WI BIO - Dane Co - DELANEY, John
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol II, pp 619-621

John DELANEY, a farmer who resides upon his 80-acre farm on section 33, 
Verona Township, Dane County, WI, where he has resided about 11 years, was 
born in Ireland in 1830. His father, Edmond DELANEY, was a farmer in the old 
country on 100 acres of rented land, on which he lived for many years and on 
which his father before him resided. He was 101 years old when he died. 
This tenancy cost a rental of from $6 to 3 guineas per acre, and was paid by 
Edmond DELANEY, who was twice married, and by the two wives had 27 children, 
of whom John DELANEY is the 23rd child and the 19th and youngest son. Of 
this family, 26 of the children grew to maturity. John DELANEY is a child of 
the second marriage of Edmond DELANEY, to Mary DAILEY, of County Cork, 
Ireland, and she became the mother of 10 sons and 3 daughters. Edmond 
DELANEY was 95 years of age when his son, at age 18, left his home and native 
land for America. Since that time he has never heard from home and does not 
know when his mother died.

John DELANEY came to this country in the fall of 1848 on a large three-masted 
sailer with 300 emigrants. He shipped at Queenstown [could be Queenstown, 
England, but more likely Queenstown (now called Cogh), Ireland] for Boston, 
Suffolk County, MA, and made the trip in 24 days. At first he obtained work 
along the shore in Boston and then made his way to Portland [Cumberland 
County], ME. He was paid 40 cents [p 620] per hour for loading and 
discharging cargoes, and in Portland he followed this business for six 
months. He then went to Lewiston Falls [Androscoggin County], ME, where he 
remained working as a common laborer, and later was in charge of a night 
watch in a gas factory. For this he had only $1 a day, and he left this 
position to go into a cotton factory at the Hill Mills.

John DELANEY married in Lewiston Falls [Androscoggin County], ME, in 1855, 
Miss Johanna HORRIGEN, from the same county in Ireland. She had come over 
about four years ahead of her parents, who were Daniel and Johanna (GOLDEN) 
HORRIGEN, and was 20 years old at that time. John and Johanna (HORRIGEN) 
DELANEY began housekeeping in Lewiston Falls, ME, in a house they rented, but 
in Mar 1857 they came West to Madison, Dane County, WI, bringing two 
children. The first employment that John DELANEY secured was to run on a 
wood train on the railroad, and then he had charge of an engine in a sawmill 
for Marshall BROWN, and continued running an engine in a foundry for other 
parties. He also worked at pipe laying in the gas works in ME and his 
experience there served him well at this place, as he obtained the job of 
helping to lay the heating pipes in the asylum, and from this, in 1861, when 
he was getting from $3 to $5 a day, he volunteered in the 3rd WI Cavalry. 
For four years John DELANEY served his adopted country, until 29 May 1865, 
having re-enlisted. He was never wounded, but had nine very close calls by 
bullets through his overcoat. He was in the Regimental Hospital from the 
fall of 1864 until his discharge, and some of the time he acted as a nurse.

In the fall of 1865 John DELANEY bought 40 acres of land in Westport [Dane 
County, WI], paying for it $1,000. He lived on this for four years, working 
it and other lands, and rented a farm of Pat REDDY, on which he moved and 
lived for one year, and in the fall of 1881 he bought 80 acres, where he now 
resides, paying $2,500. He still owns his 40 acres in Westport.

John DELANEY has buried two sons, Eddie, an infant, and John, aged 26 years, 
who died in Dakota, at Willow Lake [now Willow Lake, Clark County, State of 
SD]. He was a promising young man, who had gone to make a home, but was 
stricken with disease and died in three days, and his remains were returned 
to his parents and are resting in Westport graveyard. There are five 
children still living: Mary, wife of David CUNNINGHOUSE, of Madison, Dane 
County, WI, and they have six children, three daughters and three sons; 
Josie, a maiden lady living at home; Maggie, the wife of Mike CUNNINGHOUSE, 
of Edgerton [Rock County], WI, who have two sons; Lizzie, a young lady in the 
State Street Hospital; and Daniel, at home, conducting the farm.

John DELANEY has had poor health since he left the army, and lost his eye 28 
Apr 1890, by a rheumatic ulcer. He has been a suffering cripple since the 
above date, but he has been a very energetic and hard working man. Mr. 
DELANEY votes independently. He and his family belong to the Roman Catholic 
Church. He does a general farming business, but raises no hogs since his 
last illness. They grow oats and corn, and this year raised 42 bushels of 
oats and 817 of corn. They keep a few cattle and about 8 or 10 horses, and 
raise a few colts.

John and Johanna (HORRIGEN) DELANEY had no schooling, and realizing the 
disadvantage have given their children good opportunities of learning. 
Maggie was at the Madison Business College and taught 19 terms before her 
marriage. Mary was at the Sister's Schools in Madison, and Josie was at the 
State Hospital for five [p 621] years and left a position of $15 per month to 
care for her invalid father.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly