My Irish Ancestry

My sister wanted to know how Irish we were.  I'm not very good at these questions.  My sister is a genealogical civilian, so I said 1/8th.  That's not a bad approximation.  I'm sure there are programs you can use to get the correct percentage, but I'm always a bit reluctant to say a person is Irish in my ancestry, because many were Ulster Irish or Scots Irish.  So, if you go back even further than Ireland, they are more than likely Scottish.  In any case, here are my ancestors who were born in Ireland:

3-greats

Thomas Stack 1818-1899 and his wife Abigail Cody 1821-1888, both from Co. Cork and my only Irish Catholic ancestors.  Arrived in New Brunswick prior to 1846 when they married.   

4-greats

James Quigley 1800-1885 and his children, including my 3-great grandfather William T. Quigley.  James was from Londonderry and they arrived in New Brunswick in 1840.

James Smyth 1809-1885 from Co. Armagh and his wife Catherine Sinclair 1819-1900 from Ballymagarry, Co. Antrim, who arrived with her parents Finley and Martha (Lawrence) Sinclair.  James arrived in New Brunswick in 1833.  The Sinclairs arrived in 1822.

Joseph Killen 1784-1840 from Co. Tyrone and his wife Lydia Robertson 1784-1874.  Their daughter Eliza married William T. Quigley, above.  Joseph arrived in New Brunswick in 1825.

5-greats

James Martin 1759-1842 from Co. Down.  My only revolutionary war soldier to fight with the British.  He later stayed in Nova Scotia and married a Prudence Wickwire, a New England Yankee transplant.  Was in Nova Scotia directly after the war in 1781.

6-greats

John Denny c. 1725-1797 and his wife Rebecca Mitchell.  John was in Nova Scotia by 1770.

Robert Spencer c. 1720-1794 from Clanda Horky, Co. Donegal and his wife.  Robert was in Nova Scotia by 1770.

7-greats

John Swan c. 1695-aft 1774 and his wife Margaret.  He was in Stow, Massachusetts by 1730.

Robert Russell c. 1695-1748 and his wife Mary.  Their daughter Mary Russell married William Swan, son of the above couple. He was in Stow, Massachusetts by 1730.

John Archibald c. 1693-1751 and his wife Margaret and son Samuel whose wife Eleanor Taylor was also from Ireland.  They came Co. Derry.  He arrived in Nutfield (later Derry), New Hampshire by 1719 or 1720.

Comments

[Rick Wickwire]

I would be interested in corresponding with the author of the blog entry that lists James Martin and his wife Prudence Wickwire. I am the coordinator for the Wickwire Family History Group and perhaps we could share information.

Best regards,

Rick Wickwire
cfwickwi@bechtel.com