The Irish records place everything by county, and and this point I do not have the county he came from. I have many leads with similar last names, but am still working on where he grew up and how he came to America. Here is a list of those I have found with similar names.

After looking thru two major sources of records in Ireland around the time Peter was born, I have made a few observations. The spelling Lynagh and Lynaugh are present in most counties except County Armagh in Northern Ireland. But that is where I find Lenagh/Leanagh, and no Lynagh/Lynaugh. I strongly feel we can say we are from County Armagh in Northern Ireland. View map of County Armagh - Map of Lynaughs in Ireland

The earliest piece of information I have about Peter Justin Lenagh is a marriage to Emily Longtain on November 16, 1869, in the State of Missouri, City of St. Louis. He is listed as Peter Lenard. view it here.

Emily was born Emilie Sophie Iott on April 21 1840 in St. Charles, MO and was baptized May 10 1840. Her parents are Sefroy Iott and Eleonide (Janis) Iott. The baptism records of St. Charles Borromeo in St. Charles, MO shows that Emilie had two other female siblings:

• Marie Felicite Ayotte, born April 8 1845, daughter of Ciffroi Ayotte and Leonide Janis. I have nothing more on her.
• Marguerite Philomena Iott, born Nov 1837, died at 3 months old.

Emily's first marriage was to a Eunebe Longtain, born Canada about 1839. They are listed on the 1860 Federal Census of St. Charles, MO with her mother Eleonide Iott, age 40, no children listed. She must have been very pregnant because the census was taken June 14th and the church baptism records have her giving birth on July 29, 1860.

Longtin: French: nickname from Old French lontin, lointain ‘far’, ‘distant’, or a habitational name from Longtain in the Belgian province of Hainault. Longtine: Americanized form of French Lanctin or L’Anquetin, variant of L’Anquetil. Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press

Peter and Emilie had 6 children. They are baptized as Mary Ellen Leonard (later used Marie), Peter Justin Leonard (later used Jesse), Susan Josephine Iott, Benard Leonard, and Francis Leonard (later used Frank). George Foster Leonard/Lenagh is not listed, so he is born elsewhere. The 1880 census lists George as being born in Iowa. My best guess is that Peter and Emily must have been in Iowa for his bridgeworker job.

I found the baptism records of the children of Peter & Emilie at the St. Charles Borromeo Church in St. Charles, MO.

Leonard, Mary Ellen, born Jan 29 1870, bap. Apr 11, father Peter, mother Emily Langton, sponsors: John Madden and Margaret Furlong.

Leonard, Peter Justin, born Mar 30 1874, bap. May 17, father Peter, mother Emily Longtin, sponsors: Joseph Lebeau and Mrs. E. Iott.

Iott, Susan Josephine, born 6 Dec 1876, bap. Apr 2 1877, father Peter Leonard, mother Emily Iott (Longtin), sponsor: Mrs. S. Iott.

Leonard, Benard, born Oct 9 1879, bap. Oct 19, father Peter, mother Emily Iott, Andrew Busby and Katie Case.

Leonard, Francis, born Oct 17 1881, bap. Dec 8, father Peter, mother Emily Iott, sponsors: Adolph Wickemeyer and Lizzie Koetting.

George Foster Lenagh/Leonard is missing, but this actually matches the 1880 census that states he was born in Iowa . . . another loose end.

I also found two of Emily's children born from her first marriage:

Longtin, Margreth Leonida, born 29 July 1860, bap Aug 5, father Hugh C., mother Emily Longtin, sponsors: Alexander Grazich and Susan Grazier. The 1860 census was taken on June 14th, so she was 8 months pregnant at age 19. Margreth was named after Emilie's grandmother and mother. (This is the only piece of info I have on this child, must have died young, before 1870).

Longtin, Charles Philip, born May 1 1861, bap. Apr 2 1862, father Eusebius, mother Emily Hiot, sponsors: Joseph Iott and Henriette Baril.

The 1870 Federal Census for Missouri in the St. Charles township, family 265 lists a Peter Lenaugh household as follows: view the image here

Lenaugh, Peter, age 27, male, white, occupation: Bridge labor

Lenaugh, Emilie, age 28, female, white, keeping house

Lenaugh, Mary, age 5/12, female, white

Iot, Emilie, age 75, female, white

Iot, Mark, age 11, male, black

Lounti, Philip, age 9, male, white

The Missouri State Census for the City of St. Charles in 1876, page 85E, lists them this way: view

Leonard, Peter, age: 21-45, Male

Leonard, Emily, age: 21-45, Female

Leonard, Mary Ellen, age: 10-18, Female

Leonard, George, age: -10, Male

Leonard, Jesse, age: -10, Male

Leonard, Susan, age: -10, Female

Laughton, Philipp, age: 10-18, Male

The Federal Census for the City of St. Charles, in the County of St. Charles for 1880 lists them on page 42, family 384, living on Third Street. view here

Lenagh, Peter, white, male, 43 years old, occupation: Laborer, born: Ireland

Lenagh, Emily, white, female, age 40, wife, keeping house, born Missouri

Lenagh, Mary Ellen, white, female, age 10, daughter, at home, born: Missouri, attended school

Lenagh, George F., white, male, age 8, son, born: Iowa, attended school

Lenagh, Peter Jr., white, male, age 6, son, born: Missouri, attended school, can't read or write

Lenagh, Susan, white female, age 4, daughter, born: Missouri, can't read or write

Lenagh, Bernhard, white, male, age 8/12 (Oct), born: Missouri, can't read or write

Longtien, Phillipp, white, male, age 19, stepson, occupation: laborer, deaf and dumb, born: Iowa

Iott, Eleanore, white, female, age 64, widowed/divorced, born Missouri

So far I have nothing on Peter's death or burial, or that of his wife Emily. I have a letter written by George Richard "Dick" Leneaugh from Mission, SD. He writes "Dad said to tell you that he knows his father's people came from Missouri. He was told that after Justin Leneaugh died working on a bridge on the Missouri River, Grandma Leneaugh loaded a covered wagon, took her six (grand)kids, along with Antoine and Nick Janis, headed west to the Ogalala Sioux Reservation, where Antoine and Nick worked as interpreters between the US government and the Sioux Indians."

I have not found any source for Peter's death yet, so I will keep looking. My best guess is that he fell off a bridge when working. I have no info on Emilie's death yet. She is not buried in the St. Charles Borromeo (Catholic) Church where she and her children were baptized. Her youngest child is born Oct 17, 1881. By 1900, her mother Eleonide and all children are in Nebraska and South Dakota.

Each of the children have their own interesting story. I list their baptism name and the name they used later in life.

Mary Ellen Leonard / Marie Aplan

George Leonard / George Foster Leaneagh

Peter Justin Leonard / Jesse Leneaugh

Susan Josephine Leonard / Susie Gallineaux

Benard Leonard / Ben Leonard

Francis Leonard / Frank Leonard

Charles Philip Longtin / Philip Longtin

So here is a quick overview list of everything I have on Peter Lenagh/Leanagh

1869: Nov 16 - Marriage to Emilie Iott in St. Louis, Missouri

1870: US Census, St. Charles, MO; Peter, age 27 (born 1842-3)

1876: Missouri State Census; Peter is between 21 & 45

1880: US Census, St. Charles, MO; Peter is 43 (born 1836-7)