Multyfarnham Fitzgeralds

Dear Catherine

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

The most obvious way to link these men would be through a baptism record. Perhaps they were brothers or cousins. One of the difficulties with this though is the early period of your search. I couldn?t see a record of a Fitzgerald-Lynch marriage on rootsireland.ie.  There doesn?t seem to be a record of a Michael Fitzgerald baptism in Co. Westmeath between 1817 and 1823. RC records for  Multyfarnham begin in 1824 so there will be no church records for any baptism or marriage event in that parish before that time.

I see that there is 1 Fitzgerald entry on Griffith?s Valuation (1847-1864), perhaps a relative of Michael Percy, but it would be difficult to be sure:

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNameSearch&Submit.x=33&Submit.y=10&Submit=Submit&familyname=Fitzgerald&firstname=First+Name&baronyname=&countyname=WESTMEATH&unionname=&parishname=MULTYFARNHAM

Have you tried searching ancestry.com for instances of the family name of their public member family trees or message boards?

Best wishes

Clare Doyle

Genealogy Support 

hi

hi Catherine,

There is a memorial to the Fitzgerald family in Leney graveyard, which is in the parish of Multyfarnham.

It says Thomas Fitzgerald, died 1859, wife Cath Moore died 1830 aged 76 and young son Francis.

In the graveyard at Franciscian Abbey, Multyfarnham there is also a memorial with the names:

Peter Nugent Fitzgerald, Soho, Multyfarnham died 1870, wife Celia 1866, erected by daughter Maria (Delaney).  Peter Nugent Fitzgerald, died 1839, aged 46, Margaret Nugent Fitzgerald, died 1905.  Percy Nugent Bart died 1896 erected by his wife.

Hope this can be of some help!

Regards Mairead

Hi Catherine,

I was reading the Multyfarnham Parish History last night and came across the name "Lattin Fitzgerald" of Soho, Multyfarnham.  It just states that "In 1797 Lattin Fitzgerald had a stallion (Blacklegs) at Soho.  The fee was a guinea and a crown while there was good grass convenient at sixpence per night."               This Lattin Fitzgerald may be Michael's father as the parents usually called their first born son after their grandfather.

Regards, Mairead

Hi Catherine,

I was reading the Multyfarnham Parish History last night and came across the name "Lattin Fitzgerald" of Soho, Multyfarnham.  It just states that "In 1797 Lattin Fitzgerald had a stallion (Blacklegs) at Soho.  The fee was a guinea and a crown while there was good grass convenient at sixpence per night."               This Lattin Fitzgerald may be Michael's father as the parents usually called their first born son after their grandfather.

Regards, Mairead

Hi Everyone,

I would like to thank all of you for sharing information about the Fitzgeralds of Westmeath. I am sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. Recently my sister Susan has been in touch with a Mr Arnold who is related to us through the Fitzgerald line. We found each other through DNA matches. Susan is our family DNA manager and keeps up with all the possible matches. Mr Arnold has shared some great information and I would like to pass it along here in the hopes it will help others.

Handwritten copy November 1983) of document or notation made by Mary Louise Arnold (O’Reilly)

“November 2nd 1829. Sailed from Liverpool England in the ship Manchester for New York where I arrived December 7, 1829

Captain Sketchley, Master.

Was born at Soho House parish of Multyfarnham, County of Westmeath, Ireland.

Had living when I left Ireland, Brothers Peter Fitzgerald of Soho; Latin Fitzgerald, Dublin; Richard Fitzgerald, Dublin; Gerald J. Fitzgerald, Dublin;

Sisters Maria Anne Fitzgerald, Catherine Blackhall; and Ellen Coughlin.

Signed  Michael Percy Fitzgerald

This 8th day of April, A.D 1861

Waseca County Post Office      Address(?)  St. Mary”

As you can see we now know Michael's brothers and sisters still living in Ireland when he left for the USA. I have found the record of two of his sisters when they married in the parish records at the Irish National Library web site.  We are still looking for Michael's parents and any other information on his siblings. 

Again thank you for all your help.

Cathy Hamilton

Hi Cathy,

Good to hear from you again.  Peter Fitzgerald of Soho House, Multyfarnham was one of the commissioners for the civil parish of Multyfarnham when the Tithes(taxes) were established in 1826.  His parents were Pierce Fitzgerald of Baltinoran, Co. Meath and Christina Nugent of Donore House, on the shores of Lough Derravaragh, Multyfarnham.  When Sir Peter Nugent, the second Baronet of Donore died without issue in 1797, he bequested his large estates to his nephew, Thomas Fitzgerald, who was a commander in the Royal Navy and had drowned off a gun ship in 1810, which is why his brother Michael didn't mention him in the letter of 1861.  Thomas Fitzgerald's son Percy later inherited Donore Estates in 1831 when Lady Nugent died.

Percy Fitzgerald later changed his name to Percy Fitzgerald Nugent and was created a Baron on 30th September, 1831. Sir  Percy later became an MP for Westmeath and was chairman of the Multyfarnham Relief Committee during the Great Famine.

Hope this is of some help,

Kind Regards,

Mairead

Hi Mailread,

Thank you so much for the information on the Fitzgeralds. We have tried to make the connections for a long time. I will spend more time on the parish records to see if I can take the family back further.

Best Regards,

Cathy

Hi Cathy,

Your Fitzgeralds are in my wife's tree. According to my research, Michael Percy's parents were Lattin Fitzgerald and Eleanor Browne. Pierce and Christina were his Grandparents, and Percy Fitzgerald Nugent of Donore was the son of Lattin's brother Thomas Fitzgerald and Mary Dardis. My wife is descended via Peter Nugent Fitzgerald of Soho who married Celia Callanan. He would be the Peter mentioned in Michael Percy's letter of 1861.

Regards,  Simon

Hi All,

I am in Australia & would be directly related - my great grandfather Fitzgerald is a direct descendant of Pierce Fitzgerald/Nugent.  I have tracked him back to Soho house where he was born but having trouble getting further back than that.  Family story is that they can be tracked back to Lord Edward but I am at a loss to find that connection. In our family we do still have a couple of pieces (silverware engraved with the baboon & a coconut shell vase supposedly carved by Faithful Tony for Lord Edward)  Looking forward to any help/ideas. Many thanks

Hi Em,  is your Ggf Thomas Lattin?

Regards,  Simon

Yes, my great grandfather was Thomas Lattin Nugent, an accountant who left Ireland for Australia - unsure of the date as one record states he left in 1864; however he married in Aus in 1865 & as we know he had worked briefly as an accountant, then had a hawker/transport business before buying his own property, he must have left Ireland earlier than this. Another record states 1859 which would be more believable. 

Interested to know your connection Simon - it is so exciting to find direct descendants

From my research, it appears that (Sir) PercyFitzgerald changed his name to Nugent in order to inherit; then his daughter Margaret Louisa married Peter Fitzgerald. I believe my great grandfather is the sone of Peter & Louisa although I'm not certain here either.

Pages 286-7 of “The Irish abroad, a record of the achievements of wanderers from Ireland” (London 1915), present an illustration of this particular branch the FitzGerald family tree; in 1912 the author, Elliot O’Donnell received confirmation from the Ulster King of Arms of Pierce Fitzgerald’s (m. Christina Nugent of Donore) lineal descent from the Earls of Kildare.

I came to this in the course of my research for a thesis on the Scottish born Artist, Erskine Nicol who had built a studio on Clonave Island, a wild part of the 6,000 acre Nugent estate of Donore in 1862 which Percy had inherited from his wife’s uncle in 1831. My paper includes a history of the Nugents of Donore, their predecessors the Delamers, the Fitzgerald-Nugents (or vice-versa!) including their eminent South African descendants. I hope to publish the paper “EVE’S MEADOW, Erskine Nicol and Clonave Island in the mid nineteenth Century” in the near future. Hope this helped!

Sorry! correction to the above: please omit ‘..which Percy had inherited from his wife’s uncle in 1831.’

This is from my paper: ‘He came to own Donore through his grand uncle Sir Peter Nugent, who had died without issue and willed it to his only nephew, Thomas (Percy’s father), eldest son of Sir Peter’s sister, Christina. She had married Pierce Fitzgerald of Baltinoran (Percy’s grandfather).’

Thank you for that information - I note that in your research there is mention of a direct lineal descent from the Earls of Kildare but do you know (or have you found any records) of how that lineal descent comes about? I can't find the records of the direct line. Once again many thanks for any information

Em,

Happy to exchange more info:  schgreen at btinternet dot com

I have also exchanged info with another descendant in Australia

Simon

Here is a jpeg of pages 286-7 of “The Irish abroad, a record of the achievements of wanderers from Ireland” (London 1915.). The Pierce on the right is father to Thomas, Lattin and James. Thomas’s son Percy inherited Donore, while Lattin occupied the townland Soho, about 3 kilometers west of Donore house.

All the best!

Kevin

Hi Simon,

Have replied via email thank you so much

Thank you Kevin, that explains the confusion with two (2) Pierce Fitzgeralds which I had already found.However I cannot find any further back than Pierce Fitzgerald on the right who would have been the direct relative of my great grandfather.  Although I can go the other route & follow the Earls of Kildare lineage down, I can't find a record of Pierce Fitzgerald as a recorded son.  It would appear that all children weren't necessarily registered though, especially once the inheriting line had been covered.

I really appreciate your replies & assistance.

It’s confusing for sure. the reference on that image to the Ulster King of Arms, responsible for verification of titles. Ulster’s Office records are now classed as Genealogical Office manuscripts within the National Library of Ireland collections in Kildare Street, Dublin. Abbreviations: GO MSS - Genealogical Office Manuscripts; NLI POS - National Library of Ireland, Positive Microfilm; NLI DIG – National Library of Ireland, digitised images via Main Catalogue online; FHL BF - Family History Library, British Film.

Here’s another extract showing local hostility to the arrival of the Fitzgeralds in Donore:

Percy did not settle into his inheritance easily. A notice had been posted on Donore estate, warning that the sub-tenants have just as much right to the land as either Percy Nugent or his ‘jackal cousins and underlings’. In an effort to stamp some authority regarding control of Donore which as mentioned, had lain dormant for some time, Nugent was eventually compelled to pursue local parish priest, Fr. John Coughlan for trespass, ‘incessantly leading a rabble in hare-coursing chases across Donore estate’, despite warnings being posted throughout the estate. A large crowd would join the priest who championed for the right to hunt the land as he always had done. Coughlan, after one successful hunt called to Donore and presented the gamekeeper with two dead hares, with instructions to convey them up to the Big House where they would make a dinner for that starved house of Donore. Matters came to a head when, during an altercation with Percy’s younger brother Thomas, Fr. Coughlan had said to his face: ‘You are no Nugent, but a base-born bastard!’ perhaps giving voice to the hostility felt by his parish to the new incumbents; he had certainly expressed his views from the pulpit as was later revealed in evidence.

  The case was heard in the Dublin court. In his opening address, Percy’s counsel Mr. Tickell, KC outlined to the jury that his client traced his patrimony back as far as the land granted his family by Charles 1 and since that time his Catholic family had clung to the land and that he was now a ‘leading member of the Nugent dynasty’. However, it seems that the locals and indeed Fr. Coughlan begged to differ and appeared to resent the arrival of these Fitzgeralds to Donore. Fr. Coughlan seems skeptical of Peirce Fitzgerald’s claims to descent from the Earls of Kildare. Percy won the case, forcing Coughlan to agree to retract his remarks from the pulpit. However, costs were awarded against him, a hefty £1,000; this was an enormous penalty to clear one’s name.

Hello - I am excited to see these comments as my Great Grandfather came out from Ireland - "my great grandfather was Thomas Lattin Nugent, an accountant who left Ireland for Australia - unsure of the date as one record states he left in 1864; however he married in Aus in 1865 & as we know he had worked briefly as an accountant, then had a hawker/transport business before buying his own property."

The property that he purchased was 'Mongool', Yuleba, Queensland

Alan Thomas Lattin Fitzgerald.