The Trant Family Author(S): S
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The Trant Family Author(s): S. M. Source: Kerry Archaeological Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 12 (Mar., 1914), pp. 237-262 Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30059690 Accessed: 27-06-2016 07:43 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Kerry Archaeological Magazine This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 07:43:18 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms The Trant Family. HE Trants are of Danish extraction, and are, in Ortelius' Map, located in the barony of Cor- caguiney. One of their principal strongholds was Cahir Trant, situated on a peninsula to the west of Ventry Harbour, which of course derived its name from the family. There is a tradition that Cahir Trant was the last ground held by the Danes in Ireland; but, on the same authority, the Trants themselves are said to descend from a Danish Chieftain.1 It is almost certain that they are descended from followers of Strongbow's who settled at Dingle very soon after the Norman invasion. The spelling of the name is given as Teraunt in a journal written by Nicholas White in 1580. He was Master of the Rolls, and accompanied Sir William Pelham, the Lord Jus- tice, from Limerick to Dingle. The journal was composed for the use of Lord Burleigh. The name is also so spelt in the Records of the Exchequer relating to Dingle in Plan- tagenet times. The earliest mention is of Philip Trant, who was in Kerry in 1272. There are records of a William Trant in 1307 and 1310, of another William Trant in 1324, and of a Patrick Trant in 1398. In 1485 Richard Trant and Philip 1 At the present day in Denmark there are persons bearing the follow- ing surnames:-Transe, Trantel, Trane, Trautner. Traulsen, and Tramsen, in some of which may, perhaps, be traced a resemblance to that of the family of which we now treat. Miss Clarissa Traxt, in her diary, speaks of her grandfather (whose name, however, she does not give) having received a letter from a Danish nobleman signed "Trant." This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 07:43:18 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 238 THE TRANT FAMILY. Fitzgarrett FitzDavid Trant2 were jurors at the Dingle Assizes. The Trants seem to have hibernicised rapidly, and were devoted adherents of MacCarthy Mor and the Desmond. In a letter from the former to Captain Thornton, who required assistance for provisioning Castle Magne in 1580, he says:- "You shall know that, according to commission, I have protected one Garrett Trant of Dingel alle his familie and son-in-law, and also Thomas FitzGerrot Duffe, of the same, if your worship meet them, I request you to be good to them, and leving to trouble you further, I am, from Killhoriglon (Killorglin) this 29th of April, 1580. Your friend in any wise---Donnyl Clancare." In the following September Garrett Trant was the first to speed the intelligence, to Clancare, of the arrival of the Spaniards at Fort-del-ore, and James Trant (probably his son or brother) was actively engaged in negociating between Desmond and Sir William Winter, and seems to have done his best to induce his feudal lord to act wisely, but in vain. In 1584, after the Earl's death, an inquisition was held at Dingle; and, amongst those who gave evidence were several Trant merchants. In 1585 James and Thomas Trant repre- sented Dingle in the Irish Parliament. In 1588 James Trant was one of five gentlemen who signed a document testifying to the declaration made by the Earl of Clancar, in their presence, that his consent to his daughter's marriage to Florence McCarthy was conditional on its being approved by the Queen.3 In the same year Tames "Traunte" gave information to Sir Edward Denny of the arrival at Downegueyne (Dunquin) of three great Spanish ships. Richard Trant was sovereign of Dingle in 1592, and 2 At page 112 of the volume for 1895 of the Cork Historical and Archaeolo- gical Society's "Journal" is printed an interesting translation of an award made, on the 22nd May, 1482, by the 9th Earl of Desmond and John iHussey, arbitrators in a' dispute between those two persons regarding their shares of the emoluments payable to them by parties entering the port of Fyntray (Ventry). In that document Richard Trant is sty'ed "Chief of his nation." 3 "Life and Letters of Florence MacCarthy," pages 58-9. This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 07:43:18 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms THE TRANT FAMILY. 239 Thomas Trant represented the borough in the parliament of 1613. Pardons were granted to several members of the Trant family at different periods during the latter half of the 16th century, and to a large number of them in 1601. In the list of Irish who passed into Spain from various parts of Munster in 1601, O'Sullivan Bear's son, with "one Trant of Dingle" are said to have "shipped themselves from Castle- haven." In 1605 Rechard Rice of Dingle had a grant of the wardship of Maurice, son of James Trant, with an allowance for his maintenance at Trinity College, Dublin. Among the witnesses to the will of Daniel O'Sullivan More, dated the 14th November, 1632, is one Patrick Traunte, and amongst the Assessors, who sat at an Inquisi- tion on the death of Connor McGillicuddy, in 1633, was Dominick Trant of Rahinagh. The names of a large number of Trants are to be found among the forfeiting proprietors of Corcaguiny in 1657, and the Transplanter's Certificates included some of them also. There is, amongst the MacGillicuddy papers, a document, bearinr date 28th Januiry, 1673, signed by Patrick Trant, certifying that Colonel Donogh McGillicuddy and his son- in-law had necessary occasion to proceed to London and West- minster. This signatory appears to have held some official position, and was perhaps the same person as was afterwards known as Sir Patrick Trant. From the facts above mentioned it is clear that, for many centuries, the Trants held a very prominent position in the County of Kerry, and especially around Dingle and Ventry. They seem to have been the leading people in those parts, and continued to be so during the 18th and a portion of the 19th century. Some of the family emigrated to the West Indies and settled in Antigua and Xtontserratt, where many of the name lived during the 18th century and a part of the 19th cen- tury. The family seem to be now extinct in that part of the world. Notwithstanding the fact that they once flourished in such This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 07:43:18 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 240 THE TRANT FAMILY. numbers in Corcaguiney afid other parts of Kerry (and perhaps partly for that reason) it is not possible now to trace any of them back for many generations, and no complete pedigrees of any of the numerous branches are in existence. In Mrs. M. J. O'Connell's "Last Colonel of the Irish Brigade" we find the following pedigree :-- DOMINICK TRANT OF FENITT, HONORA, dau of James Fitz- Co. KERRY, sent to Spain, gerald of Bally Macadam, Co. 1583, by the x6th Earl of Des- I Kerry mond, to seek arms, etc. Garrett of Feenitt Margaret, *dau of Thomas I Trant of Cahir Trant, Kerry, M.P. for Dingle, 1613 Edmond of Feenitt Barbara, dau of Rowland Rice of Ballingolin, Kerry Twenty-three other sons, four of Edward of Feenitt=-Ellen, dau of Richard Trant of whom were Colonels in Spain. Glen Sherune, Kerry, by his From one of these twenty-three wife Catherine, dau of Timothy descended Sir Patrick Trant, O'Connor of Tarighe, Kerry, bart., who went to France with who was of the O'Connors, James II., and had Kerry, and his mother was dau of Corn. O'Sullivan, 2nd son to O'Sullivan Beare Sir John, James, Colonel, Daughter Daughter Catherine Thomas Fitzgerald murdered killed at siege md Lord md Prince (? Anne) of Cosfeal in London of Cork Slane d'Auvergne ? Richard Ellinor-Owen Mahony of Knockavola Another descendant of Edmond of Feenitt, David Trant of Killeen, was Michael O'Mahony Bartholomew (died father of Garrett, Edward and David I in Paris Trant, Captains in James II.'s army, of whom Garrett and Edward were killed I at Aughrim. Garrett leaving an only Bartholomew, Ccunt child, Margaret, who married Richard, Chevalier de Malte 4th Earl of Cavan, obiit 1741. 4 This Margaret Trant had a sister Helena, who md. Stephen Rice, M.P. This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 07:43:18 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms THE TRANT FAMILY. 241 Sir Patrick Trant, Baronet, is no doubt the best known member of the family, if we except Sir Nicholas, who per- haps may be considered the most distinguished, and who belongs to a later period.