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Researching descendants of famous families

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  • 01-09-2013 5:13pm
    #1
    njs030
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,030 ✭✭✭


    Hi all, I've been quite lucky so far with researching my dads side of the family as he has a huge extended family and many of them have done the hard work!!

    According to a few people's research we are descendants of one of the Galway tribes because of certain family names the reoccurred......but the direct records only go back to 1760.
    this particular family were pushed out of Galway by cromwellian forces after refusing to pledge allegiance to the crown and the suggestion has been that this is how our people ended up where they are now....but there is no proof whatsoever that they are the same people as the tribe.

    So can anyone tell me where to look or even what to look for?
    Is there any records of people displaced by cromwell and where they went to?
    Or a way of tracing who arrived where?

    Thanks!!


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    #2
    Ponster
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,911 Mod ✭✭✭✭Ponster


    I'm as far from an expert as you could get on these matters but seriously doubt that you're going to find much. You're trying to link your current family to people that lived almost 400 years ago and there just isn't a record chain that exists to allow you to do so.

    In saying that, there are books on Cromwell sometimes mentioning who the land was taken from and who the land was given to (Google "The Irish landed gentry when Cromwell came to Ireland") , but little information in my experience on where the disposed Irish family went.

    I feel that the History forum would be a batter place for this question rather than Genealogy.


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    #3
    pedroeibar1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    notjustsweet wrote: »
    this particular family were pushed out of Galway by cromwellian forces after refusing to pledge allegiance to the crown


    Fairy story. If they refused to pledge allegiance to the Crown they would have been allies of Cromwell, after all, was he not the man to topped the King?


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    #4
    njs030
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,030 ✭✭✭njs030


    Well maybe that's a mistake but the family were definitely dispossessed by cromwellian forces-that seems to be a fact in any google search.

    The ancient members of the family are easily found between late 1400's until they moved in 1654 and we have a direct link from ourselves back to 1760...so it's just 2 or 3 people at most that are needed to link the chains!!

    Thanks ponster I will try that!!


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    #5
    Mollymoo19
    Registered Users Posts: 69 ✭✭Mollymoo19


    Galway was one of the counties (Clare, Galway, Roscommon and parts of Mayo) reserved for the displaced Irish Catholics – not a county generally associated with forced removals.


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    #6
    njs030
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,030 ✭✭✭njs030


    According to this link and a few others the tribes of Galway had their property taken as punishment-that's where the family 'story' comes in that they moved.

    http://galwaycity.galway-ireland.ie/tribes-of-galway.htm

    "Members of the 'Tribes' were considered Old English gentry, and distinguished themselves from the Gaelic peoples who lived in the hinterland of the city. However the feared suppression of their common faith joined both sides together as Irish Catholics after the Irish Rebellion of 1641 (indeed for many Irish was a second or even first language). During the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-1653), Galway took the side of the Confederate Catholics of Ireland, and as a result the Tribes were punished following the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. The town was besieged and after the surrender of Galway in April 1652, the Tribes of the city had to face the confiscation of their property by the New Model Army."

    Thanks for your help everyone.


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    #7
    pedroeibar1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    I don't want to rain on your parade, but most people who have spent any time on family history have countless stories like the one you recount; most are just that. The site you quote is very loose, not very accurate and not genealogy. The Martyns for example were substantial landowners, as were the Kirwans until recent times. Many of the 'tribe' families did not lose their land. Nor is not credible to seize a name and say you are descended from a notable person of that name. It's like a MacMahon or an O'Brien saying they are a direct descendent of Brian Boru.

    In genealogy it is usual to start today and work back in time - that is how you prove the link. In exceptional cases for a short gap (a generation) it can be helpful to look forward in search of a clue, but certainly not 1650 to 1800. To avoid being disappointed, if you can work back to pre 1800 (say 16 GGgrandparents) you are doing very well, that would be quite an accomplishment and something to be proud of.


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    #8
    njs030
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,030 ✭✭✭njs030


    Thanks, I don't think I have explained myself very well, it's more that I am interested in finding if this 'story' is wrong or right than I particularly want it to be true. My grandad was told it by his dad who heard it from his dad and so on....it seems to have gone back a few generations at this stage which makes it less likely someone 'siezed' a name randomly-but it could have happened.


    At worst I'll never know and I obviously chose the wrong site to quote from, but I have researched it and it does seem that at least some branches of this family disappeared at that time.

    As I said-I'm as interested in disproving it as I am in proving it and that's why I asked for direction.

    Thank you for all your opinions, particularly the first one which hopefully will help.


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    #9
    Jellybaby1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    notjustsweet wrote: »
    ... My grandad was told it by his dad who heard it from his dad and so on....

    In my own family research I have only recently discovered such stories handed down were in fact only Chinese Whispers, or worse, porkies! A pity, as I preferred the original story I was given, but have managed to prove the opposite on more than one occasion.


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    #10
    njs030
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,030 ✭✭✭njs030


    Jellybaby1 wrote: »
    In my own family research I have only recently discovered such stories handed down were in fact only Chinese Whispers, or worse, porkies! A pity, as I preferred the original story I was given, but have managed to prove the opposite on more than one occasion.

    That's what I'm hoping for too!! Thanks :)


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    #11
    Ipso
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,995 ✭✭✭Ipso


    Jellybaby1 wrote: »
    In my own family research I have only recently discovered such stories handed down were in fact only Chinese Whispers, or worse, porkies! A pity, as I preferred the original story I was given, but have managed to prove the opposite on more than one occasion.

    According to our family lore one of my ancestors was driven to Mayo post Ulster Plantation, but according to DNA evidence there is a very good chance that line came over in the plantation. Everyone wants an exciting story in their history or one that conforms with modern politics etc


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