Cornelius Heeney - An Offaly Pioneer in New York

Midland Tribune 15 April 1933

From an account of Brooklyn: "Past and Present" - in the New York Irish Echo the following is taken: -

Cornelius Heeney is a name held in earnest veneration by the Catholics of Brooklyn. In 1784 he left his native Offaly, Ireland, and sailed for Philadelphia. Entering the Delaware River, his ship was struck by lightning" and wrecked. Oystermen labouring in the vicinity rescued the passengers. They charged a dollar for each passenger put ashore, and that was more than Heeney had. A friendly Quaker lent him the money, saying, 'Whenever thou seest a fellow creature in want of a dollar as thou art now, give it to him, and thou shalt have repaid me.'' In after years when Mr. Heeney's property in Brooklyn was valued by the hundred thousand he would entertain his friends by the relation of this episode.

Cornelius Heeney was thirty years old when he arrived in America. Before leaving Ireland he had acquired a mercantile education in the business house of a friend in Dublin, where he gave evidence of possessing keen business talent. After his experience on the Delaware river he came the like the Quaker sect and went to work for a Quaker named Mr. Meed in Philadelphia. Coming to New York, he was employed by another Quaker, Mr. Backhus, an English furrier.

About this time there arrived in New York a young German who, like Heeney, landed with nothing, but who has handed his name down to posterity as John Jacob Astor. Astor commenced his career in 2New York peddling doughnuts and was popularly known in the streets as Hans Yakob. At one time his only possession were a half dozen flutes, which be intended selling in order to send money to his brother. Astor became a fellow porter and salesman with Heeney in the Backhus store and, like Heeney, had a profound respect for Mr. Backhus, naming his son William Backhus Astor. Heeney and Astor went into the fur business together, but dissolved partnership after a short time.

Heeney acquired a large fortune in the fur trade and finally retired to his estate, in Brooklyn.

After doing much for Catholic charities in Manhattan, which included a, gift of $18,000 to establish the Prince St. Orphan Asylum, contributions to the building of St. Patrick's Cathedral, of which site he was one time part owner, he turned his heart to Brooklyn, giving ground and money to the building of churches and Catholic institutions.

In May 1845, he chartered at Albany and later established in Brooklyn the great work of his life, the Brooklyn Benevolent Society.

Mr. Heeney died on May 3, 1848, aged 94 years. His body was laid in St. Paul's churchyard at Court and Congress Streets, the ground which be donated for the erection of St. Paul's Church. His life has been summed up briefly as - Poverty in youth, industry in manhood, and generosity in his years of affluence.

Mr. Heeney was never married and had no relatives. His huge fortune went to the Brooklyn Benevolent Society, of which he was he founder.

(Any more information on this gentleman would be greatfully received by e-mailing Irish Midlands Ancestry

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