Los Angeles County, CA, Biographies

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives 
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm


JOHN KENEALY 
 
was born in County Cork, Ireland, in October, 1838. At the age of fifteen years 
he was employed as a clerk in a large dry-goods establishment in the city of 
Cork. In a few years he was advanced to the position of buyer and commercial 
traveler. In September, 1865, he was arrested by the British Government for 
connection with the Irish National party known as the Fenian movement. He was 
convicted and sentenced to ten years penal servitude for the crime of trying to 
restore to Ireland her national independence. He served two years in the prisons 
of Pentonville and Portland, England, and two years in the penal colony of 
Western Australia.
Forced by public opinion, the British Government released the political 
prisoners before the term of their sentences expired. Mr. Kenealy arrived in San 
Francisco in January, 1870.  Here he married Miss Hennessy, a sister of one of 
his fellow compatriots. He became connected with a large wholesale house in that 
city, as general salesman and manager of a department. In March, 1875, he came 
to Los Angeles, with Mr. Richard Dillon, his brother-in-law, and engaged in the 
dry-goods business, under the firm name of Dillon & Kenealy. After a very 
successful business career, they closed out their dry-goods stock in this city, 
three years ago. They have yet a store at Phoenix, Arizona. They have a fine 
young vineyard of over 200 acres, from four to six years old, near Roscoe, four 
miles above Burbank; also have large wineries and make their own wine and 
brandy. They are also interested jointly and separately in other valuable real 
estate. Mr. and Mrs. Kenealy have two children, a daughter sixteen and a son 
fourteen years of age.
 
An Illustrated History of Los Angeles County, California �  Chicago, The Lewis 
Publishing Company, 1889   Page 524
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler