Born in Ireland, died aboard the White Star steamer Oceanic, in August, while returning from Ireland. Mr. McDonnell first came to this country when a young man. For a long time he had represented the railroads successfully at Castle Garden, the Barge Office and Ellis Island. He was also interested in the steamship business at the immigration station and carried on a big banking business at No. 2 Battery Place. When he went to his old home in Ireland in the spring he was in poor health. He was accompanied by his wife and one of his six sons. Mr. McDonnell was the secretary and a director of the Columbia Oil Company of New York, one of the few rivals of the Standard Oil Company, and a director of the New York Mortgage and Securities Company. He was a member of the Catholic Club and for many years of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. When President Roosevelt was the guest of the latter organization in 1905, it will be remembered the birth of Mr. McDonnell’s grandson, which was announced at the dinner, was one of the features of the occasion.
JOHN B. SHEA.
Born in Kenmare, Ireland, 1835; he came to this country when he was seven years of age. He died late in 1907. Mr. Shea was very successful in business. He went to work for Andrew Berrian, a pen manufacturer, in 1849, and after being employed by Bard Bros. of Philadelphia, Alexander Morton and Leroy W. Fairchild, he entered the factory of Aikin, Lambert & Co., the Maiden Lane, New York, jewelers, as foreman. In 1869 he was admitted to partnership, and when the concern was incorporated, he became its vice-president, which position he held up to the time of his death. Mr. Shea never married and is survived by a sister, Mary, and a brother, Michael. He was a brother of the late Denis Shea, clothier of Broome and Crosby streets, who was the Republican district leader of the Second district from early in the 90s, until his death, about three years ago. John B. Shea was his trustee.
Rt. Rev. Mgr. THOMAS H. WALLACE.
He was born in Somersworth, N. H. He died in Lewiston, Me., November 1. After finishing his course in the Somersworth High School, he graduated in 1864, entered Holy Cross College, Worcester, Mass., and carried off the highest honors of his class at his graduation in June, 1868. In the following September he entered the Theological Seminary of St. Sulpice, Montreal. He was ordained priest by the first bishop of Portland, the Rt. Rev. David William Bacon, D. D., in the Cathedral, Portland, Me., August 5, 1871. After his ordination he was first sent as assistant to the pastor at Waterville, whose parish included twelve or fifteen missions. Here the young priest began his mission work and displayed that tireless energy and zeal that gave promise of his future success. In 1872 he was transferred to St. Dominic’s Church in Portland to assist the Rev. Eugene M. O’Callaghan, who is now the Rt. Rev. Monseigneur, and vicar general of the diocese of Manchester, N. H. The careers of both priests have been very similar, each of them receiving the purple in 1905. Father Wallace succeeded Father O’Callaghan as rector of St. Dominic’s and to this day both are most lovingly remembered by the old members of the parish. In August, 1876, Father Wallace was appointed rector of St. Joseph’s, Lewiston, which has been the scene of his labors for the past thirty-one years. He found St. Joseph’s with a debt which he set to work at once to pay off. In March, 1880, he purchased the Bonallie Block on Main Street. He remodelled this block and fitted it for a school for the girls of the parish at an expense of $30,000. He placed the school under the charge of the nuns of Notre Dame from Montreal. In 1886 he purchased the fine property at the corner of Bates and Walnut streets, at a cost of $25,000. This lot fronts on the City Park and is the most beautiful site for a church in the state. He began work at once on the foundation of the church and on June 24, 1887, the corner stone was laid by the lamented Bishop Healy, with appropriate ceremonies. The dedication sermon was preached by the Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Conaty, D. D., who is now bishop of Monterey and Los Angeles, Cal. The first mass in the sacred edifice was celebrated in 1890.
HON. FELIX CARBRAY, M. R. I. A.,
A MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY, RECENTLY DECEASED.
Hon. FELIX CARBRAY, M. R. I. A.
A native of Quebec, born in 1835. He died in Quebec in December, 1907. His parents were from the County Tyrone, Ireland, and came to Canada in the early 30s. The father, Niall Carbray, was born at Carrickcastle, near Dungannon. The old Carbray homestead still exists there and is occupied by a member of the family. His mother was Catherine Connolly, a native of Clogher, County Tyrone. Felix, the son, subject of this sketch, was educated at private schools and at the Christian Brothers, in his native city. Endowed with natural talents of no ordinary character and with a thirst for knowledge, he applied himself earnestly in the effort to improve his education in every possible way. He distinguished himself in mathematics and literature. He was endowed with a great aptitude for the acquisition of foreign languages, and was familiar with the Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French. He was as thoroughly familiar with French as with English. Thus well equipped with a superior education and a worthy ambition to make his mark in life, he began a business course in April, 1854, as an accountant, which he continued in some of the leading houses in his native city for fifteen years. In May, 1869, he opened an office as a general commission and shipping merchant, which from the beginning was most successful. In the spring of 1870, he took as partner, Francis Routh, son of the late Sir Randolph Routh. His mother was a Taschereau, sister of the late Cardinal Taschereau and of the late Chief Justice Taschereau. The new firm, Carbray & Routh, which a few years later became Carbray, Routh & Co., opened an office also in Montreal, Mr. Carbray managing the business of the Quebec office and Mr. Routh that of the Montreal office. The new firm had a long, prosperous and honorable career. No firm was more widely known all over the business world, nor did any stand higher for integrity and honor. The partnership, having expired in 1900, was dissolved and the affairs liquidated; this being found to the mutual advantage of the associates. Mr. Carbray continued the business at Quebec with his son, William, under the name of Carbray, Son & Co., and Mr. Routh that of Montreal under the style of F. A. Routh & Co. Both firms have been very successful and bid fair to go on down the generations like many of the old houses of Europe. The high character and abilities of Felix Carbray at an earlier date attracted the attention of his fellow citizens, and every mark of esteem and confidence was shown him. He loved Ireland, the land of his fathers, with an intense love, and threw himself heart and soul into every movement tending to promote her cause or the welfare of his race. No Irishman of his time in Quebec did more to raise the prestige of the Irish race and the cause of Ireland among the peoples of other races. In 1883, Redpath’s Weekly says of Mr. Carbray: “He is a gentleman of high culture and deep learning. His linguistic attainments are also remarkable. He speaks the French and English languages with equal fluency, and as both are used in the Quebec legislature, Mr. Carbray addresses the house in one or the other with equal elegancy, as circumstances may require. He also converses freely in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. The high esteem in which he is held by his Irish fellow citizens is best shown by the fact that they have never missed an occasion to put him in every place of honor and trust within their gift. He is at present their worthy representative in the parliament of the Province of Quebec, as a member of the West Division of the city, which, though it contains the leading British commercial men of Quebec, is controlled by the Irish vote. Mr. Carbray is an eloquent and forcible orator, his recent speech on the occasion of the reading of ‘the speech from the throne,’ having been pronounced by the Canadian press as the most remarkable English speech ever delivered in the Quebec legislature. In his public capacity Mr. Carbray has never made an enemy, while as a private citizen he has hosts of friends.” Rose, in his Cyclopedia of Canadian Biography, says of him: He was educated at Quebec, where he has resided throughout his life, though he has traveled extensively in America and Europe, principally on business connected with the trade in lumber, in which his house is engaged. He was one of the pioneers of the lumber trade between the St. Lawrence and South America, and is still largely interested in it. In addition to his other duties, he fills the important position of consul of Portugal at the port of Quebec. A Catholic in religion, Mr. Carbray has been honored by the St. Patrick’s congregation of Quebec with election and re-election as one of the trustees, and is also a trustee of that noble Irish Catholic charity, the St. Bridget’s Asylum of Quebec. He has taken an equally active and leading part in all the local national movements of his fellow countrymen, and has been president of the St. Patrick’s Literary Institute, the Irish National Association, and other Irish bodies in Quebec. He is a Liberal-Conservative in politics, and at the provincial general elections in 1881, yielding to the solicitations of his friends, he ran as the party candidate for the electoral division of Quebec West, and, after a hard fight, was elected by a good majority to represent that constituency in the legislative assembly in the province. His parliamentary career was very creditable. Though he did not often address the house, he was always listened to with the utmost respect, being an equally good speaker and debater in both English and French, and never wasting his powder except on serious and interesting subjects with which he was most conversant, such, especially, as questions of finance and commerce. In May, 1854, he married Miss Margaret Carberry, a daughter of the late William Carberry of Carrick-on-Suir, Ireland, of whom he had four sons and six daughters. Those still living are: Herbert of Montreal; William, Quebec; Thomas John, a promising lawyer; Mrs. P. L. Connor, Boston; Mrs. Alfred Carroll, Montreal, and Grace. His youngest daughter, Grace, and son, Thomas, live with him at “Benburb Place,” and the Ramparts. Mrs. Carbray died in May, 1895. She was a patriotic Irish woman and revered and esteemed for her piety and devotedness to God’s poor. In October, 1902, he married Miss Brigid Carberry—widow of the late Nicholas K. Connolly—sister of his first wife. The marriage ceremony was performed at St. Gabriel’s Church, New York, by Archbishop Farley. She died on July 1, 1903, deeply regretted by her sorrowing husband and all who knew her. A most amiable lady and, like her sister, devoted to the poor. Mr. Carbray filled many distinguished positions in his life; he is held in high esteem by his fellow citizens of all races, creeds and politics. He was a member of the Quebec Harbor Commission, of the Quebec Board of Trade, consul for Portugal, and, being the oldest consul here, is dean of the Consular Corps, senior trustee of St. Patrick’s Church, of the St. Bridget’s Asylum Association, president of the United Irish League, etc., etc. Mr. Carbray was an ardent upholder of the movement for the revival of the Irish language. He delivered a lecture on this subject at Tara Hall, Quebec, in April, 1899, which displayed profound knowledge of the subject, and attracted the attention and encomiums of the whole Celtic world. Mr. Carbray had a collection of books on Ireland which formed probably the best of its kind in Canada. He was a member of the Royal Irish Academy.
