Descendants of John
McLaughlin Sr. (1854-1934)
William McLaughlin Sr. (1793-1853) was born in Ireland and lived on the western shore of the peninsula of Inishowen on the east shore of Lough Swilly (pronounced Sooley) in the hamlet of Linsfort Glebe in the Parish of Desertegny in County Donegal, 14 miles from the city of Londonderry. He and his wife, Molly Quigley (1796-1856), had seven sons and four daughters, several of whom emigrated to the United States."
Their son, James "40 Acres" McLaughlin (1821-1911) and his wife, Ann McKinney (1822-1888), were the first members of the family to leave Ireland for the United States, emigrating in 1848 after the deaths of their three young children, starvation victims during the potato famine. James and Ann McLaughlin settled in Skaneateles, NY. He bought 40 acres in Skaneateles, started a teasel business, and picked up a new nickname.
The children of James and Ann include Mary, Donald and William, all of whom died in Ireland, and eight who were born in the United States. This page is about their son, John McLaughlin, who years later became known as John McLaughlin Sr.
John McLaughlin was a partner in the McLaughlin Brothers teasel firm. He also was mayor of Skaneateles in 1903. He and James McLaughlin Jr. and Dennis McLaughlin arranged for the installation of electrical power at the Glenside Woolen Mills in Skaneateles Falls. Dennis was the engineer in charge at Glenside. At the same time John McLaughlin arranged for installation of transmittal lines to supply electrical power to the village of Skaneateles, which led to the formation of the Skaneateles Municipal Power Company.
John McLaughlin and Elizabeth "Libby" Kerwin were married December 11, 1878. They had two children, Frank J. McLaughlin (1880-1960) and John J. McLaughlin Jr. (1882-1961). |
