Thursday 14 September 2017

Guest Post from John Lehman coadb


I would like to thank John Lehman for this guest post. John has a very good heraldic website.


Here is the link:

https://coadb.com

Please check out his website for well researched pieces including the arms for various families. For example check out the O'Neill family, the researched part comes after the illustrations of the arms.


John can also be contacted at:

info@coadb.com

In this post John writes about the arms of Rev. William Chichester, first Baron O'Neill of Shane's Castle, a ruined castle near Randalstown, Co Antrim on the north-east shores of Lough Neagh. It was built in 1345 by a member of the O’Neill family. Shane MacBrien O'Neill changed the name to Shane's Castle in 1722.



The Arms of Rev. William Chichester first Baron O’Neill of Shane’s Castle, Co Antrim.

Coats-of-arms can be a sort of visual DNA of the great and powerful as each generation chopped and blended in order to display family connections and inheritance.

Just like real DNA, coats-of-arms often bear the mark of turbulent history, none more so than those of Ireland.

Take for instance the arms of the Reverend Will Chichester, first Baron O’Neill of Shane’s Castle, Co Antrim:

                         Arms of Sir William Chichester, First Baron O'Neill

If you are familiar with Irish history, you don’t need the “O’Neill” caption to make the family connection! You will have spotted the red hand over a salmon swimming in the waves.

The hand is of course the dreaded Red Hand of Ulster, used as an emblem when the O’Neills went to war (which was very often indeed). It’s meaning may go back to pagan times, however, there is a legend that the original Neill, a Viking name, won a swimming race to shore by cutting off his own hand and tossing it onto the beach. The prize was land, so perhaps it was worth it…

(The heraldic terminology for this is “Per fess wavy the chief argent and the base representing waves of the sea, in chief a dexter hand couped at the wrist gules in base a salmon naiant proper”. If you want more technical terms like this, click through to the entry in the Coat of Arms Database.)  

You can see the O’Neill arms in the first and fourth “quarters” of the shield (numbered left-right, top-bottom), and hanging around the neck of the lion “supporter” on the left.

But wait! There’s no such thing as a family coat of arms, or -- horrid Victorian term -- “family crest”. This kind of coats-of-arms belongs to an individual and his direct heirs. The arms depicted here are those of the O’Neill Baronets of Shane’s Castle.

The Order of Irish Baronets was created by King James the First of Great Britain. He selected the red hand as the badge for all Irish Baronets to display, not just the O’Neill ones. However, King James picked the right hand, whereas the original O’Neill very sensibly cut off his own left hand. The herald who drew up (“blazoned”) this coat-of-arms combined the new symbol with the old, and created an O’Neill coat-of-arms with the hand the wrong way around compared to the others.

So, already this coat-of-arms is taking us back to the troubled 16th century, and beyond, to Viking times.

These stories would have mattered less to the Reverend William Chichester than the fact that he was the great grandson of one Mary O’Neill. This was the basis on which William, a second cousin twice removed, had inherited the title and the surname that went with it.

However, William’s own surname links him to the Chichester Marquess of Donegal -- his great great great great grandfather was the fearsome Edward Chichester, a 16th-century English soldier who became the 1st Viscount Chichester. This explains the second coat-of-arms “quartered” with the O’Neill one: the odd chequer pattern squares in the second and third quarters (“Chequy or and gules, a chief vair”-- the technical language of Heraldry owes a lot to Norman French, by the way).

These arms belong to the Chichester lords (then Baronets) of Raleigh in Devon. They actually commemorate another marriage, one that took place in the 14th-century; A Chichester lord wedded the Raleigh heiress, thus securing what became the family seat. Before the marriage, the Chichester arms were just a simple checker. The blue pattern which originates from the animal fur, called vair, came from the Raleigh family.


                                                                      Vair

Now this coat-of-arms has taken us across the Irish sea, to a Cornish fishing town around the time of the Hundred Year’s War!

Needless to say, the unusual twin crests, an armoured hand wielding a sword and a stork with a snake, belong respectively to the O’Neill’s and the Chichesters. (By the way, the family mottos are equally contrasting, “The Red Hand of Ireland Forever” and “Honor Follows Him”.)

This coat-of-arms tells one more story: though Reverend William Chichester was taking an O’Niell title and surname, he clearly did not want the world to lose sight of his prestigious connection to the Marquess of Donegal, thence the quartering of the two coats-of-arms.

Then again, perhaps he just liked the family stories embedded in the heraldry...

I would like again to thank John for this interesting post.


Saturday 19 August 2017

Heraldry in the graveyard at St Columb's Cathedral Derry / Londonderry

A visit to St Columb's Churchyard in Derry as expected saw some gravestones displaying coats of arms some of which likely date from the seventeenth century.

McCANDLESS

Mystery solved ...

Thanks to Stanton McCandlish the achievement of arms on this grave in St Columb's has now been definitely accounted for. 

The gravestone of the currier named Thomas McCandless, contains an achievement of arms  that have turned out to be the arms not of an individual, but of the Worshipful Company of Curriers, a livery company with which the deceased was connected. 

Here's a link to Stanton's account:


Since this post was originally posted, Stanton has established his website and his heraldry is well worth a visit and then you can be taken 'home' where interesting detail on tartans can also be found


Thanks, Stanton.


The heraldic detail for the coat of arms of the Worshipful Company of Curriers is found on:


There are other variations of the name NcCandless including McAndlsih or McCandlish. Families of this name appear in Wigtownshire in eighteenth century (Wigtown). William M'Candlish in Balmangan, 1794 (Kirkcudbright). In 1684 the name appears as Makkanless, McCandlish McAndlish M'Canleis, and M'Caunles (Parish).




ARNOTT



The arms and crest of Arnott

This small gravestone depicts an impaled coat of arms, the detail on the right hand side is badly worn so it is impossible to identify the arms of the wife. The gravestone beside it may provide the clue to the family involved.
                                                                   

The arms of Arnott


The Crest of Arnott

EWING ?


The arm of Ewing?

The inscription on this gravestone though badly worn appears to start 'HERE LYETH (THE BODY OF?) SAMVEL (EWING?) ...  only various individual words can be deciphered after that until the final line that appears to read TO THE ABOVE SAMUEL EWING. 


The Ewing Gravestone at Derry 

The Ewing surname is recorded in Derry and surrounding areas.

https://www.ewingfamilyassociation.org/books/EwingEWR/ewr_Chapter_11.htm

The depiction on the gravestone appears to resemble the Ewing crest within a shield. The Ewing arms are very much different.


The Ewing Crest, taken from:



HALL & CHAMBERS



 

The lower part of the inscription has been clarified from a 1917 reference in Memorials of the Dead.

ANN HALL | His Children. Also The Body of THOMAS CHAMBERS Late of thIs City Mercht The Husband of MARY HALL Grand Daughter of The Said ALBERT who Died The 28th of MARCH 1804 Aged 58 Yrs.



KENNEDY

The following gravestone carries the arms and crest of Kennedy, there is no legible inscription remaining so the identification comes from the arms and crest. Both serve a cross check so it is reasonable to ascribe the name Kennedy to the gravestone.    



The arms of Kennedy



The crest of Kennedy

     STEWART & ?







UNIDENTIFIED



  


http://fredrickhervey4thearlofbristol.blogspot.ie/2012/08/st-columbs-cathedral-memorials.html

Ewing

https://www.ewingfamilyassociation.org/books/EwingEWR/ewr_Chapter_11.htm

Heraldry in Fahan & Buncrana Co Donegal

A visit to Buncrana Church of Ireland and Fahan old graveyard turned up a few interesting heraldic items. A seventeenth century gravestone of James Dow(---?) and his wife Jenet Brown is interesting though the last three letters in the surname are not as yet clarified and the arms of a lion rampant and three fleurs-de-lis have not shed any additional light. Any insights would be welcome. The full details are below.


The Dunsterville Plaque at Buncrana


The Dunsterville Crest


The Brandon Gravestone at Buncrana


The insignia or possible Brandon arms at Buncrana


The Hart Monument at Buncrana

The presence of a deer/stag on the urn may be a reference to the surname Hart.


The 1698? Gravestone at Fahan

This appears to be one of the oldest gravestones in Fahan that was recently cleared revealing the detail. It comemorates Jenat Brown wife of James Dow(---?) the surname could read Dowear, Dowlar, Dowler, Dowlap, Dowlep with an outside chance of Dowcra. The coat of arms depicts a lion rampant and three fleurs-de-lis. The family bearing these arms has not been identified.


The arms of three fleurs de lis and lion rampant at Fahan


The inscription on the 1698 gravestone at Fahan

The inscription appears to read something like:

HERE LYETH THE BODY OF | JENAT BROWN WIFE TO JAMES | DOW(---?) WHO DEPARTED THIS | LIFE YE 6 OCT 1698? IN YE | ? YEAR OF HER AGE ...


Another old gravestone at Fahan carries the arms of a tree at the base of the shield along with two birds. Also in chief above a chevron is a tower and another feature on the right hand side.

Saturday 29 July 2017

Laheen - Ballagh - Grallagh

Thomas Laheen, a farmer from Grallagh near Killascobe, Co Galway died in 1879 . We don't know anything him or his wife apart from the fact that he was father of at least 6 children who still have descendants in the area. Michael Grady tells me that the Laheens came from Clonkeen Kerrill originally and that there were five sisters. Thomas died in 1879 aged 80 years. Thomas and his wife now have great great great great great grandchildren in the locality and beyond, some of whom are now 6th cousins.










We know Thomas had three daughters so perhaps there were others.

Thomas's son [1] Martin Laheen of Grallagh married Bridget Clarke and had eight children, these were:

(1) Patrick Laheen m. (1910) Mary Burke (Vermount)
(2) James Laheen unmarried
(3) Martin Laheen m. (1912) Barbara Burke (nee Dolly) as her second husband
(4) Mary Laheen m. (1886) William Lally (Raheens / Rahins)
(5) Catherine Laheen m. (1895) Patrick Costello of Killascobe
(6) Helen Laheen m. (c. 1898) Pat Flannary/Flannery (Hampstead)

(7) Bridget Laheen m. 1st 1890 Patrick Kenny m. 2nd 1895 James Dooley
{ James Kenny b. 1891 m. Julia Dolan
Mary Dooley
Norah Dooley m. Paddy Kenny}

(8) Margaret Laheen m. John J. Smith in U.S.A.
{John J Smith born abt. 1868, Ireland. died 18/08/1917 in San Francisco
Margaret Laheen born 08/12/1875, died 18/10/1969 in Santa Clara, California
 Their children as follows:

Thomas F Smith, born 23/12/1898, died 25/07/1959. He married an Agnes Kelly, born 1900 California, died 27/12/1934, San Francisco. They had at least 2 children. 

Rev John J Smith, born 17/04/1906, died 16/05/1964 in Clark, Nevada.

Margaret Smith, born abt 1908, died 1912.

Eugene Smith, born 14/10/1909, died 15/12/1960. He married a Regina Broyer born abt 1910. They had at least one son.}

}


Gravestone of Bridget (d. 1910) and Martin Laheen (d. 1911) at Menlough



Thomas's son [2] Patrick Laheen (1828-1919) married Mary Mellody (Melody), he had returned home from U.S.A. and bought a farm in Ballagh, four of their children were:

(1) Margaret Laheen born 1872

(2) Mary Laheen (b. 1865) m. (1915) Patrick Fahy of Cooloorty, Coolarty and had no children

(3) Bridget Laheen (b. 1861) m. (1896) Patrick Dooley, of Gurteen / Cappalusk, brother of James Dooley above who married Bridget's first cousin, also named Bridget
{Their children:
James Dooley (1897-1948)
Mary Dooley (1898-1913)
 John Dooley (1901-1938).
The Dooley farm was inherited by the Dooley's first cousin, Bridget Laheen who married Jimmy Cunningham ].

(4) Patrick Laheen (b. 1862) m. (1917) Bridget Ruane of Fairhill, Menlough and their children were
{
Bridget Laheen married Jimmy Cunningham
Patrick Laheen died unmarried 2002
Mary Kate Laheen who married Martin O'Grady
Frank Laheen (d. 2010) m. Maggie Ward
Nora (Baby) Laheen}


Thomas's Daughter [3] Honor Laheen married Michael Lawless of Ballagh
by 1911 they had two living children.

(1) Ellen Lawless married John Fahy of Sun Hill and they lived in Ballagh
Their children{
Mary Fahy married James Flynn in 1926
Jack Fahy of Ballagh married Maureen Rohan
Mattie Fahy of Garbally married Julia Grady
Michael Fahy (1908-78)
Nora Fahy (1906-37)
Margaret Fahy
Bridget Fahy
Ellen Fahy}

(2) Mary Lawless married Mike Byrne of Ballagh.
They had 9 children{
Delia Byrne m. (1932) Patrick Donoghue
Lawrence Byrne m. Mary Devilly, Mary died on 2 August 2017 aged 100 (R.I.P.)
Mary Ellen (Baby) m. Patrick Carrick
Martin Byrne m. Sabina Hansberry
Teresa (TC) m. Michael Keary
Nora Byrne m. Patrick Hoare
Kate Byrne m. Thomas Burke

Patrick Byrne was born in 1907 and went to USA. He married in November 1945 Mary Jane Chapman. In July 1952, Patrick F. Byrne 45, of Richmond Heights, Missouri was killed in a car accident. Released after hospital treatment were his wife Mary Jane and their three young children, and Mary's father. 

Michael Byrne born in 1904 also went to USA, he suffered a bad chest infection before leaving Ireland and he never married.}


Gravestone of Honor (d. 1911) and Michael Lawless (d. 1937) at Killascobe


Thomas's daughter  [4] Bridget Laheen married Bartholomew (Bartly Bartley) Kenny of Alloon, Ballymacward. Their children were:

(1) John Kenny who was unmarried
(2) Bridget Kenny married Michael Madden
(3) Patrick Kenny married Bridget Kelly
(4) Mary Kenny married Peter Commins

(5) Nora Kenny married in 1910 Thomas Foley

and their children were Mary Foley, Lillie Foley, Gertrude (Gertie) Foley and Kathleen Foley.
Nora died in 1917 in the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin after child birth.

Gertie (b. 1917) the youngest daughter was reared by her aunt Bridget Madden at Alloon, Ballymacward. Gertie later was to work in the Regional Hospital, Galway. Gertie married on 1st August 1946 to Thomas Carroll, a Shoe Repairer from Bohermore in Galway. Thomas was son of Michael Carroll a farmer. Gertie and Thomas had a son who is Thomas Carroll. Gertie died in 1986 and had for some years before that lived in Woodquay in Galway

Kathleen or Catherine Foley married Thomas Hegarty (New Forest, Hampshire, England) in 1945 in Hendon and their children are Brian Hegarty and Thomas Hegarty.

Lily J. Foley (born 5th June 1915) married in 1940 Peter O'Loughlin in Birmingham. Their children are Gerard O'Loughlin, Michael O'Loughlin, Peter O'Loughlin and Angela O'Loughlin Byrne.

Information now on MyHeritage indicates that Lily died in 1984 and Peter (Snr) died 1999 in Australia. They are buried in Gungahlin Cenetery, Mitchell.

https://www.myheritage.com/names/peter_o%27loughlin

https://billiongraves.com/grave/LILY-JOSEPHINE-OLOUGHLIN/8849575


Thomas Foley married second in 1921 Margaret Smith of Kells and their children were Patrick Joseph (PJ) Foley and Christopher Foley.


P.J. (Paddy) Foley married in 1953 Evelyn O'Reilly, they lived in Ethelstown or Etholstown near Kells, Co Meath. They moved to Canada, their son is Ray Foley and their daughter Ann Foley Palen.

Christy Foley or Christopher Foley born in 1925 went to Toronto in 1948. He married first Anne teresa Clifford and second Marie Terese Bonenfant and his daughter was Margaret  Foley. Christy died in 2006.

Thomas Foley died in 1933 Mrs Foley in 1949.


Thomas Laheen's daughter [5] Mary Laheen married Patrick Finnerty their children:

(1) Thomas Finnerty m. (1897) Kate Dolan, Cloncurreen
{children
Patrick Finnerty m. Mary Connolly
Bridget Finnerty m. Pat Killarney
Mary Finnerty m. Thomas Fahy
Annie Finnerty b. 1906 (Sr Enda?)
Margaret Finnerty priest's housekeeper, d. 1999}

(2) Martin Finnerty m. (1905) Kate Noone, Killaclogher
{children
Thomas Finnerty m. Mary kelly
Lena Finnerty m. Thomas Costello
Mai Finnerty m. Sam Kelly
Sr Enda Finnerty Birmingham
Nora Finnerty unmarried
Jimmy Finnerty m. Nancy McCormack, Dunshaughlin
Annie Finnerty m. James (G.) Grady
Patrick J. Finnerty m. Kate Dolly
Laurence Finnerty m. Henrietta Lynch}

(3) Patrick Finnerty m. (c. 1911) Mae Donoghue, they ran a shop in Moylough
{Martin Finnerty m. Emma Ratto, California
Mary Christine (Chrissie) Finnerty m. Sean (Jack Molloy) they went to England
Tommy Finnerty married in England
Nora Angela Finnerty married Charles Gifford Giffard, she and her sons went New Zealand after Charles died.
Patrick Finnerty m Phylis Melody married Melody, Colemanstown}

(4) James Finnerty of Castleblakeney/later Dublin married 1st (1908) Frances Gately
{children
Mary (Mai) Finnerty m. Charles Dunne
Jimmy Finnerty
Bridie Finnerty, both died unmarried in Surrey}

James Finnerty married 2nd in 1919 Nonie Curley
{children
Ita Finnerty m. James Clarke
Eileen Finnerty m. Enda O'Lenahan
Patrick Finnerty died in 1967 unmarried
Angela Finnerty m, Alex Somers}

(5) Michael Finnerty m. Mary Sweeney in U.S.A. :
{children
Joseph Finnerty m. Exa Albritton
Catherine Finnerty m. Vincent Galligan
Marie Finnerty m. Dave Eldridge
Josephine Finnerty}

(6) Honor Finnerty nothing else known / Lena Finnerty sister was alive in 1945

(7) Anne Finnerty m. Patrick Ruane, Garbally
{children
Thomas Ruane m. Kathleen Costello
Laurence Ruane m. Celia Ryan
Martin Ruane m. Maggie Ward
Julia Ruane m. John Ward
Margaret Ruance m. Richard Brady

Fr Patrick Ruane
https://skehana.galwaycommunityheritage.org/content/people/fr-p-ruane-garbally

James Ruane
Michael Ruane}

(8) Bridget Finnerty m. Thomas Connors, Cormacoo or Cormacaugh, Colemanstown/Tiaquin
{children
Nora Connors m. Patrick McGuinness
Michael Connors m. Margaret Earls
Mary Connors m. 1918 Martin Concannon
Margaret Connors m. 1922 John Monaghan
Patrick Connors m. 1934 Mary Anne Hynes
Thomas Connors m. Lelia Moran
Martin Joseph Connors (U.S.A.) m. Noreen O'Farrell
John Connors U.S.A. d. Ballinasloe 1992
Delia and Ann twins b. 1911
Anne Veronica Connors m. Dennis K. Burke (Burke Oil, Massachusettes)
there is a 11th child}

(9) Mary Finnerty m. 1890 John Reilly
{children:
Mary Reilly 1894-1974 m. 1913 Patrick Bellew
Margaret (Maggie) Reilly m. Andrew Noone
Bridget (Bridgie) Reilly m. Martin Melody
James Reilly m. Bridget Grady
Patrick Reilly m. Mary Geraghty
Kate Reilly m. Pake Ruane
John Reilly b. 1909
Anne Reilly b. 1905}


Thomas Laheen's son [6] James Laheen married in 1873 Catherine Ruane, they had two children, Martin Laheen b. 1873 and Bridget Laheen b. 1875.

(1) Martin Laheen who was born in 1873, appears to have his name changed to Martin Leahy he in 1899 married Delia Cahill (whose family came from Salthill) in U.S.A.
{children
{Martin P. Leahy m. 1931 Alma Watters;
John J. Leahy (d. 1996) m. Thelma Crum;
James T. Leahy (d. 1999) m. Ida Frances Vaughan, they had no children}

James appears to have died in 1876 and Catherine married second to Timothy Carty and they had 6 children.

(2) Bridget Laheen who was born in 1875 married first in 1895 Patrick Scanlon, son of Patrick of Ballagh
{two children:
Mary Scanlon b. March 1896 - d.1985 married Michael J. McCleane (1893-1960)
[They appear to have lived in Atlantic City, New Jersey and their children were Michael McCleane, James McCleane, Theresa McCleane and Thomas McCleane. Michael McCleane married Dorothy Irene and one of their sons was Fr Michael McCleane d. 2006
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13869334
]
James Scanlon b. 1897}

Bridget Laheen married second in 1899 Thomas Scanlon, son of Thomas of Ballagh
{ten children:
Martin Scanlon (1900-81) m. Nell Monaghan (d. 2010 age 97), they had no children

Delia Scanlon m. 1931 John Laffey

Agnes Scanlon m. 1936 Thomas Mannion

Thomas Scanlon m. 1940  Delia Nolan, she died 2012 aged 98, I'd like to thank Elsie for her help.

Ann Scanlon b. 1913 died young

Nora Norah Scanlon b. 1909 d. 1998 married Martin King from Roundstone, the 1940 census has Nora and Martin King in Philadelphia and had two children

Julia Scanlon b. 1908 she arrived in 1927 from France, she became a nun and her religious name appears to have been Sister Mary  Dositheus

Margaret Scanlon b. 1906, she emigrated in 1926 to New York travelling to Catherine in Phildelphia. She married James Ireland in 1928 and they lived in Philadelphia and had James (b. 1930), Thomas (b. 1934) Margaret (b. 1935) and Patrick (b. 1939).

Catherine Scanlon b. 1903 she married in 1928 William Whalen, Murtha Anthony Whalen was born in 1931. William was born in 1929

Patrick Scanlon b. 1901}

Laheen DNA Project

Eight descendants from Thomas Laheen have taken autosomal DNA test. The results follow where the shared segments result in the number of generations to the MRCA, most recent common ancestor.
The table below gives the known actual relationships along with the DNA predictions.

MRCA for

parent and child   1
siblings                1
first cousins         2
second cousins    3
third cousins       4
fourth cousins     5



Thomas Laheen's son was James Laheen who married Catherine Ruane

Two of their great grandsons, Martin P. and David (second cousins to each other) took the test giving MRCA of 3.3 matching the actual MRCA of 3. Carol is daughter to Martin and Danny is a nephew. Derek is son of David.

The interesting additional point from this line, is that Catherine Ruane married secondly Timothy Carty from whom TJ descends and is a half second cousin to both Martin P. and David and their DNA MRCA numbers are 3.6 and 3.7 which would match the actual MRCA of 4. TJ doesn't show a recent relationship with Mary Olivia or Seamus which is what we expect.

Thomas Laheen's daughter, Mary Laheen married Patrick Finnerty. Both Mary and Seamus, third cousins descend from them with MRCA of 4, end up with MRCA of 5 from the DNA.

Thomas Laheen's daughter, Honor Laheen married Michael Lawless and Olivia descends from them.

Olivia's results provide a strong correlation for the relationship with the Leahy's,
with Danny, 4th cousin-MRCA of 5, DNA MRCA of 4.9
with Martin P, 3rd cousin once removed-MRCA of 4.5, DNA MRCA of 4.4

Olivia's results also provide strong correlation for the relationship with Mary and Seamus
with Mary, 4th cousin-MRCA of 5, DNA MRCA of 4.6
with Seamus, 4th cousin-MRCA of 5, DNA MRCA of 4.5

Olivia's results provide strong correlation with the Fnnerty Line (Mary & Seamus) and with the James Laheen Line (the Leahys)  Her results are not strong for correlation with the Laffeys from James Laheen's line.

This is compensated by a strong correlation from the Finnerty Line (Mary & Seamus) with the Laffeys from James'Laheen's line.
























All third cousins, descended from five of the Laheen brothers & sisters!

Here is a new DNA Matrix taking into account one or two new additions.


Some other Reilly descendants not mentioned above are descended from the Laheens, see:

https://irishheraldry.blogspot.com/2018/10/reillys-of-guilka.html

Some other Fahy descendants not mentioned above are descended from the Laheens, see:

https://irishheraldry.blogspot.com/2019/01/fahy-of-sunhill-sunnhill-menlough.html