary (1859), Margaret (1861), Cathrine (1864), and John J. (1874).
  I have not yet been able to track Michael Spellacy's life until his death in 1896. Bridget Spellacy married Tom C. Fall and gave birth to two girls, Susan and Jo. I know that Susan never married and moved to Texas. Mary Spellacy married Daniel McCarty and had ten children, six girls and four boys: Jennie (whose grave is pictured in the family album), Lucy, Mary, Margaret, Catherine (triplets), Mary (name given to another McCarty child after the first-born Mary died), Benedict, Martin, John and Paul McCarty. See Below Margaret Spellacy never married and was in charge of the Spellacy estate up until her death in 1916, when she signed an oil lease over to BJ Berwald. Cathrine(Catherine?) Spellacy married into the McPhaul (McFall, later known as Fall) family and moved toSchenectady, which was where I lost all record of her. John J. Spellacy was born in November of 1874 and moved to West Union, West Virginia where I lost record of him as well.  At that time many of the New Ireland men had developed skills in the oil industry and as it moved across our country they followed. See Below.

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UNSOLVED MYSTERIES I was able to find quite a bit of information about the Spellacy's, but there are still some mysteries that remain unsolved:

• *I have record of Mildred H. and Angela Ryan of Olean who were listed as Notaries Public at the reading and signing of Margaret Spellacy's surrogate in 1916.  Who were these ladies and how were they related to the Spellacy's?  See Below,
• *We know that Bridget Spellacy's brother, JamesTownsell, was widowed and moved elsewhere to remarry, leaving his children in his sister's hands. 
• <>I have a copy of the 1880 census where five extra children are listed as living with the Spellacy's, but their names were written illegibly.  Does anyone know the answer to this, my most bothersome mystery?

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BREAKTHROUGH! See Below.

Unfortunately, I do not have the resources to follow the family members as they move into different areas.  If anyone could assist me in tracking the lives of the men and women of the Spellacy family, please use the email link at the bottom of this page.

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                                  *UPDATE*
***Thanks to Teresa Townsell of Seattle, Washington, "my most bothersome " mystery has been solved! I now know the story of James Townsell's children.  James Townsell married Mary Hogan (she was only 17, he, 27) and had three children: Bridget Townsell (later, O'Connell), James Townsell, and Patrick Townsell.  Mary died soon after, and James left his three children under the guardianship of his sister.  He moved to Hinsdale, where he married Mary Burke-Brushingham and had more children.  Soon after his marriage, his sons, James and Pat joined him in Hinsdale, leaving his teen-age daughter, Bridget to live with her aunt and uncle.

On Paul Lewis' last visit to John Walker Sr.,  he asked about Mildred and Angela Ryan of Olean. Mr. Walker replied that he thought the name sounded familiar, but couldn't place anything. I guess this unsolved mystery will have to remain unsolved until our next trip to Bradford.

Teresa Townsell has also informed me that John J. Spellacy, the youngest of the six Spellacy children married a woman named Margaret by the year 1898.

I have been trying to keep in touch with Mike McCarthy, the nephew of Mary-Jeanne Lucco.  Hopefully, on our next trip to Allegany, Mike can show us what is called the Heart.  The Heart is located behind St. Bonaventure and Mike informed us that if you climb the Heart, you are in full view of New Ireland and can actually see why the emigrants named it New Ireland.  If you have any information on the Heart, please use the email link below.

The research on the Spellacy family was done my Ms. Beth Arbor.  Beth has since graduated from the University of Buffalo where she pursued a nursing degree.

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