Donnelly Photo Gallery


The following photographs are of the Donnelly family and the homestead. The Original Donnelly Tombstone Original Donnelly Tombstone (London Free Press) Erected in 1889 by William Donnelly, the original Donnelly tombstone stood in St. Patrick's Cemetery for 75 years. It was removed in 1964. Special thanks to Paul Boyd. The Donnelly Family James Donnelly, Jr. (Robert Salts' Collection) There is speculation that this photo of the oldest Donnelly son is not authentic. However, if you compare the facial features of each brother, particularly the mouth and the chin, there are similarities. James Jr. was born Dec. 8, 1841, and died May 15, 1877. He was 35 years old. William Donnelly (Ray Fazakas' Collection) By permission Ray Fazakas - Author of 'The Donnelly Ablum'. William Donnelly, born in 1844, was nicknamed "*Clubfoot Will" because he had a club foot. Considered the smartest of the Donnelly brothers, he died Mar. 7, 1897, and is buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Roman Line. Michael Donnelly (Robert Salts' Collection)* Michael Donnelly with one of his children. He was born in Sept. 1850, and died tragically after being stabbed during a fight in a hotel on Dec. 9, 1879. He was only 29 years old. Robert Donnelly (Donna Jones' Collection) The photograph of Robert (Bob) Donnelly was taken around 1885. He was born on Nov. 9, 1852 and died June 14, 1911. Robert & Thomas Donnelly (Ray Fazakas' Collection) By permission Ray Fazakas - Author of 'The Donnelly Ablum'. The photo of Rob and Tom Donnelly was taken in 1877. Tom was born Aug. 30, 1854, and died tragically in the Biddulph Massacre that also took the lives of his mother, father, brother John, and cousin Bridget, Feb. 4, 1880. He is buried with them in St. Patrick's Cemetery. Jenny (Jane) Donnelly (Robert Salts' Collection) Used with permission. Jenny (Jane) Donnelly was the youngest child, and the only daughter of James & Johannah. She was 17 years old when this photo was taken. Born in Oct. 1856, she had 12 children, and died on Sept. 3, 1917. The Donnelly Homestead * Donna Jones' Collection This is a photo of Robert Donnelly (left) and his nephew, James Michael Donnelly, taken around 1901. The house was built in May 1881 by William Donnelly. The original house, that burned down February 4, 1880, stood to the right of this house. If you compare photos with the modern day photo of the homestead below, you will see the original structure nestled between the two additions that were added in 1971. Robert Salts' Collection Donnelly Homestead house as it looks today. Note the front and back additions that were added around 1971. Robert Salts' Collection This is the spot where the original Donnelly house stood. Note the two trees in the foreground with the stones at their base. These fieldstones were placed there in 1870 to support the small log house. The front door would have been just between those two trees. William Donnelly planted the trees in memory of his slain family -- one for each member, but only the two shown in the above photo survived. Miscellaneous Donnelly Photos Photo Courtesy: Chris Coates This is an old photograph of Waterford, Ontario, the town where Michael Donnelly was killed. He was stabbed to death during a fight in Slaght's Hotel on Dec. 9, 1879. The date of this picture is unknown, but it shows the main street of Waterford facing south, and the hotel situated on the west side of the road -- behind the white building in the foreground. Slaght's Hotel was later called Teeter's Hotel. Thanks to Chris Coates of Beachville, Ontario for sharing this photograph with us. Photo Courtesy: Jim Sherrell Jim Sherrell was five years old in 1964 when this picture was taken. It shows the original tombstone that was erected on this spot in 1889 by William Donnelly. Photo Courtesy: Paul E. Hansen These never before published pictures of the Donnelly Homestead and the Donnelly Schoolhouse were taken in 1968 by Paul E. Hansen. At the time, the homestead was abandoned... overgrown with weeds and left to the hands of time. Photo Courtesy: Paul E. Hansen A close-up view of the Donnelly house that was built in 1881 by William Donnelly. If you compare modern photos of this house, you can see the front and back additions that were added around 1971. This picture was taken in the Spring of 1968. Photo Courtesy: Paul E. Hansen The Donnelly Schoolhouse was built in 1878 after the first log school burned down. It stood on this property until it was torn down in 1972. All that remains today is a cement foundation buried beneath a tangled mass of weeds and vegetation. This photo was taken in 1968. Note the Donnelly barn in the background. This document is a copy of James and Johannah Donnelly's marriage certificate. More photos will be added as they become available. If you have any old photos of the Donnelly family, homestead, or gravesite that you'd like to share with us, send them along in .jpg format. Please include your name and town/city, so proper credit can be given. All photos on this web site are copyrighted and protected against theft. Send your photos to: Webmaster Copyright © 2006 The Official Donnelly Home Page All photos and documents are Copyright © and are the sole property of the various owners mentioned on this page. Photographs and documents cannot be reproduced in any shape or form. *NOTE:* The photos on this web site are stamped with our URL for identification and tracking purposes should they be used without permission. Use of these photographs is prohibited! Sorry, we cannot give permission to use these photos, so please don't ask. * Note Regarding Donna Jones' Collection: We have lost contact with Donna Jones, therefore we cannot send you an e-mail address to contact her about getting permission to use her photographs. If anyone does know her e-mail address, please forward it to us. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Special thanks to Robert Salts, owner of the Donnelly Homestead, for allowing his photographs to be posted on this web site. Also, thanks to Donna Jones for her invaluable help with historical dates, and for her permission to use the photos & documents posted on this web site. And thanks to Ray Fazakas, author of "The Donnelly Album", for permission to post his photos on this web site. Home \| Donnelly History \| Donnelly Stagecoach \| Donnelly Family Tree Donnelly Photo Album \| Donnelly Photo Gallery \| Donnelly Ghost Page Donnelly Bookshelf \| Let's Talk Donnellys \| Donnelly FAQ Donnelly Awards \| Donnelly Online Store \| Related Donnelly Links Copyright ©1997 - 2007 The Official Donnelly Home Page All rights reserved Web site & Graphics designed by Webmaster. No part of this web site may be reproduced in any form without written permission from Webmaster. Last modified: 11 February 2006