Mary Hurt, sister of the elder Ira M. Hurt, was born August 11, 1805 in Franklin County, Virginia.  She married John McConihay (son of John McConnaughey Sr. and Jane Davis of Bedford County, Virginia) on January 10, 1821 in Bedford Co., Virginia.  Mary died February 22, 1863 and is buried  in the Hillsdale Drive Cemetery in Marmet, Kanawha County, WV with her husband,  John, who died July 3, 1880.

John McConihay

John McConihay (as it appears in legal documents) was born in Bedford County, Va. in 1793, the son of John McConnaughey Sr. (as spelled by the "McConnaughey Society of America") and Jane Davis.  John and Mary Hurt McConihay moved their family of four children west in 1828 and settled at the mouth of Field's Creek south of Charleston on the Kanawha River. Their land was valuable for its coal and timber and for farming and growing tobacco.  Mary and John had a total of fifteen children of which twelve grew to maturity, and all but one had children.  

One will find that there are various spellings of the McConihay surname even among legal documents.  The given names Mary chose for her children are very significant in that they provided the first link the researcher needed to connect Mary McConihay to her brother, Ira Hurt, who chose very similar names for his own children.  

Children of Mary Hurt & John McConihay  

Bedford County Clerk's Office - General Index to Marriage Bonds, Licensed Minister's Returns, Microfilm No. 0153

"Know all men by these presents that we John McConihay and Ira Hurt are held and firmly bound unto Thos. M. Randolph, governor or chief magistrate of the commonwealth of Virginia in the just and full sum of one hundred and fifty dollars current money of Virginia to which payments we bind ourselves and each of us our and each of our heirs jointly and severally firmly by these presents sealed and dated this 10th day of January 1821.

The condition of the above obligation is such that whereas there is a marriage shortly intended to be had and solemnized between the above bound John McConihay and Polly Hurt.  Now if there shall be no lawful cause to obstruct said marriage then this obligation to be void, else remain in full force and virtue.

Signed:  John McConihay and Ira Hurt

Bedford County to Wit:

This day Ira Hurt came before me a justice of the peace for said county and made oath that Colby Hurt acknowledges the within certificate to be his act and deed given under my hand this 10th day of January 1821.

Signed:  Thomas Preston"

Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. VI (page 154) by William Hinshaw; Printed in Ann Arbor, MI, 1950.

"1821, 1, 10.  John McConnehay and Polly Hurt, dt. Colby, Ira Hurt, Surety."

1850 Census of Kanawha, Virginia

House #177

McConihay, John (57), Farmer, $8,000

Mary (47)

Ira, 26

William , 24 

James, 21

Sarah L., 19

John H., 17

Daniel, 13

Felix Grundy, 15 

Frances, 4

Anna E., 4

Ella Cena 2

William Paterson, 24, Labor, B.  VA

William Duncan, 22, Labor,

There are scores of websites with information about the descendants of Mary Hurt and John McConihay.  Even the small amount I have collected will not all fit here; however, it is there for the finding.  If I can be of any help, please let me know.

Links to other McConnaughey Sources (Click the "back" button on your browser to return to this page from the following links)

The McConihay Family  

Kanawha County Family Tree Project