John COONEY

John married Bridget FITZ-GERALD about 1792. Bridget (daughter of William FITZ-GERALD and Hannah DRISCOLL) was born in 1777 in Dutch Hollow, Orange Co., New York; died in 1812. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Bridget's father had engaged a young man who described himself as a discharged British soldier named John Cooney, as a teacher for his children, schools at that time being few. the young girl, then scarcely more than a child, became attached to Cooney by constant association, and was finally induced to elope with him. They were married, and Cooney took her to Canada, where he was recognized and arrested as a deserter from the British Army. Left alone and destitute in a strange country, hundreds of miles from home, the poor child started to walk back to her father's house, but was followed, seized, and forced to go back and give evidence against her husband. It is not known whether there was a law at that time, as there is now, that excuses a wife from testifying against her husband; at all events the story goes that Bridget did appear against him, and whether or not as a result of her testimony, e was found guilty and executed as a deserter. Again the poor girl began her awful journey, made yet more difficult by the experience through which she had passed, and eventually reached her destination. In due time she gave birth to a son whom she named John Cooney after his father. The boy told his half-sister, Mrs. Margaret (Belcher) Jennings, that he was a "wanderer;" that it was his poor mother's legacy to him, that he could not stay long in any one place, and when the impulse to "walk" came over him, he had to leave everything and go.

The young mother must have been more than usually attractive (tradition says she was known as the "handsome widow" or the "pretty widow"), for it was not long before she was wooed and won by Richard Yeomans, who in turn left her a widow in a comparatively short time, and a second child was born, named Richard Yeomans, a name which custom shortened to "Dick." It is thought that this marriage took place in 1795 and that Richard Yeoman's Jr., was born in the following year.

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He became involved in the political troubles of the times, was several times prosecuted for his connection therewith, and, although he escaped conviction through the influence of powerful friends, (particularly one Mr. flood, a wealthy and influential gentleman of the neighborhood, who had a great friendship for him) he thought it wise, in order to avoid further annoyance, to leave the country for a time. He accordingly came to America with the intention of returning in a year or two, after the trouble had blown over. It fell out quite otherwise, however, for he married Hannah Driscoll and settled on a large farm in the township of Warwick, Orange County, New York. He was prominent in the affairs of his town and held town office between 1765 and 1775. His homestead was in Dutch Hollow, near the township line of Warwick.

William married Hannah DRISCOLL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]