April 1, 1996       Irish and Scottish Newsletter 
 

NAMES OF THE MONTH

This month the Irish surname taken from EDWARD MacLYSAGHT's book IRISH
FAMILIES Their Names, Arms & Origins, SciPrint Limited, Copyright Irish
Academic Press Limited, ISBN # 0-7165-2364-7 is:

O'BOYLE       Boyle is O Baoighill in modern Irish, the derivation of
which is possibly from the old Irish word baigell, i.e. having
profitable pledges: modem scholars reject the derivation baoith-geall. 
It is thus of course a true native Irish surname and the O'Boyles were a
strong sept in Co. Donegal with a regularly initiated chieftain seated
at Cloghineely: they shared with the O'Donnells and the O'Doughertys the
leadership of  north-west.  Ballyweel, near Donegal town, is a phonetic
rendering of Baile ui Bhaoighill (i.e. the home of the O'Boyles).  These
O'Boyles were noted for their ruddy complexion.  Nevertheless the
best-known Boyles connected with Ireland were men of English race. 

When Richard Boyle landed in Ireland in 1588 as a young man without
influence few could have anticipated that he would become what has been
termed the "first colonial millionaire".  He acquired the extensive
property of the executed Sir Walter Raleigh in Co. Waterford.  This
formed the nucleus of the vast estates he was to bequeath to his
numerous family on his death in 1643, by which time he was Earl of Cork
and had held high government office.  The best known of his sons (born
in Ireland) were Roger Boyle (1621-1679) Earl of Orrery, and Robert
Boyle (1627-1691), chemist and experimental physicist.

It is worthy of note that of 15 Boyles in the Dictionary of National
Biography 14 belong to this Anglo-Irish family.  Some Gaelic-Irish
Boyles or O'Boyles have also distinguished themselves, notably William
Boyle (1853- 1922) Abbey Theatre dramatist, John Boyle (d. 1832)  the
well-known wit, and Richard Boyle (1822-1908) the railway engineer whose
heroism during the Indian Mutiny was renown.  The name is common (being
included in the fifty most numerous in Ireland), particularly in the
Ulster counties of Donegal, Tyrone and Armagh (it takes third place in
the first named).  It is only in comparatively recent times that the
discarded prefix 0 has been at all widely restored.

From Roddy Martine's "SCOTTISH CLAN AND FAMILY NAMES Their Arms, Origins
and Tartans", Mainstream Publishing, Edinburgh and London, 1992, ISBN #
1-85158-418-8

BURNETT

ROGER BURNARD was established in lands of Faringdon in the thirteenth
century.  Patrick Burnard held lands in Berwickshire in 1250 and
Alexander Burnard or Burnett went north in the train of Robert I and
received charters of lands in the forest of Drum and the barony of
Tulliboyll in the sheriffdom of Kincardine.  The Burnets of Barns, who
gave their name to Burnetland in the parish of Broughton, claimed
descent from Robertius de Burneville in  the reign of David I. Muchalls
Castle, near Stonehaven, was built in 1619-27 by the Burnetts of Leys. 
Crathes Castle on the north of the River Dee in Aberdeenshire was begun
in 1553 but not finished until 1594.  In the main hall can be seen the
Horn of Leys, a jewelled ivory horn said to have been presented to
Alexander Burnett by  Robert Bruce in 1323 as a formal token of tenure
for his lands.  In 1951 the property was taken over  by the National
Trust for Scotland.


HISTORY:

The following brief histories for the counties of Ireland are taken from
"Irish Records Sources for Family & Local History" by James G. Ryan,
Ph.D., Copyright  Ancestry Incorporated (USA), 
ISBN # 0-916-489-22-1

COUNTY DERRY

This Ulster county contains the city of  Derry (or Londonderry) and the
towns of Coleraine, Limavady, Magherafelt, and Portstewart.

In the old Gaelic system much of Derry was in the old territory of
Tirowen.  The area was mainly the territory of the O'Cahans or O'Kanes. 
Other families associated with the area include the O'Connors,
O'Donnells, O'Mullan, McCloskey, O'Hegarty, O'Corr, McGurk, McRory,
(O')Diamond, McCrilly, McGilligan, O'Deery, and McColgan.

The city of Derry dates back to the foundation of a monastery on the
site in A.D. 546.  The growth of the monastery and the surrounding
settlement made Derry an important town.  The town was repeatedly raided
by the Danish  vikings during the ninth to eleventh centuries.

Neither Derry city nor the old kingdom of  Tirowen were affected by the
Norman invasion and, like most of the rest of Ulster, it retained its
independence from English rule until the beginning of the seventeenth
century.

In 1600, during the rebellion of O'Neill and  O'Donnell (see Co. Tyrone)
and  their allies, the city of Derry was taken by  English forces. 
Following the final defeat of the  rebellion most of the county was
confiscated  from its owners and given to "adventurers" and others for
the purpose of planting it with English  and Scottish settlers.  The
O'Cahans were one of the few native families who retained property in
the county.  Ulster was also divided into counties and was, for a time,
known as the county of Coleraine.

In 1609 the plantation of Ulster began and  huge areas of Ulster were
set aside for the use of settlers from Britain.  In an effort to ensure
the effective settlement of the new county of Coleraine, it was offered
as a business venture to the city of London.  Accordingly, in 1613 the 
county was renamed Londonderry and formally handed over to the city of
London by King  James.  The city decided to administer the county
through some of its trade guilds.  The county was divided among twelve
trade guilds of London, each of which was responsible for the
development of its own area.

The London guilds were, by most accounts, less than enthusiastic about
the scheme, and there were consequently not as many English settlers as
the plantation organizers had expected.  By some accounts there were
more Irish tenants in the county than in any other.  In consequence of
this, the London company was heavily fined in 1635 for failing to honor
their commitment to plant the county.  Nevertheless,  a large colony of
Protestants was brought into Derry, and the fortification of the city
was completed by 1618.

Among the common settler names in the county are those of Elliott,
Campbell, Anderson, Baird, Thompson, McClintock, Hamilton, Browne, Barr,
Stewart, Smith, Johnston, Irwin, Morrison, Young, and White.

In 1641 the native Irish joined the general rebellion of Irish
Catholics.  The rebellion was defeated and those involved were severely
dealt with.

During the Williamite wars of the early 1690s the city of Derry became a
stronghold for the Protestants of the North and withstood a seven month
siege by Jacobite forces.

A general indication of the relative proportions of those of English,
Scottish, or native Irish extraction in the county can be gauged from
their religious persuasions.  In 1861, when the census first ascertained
religion, the relative proportions of Catholics (Irish), Protestants
(English), and Presbyterians (Scottish) were 45, 17, and 35 percent
respectively.

The Penal Laws were specifically enacted at the beginning of the
eighteenth century to suppress Catholics, but they also affected
Presbyterians.  For this reason there was considerable emigration of the
so-called Scots-Irish from Derry and other Ulster counties during the
eighteenth century.

During the Great Famine, County Derry was not as badly affected as
others.  The population was 222,000 in 1841, and by 1851 it had fallen
to 192,000.  Derry was an important port of emigration at this time, and
there was extensive migration to the city as a result of the famine.   
Following the foundation of an independent

Irish State in 1921, Derry was one of the six Ulster counties which was
kept within the United Kingdom.  The name Derry continues to be used in
reference to the city and county by most of the population of Ireland. 
The name Londonderry should also be referred to by researchers.

COUNTY DONEGAL

This Ulster coastal county, which is largely bog and mountain land,
contains the towns of Letterkenny, Donegal, Ballyshannon, Lifford,
Stranorlar, Killybegs, and Bundoran.

County Donegal was known as the Kingdom of Tirconnell in the old Irish
administrative system.  It was the territory of the powerful O'Donnell
family.  The other major families in the county were O'Boyle, O'Doherty,
O'Friel, O'Sheil, MacWard, McLoughlin, McDunlevy,  McGillespie,
MacRearty, McGrath, McGonagle, O'Mulholland, O'Harkin, O'Derry,  and
O'Strahan.  The McSweeneys, also a relatively common name in the county,
were a Gallowg1ass or mercenary family who arrived in the  county in the
thirteenth century.

This county was little affected by the Norman invasion in the twelfth
century and it was not until the late sixteenth century that the English
gained any foothold.  This was lost again in1592 when the O'Donnells,
under their chief Red  Hugh O'Donnell, joined with the O'Neills in a
rebellion against the English.  This rebellion ended in the defeat of
the Ulster Chieftains in 1602, and the county was subsequently included
in the plantation of Ulster.  Under this scheme the lands were
confiscated from the native Irish owners and given to undertakers, i.e.,
to persons who were granted land on the agreement that they would bring
over settlers from England or Scotland.   Among the common settler names
in the county are those of Elliott, Campbell, Anderson, Baird, Thompson,
McClintock, Hamilton, Browne, Barr, Stewart, Smith, Johnston, Irwin,
Morrison, Young, and White.

A general indication of the proportion of native Irish, Scottish, and
English can be estimated from the religious persuasions of the
inhabitants as the native Irish were generally Catholic, the Scottish
Presbyterian, and the English Protestant or Episcopalian.  In 1861, when
the census first ascertained religion, the proportions of each religion
were 75, 11, and 13 percent respectively.

In the eighteenth century the county remained relatively remote. 
Contemporary maps show few roads in the county, and the accounts of
various travellers tell of the unique customs of some of its people. 
The Penal Laws were specifically enacted at the beginning of the
eighteenth century to suppress Catholics. However, they also
disadvantaged Presbyterians.  For this reason there was considerable
emigration of the so-called Scots-Irish from Donegal and other Ulster
counties during the eighteenth century.

The density of population on the arable land in County Donegal was one
of the highest in the  country in the early nineteenth century.  The
county was not as badly affected as many others in the Great Famine of
1845-47.  The population was 296,000 in 1841, and by 1851 it had fallen
to 255,000.  Almost 28,000 people died in the county between 1845 and
1850, and further thousands emigrated.


The following brief histories of the counties of Scotland are taken from
"A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland" by Samuel Lewis, reprinted by
Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc. 
ISBN # 0-8063-1256-4

BERWICKSHIRE, a maritime county, in the southeast of Scotland, bounded
on the north by the German Ocean and the county of Haddington; on the
east and north-east, by the German Ocean; on the south, by the river
Tweed, which separates it from the English counties of Durham and
Northumberland; and on the west and south-west, by the counties of
Edinburgh and Roxburgh.  
It lies between 55 degrees 36 feet 30 inches and 55 degrees 58 feet 30
inches (N. Lat.), and 1 degree 41 feet and 2 degrees 34 feet (W. 
Long.), and is about thirty-five miles in length, and twenty-two miles
in extreme breadth; comprising about 446 1/2 square miles, or 285,760
acres, and 7408 inhabited houses, and 381 uninhabited; and containing a
population of 34,438, of whom 16,558 are males, and 17,880 females. 

The county derives its name from the ancient town of Berwick, formerly
the county town, and was originally inhabited by the Ottadini.  After
the Roman invasion it formed part of the province of Valentia; and
though not the site of any station of importance, it is intersected by
several Roman roads.  Subsequently to the departure of the Romans from
Britain, this part of the country was continually exposed to the
predatory incursions of the Saxons, by whom, about the middle of the
sixth century, it was subdued, and annexed to the kingdom of
Northumbria, of which it continued to form part till the year 1020, when
it was ceded to Malcolm II., King of Scotland, by Cospatrick, Earl of
Northumberland, whom that monarch made Earl of Dunbar.

From its situation on the borders, the county was the scene of frequent
hostilities, and an object of continual dispute between the Scots and
the English.  In 1176, it was surrendered by William the Lion to Henry
11. of England, by whom he had been made prisoner in battle, as security
for the performance of the treaty of Falaise, on failure of which it was
for ever to remain a part of the kingdom of England.  On payment of a
ransom, it was restored to the Scots by Richard I.

In 1216 it suffered greatly from the army of John, who, to punish the
barons of Northumberland for having done homage to Alexander, King of
Scotland, burnt the towns of Roxburgh, Mitford, and Morpeth, and laid
waste nearly the whole county of Northumberland.  During the disputed
succession to the Scottish throne, after the death of Alexander III.,
this district suffered materially from the contending parties; and in
1291 the town of Berwick was surrendered to Edward 1. of England, who,
as lord paramount of Scotland, received the oaths of fealty and
allegiance from many of the Scottish nobility.  The inhabitants soon
after revoking their allegiance to the English crown, Edward advanced
with his army to Berwick, which he took by assault, and held a
parliament in the castle, in 1296, when he received the oath of
allegiance; and in the year following he made Berwick the metropolis of
the English government in Scotland.

The town was restored to the Scots in 1318, but, after the death of
James III., was finally ceded by treaty to the English, in 1482.  In
1551, the town, with a district adjoining, called the liberties of
Berwick, was made independent of both kingdoms, and invested with
peculiar privileges.  After Berwick ceased to be the county town, the
general business of the county was transacted at Dunse or Lauder, till
the year 1596, when Greenlaw was selected by James VI. as the most
appropriate for the purpose; and that arrangement was ratified by act of
parliament in 1600.

The county was anciently included in the diocese of St. Andrew's; it is
now almost wholly in the synod of  Merse and Teviotdale, and comprises
several presbyteries, with thirty-four parishes.  Exclusively of the
seaport of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which has a separate jurisdiction, it
contains the county town of Greenlaw, the royal burgh of Lauder, and the
towns of Dunse, Coldstream, and Eyemouth, with the villages of Ayton,
Gourdon, Earlstoun, Chirnside, Coldingham, and others. Under the act of
the 2nd and 3rd of William IV., the county returns one member to the
imperial parliament.

Its surface varies in the different districts into which the county is
naturally divided, and which are the Merse, Lammermoor, and Lauderdale. 
The Merse is a level district, extending for nearly twenty miles along
the north bank of the Tweed, and about ten miles in breadth ; it is
richly fertile, and well inclosed, pleasingly diversified with gentle
eminences, and enriched with plantations.  The district of Lammermoor,
nearly of equal extent, and parallel with the Merse, is a hilly tract,
chiefly adapted for pasture. 

The district of Lauder, to the west of the two former, is also
diversified with hills, affording good pasturage for sheep, principally
of the black-faced breed, and for a coarse breed of blackcattle ; and
has fertile vales of arable land, yielding abundant crops.  In this
county the highest hills are in the Lammermoor range, varying from 1500
to 1650 feet in height.  The principal rivers are, the Tweed, which
forms the southern boundary of the county; the Whitadder, the
Blackadder, the Leader, and the Eden, which are tributaries to the
Tweed, and the river Eye, which falls into the sea at Eyemouth.  The
coast is bold and rocky, rising precipitously to a great height, and is
almost inaccessible, except at Eyemouth and Coldingham Bay, and in some
few points where there are small beaches of sand or gravel near the
rocks.  The minerals found are not of any importance: some coal has been
discovered in the parishes of Mordington and Cockburnspath; limestone,
marl, and gypsum have been quarried, but to no great extent, and
freestone and whinstone are abundant.  The annual value of the real
property in the county is 254,169 pounds, of which 237,042 pounds are
returned for lands, 16,743 pounds for houses, 196 pounds for fisheries,
and 188 pounds for quarries.  In Berwickshire the chief seats are
Thirlstane Castle, Dryburgh Abbey, Mellerstain, The Hirsel, Marchmout,
Ladykirk, Blackadder, Dunse Castle, Kelloe, Mertoun, Spottiswood, Ayton,
Douglass, Wedderburn, Paxton, Langton, Kimmergham, and Nisbet.

Great facility of intercourse is afforded by the NorthBritish railway,
and its branch to Dunse.  In the county of Haddington, the railway
passes through a country of undulating surface, richly cultivated, and
presenting scenery of the softer kind, with villages, hamlets, and other
simply rural features interspersed.  On entering Berwickshire, however,
at Cockburnspath, the prospect changes ; the country around is bold and
striking, steep hills and deep ravines appear, and the scenery is of a
more romantic character.  From Cockburnspath to Houndwood is a range of
seven miles of this interesting scenery, after which the country opens
out, and the eye of the traveller takes in a sweetly rural landscape of
five or six miles on either side, of well cultivated and richly-wooded
land) adorned with cottages, hamlets, and gentlemen's seats.  After
passing Ayton the line runs along the coast  , at an elevation of fifty
or sixty feet, sometimes within two or three yards of the cliff's edge.

BUTESHIRE, a county, on the western coast of Scotland, consisting of the
isles of Bute, Arran, Inch- Marnock, and Great and Little Cumbray, in
the Firth of Clyde; separated on the north from Argyllshire by the
straits called the Kyles of Bute, and on the west, from the peninsula of
Cantyre, by Kilbrannan Sound. It lies between 55 degrees 26' and 55
degrees 56' (N.  Lat.), and 4 degrees 54' and 5 degrees  23' (W. 
Long.), and comprises an area of about 257 square miles, or 164,480
acres; 3067 inhabited houses, and ninety-seven uninhabited; with a
population of 15,740, of whom 7155 are males, and 8585 females. The
island of Bute, at a very early period, became the property of Sir John
Stuart, a son of Robert II. ; it was confirmed to him by his brother,
Robert III., and is still the property of his descendants, the
Marquesses of Bute.  That of Arran was granted by James III. to Sir
James Hamilton, whose descendant, the Earl of Arran, was regent of
Scotland during the minority of Mary, Queen of Scots ; and it now is the
property of the Duke of Hamilton.  The civil business of the county is
transacted at the royal burgh of Rothesay, which is the only town; and
under the act of the 2nd of William IV., the county returns a member to
the imperial parliament.

The surface is various. The island of Bute, in the central part, is
diversified with hills affording excellent pasturage, and with valleys
of rich arable land in excel- lent cultivation.  Arran is ragged and
mountainous, interspersed with glens of moss, through which several
streams, descending from the heights, flow into the sea.  The highest of
the mountains in Arran is Goat- Fell, which his an elevation of 3500
feet above the sea ; and from its summit is an extensive view embracing
England, Ireland, and the Isle of Man: In both islands there are
numerous lakes ; and the coasts are indented with fine bays, the chief
of which in Bute are, Kilchattan, Rothesay, and Kames, on the east; and
Dungoil, Stravannan, Scalpsie, St. Ninian's, and Etterick, on the west. 
The bays in Arran are, Lamlash, which is accessible in every wind,
Whiting, and Brodick, on the east and Druimadoun and Machry, on the
west.  Opposite to St. Ninian's bay is the island of Inch-Marnock, and
at the entrance of Lamlash bay is the Holy Island. Freestone, limestone,
slate, and an inferior kind of coal   an the prevailing substrata, and
near the shore are some beds of coral and shells of great thickness. 
The annual value of real property in the county is 31,162 pounds of
which 20,597 pounds are returned for lands,  9,836 pounds for houses,
and the remainder for other species of real property.  The chief seats
are, Arran House, at the head of the bay of Brodick ; and Mount Stuart,
situated on an acclivity opposite to the entrance of the Clyde.  The
island of Bute gives the title of Marquess to the ancient family of
Stuart.


GENERAL INFORMATION

Ten little known facts about Ireland and the Irish         

1. The Irish discovered America. Although most people think Columbus was
the first European to set foot on the New World, there's credible proof
that an Irish abbot and a handful of his monks made the journey almost a
thousand years earlier. Their exploits are detailed in a medieval
manuscript, Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis (Voyage of St. Brendan the
Abbot). In the 1970's, author Timothy Sevefln completed a transatlantic
crossing in a curragh like the one Brendan and his monks used and
encountered a variety of things which appear to match descriptions in
the account of Brendan's voyage. For example, currents took him past
the islands of Streymoy and Mykines in the Faeroes Islands which closely
resemble the "island of sheep" and the "paradise of birds" encountered
by St. Brendan. (In fact, "Faeroe" itself means "island of sheep".) A
rock with inscriptions found in Newfoundland several years ago may
eventually prove that the voyage of St. Brendan is historical fact, not
just a legend.

2. The Great Famine of the 1840's began a diaspora unprecedented in
modern times. In 1840 the population of Ireland was 8,200,000. By 1911 it
had dropped to 4,400,000. Although many Irish died during the famine
years, many more emigrated to other countries, primarily America,
Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. Today, there are more
people of Irish ancestry living outside Ireland than within its borders,
due in great part to the exodus caused by the famine.

3. The Irish don't speak "Gaelic"... and never did. The term "Gaelic" is
used primarily by American describe the tongue-twisting language used in
parts of western Ireland. The Irish, however, refer to it as "Irish". 
An issue of The World of Hibernia examines this colorful language in
detail and reveals a slew of everyday English words that are actually
Irish.

4. Thirteen American presidents were Irish. The thirteen presidents
descended from Irish-stock include three who were first-generation
Americans: James Buchanan (whose father was born in Co. Donegal),
Chester A. Arthur (whose father was from Co. Antrim), and Andrew Jackson
(whose parents were both born in Co. Antrim). Other American presidents
of Irish ancestry include: Andrew Johnson, William McKinley, Ulysses S.
Grant, James Polk, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, Woodrow Wilson,
Richard Nixon, as well as Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt
and Bill Clinton (all of whom had Irish ancestors). Perhaps the best
known Irish American president was John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic
to serve as the nation's Chief Executive

5. The Celtic Cross, combines the traditional symbol of Christianity
with a circle, believed by many scholars to be the ancient Celtic
representation of the sun, which was worshipped in pre-Christian) times.
Intricately carved stone crosses usually 12 to 17 feet tall, referred to
as High Crosses, were frequently erected in the precincts of
monasteries.

6. St. Patrick, Ireland's patron St. was actually born in England in a
town he referred to as Bannavem Taberniae. In the Confessions, the
account he wrote of his life (which was preserved in the ninth-century
Book of Armagh), Patrick says he was kidnapped by Irish pirates at the
age of 16. After spending six years in captivity in County Antrim, he
escaped to France, was ordained, and subsequently had a vision that his
-destiny was to return to Ireland and spread Christianity.

7. Tara, the traditional seat of power of the kings of Meath and
eventually of the High Kings of Ireland, was an ancient religious site
by the time the Celtic Gaels took it over. In the third century AD,
High King Cormac MacArt, built an enormous palace at Tara, complete
with a banquet hall 700 feet long. In 1798 thousands of rebels
assembled, as if drawn by some ancestral memory. And in 1843, it was
the site of one of the largest public gatherings in Irish history, when
almost 750,000 people assembled to hear Daniel O'Connell, the man who
had won Catholic emancipation.

8. The Book of Kells is rightfully regarded as one of the most striking
works ever produced by the hand of man. Written in Latin by Irish monks
during the late 8th or early 9th century, it consists of the four
gospels, together with summaries, commentaries, and tables of parallel
passages. It's illustrated with complex geometric decorations,
illuminated capitals, and full-page portraits of biblical figures. The
Book of Kells today has a place of honour at Trinity College in Dublin.

9. The role of the Church. Many people view Irish history as an ongoing
battle between Catholics and Protestants. What is frequently overlooked
is that some of the most vociferous champions of Irish rights were
Protestants including: Theobald Wolfe Tone (the son of a Protestant
tradesman from Dublin), Jonathan Swift (best known for his satirical
work, Gullivers Travels), and Charles Stewart Parnell (the wealthy half-
American landowner whose grandfather had commanded the USS Constitution
during the War of 1812).
   
10. The Irish love of freedom played an important role in the fight for
American independence. John Hancock, perhaps the best known signer of
the Declaration of Independence, was descended from an Ulster family. 
Numerous other signatories were of Irish ancestry, and three (Matthew
Thornton, James Smith and George Taylor) were actually born in Ireland. 
It was an Irishman who made the first finished copy of the Declaration
(Charles Thompson, bourn in County Derry).....who first read the
document publicly from the steps of the State House in Philadelphia
(John Nixon, whose father was born in County Wexford) ....and who made
the first printed copy (John Dunlop, born in County Tyrone). The Irish
also played a major part in financing the Continental Army. Edward Fox,
a Dublin native, contributed almost a million dollars (a truly
staggering sum in those days)... and died penniless because of his
generosity.