Making Sense of the Plantation of Ulster Stumped? Here Are the Basic Facts of a Pivotal Event —Zoe Von Ende Lappin

Home , County Louth, County Roscommon, Plantation of Ulster

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! Making Sense of the Plantation of Ulster Stumped? Here are the Basic Facts of a Pivotal Event —Zoe von Ende Lappin

! The Plantation of Ulster – how often you have heard about it in your genealogical travels! But what, exactly, was it? How do your Irish, Scots, English and even Welsh ancestors fit into that scheme of the early 17th century? It’s a difficult subject, indeed, complicated by the usual shortage of records pertaining to ordinary people, by conflicts of class and religion, archaic language and a ten- dency for even the esteemed modern writers to become bogged down in details, frustrating the most determined researcher. Even the term plantation can be mislead- ing. In this context, it means a colony or new settlement initiated not by the settlers but by an outside agency – the British government. The clearest explanation I’ve come upon is William J. Roulston’s description in his guide, Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors; The Essential Genea- logical Guide to Early Modern Ulster, 1600-1800, (2005 and later). It’s not too strong to state that everyone working in this area, and in the migration of the Scots-Irish to America in the 18th century, should have this book. Combining Roulston’s descriptions with those of others writing on the subject, here are some points to consider as you wade into the subject. First, a definition of Ulster: It is one of the four historic provinces of Ireland, occupying the northeast corner of the island. Most of it today is Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. In 1603, the British government –led by King James VI and I – embarked on the scheme to populate six of the nine counties in the province with English and Scottish settlers. It lasted until 1625 roughly; some sources put the end in the early 1640s. It was motivated by the perceived need to establish a British colony (Protestant, mainly) as a defense against the Catholic Spanish and prevent rebellion as well as to prop- agate Protestant beliefs and subjugate the so-called barbarian Irish. —Continued on page 50

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opportunity to influence positive change in a family history organization that is already well respect- ed on a local and national basis. Although I have a President’s Message lot of ideas on how to improve our administrative procedures and programs, etc., I quickly learned that I couldn’t rush the process! You’d think that

after all my years as a manager and I hope you had a wonderful summer filled administrator, I would know better than to expect with opportunities for vacations and family get- my fellow board members to eat the entire cake togethers. W.I.S.E. members were busy during the in one sitting, rather than one slice at a time. I third quarter, providing volunteer support for the also recognize that it’s important to include our Colorado Irish Festival, held in Clement Park, membership in the process, so as not to make deci- Littleton, on July 10-12, 2015. And, we held sions and changes that impact them without their our summer Welsh Seminar in the Denver Public input and approval. Library (DPL) Conference Center, featuring nationally known speaker, Bert J. Rawlins, Our next W.I.S.E. Family History Society Annual on July 25, 2015. General Meeting is scheduled on Saturday, January 23, 2016. I would like to use it as an op- As we head into the fall, we are preparing for the portunity for our members to provide input on holiday season and an abbreviated return to our whether they are satisfied with our current pro- monthly membership meeting schedule. I say ab- grams and activities, or are there things we could breviated, because there is no meeting in Novem- do to improve them? I realize that it’s not possible, ber since our preferred monthly meeting date or practical, for our entire membership to attend always conflicts with the Thanksgiving holiday. the annual meeting in order to share their thoughts And, of course, there is no meeting in December and ideas. So, if you can’t be there, I encourage because of Christmas, opting instead to once again you to share them with me in an email, preferably hold our annual W.I.S.E. holiday social, which this in advance of our annual meeting. We are also year will be on December 5, 2015. exploring the possibility of soliciting your In the previous paragraph I mentioned the thoughts and ideas in an on-line survey. If we can Thanksgiving holiday. Did you know that the na- bring everything together to do that in a timely tional Thanksgiving holiday in North America, manner, we will notify everyone by email as to including Canada, has its roots in English tradi- where the survey can be accessed for you to pro- tions dating from the Protestant Reformation and vide your structured input. the Harvest Festival, which in the United Kingdom So, all that remains is for me to wish you all a is traditionally held on or near the Sunday of the wonderful holiday season and continued good Harvest Moon? It’s also interesting to note health and prosperity. that the Thanksgiving holiday celebrated in —Allan M. Turner! North America is now being adopted in the United Kingdom, with turkey sales increasing by 95 percent in 2014 as a result of its popularity. Thanks- Membership Report giving is also the time of year when we —Sandy Breed traditionally gather together as families, with many of our family members joining us from Welcome to those who joined W.I.S.E. Family throughout the United States. As such, this would History Society recently: be an ideal opportunity for you to engage those May 2015 family members in discussions about family history and genealogy, both to increase their awareness Stephanie Hayward and to advance your research. Jim and Sheryl Johnson Sandy Kline Ever since I was elected as president of W.I.S.E. Donna Lynden in January, I have been excited about having this Mark, Angela, Brandon and Brittany Wells !

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Distribution Coordinator ...... Sue Clasen W.I.S.E. Family History Society Country Editors W.I.S.E. Family History Society is dedicated to research in Wales, Ireland, Scotland, England, the Wales ...... Nancy McCurdy Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Attention is also Ireland ...... Thyria Wilson directed to the emigration and immigration of these peoples as well as heraldry and one-name studies. Scotland ...... Diane Barbour Monthly meetings are generally held the fourth England ...... Vacant Saturday of most months at the Central Denver Public Library, 7th Floor. Membership is open to anyone with In This Issue interest in family history and genealogy. Membership dues for the calendar year are $12 for an individual or Making Sense of the Plantation of Ulster ...... 47 $15 for a family living at the same address. The W.I.S.E. Family History Society publishes W.I.S.E. Words four times per year, and a subscription is in- President’s Message ...... 48 cluded with membership dues. Add $5 to the dues if you Membership Report ...... 48 want a printed copy of the newsletter mailed to you. © 2000-2015, W.I.S.E. Family History Society, Treasurer’s Report ...... 49 P.O. Box 40658, Denver, CO 80204-0658 All rights reserved. Correction to Program Schedule in Last Issue ..... 50 Visit our website at www.wise-fhs.org. New Volunteers on Board ...... 51

Help Wanted ...... 51

Officers and Board Members CCGS Delegate Report ...... 51 ...... 38 Colorado Springs Field Trip ...... 52 President ...... Allan Turner ...... [email protected]! Welsh Research –Tricky but Worthwhile ...... 52 Vice President ...... Sylvia Tracy-Doolos W.I.S.E. Booth at the Colorado Irish Festival a Success ...... 53 Secretary ...... Milly Jones Get your English On! ...... 54 Treasurer ...... Laurie Ramos ! Tech Talk ...... 55 Past President ...... Barbara Fines Price! The Great Hunger ...... 56 Membership ...... Sandy Breed! Members’ Interests Coordinator ...... Megan Koepsell! Scottish Clearances ...... 58 Publicity Coordinator ...... JoAnn DeFilippo! Book Reviews ...... 60 Archivist ...... Elaine Osborn Member Profiles ...... 63 CCGS Delegate ...... Bill Hughes W.I.S.E. Program Schedule ...... 64 Hospitality Coordinator ...... Roberta Dice Webmaster ...... Allan Turner!

Member-at-Large ...... Sandy Carter-Duff Treasurer’s Report Newsletter Staff —Laurie Ramos Newsletter Editor ...... Nyla Cartwright ...... [email protected] Checking and savings $10,634.66 Assistant Newsletter Editor ...... Mary Anne Larson Petty cash $ 50.00 Book Review Editor ...... Zoe von Ende Lappin Cash balance on January 22, 2015 $10,684.66 Technical Resource Editor ...... Sandra Keifer-Roberts Deposits cleared $ 8,639.81 Checks cleared ($ 8,494.95) Proofreaders ...... Jack and Zoe von Ende Lappin Balance as of July 31, 2015 $10,829.52!

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Atlantic and Southeastern regions of what is now Correction to Program Schedule in the United States. In general, these are the most Last Issue difficult to research. The listings in the program schedule for The guidelines for plantation were both theoretical and practical. Colonization had to be justified on September and October were transposed in the last issue of W.I.S.E. Words. It should have read: moral and political grounds, and the king’s agents consulted the Bible for guidelines. Then practical September 26, 2015: Understanding the British directives had to be devised, and finding settlers Army - Ed Storey. wasn’t easy. Many of the undertakers ignored the October 24, 2015:'World War I Heirloom Sharing. rules and let native Irish (Catholics, mostly) stay on their land because somebody had to work it to It has been corrected in this issue. Apologizes for make it productive. Some undertakers were specu- any confusion this might have caused." lators and went home after selling or abandoning their land. Others never showed up. Making Sense of the Plantation of Ulster The plantation of Londonderry was different –continued from page 47 from that of the other five counties. Its settlers The six escheated (or confiscated) counties to be were businessmen – merchants – recruited to planted were Armagh, Cavan, Coleraine (later further the influence of the city of London in the Londonderry), Donegal, Fermanagh and Tyrone. plantation scheme. The county’s name Their land had been confiscated from the was changed from Coleraine to Derry and eventu- Irish chieftains. In addition, private plantations ally to Londonderry to emphasize the connection were instituted in Counties Antrim and Down, to London. The Irish Society, comparable to where the English already were in power, the East India Company or the Virginia Company, and Monaghan was never part of the scheme be- ran the operation and allocated lands to 13 chief cause a British-model land system was already in companies representing trades: cloth workers, place there. Approximately 12,000 Scots, primari- drapers, fishmongers, goldsmiths, grocers, grocers, ly Lowlanders, and English were settled in the six haberdashers, ironmongers, mercers, merchant escheated counties, with another 4,000 or so in tailors, salters, skinners and vintners. Grants to Antrim and Down. (Note that historic Ulster had each group theoretically were for 3,210 acres, but nine counties; modern Northern Ireland has only most were much greater. six – Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan now are part of the Republic of Ireland.) The native Irish were a hard case, and they would have said the same about the colonizers. Historian The new landowners of English and Scots origin Jonathan Bardon, in The Plantation of Ulster, the were called undertakers and most were Protestant. British Colonisation of the North of Ireland in the (A notable except occurred in Antrim where a 17th Century (2011), sympathized with those Irish: Catholic Scot, Randal MacDonnell, got more than “Their most cherished lands and fisheries had been 300,000 acres in 1603.) In the government seized; their forests were being plundered; new scheme, land also went to servitors, mostly fortifications rising up gave visible proof of their English, who had served the crown in a civil or subjugation; their beliefs were castigated as being military role; to so-called deserving native Irish; Romish and barbarous; and they lived in daily ex- and to such institutions as Trinity College, Dublin, pectation of expulsion from their native territories and the established Church of Ireland (Anglican). to make room for newcomers speaking an alien It was up to the undertakers to populate their land tongue, abiding by laws they hardly understood with English and Scots and a few Welsh. They and (following) a religion they found heretical.” were required to plant 10 families or 24 men for every 1,000 acres they received. Scottish Low- That’s a strong indictment. Conflict was inevita- landers were preferred over the fierce and “un- ble, as events prove time and time again. Some trustworthy” Highlanders, and it’s those students of the era assert that without the religious Lowlander names we see most often among the division, the natives and the newcomers would early 18th century settlers in what are the Middle have found a way to co-exist in relative harmony.

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But that was the 17th century and separation of Mary Anne Larson is the new assistant newsletter state and church was far in the future. editor. Find out more about Mary Anne and Sandra in the Members Profile section of this For genealogists, the prominent undertakers and newsletter. Volunteers are still needed to fill other servitors – as expected – are fairly easy to study. positions. Please read below.# Michael Perceval-Maxwell, in his 1973 book, The Scottish Migration to Ulster in the Reign of James I, lists chief and ordinary Scottish undertakers. Help Wanted Surnames include such popular ones as Stewart, Hamilton and Cunningham as well as such uncommon ones as Moneypenny, Smailholm, W.I.S.E. Family History Society is seeking volun- Achmutie and Wishart. teers who can fill the following positions: A frequently cited work, An Historical Account Country Representative for Each British Isles of the Plantation in Ulster at the Commencement Country: Searching for four people who can or- of the 17th Century, 1608-1620 by the Rev. George ganize fun activities and / or advocate / facilitate Hall (1877), purports to list every single grantee, the needs and wants of our members in areas in- including native Irish. It pertains to the six es- cluding, but not limited to, research and education cheated counties and is online through the catalog for each individual British Isles country. Contact at FamilySearch.org and in several libraries. Philip Allan Turner at [email protected] S. Robinson’s The Plantation of Ulster: British England Editor: Seeking a person knowledgeable Settlement in an Irish Landscape, 1600-1670, about the history, genealogy and culture of (1984), lists all grants made to servitors, undertak- England to produce quarterly articles for our ers, the established church, the London companies, newsletter. Contact Allan Turner at towns and forts plus major “deserving” Irish. [email protected] or Nyla Cartwright at Other authors on the subject include Theodore W. [email protected] ."! Moody, Robert J. Hunter, John McCavitt, Victor Treadwell and Nichols Canny. Hunter was an es- pecially prolific historian and writer, and Roulston CCGS Delegate Report and Bardon have published other books on the —Bill Hughes subject. The Denver Public Library owns many volumes on the Plantation, several of them donat- The summer quarter meeting of the Colorado ed by W.I.S.E. Council of Genealogical Societies was held on July 11, 2015, at the Pueblo City-County Library A final word to family historians: Be prepared for (Rawlins Library) and hosted by the Southeastern disappointment. The records are short on common Colorado Genealogical Society. In addition to people, and even if you do find your own sur- council members present in person, five members names among them, it may be impossible to iden- attended via GoToMeeting. All CCGS members tify them as your ancestors. Still, studying this are invited to attend council meetings in person major milestone in the history of the British Isles or online. will immeasurably enrich your understanding of your family and the forces that drove them to Topics covered during this meeting included: America. Never quit looking. " 1. The 2015 nominating committee an- Editor’s note: Read more about Ulster research in nounced candidates to be elected at the the Tech Talk article starting on page 55. 2015 fall council meeting. The candidates are Robert Larson of Larimer County for vice president and Judy Keilman of New Volunteers on Board Denver for secretary. 2. The 2016 nominating committee is Two members have recently volunteered for Harry Ross of Longmont (chair), positions at W.I.S.E; Sandra Keifer-Roberts has Diane Barbour of Broomfield and filled the position for the tech tips editor and Bill Hughes of Denver.

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3. Harry Ross made a presentation on a examining minerals and rocks. There were also genealogy society management seminar as photographs of Cripple Creek mining. Taking the discussed at the spring quarterly meeting. tour made us want to come back and see the mu- A motion was approved to proceed with seum in depth.! planning for the seminar at the Denver Public Library conference center. The large meeting room can be subdivided into three smaller rooms for concurrent ses- sions. Programs will be planned for local societies’ officers and chairmen and on topics such as projects, publishing, recruit- ing new members, social media and on fund raising. It is planned that the meetings will be available via GoToMeeting. 4. Volunteers for the seminar are needed, es- pecially from Longmont and the Denver area. Date will be announced later. The plan is to have no admission charge for A steam engine, built in Cornwall, England, around 1838, members of council societies. Please con- sits on the grounds of the Western Museum of Mining. This engine served two mines in the United States. tact Harry Ross at 303-772-8645. " After the mining museum we went to the Golden Colorado Springs Field Trip Bee, an English pub, for lunch. The pub has a 19th —Thyria Wilson century ornate bar that was brought to Colorado Springs from England. The fish and chips, sand-

A group of W.I.S.E. members and guests met on wiches and pot pies were excellent. The ales June 27th for a tour at the Western Museum of flowed freely amid lively conversation. We were Mining and Industry then enjoyed lunch at the full and happy when we left the pub.!! Broadmoor’s Golden Bee Restaurant in Colorado Springs after the tour. We learned about mining and a great time was had by all! Welsh Research – Tricky but Worthwhile — Sylvia Tracy-Doolos

The Welsh Research Seminar featuring Bert Rawlins was a wonderful success! We had a small but mighty group of W.I.S.E members and non-members come together at the Denver Public Library to learn more about the idiosyncrasies of researching in Wales. Mr. Rawlins was educated at the University of Wales – Aberystwyth, which I still cannot pronounce cor- The group “bellying up to the bar” at the end of the tour. rectly. Friday evening he joined a group of board This museum is well worth visiting. Our tour members for dinner and regaled us with stories guide was knowledgeable and was able to add in- of his adventures in learning the Welsh language formation that pertained to the British Isles. We while attending school there after serving in saw very large pumps and other machines that the U.S. Army. were used in hard rock mining. The drills were He opened the seminar with a primer on the Welsh very loud, but fun to watch. We saw some very language that opened our eyes to many of interesting artifacts and experienced darkness only the unique properties of Welsh, including how the lit by lamps. One of the highlights of the tour was ‘dd’, ‘ff’ and ‘ll’ differ from their single character

! W.I.S.E. Words 53 !! October, November, December 2015 versions, and why Welsh dictionaries are especial- Allan Turner whisked him off to the airport for a ly difficult to navigate. 5:50 p.m. flight back to Salt Lake City. Mr. Rawlins generously donated one of each of his booklets for the Denver Public Library’s use. He also left us several copies of his book, The Parish Churches and Nonconformist Chapels of Wales, for purchase ($24), plus a full set of his booklets that can be copied for anyone interested. These include: Civil Registration in England and Wales - 1837 to the Present - ($7), Effective Use of Bishop’s Transcripts ($2.50), Church Records – Parish Registers ($4) and Economic, Religious, and Social Change in Industrial South Wales ($4). We hope to offer a program in the first quarter of 2016 to share what we have learned about Welsh research and the resources and techniques that will aid our membership."

W.I.S.E. Booth at the Colorado Irish Festival a Success —Bill Hughes

W.I.S.E. volunteers again did an excellent and professional job in operating the genealogy booth at the 2015 Colorado Irish Festival held July 10- 12, 2015. We received many accolades from the Bert Rawlins shares Welsh research tips with the audience. fair organizers and the festival attendees. One of The second session was a study of patronymics the fair organizers felt the genealogy booth was which can be particularly tricky because of the one of the “anchors of the festival” and the direc- lack of an organized system for handing names tor of the Cultural Village said our genealogy down from generation to generation. He shared booth “was the Cultural Village.”! with us several examples from his files that point to the lack of conventions in naming patterns. Mr. Rawlins agreed to answer questions for the group while we enjoyed our lunch, providing interesting insights into our individual difficulties. After lunch he began with church records and gave us the history plus examples from parish registers and bishops’ transcripts. He also covered the degree of non-conformity in Wales and what this means for researchers. Did you know that during the 19th century the non-conformist population of Wales rose from about 12 percent to about 77 percent. The closing session covered land tenure and he Festival attendees outside the W.I.S.E. genealogy booth. shared with us the history as well as a variety The enthusiasm, knowledge and empathy shown of resources and techniques for finding our by the volunteers resonated with the festival ancestors. After answering a variety of questions attendees. Nine presentations covering the

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Irish famine, Irish history and Irish in the celebrate with our British brethren in and around Civil War proved to be popular with the central Colorado. festival attendees. Marylee Hagen gave four If you’re looking for a place to have a scone or presentations and developed a special presentation hobnob and a “cuppa tea” why not get a group for children!entitled Passport to America. Children together and stop by one of the tea rooms in attending that presentation took home Irish pass- the area: port mementos. In Denver stop by The House of Commons - an English Tearoom on 15th Street and Denver Tea Room & Coffee Salon on South Broadway. If you’re out toward Aurora try The English Tea- cup on South Havana. In Parker visit the English Tealeaves on Main Street. If you’re in Littleton, Mrs. B’s Tea Parlor on West Alamo Avenue or the Serendipi-TEA Shoppe on South Curtice might tempt your taste buds. Boulderites can stop into the The Dushanbe Tea House on 13th Street. From Boulder, head down the Denver-Boulder Turnpike to Broomfield and to The Wildflowers Tea Room on Metro Airport Road. Heading south to Castle Rock, the Augustine Grill Children busy at work during the Passport to America on Wilcox offers an elegant tea once or twice presentation given by Marylee Hagen. a month. In summary, we counseled hundreds of fair West of Denver in Georgetown visit the Dusty attendees, distributed 300 W.I.S.E. brochures and Rose Tea Room on Rose Street. answered hundreds of questions. Please consider If you’re in Colorado Springs, high tea is served at volunteering for the 2016 Colorado Irish Festival, Miramont Castle, actually in Manitou Springs, and scheduled for July 8-10, 2016. Glen Eyrie Castle as well as at a Saturday after- noon tea at the Broadmoor. Thanks to Madonna Adams, Kendra Elrod, Marylee Hagen, Debbie Harrison, This, of course, is not an exhaustive list of British Milly Jones, Megan Koepsell, Susie Kozoh, tea shops in central Colorado; and we would love Eileen Langdon, Marilyn Lyle, John Manion, to hear about your favorites on the W.I.S.E Family Kate O’Kami, Sandy Ronayne, Steve Saul, History Society Facebook page. Nancy Tanner, Sylvia Tracy-Doolos, If you can’t get to one of the tea shops you can Thyria Wilson and Christine Wright. " invite a few chums to your house and make a batch of homemade hobnobs or scones. The recipe for Homemade Hob Nobs says they “are stogged Get Your English On! full of oats.” You can pair this with a viewing par- — Sylvia Tracy-Doolos ty for the final season of “Downton Abbey” beginning in the U.K. in September and airing in As we celebrate with our British cousins as January 2016 on our local PBS stations. While we Queen Elizabeth II took the lead as the longest await season six we can enjoy repeats of seasons reigning British monarch on September 10, 2015, one through five. (You know you are looking for a let’s look at all the ways we can join in the reason to watch them again!) festivities from this side of the pond. Whether If your celebration style is more pub crawl than you prefer a posh private affair, a proper tea offer- high tea you could start with Pints Pub on West ing a variety of delicacies or a pub crawl with 13th Avenue, just a block from the Denver Public a pint or two, you can find an appropriate way to Library, or the The British Bulldog on Stout Street

! W.I.S.E. Words 55 !! October, November, December 2015 where you can also watch U.K. soccer, or Argyll calm: while the Church of Ireland registers that Whisky Beer – A Gastropub on East 17th Avenue. were destroyed “often contain(ed) baptisms, mar- There are many British Isles style pubs in riages and burials of Protestant dissenters and Colorado to choose from, and we all have our Roman Catholics who were baptized, married or local favorites. buried within the state church,” the catastrophe One last way to capture the feeling may be to join “must not be exaggerated.” On its page titled, “My with the Daughters of the British Empire (DBE) as Top 10 Free Irish Genealogy Databases Online,” they host their annual tea, raffle and bazaar on The Irish Genealogy Toolkit explains that PRONI October 17, 2015, at the First Plymouth Congrega- contains “details of those who signed the Ulster tional Church in Cherry Hills Village. This fund- Covenant (1912), records of pre-1840 Freeholders, raiser is in support of local charities as well as the and the first phase of the Will Calendars (1858- DBE British Home. Another organization to con- 1900) project.” Schools records and the revised nect with is the Denver branch of the English- Griffith’s Valuation are also included. Speaking Union of the United States. Their Ulster-Scots: Unfortunately, I still don’t know September program has not been announced as I if my ancestors were Irish or Ulster-Scots, but I’m write this but they offer a variety of activities, both getting warmer. Ask about Ireland, supported by educational and cultural. the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government of Ire- As commemorate this milestone in British history we can take pride in our heritage and find some land, continually adds information from Irish libraries and small way to add a bit of English culture to provides a useful online intro- our day. I challenge everyone to join our Facebook duction to Ulster’s history and page and add a post or a picture to salute the origin of the Ulster-Scots. Queen Elizabeth II. " Researchers can use this general information to search for Tech Talk clues and build a strong ar- —Sandra Keifer-Roberts gument in the absence of concrete evidence. The Scots-Irish Keifers: It might sound funny, Scots-Irish in Pennsylvania: Temple University but revisiting my German (Keifer) ancestry this Press offers an illuminating chapter excerpt from summer has given me the opportunity to become Dennis Clark’s book, The Irish in Philadelphia. immersed in Scots-Irish history. In the 1770s, my I’m researching two men from different families Keifer ancestor apparently left the German Presby- who supposedly came from Ulster and arrived be- terian community and melted into a Scots-Irish fore 1776. Researchers usually need to confirm the area of Pennsylvania. Always a hopeless romantic, county of origin in U.S. documents in order to ef- I imagine that a handsome German man fell in fectively search through Irish collections. In addi- love with a beautiful Scots-Irish girl! Their chil- tion to records posted at FamilySearch.org and dren and grandchildren did not return to the Ger- Ancestry.com, the PA Roots site offers some great man community and became more Scots-Irish with resources for tracking down ancestors who settled each generation. in Pennsylvania, including county-level information. The Pennsylvania Archives on Google The Irish Genealogy Toolkit contains useful links Books helped me trace one of these men to service to various sites and databases. If the newly digit- in the Revolutionary War. According to ized National Library of Ireland collection of The Ulster-Scots Society, “Ulstermen played a Roman Catholic parish registers doesn’t support major role during the American War of Independ- your research, you can always check the Public ence. . . .Twenty-five of the American generals Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), were of Ulster-Scots descent as was half of the which concentrates on – but isn’t limited to – the revolutionary army. One famous force of regular counties of modern Northern Ireland – Antrim, soldiers was the Pennsylvania Line and it was Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone. composed almost entirely of Ulster-Scots and the PRONI advises anxious researchers to remain sons of Ulster-Scots.”

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In addition to The Historic Pittsburgh Digital photos by period (Victorian, etc.) or decade. Library, which contains searchable books with Pinterest is also one of my favorite places to biographies and court records (one such record search for photos and information about vintage helped me determine that the one of the men clothing. A picture of an embroidered jacket is I’m looking for left two orphaned children), the worth a thousand words." “Pastor Lischy” files and other church records on Ancestry.com are a gold mine. Search by county—of course, search adjacent counties, too. The Great Hunger These collections are also linked to Cyndi’s List, —Thyria Wilson Pennsylvania counties. This data helped me confirm that the first Keifer to marry a Scots-Irish One hundred seventy years ago, the great tragedy woman was a Presbyterian, so it is likely she was a occurred in Ireland. There was mass starvation, Presbyterian, too. According to The Ulster-Scots disease and exile (emigration). There had been Society, religious affiliation is another clue in fa- potato crop failures in Ireland before, beginning in vor of the Ulster-Scots origin, but of course, it’s the 1700s. But the potato crop failures of 1845- no guarantee. If for no other reason than their 1850 were coupled with actions of the British gov- place of residence, I’ve had suspicions that at ernment and created the Great Hunger, also known some point, my ancestors belonged to the Society as the Great Famine. Approximately one million of Friends; however, one fought in the Civil War, Irish died and over one million immigrated during which makes Quaker affiliation unlikely (not im- the famine years, most to the United States. The possible). Cyndi’s List and Ancestry.com offer Great Hunger was a watershed moment and after- links to quite a few Quaker records, and Quaker wards Ireland’s social life and culture were never membership is another important clue. the same. Before and during the famine the agents of the mostly absent English landholders split the tenancies into smaller and smaller tenancies in order to increase rent. The tenant farmers were at the mercy of the landlords and the farmers’ holdings became so small that only potatoes could be grown to feed a family. Beef and milk had started to disappear from the peasants’ diet. Potatoes were the sole source of food for one-half of the rural population. In September of 1845, the potato blight in Europe reached Ireland and much of the crop was “black as soot.” In 1846, there was more widespread blight and the tragedy was made much worse by the British response. In The Great Calamity: The Irish Famine 1845-52 by Christine Kinealy and in The Graves are Walk- ing: The Great Famine and the Saga of the Irish People by John Kelly, the authors demonstrate that the famine was neither inevitable nor unavoidable. The relief effort was woefully mismanaged and Sandra’s great-great-grandmother in her fashionable the official responses were influenced by laissez Zouave jacket, circa 1854. faire theories of economics and prejudice against Vogue: Sometimes clothing can provide the Irish. The British government saw the famine clues about national origin, economic status, as an opportunity to bring about long-sought eco- and religion. I enjoy using She Knows and nomic and social changes. The famine was used to Fashion Detective to help with old photos. Browse eliminate small tenancies. Large commercial sys-

! W.I.S.E. Words 57 !! October, November, December 2015 tems of farming were introduced. As Kelly states, ty Donegal saw little excess mortality and emigra- it was the worst disaster of the 19th century; a “per- tion in 1847 because the local landlords fect storm of bacterial infection, political greed, and merchants did support the relief effort. Lord and religious intolerance sparked this catastrophe.” George Hill flouted the Corn Laws and sold corn The British treasurer, Charles Trevelyan, believed at low prices. that Ireland was like a prodigal son who has to be Under the transfer of Poor Law relief in 1847, the brought under parental control. “The great evil, use of eviction was made much easier. It became with which we have to contend, is not the physical an efficient way for a landlord to lower his poor evil of the famine, but the moral evil of the selfish, rate. In Strokestown, County Roscommon, Major perverse, and turbulent character of the Irish peo- Denis Mahon inherited a 9,000-acre property just ple,” he is quoted as saying. Most people in as the famine broke out. There were 12,000 ten- Britain, even the liberals, thought the Irish were ants, most on three acres or less and most behind lazy, violent and products of a degenerate race and on rents. His agent urged that it was cheaper to religion. It was God’s judgment on an indolent, send most of the tenants to Canada than to main- hard-drinking, sinful people. There was a financial tain them in the workhouse. The tenants were sent downturn in Britain during 1846 and 1847, and off in four ships, two of them “coffin ships.” Many relief was given to deserving recipients in England of the families were lost at sea or died of disease and Scotland, not to the undeserving Irish. in Canada. In 1847, the British government considered the My great-great-grandparents, James Moolick and famine to be over, despite tragic evidence to the Honora (Oney) Doyle, lived within two miles of contrary. The British government also decided that each other in County Roscommon. James wrote famine relief should become a local responsibility, his Roscommon address in The History of Ireland, not add to the national debt. But in the counties Ancient and Modern that he purchased in Seneca with the most victims suffering, the local authori- County, New York: “James Moolick, Cartron, Par- ties lacked the resources to support the starving ish of Killuokin.” He and his brother Thomas were poor, even in the workhouses. produce dealers. Honora Doyle wrote her address Artist James Mahoney was sent by the Illustrated in her prayer book: “Cloonfad More Aughrim Par- London News to Cork to report on the famine. ish.” According to baptismal records, her parents He reported that there was “either a funeral were John Doyle and Mary Owens. The Doyles or a coffin every 100 yards.” The emaciated peo- in County Roscommon were gallowglasses, ple were trying to live on grass and nettles. The mercenary warriors. famine continued. Most of the Moolicks and Doyles from County There was already an inadequate response from Roscommon immigrated to Canada in the first the British government and the mostly absentee years of the Famine. However, some members of landlords and after 1847; the minimal relief efforts the families appear in Ireland in the Value of Ten- essentially disappeared. The policy was that local ements in 1857. By 1850, the Moolick and Doyle resources had to be completely depleted before immigrants were in Seneca County, New York. relief would be forthcoming from the Irish Relief James Moolick, who became a naturalized citizen Commission. Even if relief was finally granted, in 1855, was a stonemason who built bridges. Four there were delays in the relief delivery and sons were born to James and Honora Moolick in the food lacked enough nutrients to keep people Seneca County, New York. The one story about from starving. Honora is that when she caught her young sons tossing baby chicks into the air to see if they could In earlier famines in Ireland, stopping exports fly, she yelled, “I’ll hang ye, I’ll hang ye all!” of food from Ireland was part of the successful response. During the Famine, no restrictions were Most of the immigrants to the United States during put on food leaving Ireland. Corn was to be sold the Famine years were unskilled laborers, some at market prices. Cheap corn was purchased of whom did not speak English. Many settled from America, but the coarse, unground grains in the urban centers, but many moved west tore up the stomachs of the famine victims. Coun- with the country. They built the bridges, canals

! W.I.S.E. Words 58 !! October, November, December 2015 and railroads to connect the vast territory of After my great-grandmother died in childbirth, he the United States. So many Irish were killed took his three daughters and moved to Norfolk, working on the railroad that it was speculated Nebraska, to work as a blacksmith for the railroad. that there was an Irishman buried under every tie. The famine was a great tragedy, but became a The James Moolick family moved to the coal min- hopeful story in America. There are millions ing area in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. of Americans today who descend from the survi- James Moolick was listed in the 1870 census vors of the famine and we are truly blessed with as a laborer, unlike the other men on the page our heritage. ! who were miners. In 1871, the family homesteaded in Saunders County, Nebraska and built a small house that is now the kitchen of a two- The Scottish Clearances story farmhouse. —Diane Barbour, PLCGS For those of you familiar with Scottish history, the Clearances of the late 1700s and early 1800s can elicit a emotional response. Precipitating events of one of the more tragic periods in Scotland’s history began about 200 hundred years earlier. In 1603 the union of the Scottish and English thrones occurred when Elizabeth I died leaving no heirs and the English throne went to King James VI of Scotland. In actuality the two countries continued to be two independent sovereign states sharing the king or the crown. One hundred years later two more unionizing acts were passed. In 1706 the Union with Scotland Act was passed by the Eng- lish Parliament, while in 1707 the Union with England Act was passed by the Scottish Parlia- ment. This in fact united Ireland, Scotland and Thyria’s 2nd great-grandparents, James and wife, Honora, England as one entity called Great Britain. Practi- seated middle and right, second row, with their family around cally Scotland and England were one country. 1868 in Pennsylvania. The Jacobite defeat in 1746 at the Battle of My great-grandfather, Michael Moolick, was the Culloden provided the English an opportunity to second son born to James and Honora Moolick. destroy the Highland clan system. Some Highland In 1876, Mike was a freighter and went to clans had supported Charles Edward Stuart in at- the Black Hills of South Dakota on the hurricane tempting to retrieve the English crown from the deck of a four-mule team. He then homesteaded Hanover family and return it to the Stuart family. in Knox County, Nebraska, and became a At Culloden the English defeated the Scottish frontier blacksmith. clans and punitive measures were put into effect to punish them. The clans were outlawed. Members were no longer allowed to carry weapons or wear their tartans. There was by this time an already strong English influence in Scotland and many of the landed lords who held land in Scotland sided with the English in this battle. Those who supported the Hanoverians were highly compensated after the Battle at Culloden while those supporting Charles Edward Stuart were stripped of their es- Thyria’s great-grandfather, Michael Moolick, shoeing a tates, which were sold. Many of these estates were horse at his blacksmith shop. managed by “factors” who were more interested in

! W.I.S.E. Words 59 !! October, November, December 2015 profit than the hereditary chief had been. It is on that were being built as the Industrial Revolution this stage that the Highland Clearances began. began. Many of these factories were involved in cloth production. The meat produced from the The Clearances started about 1780 and continued sheep also provided food for the many workers until about 1880. However, there were a few employed in these factories. clearances before 1780 and a few after 1880. They lasted for about 100 years. It was a terrible time The Clearances are seen from two different as- for the small tenant farmers in the northern areas pects and that does color one’s reaction to them. of Scotland, known as the Highlands. They are seen by one side as a very cruel and in- humane occurrence that denied the historical rights Many of these families had held their land for cen- of a culture and its people. This assumes they were turies under a system of Gaelic culture with their a greedy attempt by the already wealthy landed own Gaelic language. Of course, the English who aristocracy to increase their incomes and power. It held land in Scotland felt these people were inferi- is true that many cruel events happened as the or: poor and lazy, not intelligent and a little less families were removed from the land. It did devas- than human. The Saxon tribes were considered to tate the Gaelic culture and clan society along with be superior to the the Celtic tribes. Language bar- the language. These were aspects of the group that riers added to the misunderstanding and disre- made the English landlords fearful. If the High- spect. These folks had held their leases for landers rose up against the landlords, they could centuries, honed their farming skills and created be a dangerous entity to their positions. Therefore, their own uniquely Scottish culture, headed by many of the families were removed from their clan chieftains who protected their clan members homes and livelihood without notice and marched and provided men for battle when the country to a town or a strip of land along the coastline. The went to war. Many of these farmers were brave thought was that a booming fishing industry could soldiers in many of England’s wars with other be developed by these people. However, they countries. The relationship between these farmers were farmers, not fishermen and there was no and their lords who held the land for so long de- attempt to provide them with even meager hous- clined around the mid-1700s. As more English ing. They were exposed to the brutal climate along became land owners they brought the factors in to the northern coastline of Scotland. Houses and run their estates. These factors did not have long- farms were burned to keep the farmers from re- standing relationships with the farmers and were turning. Many of the older and incapacitated peo- mostly interested in making the land more profita- ple were unable to save themselves and were put ble and the estates more economically stable, with in the open to die. no emotional tie or allegiance to the culture. Not all of the Clearances were of this nature. Some Scotland operated under a feudal system where land owners felt sympathy for the families and traditionally the land was given to the nobles by provided them more time and were more patient in the king and the land owner’s income was derived removing them from the land. It was like an evolu- by renting the land to farmers. Eventually, a few tionary tide that once started could not be stopped. sheep were brought in by one estate, which was Many moved to the cities to find employment. At very profitable. Other factors and land owners no- this time the local parishes were responsible for ticed that sheep farming seemed a more efficient the welfare of many of these families and saw em- way to manage the land. At about this same time igration as a means of the ridding themselves of a there had been a couple of famines in which the long-term expense. Many of the displaced emi- Gaelic families had become destitute and required grated to Canada and America. Many moved to care from the estates. The general population in- the Lowlands and found employment in the facto- crease taxed the already strained resources of the ries. Some stayed on the land and paid the ever meager Highland land and the estates saw the increasing rents, called rack renting. There was no sheep as a relatively easy and profitable alterna- protection for the farmers under Scottish law and tive. An industry based on the production of wool thus they were subject to the whim of the landlord. began to take shape. Wool produced in the High- The Crofters Act of 1886 finally gave crofters her- lands was shipped to the Lowlands and to factories itable security of tenure and tenant farmers, con-

! W.I.S.E. Words 60 !! October, November, December 2015 trolled rents. It did not return the land already tak- trips is typical of the Highlands, picturing aban- en. It was not until 1976 that crofters were allowed doned crofter houses and little burned out crofter to buy their own farms. villages and communities. My brother and I trav- Others saw this as a natural-occurring shift in the elled down single-lane roads where you could see economy from small farming to more efficient use them almost everywhere. As a proud Scot myself, of land and the shift to manufacturing, which was I must say that the demise of the clan society and happening all over Europe. Enclosure had oc- these people tug at my heart. Change is inevitable, curred in England. Population was increasing eve- as we can see even in our own society today but to rywhere, which made it necessary to find better see it done so cruelly is unforgivable. ways to increase production to feed these new What topic about Scotland would you like me to people. It was a system by which society could no cover in these articles? Contact me at longer thrive. [email protected]. Author’s Notes: In preparation for writing this ar- 1MacKenzie, Alexander, The History of The Highland Clear- ticle I read two books. The History of the Highland ances by Alexander MacKenzie, F.S.A., Scot., With a New Clearances1 was written closer to the time of the Introduction by Ian McPherson, M.P., second edition, altered and revised (Glasgow, Scotland: P.J. O’Callaghan, 1914). events, as are many county histories. It is com- 2 prised of letters written by descendants who emi- Richards, Eric, Highland Clearances (Edinburgh, Scotland: grated and articles and pamphlets of the time. Two Birlinn Limited, ebook, 2012). ! entire chapters are devoted to the notorious Suth- erland clearances in the early 1800s, and the trial of Patrick Seller, their proctor, who was indicted Book Reviews but not convicted of culpable homicide for his actions during the Clearances. Diplomat’s Ireland Books Wind Up at DPL The second book that I read was Highland Clear- 2 The Denver Public Library’s genealogy collection ances written by Eric Richards in 2012. Written a has been enriched with the addition of about hundred years after History of the Highland 75 books concentrating on Ireland from the Clearances, it provides a different perspective of estate of a onetime member of the American dip- the clearances from a distance in time. I was able lomatic service, William D. O’Ryan. Most were to download both books from Amazon. published in the late 19th and early to mid-20th There are many websites that have information century and cover such topics as military history, relating to this topic. One I really liked is Educa- alumni directories and parish histories. O’Ryan tion Scotland www.educationscotland.gov.uk. served in such places as The Hague, Netherlands; Ethiopia, Germany and Ireland. Here are summaries of two of his books now in the collection. Aubrey Gwynn, S.J., and Dermot F. Gleeson, A History of the Diocese of Killaloe, Dublin: M.H. Gill and Son Ltd., 1962. The diocese – Roman Catholic – is mostly in County Clare, and this history covers the medieval church until the Refor- mation, generally 1535. Aubrey Gwinn concentrated on the early period, Dermot Gleeson the later time. It caught my attention because I recognized the diocese as the point of origin of one set of my husband’s Famine immigrant ancestors, the I have taken four driving vacations to the Scottish Hanrahan family. They came from the parish of Highlands. The picture that I took on one of these Kilfarboy, and the index sent me straight away to

! W.I.S.E. Words 61 !! October, November, December 2015 the parish and to the family – called O’Hanrahan Trinity College, author; edited by George D here. Kilfarboy on the western edge of the diocese, Burtchell and Thomas U. Sadleir, Alumni I learned, has had the same boundaries for at least Dublinenses: A Register for the Students, 1,000 years. That nugget of information could help Graduates . . of Trinity College . . 1593-1860, my research at some point. Dublin: Alex. Thom & Co., 1935. This exhaustive, 1,000-plus page volume is a masterful bit of work Two ecclesiastical characters surnamed Hanrahan inspired by a genealogist and assembled by a pair appear in some events of 1440s and 1450s. The of scholar-academics who saw the value in tran- pope in 1443 had named one Thadeus O’Hanrahan scribing the admissions records of Trinity College to head a religious house after removing one in Dublin over 276 years. They include sparse but Donatus O’Cuinn who had assumed the post valuable genealogical information including the with the death of Nicholas O’Grady aka Nicholas student’s birthplace, father’s name and Medonios. O’Hanrahan at first had the backing of position/occupation, years enrolled, prep school or the O’Gradys, but in a few years one teacher, sometimes a clue to later residence or Henry O’Grady claimed O’Hanrahan “had status. The names are listed in alphabetical order, a committed perjury and other crimes,” and pushed total of about 35,000. Editor Sadleir describes the for his ouster and installation of a member of his process and the frustrations involved in family. O’Hanrahan survived that attack, but compiling this book over nine years. For instance, in 1463, an O’Cuinn got into the act, accusing sorting names often was problematic: two boys O’Hanrahan of celebrating Mass while excommu- named Arthur Pyne O’Callaghan enrolled on the nicated. Gleeson found nothing to tell us exactly same day. It was not an error – they were cousins. what happened then, though evidence apparently showed that O’Hanrahan prevailed and in 1479, Predictably, the students were from the privileged another O’Hanrahan (Maurice) was tied to some classes and mostly Protestant. Gaelic and Irish financial dealings in the same parish. However, surnames are uncommon so I was not surprised to Gleeson does point out that the events give find no clues to any of my or my husband’s Irish us insight into life of a religious house of the 15th ancestors, though I found some of their family century as self-serving churchmen relied names. Later, I took the search in a different direc- on nepotism and other nefarious methods to sub- tion by checking the surnames of our families’ vert the purpose of Christianity – saving souls. landlords in Counties Monaghan and Louth. Lappins were tenants on the Madden estate in There’s no way of ever knowing whether these County Monaghan in the early 1800s, and I O’Hanrahans had any connection to my husband’s learned that two of the family – apparently broth- family, but still, this places the lovely name ers – had been enrolled at Trinity. They of Hanrahan in the right place in the folds of were Charles Dudley Madden and John Madden, Irish history. both born in Monaghan, sons of Samuel Madden, Gleeson, summarizing the history of the diocese, a gentleman. Both were 18 when they enrolled, recognized the frailty of the medieval church, Charles in 1802 at age 18, and John a year earlier. but took the long view: “Our history thus My ancestors’ landlords in County Louth were represents here in Ireland the story of the survival members of the Fortescue family, and 14 of them of the divinely instituted Church despite the legacy who were born in Louth attended Trinity over the

left by original sin in so many of its members,” years. (Several others were born in Dublin and he wrote. “The heartening story of that survival elsewhere.) William Henry, who enrolled in in the diocese of Killaloe remains to be told in an- 1738-39 at age 18, was my family’s landlord in other volume.” That never happened, but there is 1776-77 when he became Lord Clermont. an earlier history of the diocese, published in 1878. It’s entitled The Diocese of Killaloe from the Aside from page after page of names and brief Reformation to the Close of the 18th Century biographies, the book gives us insight into the life by Philip Dwyer, and it’s also in the DPL of the Irish upper classes in those days. Students genealogy collection as a gift from William D. for the most part were the sons of prominent men O’Ryan’s estate. and editor Sadleir tells this story of how they

! W.I.S.E. Words 62 !! October, November, December 2015 didn’t mind puffing and bluffing: The Register of the Denver Public Library to help you navigate St. John’s College, Cambridge, called student your way. Horne Tooke’s father a pullarius (a dealer in poul- The editors are John and Sheila Rowlands, widely try or poulterer). But at Trinity, his son declared known Welsh genealogists. It was published in the his dad was “an eminent Turkey Merchant.” United Kingdom by the Federation of Family His- The editors provided us with another insight into tory Societies Ltd. in conjunction with the aristocratic Ireland of the past that they may not Department of Continuing Education at the Uni- even have recognized: Not one of the 35,000 stu- versity of Wales, Aberystwyth. It also was pub- dents was a woman, and I found no reference to lished in the U.S. by the Genealogical Publishing even a mother in the brief biographies. Only men Co. of Baltimore. were educated; only their paternal lineage was The frontispiece is a lovely portrait of Mrs. Ellen noted. Lloyd of Ty Newydd, Llannor, Wales, painted by A sampling of other titles in the new Irish collec- Hugh Hughes in 1845. Mrs. Lloyd looks like a tion: friendly sort with whom I would enjoy a hot cup of tea by the fire of a stone cottage like the draw- A Census of Ireland Circa 1659, with Supplementary ing on page 328. Material from the Poll Money Ordinances (1660-1661), by Seamus Pender, published in Dublin, 1939. There are 22 chapters which I will discuss. There Journal of the American Irish Society in five volumes, are 52 figures, tables and appendices that include 1927-1937, lists of members. maps, drawings and photographs to support the text. The chapters read like stories covering a wide History of the Irish Brigade in the Service of France by range of subjects that genealogists will find help- John Cornelius O’Callaghan, published in Glasgow, 1925. ful: religious groups including Catholics and nonconformists; urban growth and industriali- History of the Town and County of Wexford, Old and zation; personalities in coal and lead mining. New Ross edited by Philip Herbert Hore, from the pa- Chapter 8 introduces genealogical strategies. A pers of Herbert F. Hore, London, 1900. person could study a single chapter if the content Extent of Irish Monastic Possessions 1540-1541 edited is of interest. by Newport A. White, Dublin, 1943. What might you find interesting? How to read old Burke’s 1958 Landed Gentry of Ireland. documents? Sources for surname studies? Sources The Diocese of Limerick from 1692 to the Present Time, of surnames in Wales? Ordinary people in the rec- by John Archdeacon Begley, Dublin, 1938. ords of the great estates? An introduction to maps The Jesuits 1584-1921; History of the Society of Jesus of Wales for family historians? The national mon- from Its Foundation to the Present Time by Thomas J. uments record of Wales? How to use Peter Bar- Campbell S.J., New York, 1921 trum’s Welsh Genealogies? A delicious mixed –Zoe von Ende Lappin! marmalade of choices!

It’s Time to Advance Your Welsh Research Are your reading glasses tuned up? Chapter 16 covers significant family histories: the Vaughns of It is back-to-school days, a favorite time of the Trawsgoed; the Pugh family of Llanfair Llanbedr year in Colorado. We are enjoying the crisp fra- 1775-1900; the Lloyds of Ty Newydd of North grance of fallen leaves, the deep blue sky, the Wales; Morris Reignald, gentleman sheep farmer great pumpkin and the morning dew on wing and in North Cardiganshire; Titus Jones of Llanfihan- web. Are you ready to advance to a new level of gel-ar-arth; Baron Lewis Owen of Dolgellau and Welsh genealogy? After this July’s seminar you his descendants. The authors’ ambition in studying may feel ready for the challenge. a specific family tree was to relate the family to Let’s look at a deep dive into Second Stages in the growth or descent of the estate to indicate the Researching Welsh Ancestry. This hardback book, relationship of the estate to the social, economic published in 1999, is easily carried in one hand and political landscape. The impact of a promi- and is available in the genealogy section of nent family was in enormous contrast to that of

! W.I.S.E. Words 63 !! October, November, December 2015 non-landowning, working people who left but lit- band, Chris Roger, in 1992. After working for a tle imprints on the landscape. few years for the Golden office of a gold mining company based out of New York City, Mary has Chapter 17 discusses the emergence and rise of been employed in the legal office at the National a bilingual native middle class in the 18th and 19th Renewable Energy Laboratory since 1994. centuries, a period of significant social change in rural society. The farm workers, laborers, The genealogy bug bit Mary early in the domestic servants of a mainly pastoral society 1990s when her husband mentioned that he didn’t began to challenge the established order of squire know anything about his ancestry except that and parson. New opportunities became clear his grandfather was born in Lonmay, Scotland. for the emerging middle class, spurred on by Since then, she’s traced his paternal ancestry economic developments in mining and maritime back to the early 1700s in Aberdeenshire, and trade, and among shopkeepers, tradesmen and his maternal ancestry to early Santa Fe, cattle drovers. All of these developments are New Mexico, in the late 1600s. Her parents’ composited in the story of the Rev. William Pugh ancestry is from Sweden (Larson), Derbyshire and and family, 1750-1845, of Llanfair. The local per- Nottinghamshire in England and Glamorgan in spective of this study tended to broaden out Wales, making W.I.S.E. a perfect fit. Mary’s throughout Wales. mother was born in a sod house in northwest The book has an extensive bibliography, the chap- Kansas in 1927; and her father, born in northwest ters are extensively footnoted and there’s a thor- Kansas in 1924, is a surviving U.S. Navy veteran ough alphabetical index. The chapter on how to of World War II. read old documents I found to be particularly in- When she’s not researching Scottish, English or teresting and practical. The writing in old docu- Welsh ancestry, Mary enjoys cooking and plan- ments can be unfamiliar. The study of old ning the trips that she and Chris have handwriting, i.e. paleography, is sufficient to deci- taken. They’ve visited several countries in North pher many old documents. The authors analyze America and South America, as well as traveling illustrations of old handwriting, emphasizing the to Scotland. Usually, their travel involves at need to be careful and systematic. least one genealogy trip to a cemetery or library, The book has 17 named contributing authors, all and her husband, Chris, has gamely trooped along educators, all associated with the University of with her (although she says he’s much more Wales, and that is why it feels like a good book for cooperative with a cemetery visit than a visit to a back-to-school days. Is it time to put down the tea library or archive). Mary also enjoys traveling cup and immerse yourself in your country of to RootsTech and National Genealogical Society origin? This book is rich with information, guid- conferences when possible, and she’s been ance and challenges like a buttery, nutty, fruity, a member of W.I.S.E. since 2012. During chocolatey scone and begs us to dig in. retirement, she plans to obtain her genealogy certi- —Nancy McCurdy" fication and continue her genealogy research. " Sandra Keifer-Roberts became interested in Member Profiles genealogy at the age of 11, when her Mary Anne Larson is looking forward to helping grandfather decided Nyla Cartwright as to retrieve his moth- assistant newsletter er’s family record editor for W.I.S.E. and journal from his She grew up on a dusty, cluttered attic. dairy farm in north- Years later, when west Kansas and online genealogy moved to Golden in was in its infancy, 1990, where she met Sandra rediscovered the information in this journal and married her hus- and began to connect with distant cousins.

! W.I.S.E. Words 64 !! October, November, December 2015

Through this experience, she learned that hand- tions, she’s been interviewing, recording, tran- written genealogy accounts often teach us more scribing and publishing the stories of their elderly about the writers themselves than the people they family members. are writing about. In her family’s precious book, As genealogy enthusiasts, we know the thrill of verifiable facts are nestled comfortably beside the hunt and the frustration of defeat. We’re glaring inaccuracies. dreamers who want to travel in time; we’re detec- Sandra has earned two master’s degrees: M.A., tives who stubbornly refuse to sleep if we’re English, and M.S., computer information systems. clutching an important new clue. Sandra’s passion After working in technology for many years, she for genealogy has led her on an action-packed left the corporate world in order to pursue free- journey full of witch trials, Revolutionary War lance work and indulge her passion for writing. battles, Civil War escapes, illegal immigration, An adjunct instructor of English composition scarlet fever epidemics, unlikely marriages, and technology for various local colleges, Sandra mysterious disappearances, Huguenots, scholars, uses her spare time to research and write. Her hus- physicians, businessmen, farmhands, royalty band, a Yorkshireman, and her two college-age and common ancestors for her parents. Like sons enthusiastically support her activities. She is many other researchers, Sandra enjoys celebrating overwhelmed by the volume of her own writing new discoveries by pausing to read historical material, but tries to find time to help others write accounts and imagining what life was like their stories, too. Recently, in addition to helping for her ancestors. " clients with genealogy or generic technology ques-

W.I.S.E. Program Schedule

Understanding the British Army September 26, 2015 Ed Storey 1:30 p.m. Denver Public Library Ed Storey will share insights about the British Army and discuss guidelines to re- 7th Floor searching its records. He has been writing for genealogical magazines for over 10 years and has researched in India, Germany and England. !

October 11-18, 2015 Annual Research Trip Family History Library Salt Lake City Contact Sandy Breed, [email protected], with any questions. !

October 24, 2015 World War I Heirloom Sharing Program 1:30 p.m. Members will share their World War I heirlooms and stories relating to their Denver Public Library 7th floor family members from the British Isles.!

December 5, 2015 The Front Range Druid Players Present 1:30 p.m. Tales from the Medieval Welsh Mabinogion Join us for our holiday meeting, bring British Isles treats and enjoy the Denver Public Library performance.! 7th Floor

January 23, 2016 1:30 p.m. Annual General Meeting and Heirloom Sharing ! Denver Public Library 7th Floor