I was born in India. I married a Co Wexford man and this is where my family home has been for the last forty years.
In 2001 I discovered that my Great Great Grandfather James White, who I thought was English, in fact turned out to be a native of Feakle, Co.Clare.
He was born in 1809 and at the age of 18, he was a Clerk, when he enlisted in Scarrif in the East India Company's European Infantry Force. He was shipped out to India on the ship "Edinburgh" in 1828 to Bombay and became part of the Bombay Army.
He married in 1840 in Aden Caroline Haytor, possiibly English but a Roman Catholic. They had several children. He progressed from Private to the rank of non-commissioned officer and was a Sub-Conductor , when at the age of 53 he waas killed, leaving his widow and young family including my Great Great Grandmother Mary Jane aged a few months old, in very impoverished circumstances. My Great Great Grandmother Caroline, was able to claim and obtain a widow's pension from the Lord Clive fund, until her death in 1862.
Of his Irish family, I have no knowledge, so if there are any Whites in the Feakle/Scarrif area, to whom this story makes any impression, please,please make contact.
As I say for James it was indeed " a long long way from Clare to here."
Thank You.
Wednesday 31st Jul 2013, 08:56AM
Message Board Replies
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Hi,
There is a nice book "A History of Tuamgraney & Scariff, Since Earliest Times" by Gerard Madden. It is a super book on the area and has a bit on a James White of Mountshannon.
From Page 101:
"Thomas Samposn was coroner for County Clare and resided at St Margaret's, Tulla. In June 1809 he held an inquest at Moynoe Church into the death of one James White and the jury found that he came to his death 'in consequence of stones thrown at him'. White was one of two men killed at a fair in Mountshannon when a faction fight broke out."
I guess this man could be the father of your James White. He could have even died before your James White was born or just after. Or to tell you truth, he could be completely unrelated to your man.
You can get this book at the East Clare Heritage Center in Tuamgraney for a very reasonable price. My ancestors are from Feakle, Clare and I frequently use this book.
You should check the Library web site for County Clare. There is lots of data there on much of County Clare. See www.clarelibrary.ie
- In the donated materials Births-Deaths-Marriages section: http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/don_tran/bmd/index_bmd.htm where you will find the entire parish baptism and marriage registers for Feakle transcribed along with the marriage register for Scariff & Moynoe church. I will check the baptism register that I am in process of transcribing for WHITE families. Unfortunately, the Feakle register is only from 1860 through 1880 and the Scariff & Moynoe register is from 1852 through 1880.
From "Surnames of Ireland" is this on WHITE:
"An English name numerous in every province since the fourteenth century, for which de Faoite is used in Irish. White, by translation of the words b?n and geal often replaces Bane, Bawn, Galligan and Kilbane. Bibl; App; IF Map Down and Sligo"
At National Archives http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/ you can check the 1901 and 1911 census (Feakle DED) and also search Co Clare for WHITE surname to see if any are nearby. You can also search the Tithe Applotment records (1820s / 1830s) here and at the Clare Library site.
But check out the genealogy section of the Clare Library site:http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/genealog.htm
Best of luck to you.
James McNamara
Feakle Parish Liaison
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Hi,
There is much more on WHITE families including the faction fighter in the book "For God or King, the History of Mountshannon, Co. Clare, 1742-1992," edited by Gerard Madden. You can also get this book at the East Clare Heritage Centre in Tuamgraney. You can find their web site in a google search.
From this book:
- The Faction Fighter James White is said to have lived in Clonamerrin.
- In 1901 White family was found at DERRORAN or DERRYORAN townland.
- White was still in CAPPADUFF townland at the time of the writing of this book.
Best wishes,
James McNamara
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There are many White children baptized here:
DateChildFatherMotherPlace 1854HonoraFrankWhiteRachelKe__ 5DEC1856BernardJamesWhiteMaryClaryScariff12NOV1857PatMich'lBennetAnneWhite 27OCT1858PattJamesWhiteMaryCleary _JUN1859MaryMich'lBennetAnneWhite 21MAR1860ElizaJamesWhiteMaryCleary 20AUG1861RichardM'lBennettAnneWhite 1JAN1862WilliamPattWhiteKateRaleigh[Rawley] 4JUN1862JohnJamesWhiteMaryCleary 31DEC1862JohnPattWhiteAnneRaleigh 21JAN1864BridgetJamesWhiteMaryCleary 4MAR1864JohnMich'lBennettAnneWhite 28SEP 1864Mich'lJohnWhiteMaryBoyce 26FEB1865PattPattWhiteKateRaleigh 9AUG1865MichaelJamesWhiteMaryCleary 20SEP 1869KateJnoWhiteMaryBoyce 23OCT1869Mary AnneJasWhiteMaryCleary 20MAR1871MaryJnoWhiteMaryBoyce
BTW - This Mary Cleary is likely one of my relatives but don't know for sure. I may eventually know but hope you can use this information.
All the best,
James McNamara
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Many Thanks James, for your information.
I shall certainly trawl the sources you have give, and if you should, in your researching come across Whites from around the 1810 period, I should be grateful for a line,
Good Luck and Kind Regards - Marjorie-Co Wexford
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Hi Marjorie,
I've left a request with the other county Clare Ireland XO Liaisons to help with identifying the remaining Whites in the area. Hope it will work out for you.
All ther best,
James McNamara
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Once more James - many thanks.
It is a long shot, considering the antiquity of it, but we genealogists live in hope, don't we!!!!!!!!
Good Luck
Marjorie
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Once more James - many thanks.
It is a long shot, considering the antiquity of it, but we genealogists live in hope, don't we!!!!!!!!
Good Luck
Marjorie
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Hi Marjorie,
There were two WHITE men in the online Irish Phone Book:
- WHITE, Martin, Garaun, Whitegate, Co Clare, (061) 926893
- WHITE, Jas, Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare, (065) 7074459
Why not call these two up and ask if they know of the faction fighter or your ancestor who left for India.
Take care,
James.
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Hi James,
Dare I say it, 'great minds etc etc..' I have been trying to lay my hands on a Co Clare telephone directory, had tried online without success, and had planned a visit to Wexford Library for that purpose.
I have Portuguese ancestry as well as Irish, and in 2001 contacted the Portuguese Embassy in Dublin, who sent me copies of pages of the Lisbon telephone directory, I then circularised all the people with our common surname, and not only did I receive three replies from people very distantly related to me but also from two of them fully illustrated Family Tree.
People (you are an example) are very kind. Fortunately I have since had the opportunity to pay forward their kindness and assist other fellow genealogists.
Kind regards,
Marjorie
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Dear Marjorie:
I have been following this thread this evening. Jim made contact with me via email about the Whites. There were Whites in Tulla. I will have a look for you and get back to you with what I can find.
Interestingly enough, there is a White's building here in Tulla. It was known as Whites and it was a very successful small hotel for fishermen and anglers who came to the East Clare area for the great fishing that was here in the spring.
My apologies for the delay, as I was very involved in the Tulla Weekend of the Welcomes and then away for a number of days after.
Kind regards,
Jane.
Tulla XO Parish Liaison
Tulla Clare, IrelandXO Volunteer