Conley family
Encyclopedia
The Conley Family, Huntsville
, Alabama
family of the Reverend Green Conley (1816–1870), is notable for its place in academic, social, political and athletic accomplishments in United States
. The family is largely of African
and Irish American
origin, and came into prominence during the late 19th century and early 20th century. The sons of Green Conley rose to prominence through the acquisition of land in the Madison County
, Alabama region, as well as the establishment of C.M.E. Church
, A.M.E., Baptist Churches throughout the Tennessee Valley
Region which encompasses Northern Alabama and Southern Tennessee
. Greater than 100 churches in the region have had Conley family members as a part of their origins.
The diversity in talent of the family members, as well as their extensive and continuing commitment to public service, has led to the unusual track record of achievement during the 20th century. The family's members include Olympian Michael Conley; Sociologist Dalton Conley; Historian Binford Conley; Johns Hopkins Academic Dean William Conley.
The Conley Family
can be explicitly traced back to the Eoganacht Tribe
from Heber
, third son of King Melisius of Spain some ten centuries before the birth of Christ
. The Eoganacht Tribe migrated to southern Ireland
around 550 A.D. In Ireland, O'Connelly is known as a family name
.Family records in parish register
s reach back to the general area around Galway
.
Green Conley was born in 1816 as one of three sons resulting from the union of an Irish slaveholder and one of his Black
African servants. The other two brothers disappeared from the census as "property," and are believed to have lived the majority of their lives in anonymity as free citizens, due in large part, to their Caucasian physical appearance. Green Conley was married to Harriet Conley, born in Alabama in 1817, also the result of an Irish and African union in the era of slaveholding. The family is listed in the 1870 US Census as Mullato. The marriage marriage between Green and Harriet produced eight children (six sons and two daughters): Milton (1849); James (1852); William, also known as Bill (1855); Jonas (1857); Alexander (1845); Willie (1868); Sarah (1840); and Hattie (1850).
The Conleys eventually settled near Huntsville
, Alabama. It was in Huntsville where the sons of Green and Harriet Conley would amass considerable real estate
and establish several churches which would become the foundation for the African-American community in Northern Alabama and Tennessee Valley in the 19th and 20th century. Green and Harriet Conley would be buried at the site where the Conley Chapel stands today, and most of their sons and descendants are buried in the Conley Family Cemetery next to the chapel. In the generations since, however, the Conley family has largely migrated
to a variety of points in the Alabama Region, although many descendants remain in Huntsville or have since spread out across the country beginning in the early 19th century.
areas.
The personal affairs of the family - numbering around 500 blood relatives of Green Conley are managed from the Conley Chapel. It comprises 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) of the land in Madison County
, Alabama; all private family gatherings are handled by the family members in Los Angeles
, California
. Huntsville is also the base of the current family historian
, Binford Conley, who managed the historical archives of The Moorland-Springarn Library of Howard University, as well as the historical archives of [ Alabama A&M
To distinguish the generations and facilitate communication, the fifth generation is generically referred to by the name of the Conley Brothers from which they are descended (William, Jonas, Pascal, etc.) and the younger family members are known as the "Conleys" generation. Many of these family members are involved in academic pursuits of some kind. Family links are solidified through the practice of ritualized family meetings - which started with the regular "brothers' meetings" held in their respective private residences, beginning around 1900. Family gatherings are held today in a different major U.S. City each summer in July or August of each year. The family has "state coordinators" in roughly 20 states to coordinate activities.
. Unlike other prominent African-American families which sprang forth from the Black Church of the 19th century, the Conleys diversified into a wide variety of new areas of endeavor with each generation, while maintaining remarkable sense of family identity. A primary reason has been the lifelong efforts of William, Jonas, and Pascal to not only promote a sense of connection to religious organizations, but also the encouragement of advanced education, business ownership and political involvement.
In particular, Jonas Conley, the fourth child of Green and Harriet, maintained his tireless efforts to forge family unity until his death. In large part, Jonas solidified the family's group identity through the establishment of the Conley Chapel and the subsequent yearly family gatherings the he began.
Even as Jonas allowed his ten children to operated independently, he insisted on regular family meetings in which he placed a high value on family cohesiveness. This emphasis was then continued by first his son Benjamin Harrison Conley, and Daughter Clara Conley Garner.
o Sarah Conley (1840 - ?)
o Alexander Conley (1845- ?) m. Louisana Conley (1850-?) (Had 4 Children)
+ Green Conley II (passed)
+ Alexander Conley II (1881–1964) m. Leilah (Had three children)
+ Milton Conley II m. Lula
+ Frank Conley (passed)
o Milton Conley (1849-?) no children
o William (Bill) Conley (1847 - ?) (m.1875) Rachel (Had four children)
+ Pascal (Pony) Conley (1865–1986) m. Melinda Powell Conley (Had 11 children)
+ James (Jim) Conley (1888–1964) m. Mollie Hammond (Had nine children)
+ Josie Conley Wilburn (1890–1981) m. Al Wilburn (Had two children)
+ Pearl Conley (1892 - ?) m. Walker (Had 4 children)
o Hattie Conley (1850 - ?) passed
o James Conley (1852 -?) no children
o Jonas (Papa) Conley (1857-) (m. circa 1877) Judy (1860-?)
+ Edward (Eddie) Conley (1885–1955) m. Sue Della / Arrie (Had nine children)
+ Benjamin Harrison Conley (1888–1948) m. Effie Fowlkes (1892–1946) (13 children)
+ Emma Conley Townsend (1890–1946) m. George Townsend
+ Nancy Conley Moore (1892–1993) m. Dillard Moore
+ Clara Conley Garner (1894–1925) m. Walter Garner
+ Annie Conley Darwin (1896–1955) m. Jimmie Darwin
+ Louella Conley Partrick (1899–1994) m. Ransom Patrick
+ Harriet Conley Moore (1900–1962) m. Luther Moore
+ Mary Conley Moore Grady (1902–1934) m. Morris Moore
o Willie Conley (1868-?) passed
To the sixth-generation, with 21 still living in the fourth (the Conleys). The total number of blood relative descendants as of 2006 is about 150.
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
family of the Reverend Green Conley (1816–1870), is notable for its place in academic, social, political and athletic accomplishments in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The family is largely of African
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
and Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
origin, and came into prominence during the late 19th century and early 20th century. The sons of Green Conley rose to prominence through the acquisition of land in the Madison County
Madison County, Alabama
Madison County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is a major part of the Huntsville Metropolitan Area.It is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The county is named in honor of James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America, and the...
, Alabama region, as well as the establishment of C.M.E. Church
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church is a historically black denomination within the broader context of Methodism. The group was organized in 1870 when several black ministers, with the full support of their white counterparts in the former Methodist Episcopal Church, South, met to form an...
, A.M.E., Baptist Churches throughout the Tennessee Valley
Tennessee Valley
The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from southwest Kentucky to northwest Georgia and from northeast Mississippi to the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina...
Region which encompasses Northern Alabama and Southern Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Greater than 100 churches in the region have had Conley family members as a part of their origins.
The diversity in talent of the family members, as well as their extensive and continuing commitment to public service, has led to the unusual track record of achievement during the 20th century. The family's members include Olympian Michael Conley; Sociologist Dalton Conley; Historian Binford Conley; Johns Hopkins Academic Dean William Conley.
The Conley Family
Name and Origin
The name Conley is an Anglicized version of the Irish O'Conghalaighs, meaning "Friendship." The Conley's originGenealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
can be explicitly traced back to the Eoganacht Tribe
Eóganachta
The Eóganachta or Eoghanachta were an Irish dynasty centred around Cashel which dominated southern Ireland from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of Desmond, and its offshoot Carbery, well into the 16th century...
from Heber
Heber
Heber may be:-Religious traditions:*One of the Minor characters in the Book of Genesis*Heber the Kenite, mentioned in the Book of Judges 4:17 of the Hebrew Bible as Jael's husband...
, third son of King Melisius of Spain some ten centuries before the birth of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
. The Eoganacht Tribe migrated to southern Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
around 550 A.D. In Ireland, O'Connelly is known as a family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
.Family records in parish register
Parish register
A parish register is a handwritten volume, normally kept in a parish church or deposited within a county record office or alternative archive repository, in which details of baptisms, marriages and burials are recorded.-History:...
s reach back to the general area around Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
.
Green Conley was born in 1816 as one of three sons resulting from the union of an Irish slaveholder and one of his Black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
African servants. The other two brothers disappeared from the census as "property," and are believed to have lived the majority of their lives in anonymity as free citizens, due in large part, to their Caucasian physical appearance. Green Conley was married to Harriet Conley, born in Alabama in 1817, also the result of an Irish and African union in the era of slaveholding. The family is listed in the 1870 US Census as Mullato. The marriage marriage between Green and Harriet produced eight children (six sons and two daughters): Milton (1849); James (1852); William, also known as Bill (1855); Jonas (1857); Alexander (1845); Willie (1868); Sarah (1840); and Hattie (1850).
The Conleys eventually settled near Huntsville
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
, Alabama. It was in Huntsville where the sons of Green and Harriet Conley would amass considerable real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
and establish several churches which would become the foundation for the African-American community in Northern Alabama and Tennessee Valley in the 19th and 20th century. Green and Harriet Conley would be buried at the site where the Conley Chapel stands today, and most of their sons and descendants are buried in the Conley Family Cemetery next to the chapel. In the generations since, however, the Conley family has largely migrated
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
to a variety of points in the Alabama Region, although many descendants remain in Huntsville or have since spread out across the country beginning in the early 19th century.
Generational Community
The members of the Conley family are noted for their involvement in religious institutions; a study in 1993 documents an incomplete list of 100 church or religious institutions that the family has created and/or endowed up to the present day. Historically, the major focus of their benefactions have been in the educational, religious and sociologicalSociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
areas.
The personal affairs of the family - numbering around 500 blood relatives of Green Conley are managed from the Conley Chapel. It comprises 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) of the land in Madison County
Madison County, Alabama
Madison County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is a major part of the Huntsville Metropolitan Area.It is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The county is named in honor of James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America, and the...
, Alabama; all private family gatherings are handled by the family members in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Huntsville is also the base of the current family historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, Binford Conley, who managed the historical archives of The Moorland-Springarn Library of Howard University, as well as the historical archives of [ Alabama A&M
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, also known as Alabama A&M University or AAMU, is a public, historically black university, Land-grant university located in Normal, Madison County, Alabama....
To distinguish the generations and facilitate communication, the fifth generation is generically referred to by the name of the Conley Brothers from which they are descended (William, Jonas, Pascal, etc.) and the younger family members are known as the "Conleys" generation. Many of these family members are involved in academic pursuits of some kind. Family links are solidified through the practice of ritualized family meetings - which started with the regular "brothers' meetings" held in their respective private residences, beginning around 1900. Family gatherings are held today in a different major U.S. City each summer in July or August of each year. The family has "state coordinators" in roughly 20 states to coordinate activities.
Legacy
An identifying characteristic of the family throughout its almost 200 years has been its enduring and notable unity, despite its relatively large number of members and geographic dispersionStatistical dispersion
In statistics, statistical dispersion is variability or spread in a variable or a probability distribution...
. Unlike other prominent African-American families which sprang forth from the Black Church of the 19th century, the Conleys diversified into a wide variety of new areas of endeavor with each generation, while maintaining remarkable sense of family identity. A primary reason has been the lifelong efforts of William, Jonas, and Pascal to not only promote a sense of connection to religious organizations, but also the encouragement of advanced education, business ownership and political involvement.
In particular, Jonas Conley, the fourth child of Green and Harriet, maintained his tireless efforts to forge family unity until his death. In large part, Jonas solidified the family's group identity through the establishment of the Conley Chapel and the subsequent yearly family gatherings the he began.
Even as Jonas allowed his ten children to operated independently, he insisted on regular family meetings in which he placed a high value on family cohesiveness. This emphasis was then continued by first his son Benjamin Harrison Conley, and Daughter Clara Conley Garner.
Today
In recent times, the branches of the family have spread far beyond the historical endeavors in religion and academia. The family now counts several professional athletes, journalists, entertainers, and technologists among its members.Ancestors
* Green Conley (1816–1900?) (m.1855) Harriet (1817–1900?)o Sarah Conley (1840 - ?)
o Alexander Conley (1845- ?) m. Louisana Conley (1850-?) (Had 4 Children)
+ Green Conley II (passed)
+ Alexander Conley II (1881–1964) m. Leilah (Had three children)
+ Milton Conley II m. Lula
+ Frank Conley (passed)
o Milton Conley (1849-?) no children
o William (Bill) Conley (1847 - ?) (m.1875) Rachel (Had four children)
+ Pascal (Pony) Conley (1865–1986) m. Melinda Powell Conley (Had 11 children)
+ James (Jim) Conley (1888–1964) m. Mollie Hammond (Had nine children)
+ Josie Conley Wilburn (1890–1981) m. Al Wilburn (Had two children)
+ Pearl Conley (1892 - ?) m. Walker (Had 4 children)
o Hattie Conley (1850 - ?) passed
o James Conley (1852 -?) no children
o Jonas (Papa) Conley (1857-) (m. circa 1877) Judy (1860-?)
+ Edward (Eddie) Conley (1885–1955) m. Sue Della / Arrie (Had nine children)
+ Benjamin Harrison Conley (1888–1948) m. Effie Fowlkes (1892–1946) (13 children)
+ Emma Conley Townsend (1890–1946) m. George Townsend
+ Nancy Conley Moore (1892–1993) m. Dillard Moore
+ Clara Conley Garner (1894–1925) m. Walter Garner
+ Annie Conley Darwin (1896–1955) m. Jimmie Darwin
+ Louella Conley Partrick (1899–1994) m. Ransom Patrick
+ Harriet Conley Moore (1900–1962) m. Luther Moore
+ Mary Conley Moore Grady (1902–1934) m. Morris Moore
o Willie Conley (1868-?) passed
To the sixth-generation, with 21 still living in the fourth (the Conleys). The total number of blood relative descendants as of 2006 is about 150.
See also
- Reverend Jonas Conley - Founder of Conley Chapel Methodist Church
- Paschall Conley - Sergeant Major 10th United States Calvary 1898
- Dr. Houston Conley - Professor of Education, Virginia Tech University
- Michael Alex Conley - Olympic Athlete and Gold Medalist, 1992 Olympics, Barcelona Spain
- Lawrence Elder - Noted Journalist, Los Angeles
- Dr. Hubert Pulley - Professor of Education, Middle Tennessee University
- Regina Morris - former CFO, New York Health & Hospitals Corporation
- Dr. Binford Conley - former head Librarian and official historian of Howard University
- Earl Thomas ConleyEarl Thomas ConleyEarl Thomas Conley is an American country music singer-songwriter. Between 1980 and 2003, he recorded ten studio albums, including seven for the RCA Records label. In the 1980s and into the 1990s, Conley also charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, of which...
- Noted musician - Maurice CheeksMaurice CheeksMaurice Edward "Mo" Cheeks is a retired American professional basketball player and assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association from May 23, 2005 to December 13, 2008...
- Former National Basketball Assoc. athlete and NBA coach - Glenn Anton "Doc" RiversDoc RiversGlenn Anton "Doc" Rivers is a former professional basketball player and the current head coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics. Rivers was known for his defense while playing in the NBA...
- Former National Basketball Assoc. player and current NBA coach of NBA Champion Boston Celtics - Melinda Wilson - Professor of Theater, California State University at Sacramento
- William Conley - Academic Dean, Johns Hopkins University
- Michael Alex Conley, Jr.Mike Conley, Jr.Michael Alex "Mike" Conley, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association.Conley is the son of Olympic gold and silver medalist triple jumper Mike Conley, Sr...
- Current National Basketball Assoc. athlete, Memphis Grizzlies - Donald Steven ConleySteve ConleyDonald Steven Conley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. Conley played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Indianapolis Colts in his three year career...
- Former National Football League athlete - Craig C. Conley - Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
- Darlene ConleyDarlene ConleyDarlene Conley was an American actress.Conley's career spanned fifty years, but she was best known for her performances in daytime television, and in particular, for her portrayal of larger-than-life fashion industrialist Sally Spectra on The Bold and the Beautiful. Conley played the role from...
- American actress from "The Bold and the Beautiful" - Benjamin Conley
- Dalton Conley - Academic
- Frances Conley - Medical Doctor
- Jason Conley - Professional athlete
- Lockard Conley - Pioneer Medical Scientist