BYRNES / BYRNE, James and John, from County Wicklow
ML#142 and ML#634
April 17, 2007:
Anne Burgess is working on a large project concerning the assisted
emigration from the large estate of Lord Fitzwilliam in County Wicklow,
c. 1847-1856 (during the famine). She has discovered that many of these
emigrants had connections to folks who came from County Wicklow and
settled in Eastern Ontario, including the Ottawa / Gatineau area, earlier.
Some of these earlier arrivals were on the 1829 McCabe List signed by workers
along the Rideau Canal. Many of the earlier arrivals may have
signed another petition in Ireland in 1817, stating their wish to emigrate
from Ireland (article by Bruce Elliott, "Emigration from South Leinster to
Eastern Upper Canada" -- see our Bibliography.
Two books also being used in this research are:
Surplus People: The Fitzwilliam Clearances, 1847-1856, by Jim Rees
and The Rebellion in Wicklow, 1798, by Ruan O'Donnell
See Anne's paper at www.bytown.net/wicklowemigrants.htm .
County Wicklow was the original homeland of the O'BYRNE Clan. By the time
of the 1798 Rebellion, many of the O'Byrnes were of mixed religion and
some of the O'Byrnes / Byrnes / Burns fought on different sides in 1798.
We would like to hear from anyone whose ancestors came from County Wicklow
to Eastern Ontario or Western Quebec during the 1800's.
... Al
_______________________
Hi Al,
I've sent you this material below earlier, re the John and James Byrne on
the McCabe List from Ballynultagh and Knockatomcoyle. It seems they were
Protestants.
When I asked John O'Neill to do this search, it was an attempt to place those
two Byrne families in Kitley Township, John and James, who likely worked on
the Canal. But they were Catholics, so the research was no use to me.
Until now, that is.
The McCabe List for John Byrnes of Ballynultagh says "His father Matthew
with a very large family residing in Nakerumkal [Knockatomcoyle] near
Tinehala [Tinahely], Co. Wicklow..."
Here's a piece of John O'Neill's report. Note that Matthew Byrne was
a head tenant with a huge lease of land; the lease was one of those
life-leases, in the name of his son, Hugh.
A Patrick Tallon, b. c1789, was a poor sub-tenant to him, with only 3 rods in 1827.
"There was a JOHN BYRNE named at BALLYNULTAGH in 1827
but he did not live there. He had 2 acres 5 rod in his
name...Also in the name of MATHEW BYRNE in BALLYNULTAGH was 26 acres
2 rod 33 perch. He did not live here. He appears to be the same MATHEW BYRNE
who had 65 acres 2 rod 24 perch at KNOCKATOMCOYLE in 1827 but he was
already dead by that year and it was in his name.
In 1827 it was farmed by his son HUGH BYRNE aged 40 with his wife aged 30.
Living with him was one unnamed brother. Patrick TALLON aged 38 with his
wife aged 34 was on 3 rod here in 1827. Probably a servant or farm
labourer for Hugh Byrne.
MATHEW BYRNE was a protestant and is named as CHURCH
WARDEN along with EDWARD BYRNE, MURTOUGH BYRNE and
RICHARD BYRNE for the COOLKENNA CHURCH OF IRELAND
CHURCH in 1793.
MATHEW BYRNE is also named as CHURCH WARDEN in 1790
and 1813.
MATHEW BYRNE received a 21 years lease at
KNOCKATOMCOYLE in 1793 and his son was named as HUGH
BYRNE then aged 7 years old. MS. 6030. This would make
him HUGH born c. 1786. His age in 1860 was 75 and his
wife was aged 65 so it makes sense.
We are led to beleive that MATHEW BYRNE had a large
family and this may be the case if most, if not all,
of these are his sons. These were taken from the
AGHOLD CHURCH OF IRELAND PARISH REGISTER sometime ago.
I have to make another search still.I am not sure if
they are all sons of MATHEW but they are all
protestants and all of the same age and all from
AGHOLD parish ( Protestant).
1.
JOHN BYRNE and wife MARY ( son MATHEW BYRNE bapt. 25th
March 1816).
2.
JAMES BYRNE and his wife ELIZABETH alias ELEANOR :
Their children :
THOMAS BYRNE bapt. 29th March 1818
JAMES BYRNE bapt. 26th Sept. 1819
JOHN BYRNE bapt. 11th June 1820
LORENZO BYRNE bapt. 23rd Sept. 1821
MURTOUGH BYRNE bapt. 16th Nov. 1823
3.
EDWARD BYRNE and wife ANN alias MARTHA
Their children :
MARY BYRNE bapt. 30th Dec. 1816
ESTHER BYRNE bapt. 21st March 1819
MARGARET BYRNE bapt. 30th Sept. 1821
4.
RICHARD BYRNE and his wife JUDITH
Their children :
JOHN BYRNE (1) bapt. 26th Nov. 1820
JOHN BYRNE (2) bapt. 18th Nov. 1821
5.
MAURICE BYRNE and wife (name not known) (son ABRAHAM
BYRNE bapt. 1st March 1818)
6.
ABRAHAM BYRNE and wife ANN (dau.MARY BYRNE bapt. 15th
June 1823)
7.
THOMAS BYRNE and his wife MARY (son THOMAS BYRNE bapt.
26th Dec. 1822)
When you add in HUGH BYRNE: BORN C. 1785 and JOHN
BYRNE : BORN c. 1782 you have a total of 9 sons which seems to indicate
that this is the family we are looking for." [Referring to the large family
of Matthew Byrne of Knockatomcoyle]
So, Al: we have now found 2 Tallon families on the CD: Matt from Knockatomcoyle
in the Ottawa / Black Rapids area, and brothers Peter and Edward, from Ballynultagh,
in Portland. I have part of two other Tallon families from this part of Wicklow,
also in the Portland/Camden area.
Elaine Brown's Murtagh Byrne would be Catholic. Might he have been a Canal
worker? There is also the attached Catholic Murtha Byrne on the CD, also
from Ballynultagh. Maybe the name Murtagh was popular among Byrnes in this
area--on both sides of the religious divide.
Anne
E-mail Anne Burgess and Al Lewis
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