James Gervé Conroy

James Gervé Conroy (April 12, 1836 – January 28, 1915) was an Irish-born lawyer, judge and political figure in Newfoundland. He represented Ferryland on the Irish Shore in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1874 to 1880 for the Anti-Confederation Party, leading the opposition to William Vallance Whiteway’s administration.

The second son of Lucas Malachi Conry and Sarah Garvey of Aughrim in County Roscommon, he was born near Elphin, County Roscommon at Raheen House where his family were employed as estate agents to the Harkan family of that residence. He had an older brother John. His father Luke quite likely named after Luke Harkan who was a signatory among prominent Irishmen "requesting a meeting of the Catholics of Ireland, at 10 o'clock on Thursday, 26th December, 1811 at the theatre in Fishamblestreet, to take into consideration the propriety of presenting an humble and dutiful address or petition to his royal highness, the Prince Regent." (Life and Writings of O'Connell) He was a first cousin of Theresa O'Beirne, whose mother was Anne Garvey sister of Sarah, and was herself the mother of Stiofán Bairéad ; Stiofán "An Bairédeacht" was the treasurer of the Gaelic League and guarantor of Patrick Pearse's schools. His children included Ciarán Bairéad and Sighla, whose godfather was "An Piarsach".

Letters between James Gervé's grandson James O'Neill Conroy, eldest son of Charles O'Neill Conroy and President of the St. John's Benevolent Irish Society and Matthew Barrett, a manager with the Bank of Ireland and An Bairéadeacht's brother, now in the possession of Rian O'Maolchonaire, show a correspondence was kept up between the two families until 1930, and happily recall the smiling face of a young James Gervé Conroy on a painting at the Barrett family home of Meelick House near Drumsna. Luke Conry and Sarah Garvey were married in Aughrim, likely the site of the home of James Garvey and his three daughters, the third married a Dr. Greene from Wesport in Sligo. Interestingly, wife Elizabeth O'Neill's parents home at 33/34 Blessington Street in Dublin where she grew up was coincidentally on the same block as those at 54/55 put up by Stiofán Bairéad as a guarantee for Patrick Pearse's schools ; which he nearly lost after the Easter Rising but for an American benefactor.

Luke Conry was the Director of the Strokestown Classical Academy, where his father Thomas had worked as land agents for the Mahon estate prior to its demise, and prior to the McCausland estate in Elphin who were related by marriage with the Mahons.


From 1863-1867 he studied and then, after scoring 9th out of 209 studenys on his matriculation exams, taught Latin, Greek, French, and literature at Carlow Lay College of St. Patrick's University ; preparing students for the London University BA program. He also studied informally in Paris early in those years. Conroy was called to the Irish and English bars, his admission to the Irish bar was sponsored by William Woodlock, an associate of Daniel O'Connell, and whose son Bartholomew Woodlock was later Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise.

In 1870, Conroy married Elizabeth Catherine Mary Theresa O'Neill of the O'Neills of the Feeva, the only child of Charles Henry (Cáthal Ainrí) Ó Néill, a Dublin barrister and The O'Neill of Clanaboy, and his wife Margaret O'Grady, who are buried in O'Connell Circle at Glasnevin E39. [1] She was the last of several generations of O'Neills to be born at Drumderg House (aka Feeva House) in The Feeva near Toomebridge, representing the line of the last Tanist of Clanaboy, Con mac Brian Ó Néill. They had one son, Charles O'Neill Conroy, born in Dublin, himself later a prominent lawyer and businessman, and educator of the future speaker of the Newfoundland House of Assembly William J. Higgins in law.

In 1872, they came to Newfoundland, where he taught school for a time at Saint Bonaventure's College in St. John's. Later that year, Conroy was called to the Newfoundland bar and formed a partnership with John Hoyles Boone. He was founder and editor of the Irish Catholic newspaper the Terra Nova Advocate. Conroy retired from politics in 1880 and was named a stipendiary magistrate and a judge in the court for the Central District. He served on the bench until his death in Montreal at the age of 78 while receiving medical treatment there. Conroy was buried in St. John's.

References

  1. ↑ Burke, Sir John Bernard. "A Selection of Arms Authorised by the Arms of Heraldry." pp.110-114. Available online as a Google eBook http://books.google.ca/books/about/A_selection_of_arms_authorized_by_the_la.html?id=jwYUAAAAQAAJ&redir_esc=y


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