Dr. David McDonagh 1822-1893

Jersey City News 24 Jan 1893

In 1836, David McDonogh (1822-1893) and his brother Washington, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, were sent by John McDonogh to Lafayette College, Pennsylvania. Only ten Black students enrolled in Lafayette College in the period 1832-1946. David studied medicine. Information from Lafayette suggests they were enslaved at the time of their arrival but emancipated shortly afterwards. The slaveholder John McDonagh (1779-1850) was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Irish parents John & Elizabeth McDonagh. 
In 1860, Dr. David McDonagh was living in Brooklyn, New York with his wife Elizabeth Van Wagner and their children,
Christiana (b 1853), Alice F (b 1854) and John W (b 1858), His Real Estate was valued at $1,000 and his Personal Estate at $1,500. Elizabeth was born in New Jersey and all the children were born in New York.
By 1870, David was still in New York with his wife Elizabeth but only Alice was still living at home.
In 1880, David, Elizabeth and Alice had moved to Newark, New Jersey. David's mother's place of birth is recorded as Virginia and there is no record of his father's place of birth. Elizabeth's parents were recorded as having been born in New Jersey and Elizabeth as Pennsylvania which contradicts the 1860 Census record. 
Dr. McDonagh's brother, Washington McDonagh became a teacher, and under an agreement required by John McDonagh, went to work in Liberia in the school of Robert & Catherine Sawyer. 

Notes
It is important to note that of all the people John McDonagh enslaved, David and his brother appear to be the only two who were given the name McDonagh and who were sent away to school in Pennsylvania.  More information to follow about John McDonagh 1779-1850.
​

Sources (accessed 6 Nov. 2021)
Lafayette College mcdonogh.lafayette.edu/about-the-mcdonogh-network/
1860 Census  
www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GBS6-9SRB?i=118&cc=1473181
1870 Census
​www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8F7-1MW
​1880 Census
www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBX-ZDD?cc=1417683
1886 New York Freeman, 3 Apr 1886
​Marriage of Alice McDonagh to George Brown, Manhattan, New York
1893 Obituary Jersey City News 24 Jan 1893
Elizabeth McDonagh and Alice Brown, Roseline Brown & Grace Brown 1910
www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DZF9-HXY?i=29&cc=1325221
Death of Alice Frances Brown 1917 Manhattan
www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WCD-47Y