The Life and Legacy of Owen Connolly
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- SpeakerThe speaker gives an overview of his lecture by listing many of Owen Connolly’s enterprises including importer/exporter, farmer, labourer, banker, meatpacker, merchant and benefactor. The speaker notes he will not be covering bootlegging and rum runner.
- SpeakerThe speaker tells that Owen Connolly, born in 1820 in Donagh, came to PEI in 1839. Connolly worked for Smallwood, a farmer, before acquiring a farm in Watervale. Connolly looked after his family and relatives on PEI including his parents, siblings Mary Trainor, Margaret McQuillan, Susan Doyle, and James as well as cousins, John and Patrick.
- SpeakerThe speaker relates that in 1843 Connolly married Ann Hughes. They were married by Father Brady in Fort Augustus. It is said that during the ceremony Father Brady remarked that Connolly would be either “a very poor or a very rich man”. They did not have any children. The couple ran a small liquor and grocery store while living on their farm before moving to Charlottetown in 1852.
- SpeakerThe speaker explains the Connollys opened a liquor and grocery store on Dorchester Street. Connolly opened a larger store in 1864 and an even larger store in 1868. The speaker credited Connolly’s success to his business skills. He was known to dress in “working garb” to align with his customers and for which he was criticized by Hyndman, a businessman.
- SpeakerThe speaker continues noting that Connolly may have used the way he dressed to his advantage as illustrated by the story of Connolly buying molasses at an auction in Halifax.
- SpeakerFrom 1852 to 1864 Connolly’s store catered mainly to a rural trade. In 1865 Connolly began selling a wider variety of goods as noted by the newspaper ads the speaker reviews. Further expansion occurred when Connolly opened his Queen Street store. During 1870-1871 Connolly formed Owen Connolly and Co with Patrick Kelly and Joseph Doyle. In 1880 Connolly acquired a dry goods business from Robert Orr, but sold it to John McPhee in 1882.
- SpeakerConnolly expanded his empire by becoming an importer and exporter of products like pork and oats using his own meat plant, warehouses and ships including the Shamrock. The speaker also explains that eventually Connolly's enterprises included Paoli’s and Buntain and Bell’s Wharves, branch stores and warehouses in Montague, Souris and Cardigan Bridge as well as agricultural and residential real estate.
- SpeakerThe speaker notes that at the time of his death Connolly owned over 1700 acres across the Island including the George Coles’ Stone Park farm and J.C. Pope’s Beech Hill Farm. Connolly also owned residential real estate including tenements, houses and lots. The speaker notes that Connolly’s farms were described as being of high quality in both livestock and buildings.
- SpeakerConnolly died on December 27, 1887 probably due to apoplexy. The speaker reads details of Connolly’s death from “The Patriot" which also describes his generosity to the poor, various churches, higher education and Ireland. The newspaper article continues by describing Connolly’s funeral mass at St. Dunstan’s naming the high profile community members who were his pallbearers.
- SpeakerThe speaker summarizes Connolly’s 22 page will and four codicils. Connolly’s trustees were W.W. Sullivan, A.A. MacDonald, and Frederick Peters. Their high profile positions coupled with Connolly’s vast estate made it difficult to carry out the will’s very specific terms resulting in controversy. The speaker illustrates using a 1890 editorial regarding the trustees’ decisions.
- SpeakerThe speaker reviews the value of some of Connolly’s estate. Connolly’s will specified there were to be three trustees. Thus others were concerned when Sullivan living off Island was the sole trustee from 1912 to late 1913 when he appointed Gilbert Guadet and Charles Smallwood as trustees. Charles Dalton worked to have Connolly's estate incorporated in 1918 ensuring there would be a succession of trustees. Tape break.
- SpeakerSIDE A ENDS
- SpeakerThe speaker reviews how much Connolly’s estate has given for post secondary education. The speaker reviews the story of Emmett Mullaly appealing directly to Sullivan for money to study medicine, showing that Connolly’s bursaries were not only for studying for the church.
- SpeakerThe speaker continues by telling that Father Martin Monaghan, one of the first to receive Connolly’s assistance, was ordained in 1895. It is said that Father Monaghan was given Connolly’s gold watch.
- SpeakerThe speaker believes that Owen Connolly was the greatest entrepreneur in the 19th century and the greatest benefactor of the 20th century. Connolly distributed 2 million dollars for education. It was felt that St Dunstan’s College may not have been able to continue without the Connolly bursaries.
- SpeakerFollowing the lecture questions and comments include the scope of “sons of Irish fathers”, assets held by the Connolly estate today, and the burial of the Connollys in the Catholic cemetery along St Peter’s Road. The speaker also notes that Connolly practised vertical integration in his businesses and that bursaries were eventually available to females.
- SpeakerSIDE B ENDS