John McConachy Tree - updated 6/05/2025

Edna 'BUB' Joan McConachy - 102

Born 3/12/1920 and died 17th July 2022

Thomas McConachy was born in 1793 at Claudy, County Derry, Northern Ireland.

A book was produced in Australia called "One Man's Family" & is based on the lives of the descendants of Thomas McConachy (Antrim, Ireland) that settled in Port Phillip Bay in Victoria, Australia in 1841.  

'One Mans' Family' is now available in 'ebook' format.  

The research on the McConachy Clan was started in Victoria (Australia) in 1975 and is the basis of this website. 

John McConachy was born in 1815 at Claudy, County Derry, Northern Ireland and was the same age as his eldest brother Thomas Junior's eldest son also called John (TS).  

The two John McConachy's were brought up together in Claudy, Derry, Northern Ireland.  In 1838, 23 year old John McConachy (TB) went to America to seek a new life.  In 1841, he returned to marry his sweetheart Jane Connell before returning to America.  

In 1838, 23 year old John McConachy (TS) married Jane McGuiness and three years, later in 1841, he sailed for Australia to make his new life - the two John's never met again. 

James McConachy was born in 1819 in Stepney in London and at the Old Bailey on the 18th September 1837 he was sentenced to initially death but commuted to transportation to Australia for 'burglarously breaking and entering a dwelling house'.

He was sent to Botany Bay on the 'Bengal Merchant' in 1838 for life imprisonment.  

Several years after his arrival, James was given a 'Ticket of Leave' and permission for him to marry Ann Mead in Scone in New South Wales.  

James moved to Queensland to establish his family.
Check out the 'eBOOK' - 'A Fresh Start'

Mary McConachy was born in 1811 at Claudy, County Derry, Northern Ireland.

She married John Smallwood and her three children were born in Derry, Thomas - 1838, John - 1841 and Mary - 1843. 

On 23 September 1853 Mary embarked on the Birmingham at Liverpool, England, and arrived in Melbourne on 4 January 1854. 

She was a fare-paying passenger and her children were Thomas, 17 years, John, 12 years and Mary, 10 years.  

There is no record of her husband John sailing on the same vessel, and it is unknown if he ever went to Australia. 

We concluded that Mary was widowed and came to join her relatives in Australia. 

Mary's brother, Thomas McConachy, had already migrated to Victoria in 1841 with his wife and children. 

Jane McConachy was born in 1813 at Claudy, County Derry, Northern Ireland and she was the youngest sister of Thomas McConachy Jr. 

She was married to Daniel Reid and her family settled in the Benalla & Devenish area in Northern Victoria.  

Not a lot is known of this clan & we would invite any of this clan to contact us. 

David Craig McConachy was born in 1813 at Claudy, County Derry, Northern Ireland and was another son of Thomas and Margaret McConachy Senior. 

In 1841 when his brother John went to America he followed. 

He then joined the navy, becoming a sea captain and the family did not hear from him for 25 years, while he traversed the world many times. 

He never married and there are no known descendants David died in 1900.