Author Topic: List of Cromwellian Soldiers  (Read 47379 times)

Offline Barbara Eyre

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List of Cromwellian Soldiers
« on: Saturday 27 March 10 02:06 GMT (UK) »
I have been earnestly trying to find a source that lists those that came over with Oliver Cromwell during the invasion of Ireland in the 1640s. While many counties were affected by the land proclamation as a result of this invasion, I am particularly interested in County Wexford overall.

A distant cousin, in Ireland, firmly believes that our Eyre ancestors acquired lands in County Wexford, via Philip Boyne, as a 'thank you' for supporting Cromwell .. meaning that they came over with Cromwell and were one of thousands that acquired lands in payment for their service and settled in Ireland.

Now, Giles Eyre, of the famous Galway Eyres, did acquire lands in this manner in Wexford.  However, we have yet to establish any connection between our Eyre branch and any in the Galway region. If we could, that would make things so much easier thanks to the Eyre Dedication by Allen Stewart Hartigan which goes way back to the Eyre "seat" of Derbyshire, England.

Anyways. So far, we can only get back to:

Henry Eyre. I guesstimate his birth to be approximately 1760-1770. We are going to assume he was born in Co. Wexford.

As far as we know, his only child is:
John Eyre.  I guesstimate his birth to be approximately 1790-1800. He was married to a Sarah Edwards.  Again, assume he was born in Co. Wexford. We have no further information on these two people.

Now, John and Sarah had several children (in order of birth): Phoebe (b. 1823), George (b. 1826), Alice (b. 1832), John (b. 1835, d. 1912), Thomas (b. 1836), and William (b. 1845, d. 1908) ... William being my great-great-grandfather.

Now - Henry, John, Thomas, and William are all mentioned in the record of claims for the Rebellion of 1798 in Co. Wexford.

I also have all those kids mentioned in the Kilnamanagh Baptismal Register 1818-1836 (Co. Wexford).

So, I'm needing more information on John and Sarah ... John's father, Henry ... and all the way back to the Cromwell invasion. 

Since obtaining any records (birth, marriage, death) going backward from the very early 1800s seems to be getting harder exponentially,  I figure I could work forwards from when our first Eyre came to Ireland during the Cromwell invasion and got the lands in Co. Wexford. Hence, my search for a list of those that came with Cromwell and receive lands as payment for service.  My distant cousin is quickly running out of resources to search on the above mentioned people. I have a feeling the records (mainly church birth, marriage, death) we need just never existed or were destroyed at one point or another.

I have Google'd and Bing'd for months now for websites and publications. I can only find the history of the invasion and the fact that there were lands given out .... but thus far, none that list people in particular.  I can't even find reference that lists do not exist - which I can only conclude that they DO exist ... but who has published them ??

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Eyre: Co. Kilkenny/Co. Wexford, Ireland
Bradley: Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Christie: Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Thompson: W. Derby, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Taylor: Woodbury, Litchfield Co., CT -> Manhattan, NY 
Wood: Delevin, MN -> Greene, NY -> Bergen, NJ

Offline shanew147

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Re: List of Cromwellian Soldiers
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 27 March 10 12:43 GMT (UK) »
not certain if this fits the exact timeframe or plantation event you are thinking of - but a web-article on Library Ireland describes land being given to Cromwell's army and adventurers in several counties, but not Wexford .. see extract :

'The debt claimed by the Adventurers amounted to £336,000, to be paid in lands the position of which was to be determined by lot. Ten counties of the richest part of Ireland—Limerick, Tipperary, King's and Queen's Counties, Meath and Westmeath, Down, Antrim, Armagh, and Waterford - some of them planted with English and Scottish during the last century, were now to be handed over to the newcomers, halved between the army and the Adventurers.'

see : http://www.libraryireland.com/HullHistory/Cromwell3.php

The Eyre entry in MacLysaght's 'Surnames of Ireland' describes Eyre as 'an influential Cromwellian family in Co. Galway, where the placenames Eyrecourt and Eyreville perpetuate it.....Apart from this [Galway] family... there were English officials  named Eyre in Ireland in the 16thC..the name is of great antiquity in England..'


Shane
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Offline genealogymaster

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Re: List of Cromwellian Soldiers
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 27 March 10 19:23 GMT (UK) »
It was in 1649 that Cromwell landed in Ireland and not 1860
See some information about him and ireland here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cromwellian_conquest_of_Ireland

This piece you should find more helpful to your research

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Offline hallmark

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Re: List of Cromwellian Soldiers
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 27 March 10 20:43 GMT (UK) »
'Inquisitionum in Officio Rotulorum Cancellariae Hiberniae asservatarum Repertorium', is a repertory of Inquisitions preserved in the Rolls Office of the Court of Chancery of Ireland. There are several volumes apparently! Not sure if they cover Cromwell's time but they do precede him. Might be worth investigating.

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Offline Barbara Eyre

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Re: List of Cromwellian Soldiers
« Reply #4 on: Monday 29 March 10 04:19 BST (UK) »
Thank you all for helping out.

genealogymaster - I think you misread my entire post. I said I was trying to work my way forward from the Cromwell invasion to the earliest known members of my Eyre branch, that being Henry Eyre (b. abt 1760-1770). 

shane - It's odd that the piece you referenced doesn't mention County Wexford, when that was one of the major counties attacked by Cromwell's men. Now, I'm not referring to the Plantation (transplanting of Irish families to west Ireland, as that did not apply to my Eyre branch as they stayed in Wexford and later in Co. Kilkenny).

Your last paragraph - Again, that reference really only to the Galway Eyres. And yet we can not find that connection (if there is one) between my Eyre branch and Galway.  So, that sentence: Apart from this [Galway] family... there were English officials named Eyre in Ireland in the 16thC.'  I'm wondering if my branch came from one of those officials! Hmmmm.

hallmark - wow, that was a mouthful of a title! LOL If I am in the US, I wonder if I would access to these rolls in any way?  I think I'll pass this tidbit along and see if my distant cousin in Ireland can access them.

Again, thank you all for taking the time to help out. We've been researching this for quite a few years with no progress ... am beginning to think Henry is as far back as we'll ever get. Pity!
Eyre: Co. Kilkenny/Co. Wexford, Ireland
Bradley: Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Christie: Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Thompson: W. Derby, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Taylor: Woodbury, Litchfield Co., CT -> Manhattan, NY 
Wood: Delevin, MN -> Greene, NY -> Bergen, NJ

Offline Rena

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Re: List of Cromwellian Soldiers
« Reply #5 on: Monday 29 March 10 05:10 BST (UK) »
I had a look on this url to see if I could find anything

http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=Cromwell%20AND%20Ireland%20AND%20mediatype%3Atexts

I entered this search "Text":  Cromwell AND Ireland = 26 results

and had a quick look at this (below) book which contains a list of Cromwell's favourites.  On Page 223 there were two EYRE's mentioned - neither were from Derbyshire.

http://www.archive.org/details/prestwichsrespub00pres
P223  Henry Eyre, Esquire, Recorder.
William Eyre of Nestone, Esquire
Aberdeen: Findlay-Shirras,McCarthy: MidLothian: Mason,Telford,Darling,Cruikshanks,Bennett,Sime, Bell: Lanarks:Crum, Brown, MacKenzie,Cameron, Glen, Millar; Ross: Urray:Mackenzie:  Moray: Findlay; Marshall/Marischell: Perthshire: Brown Ferguson: Wales: McCarthy, Thomas: England: Almond, Askin, Dodson, Well(es). Harrison, Maw, McCarthy, Munford, Pye, Shearing, Smith, Smythe, Speight, Strike, Wallis/Wallace, Ward, Wells;Germany: Flamme,Ehlers, Bielstein, Germer, Mohlm, Reupke

Offline shanew147

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Re: List of Cromwellian Soldiers
« Reply #6 on: Monday 29 March 10 08:50 BST (UK) »
shane - It's odd that the piece you referenced doesn't mention County Wexford, when that was one of the major counties attacked by Cromwell's men. .....


the article is not referring to the counties attacked - just the fact the the land awarded to the Cromwellian soldiers and adventurers was from the 'Ten richest counties of Ireland..', therefore doesn't sound like Wexford was one of these at the time..


Shane
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Offline Barbara Eyre

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Re: List of Cromwellian Soldiers
« Reply #7 on: Monday 29 March 10 16:27 BST (UK) »
the article is not referring to the counties attacked - just the fact the the land awarded to the Cromwellian soldiers and adventurers was from the 'Ten richest counties of Ireland..', therefore doesn't sound like Wexford was one of these at the time..
Shane

Ahhh, you're right! I mis-read that initially. Yes, Co. Wexford wasn't one of the richest counties in that aspect. But lands were given to supporters/adventurers in Wexford as noted with Giles Eyre of Galway. Lands in Wexford were probably given out at a later date than when the majority of Irish lands were given out.

So very interesting!  Thank you again! =)
Eyre: Co. Kilkenny/Co. Wexford, Ireland
Bradley: Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Christie: Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Thompson: W. Derby, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Taylor: Woodbury, Litchfield Co., CT -> Manhattan, NY 
Wood: Delevin, MN -> Greene, NY -> Bergen, NJ

Offline Barbara Eyre

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Re: List of Cromwellian Soldiers
« Reply #8 on: Monday 29 March 10 16:49 BST (UK) »
Rena,

I keep forgetting about that archive site!
How I wish that was my Henry Eyre, but it's just about 130-150 years too soon LOL. 

I've often wonder if my Henry Eyre was born in Ireland or England. So far, we can not find any birth, marriage, or death record of him. He's only mentioned as a father - that is how we know of him.

This entry you found is definitely something to keep just in case. Thank you!
Eyre: Co. Kilkenny/Co. Wexford, Ireland
Bradley: Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Christie: Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Thompson: W. Derby, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Taylor: Woodbury, Litchfield Co., CT -> Manhattan, NY 
Wood: Delevin, MN -> Greene, NY -> Bergen, NJ