I keep bumping into references to individuals with the name Hugh McConnell in my research of McConnell families in northern New Jersey. Since I seem to have proved that my 3rd great grandfather was a Dennis McConnell who was born in NJ, probably in Morris County, around 1802 (or 1808), I thought that it was time to take a look at the only probate record I could find for a McConnell in Morris County by looking at the NJ state probate record index. I found a 1792 record for a Hugh McConnel, petitioning the court to name one John Dalrymple his guardian. The file stated that the petitioner, an "Infant of the Age of Fourteen Years and upwards, son of Hugh McConnel late of the County of Morris deceased, hath by his petition to the Governor, filed in the Prerogative Office in Burlington prayed that the above-bound John Dalrimple may be appointed guardian of his person and estate, till he attains the age of Twenty-one Years ..." John Dalrimple and a Mr. Beeman are said to be of the County of Morris and sign and seal the first page of the document. I quote from the second page here "The PETITION of Hugh McConnel only son of Hugh McConnel late of the County of Somerset deceased ... THAT your Petitioner being out of the Wardship of Susannah McConnel Guardian in Soccage: And having an Estate Personal, which stands in Need of due Care being taken thereof, HATH made Choice of John Dalrimple of Mendham in the County of Morris to be his Guardian ..." There is a record of the marriage of a Hugh McConnel and a Susanna Dalrymple on 26 May 1776 in the records of the Morristown Presbyterian Church (this information courtesy of Kathleen Pantano). I understand that there are no other McConnell records for that church, but there are numerous Dalrymple records. In William Nelson's book of New Jersey Marriage Records for 1665-1800, I found just a few McConnel(l) marriages: Thomas McConnel, Somerset County, and Susannah McCane, Somerset on Dec 23 1747; John McConnell, Monmouth, and Sarah Russell, Monmouth on Oct 26 1752; Marthew McConnel, Sussex, and Samuel Perry, Northampton, PA on Jan 17 1771, and at the Schraalenburgh Church Elsje M'Connel and Mauritius Goetschius on Feb 24 1750. Because the 1792 referred to the elder Hugh being of Morris and Somerset, I decided to look for Somerset County probate files for McConnel(l)s. I found just one, #514R, for the 1777 will and inventory of Thomas McConnell. I don't know if either Hugh is my ancestor, uncle, cousin, or from another McConnell line. My research indicates that my Dennis' mother was Mary WEAR MCCONNELL and I thought that she might be the "Polly" listed second in the household of a Charles McConnell in Jefferson Township in Morris County in the 1850 census. There are 2 McConnell males who died during the 1850s whose death returns said that their parents were Charles and Mary McConnell.
As I correspond with other McConnell researchers, it seems that they are running into the same people, but nobody has made a connection yet. This Hugh McConnell seems not to be represented in Sussex County probate records. One of the earliest probate records I have found in Sussex County is for a "James (or) John McConnel" in Oxford Township (now part of Warren County) in 1821. I have wondered if this individual is related to, or even the same person as the younger Hugh McConnell. I am hoping that some deed research will help me clarify my own line, but I am very curious to know what other researchers have found.