In this family tree, you see all the 13 children of Anthony Canavan, Sr. and Ann Hughes in the order of their birth. The oldest, James is on the far left. The youngest on the far right, is my Uncle John Casey’s mother, Margaret Elizabeth Canavan. On the left of the slide is a list of seven of their 13 children. Note the colors on the names match that person’s family tree color.

The families descended from each of these seven children on the list are shown underneath their names. As I go through the family trees, you can follow your own family by tracking the color of the person shown as your ancestor.

Back in the day it was more common that cousins married and that is what brings about these double Canavan connections.

Hence, the older children, James, John and Mary Canavan, are the children who have descendants both in common both with their grandparents, Anthony Canavan and Catherine Kirby, as well as their own parents. That’s why the Lecour, Bowe, Hart, Duhn and McNulty family names on the left are in bold type.

A good place to start with how we’ll all related is to first look at the five families with the double Canavan connections. I’ll start with the oldest child, James Canavan and the Lecour and Bowe family double connection.