My Pritchard ancestors lived in Midleton (sometimes Middleton) Parish in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. They were most likely of English descent, but it's not known when they first came to Ireland. They seem to be well established in Midleton, neighboring Rathcoursey, and Cork City before 1691. Records list members of the family … Continue reading The Rock at Midleton
James Bones is a bit of a legend in our family history. There are several stories surrounding his participation in the 1798 Rebellion for a free and independent Ireland. One legend says that James, fleeing for his life, took a piece of the Giant's Causeway with him before he met a boat at nearby Dunluce … Continue reading Fort of the Fianna
Family legends go with family history like oreos go with milk. While often not provable, there can be nuggets of truth to many of our families' legends. James Bones was born about 1766 near Randalstown, County Antrim, Ireland, the first child of John and Elizabeth (Scott) Adams. James had four brothers and one sister. As … Continue reading A Rebel with a Cause(way)
Mary Lyon made up a husband. Mary was the mother of three children: Damsel (b. 1843), John Thomas (b. 1852), and George (b. 1858). Mary told people the father of her children was Thomas Lyon. Her tombstone says that she was the wife of Thomas Lyon. Even decades later, church records were corrected to reflect … Continue reading The Pretend Husband
This week's prompt for 52 Ancestors is Family Legend. One of the most interesting family legends in my paternal family is that of the supposed engagement of Sarah Eve, the sister of my 5th great-grandfather, to Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a celebrated physician. I told their story in an … Continue reading She Died Three Weeks Before
