Mathias James O'Conway

Who was Mathias James O'Conway?

Mathias James O'Conway, aka Maitias O Conmhai was a linguist and lexicographer.

O'Conway was born in Galway town to Matthias O'Conway, said to have been a town merchant, and his wife, Isabel O'Hogan. He had an older brother, John. He was a native Irish speaker, only learning English when aged eight upon attending the Augustinian school in the town. By his own account he first became intrigued with languages upon coming into contact with Jewish refugees from Gibraltar when he was aged about fourteen. Following a street fracas in Dublin in early 1783 he was obliged to leave Ireland, never to return.

He first settled in Grenada in the Caribbean; by April 1784 he was living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He became a member of the Pennsylvania militia, and was posted to the territory of the Seneca, learning elements of "three of their languages."

He married Rebecca Archer of Carlisle, Penn., who was the American-born daughter of an Irish couple. Their first child, Ceclia, was born in December 1787 by which time he set himself up as a schoolteacher in Pittsburgh. The couple would have nine children, eight of who survived childhood, two sons dying young in Latin America.