The O'Leary's (O'Laoghaire) of Ireland (The Irish Theory)
All names are in bold for ease of reference.
It is a common belief that our Ollier's were of French descent, I have found no firm evidence to date either genealogicaly or circumstantial to support this theory, we are often quoted to be of Huguenot descent but again no evidence has come to light. I think this theory is based on the fact the the modern day spelling of Ollier is French ie: Ollier is a French name and hence the Cheshire Ollier's must have been Huguenot by assumption.
The first exodus of the Huguenot's was after the St Bartholomews Day Massacre in 1572 mainly to the Low Countries, the second in 1685 after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, those of this exodus that fled to England came to the South East and parts of Southern England where they then seemed to have settled. There was an Olier Family of Huguenot descent who settled in London after 1685, research has shown that they had no known connection with our Ollier's of Cheshire and were in fact descended from a prominant French family from whom the famous Rev. Sidney Smith was descended.
There were also the Olier's of Dublin who later became D'Ollier's, this was the family of Isaac Olier who came to Ireland from France by way of the Low Countries to fight with William of Orange in the 1690's. Isaac Olier was also from a prominant French family.
The earliest Ollier recorded in Cheshire is that of William Alloheire (Transcribed as Holowhear in the Book of Pestbury Marriages in 1570) Note the letter "h" in the surname as this has a bearing later on in this article. We know from the Parish Registers that William settled or was living at or near Davenham in Cheshire, we have the baptism record of two children by him John & Robert and the burial of his first wife Elizabeth, also his second marriage to Margaret and finally his own burial, all recorded at Davenham. Sadly parts of the that Parish Register are missing so we cannot say for sure who was the farther of Williams grandchildren however we do know through the will of a John Ollier (Olliere in his burial record) that there was a very close link with a Michael Ollier and Michael's children and their subsequent marriages in the mid 1600's and it is almost certain that John & Michael were brothers.
One of Michael's children was William, he was baptised at Davenham in 1637 [William the son of Michael Oleheyre] The original record is very hard to read, the last two letters of the surname are hard to discern, however the "h" in the middle of the name is clear to see in the original record as is the letter "y". The name has a great similarity with that of Alloheire from a phonetic point of view and although as previously mentioned it's hard to say for sure who Michael's farther was it is almost certain from this circumstantial evidence that he must have been either John or Robert (Probably John as the name Robert was never carried on) and that Michael's grandfarther was William Alloheire.
So where does that leave us....well... a William Alloheire in Cheshire in 1570 (of marrying age) with no other records of that name for that period in Cheshire or the whole of England to date.
With this all we can conclude (as we always have done in the past) is that he was from another country.
The Irish Theory
Well ... a lot of me dads mates were Irish so may be there is something to it!! It has been a theory of mine for a couple of years now, that may be our Ollier's came from across the sea, it has been a case of can't see the wood for the trees, some one suggested to me in early 2007 that may be Oleary with the "y" being dropped might be something to follow up, glad I did.
The surname of O' Leary is of Irish Origin and goes back to the time of the Gaels, a quick bit of research soon told me that the Gaelic spelling is Ó Laoghaire (With known variations such as Ó Laogaire & Ó laoire) It did not take long to see the striking similarity between this Gaelic name and the Alloheire's in the early Cheshire records.
What was needed then was a reason for any Ó Laoghaire to leave Ireland prior to 1570 and may be settle in Cheshire, England. The second point is an easy one, Cheshire has long had for many centuaries a strong trading link with Ireland especially when it came to cattle & flax, Cheshire has always provided excellent farming land. The first point was a little harder for me to find as I don't know much about history, however, a good reason - event turns up in Irish history known as the Desmond Wars or Rebellions (3) a brief description of this event can be seen further down this page (note the events of 1569 relating to Mac Carthy Mor, the Ó Laoghaire's had held lands under the Mac Carthy Mor's according to various sources) The meaning of the name Ó Laoghaire is commonly believed to be "Calf Herd" or "Herdsman" their origins in Ireland are mainly in County Cork in the Province of Munster. The "gh" would have hardly been pronounced according to most Gaelic Language sources.
So in theory a reason for the Ó Laghaire's or an Ó Laghaire to leave Ireland in the right time frame have now been established...question is did they or he leave and did they or he settle in Cheshire ? The Juries still out but it looks like a strong or may be the only possibilty. Any comments on this would be welcome
Below are various extracts from various sources with reference to the O'Leary surname
1
The O'Leary Crest. This is the official extract from Burke's General Armory for O'Leary of Uibh Laoghaire.
Blazon of Arms: Argent, a lion passant in base gules, in the chief a ship of three masts sable, sails set proper, from the stern the flag of Saint George flotant.
Motto: LAIDIR ISE LEAR RIGH. "Strong is the King of the Sea"
Crest: Out of a ducal coronet or, an arm in armour enbowed, holding a sword proper, pommel and hilt. The crest is said to represents 'Strength on Land and on the Sea'. This may be as a result of when the family was believed to have lived on the coast near Rosscarbery.
Name Meaning: "Herdsman or Calf Keeper" The original name Laoghaire is supposed to mean 'the calf-keeper'. Suffice to say that Laoghaire was a fairly common name used in various parts of Country Cork. When surnames were introduced in the 11th.c. this family took its surname from an ancestor, Laoghaire son of Ros, son of Eirc, and former chieftan from the 6th.c. who presumably was well remembered at that time. There were believed to be other Clans who took the surname O'Leary, but none of these are known to have survived.
Variations of the Name: O'Leary, Leary, Lary, Laury, Learey, O'Laoghaire, O'Laoire.
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2
The O'Leary Families In the 10th.c. A.D. King Brian Boru ordered all families to adopt surnames. Many chose a surname which honoured their father (the Mac names) and others similarly honoured their grandfather or earlier ancestor (the O' names). So most surnames were patronymic. Laoghaire (Laoire) was not an uncommon first name, so it is not surprising that several families called themselves O'Laoghaire at that time. Today we only know of three such families, but there were probably others which have died out since. These three families of O'Laoghaire were;
1. O'Laoghaire of Uibh Laoghaire in West Cork.
2. O'Laoghaire of Fermoy in East Cork.
3. O'Laoghaire of Sligo.
The third group never seem to have been very populous; they are in evidence in the 16th.c. Fiants in the Sligo region, and some O'Learys who come from the North West of Ireland may be descended from this Group. The history of these three groups is very obscure, but we list below some of the little evidence which is available.
O'Laoghaire of Uibh Laoghaire in West Cork
This clan claim descent from Luy Maccon who was king of the Corca Loighde tribe and for some time High King of Ireland. The territory of Corca Loighde extended along the South West coast roughly from Kinsale to the Beare peninsula. These were Erainn people, ie. the Celtic people who inhabited Ireland before the coming of the Gaels in about 600 B.C. Luy Maccon is dated to the period 160-230 A.D. He was reputed to have had seven sons. The eldest was the progenitor of the O'Driscolls who became the chief kings of this area. The O'Laoghaires claimed descent from his fifth son, Fothach Cannan. This branch were chieftains of a territory around the present town of Ross Carbery, called Tuaith Ruis or Tuaith Indolaich. In later years there was founded in this Tuath the monastery of Burgatia, and later still a University, Priory and Cathedral. These were under the patronage of St.Fachtna, who himself was a member of the family. Ross is still a Diocese in both Churches, and a Cathedral town. The family continued as chieftains of this area until the 12th.c. Their surname became O'Laoghaire after one of their chieftains of the 6th.c. There is still in existence a pedigree showing the chieftainly descent, but like most such, it is flawed by having five or six generations apparently missing. Towards the end of the 12th.c. (alleged to be in 1192 AD) the O'Laoghaire clan left their ancient territory under pressure from other surrounding dynasties, and moved up into the rugged and inaccessible hills of Uibh Laoghaire around Lough Allua. Uibh Laoghaire, or Inchigeelagh, is a large Parish of some 46,000 acres and with a population which once reached 6,000. It forms part of the huge territory under the sway of the McCarthy of Muskerry who resided in Blarney and Macroom Castles. There the O'Laoghaire remained until the present time, but lost their lands to Protestant planters in the late 17th.c. To this day there are many families of O'Learys in the Parish, but most of their descendants are now scattered around the World. We do have some knowledge of the last few generations of chieftains before they were extinguished; from Amhlaoibh born c.1335 AD through the last eight generations to Donal mac Art, who was the last elected chieftain and who died after being sent to Connacht in 1655 AD. We also have the remains of their three tower houses, or Castles in which they lived. One indeed is still standing; Carrignacurra just outside Inchigeelagh. A large proportion of O'Learys throughout the World are descended from this branch. O'Laoghaire of Fermoy in East Cork. Until recently this was believed to have been a separate and unconnected family who assumed the same surname. They were part of the Erainn Tribe of Fir Maine Fene who occupied the area along the River Blackwater before the coming of the Gaels. This was later part of the O'Keefe kingdom and the O'Laoghaire were sub-chieftains occupying the fort of Dun Cruadha in Glanworth. When the Anglo-Normans seized this land the O'Laoghaire lost their territory to Roche, later known as Lord Fermoy. The Roches built their chief Castle on the fort of O'Laoghaire, and renamed it Castletownroche. Thereafter these O'Laoghaire lost their freeholds and became tenants of the Roches. Because of these circumstances, there is very little record of their activities. They were numerous but did not feature in the records. A further section of this family moved to Wexford with one of the Roches, whose tenants they were. There is still a large population of them in the Fethard area.
O'Laoghaire of Sligo
Even less is known of this O'Leary family. They are to be noted in the Fiants where they appear as soldiers and servants of the O'Haras. There are a few O'Learys in Cos. Mayo and Sligo today who may be the remnants of this family.
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3
The Desmond Wars
[A brief description of the first conflict is given below, the date of the first war or rebelion would certainly give a reason why some of the O'Laohaire's might have left Ireland possibly for the County of Cheshire in England.]
The Desmond Rebellions occurred in the 1569 - 1573 and 1579 - 1583 in Munster in Southern Ireland. They were rebellions of the Earl of Desmond dynasty, the Fitzgerald family or Geraldines and their allies against the efforts of the Elizabethan English government to extend their control over the province of Munster. The rebellions were primarily about the independence of Feudal lords from their monarch but also had an element of religious conflict Roman Catholic against Protestant. The result of the rebellions was the destruction of the Desmond dynasty and the subsequent Plantations of Ireland or colonisation of Munster with English settlers.
The Causes
The south of Ireland (the provinces of Munster and southern Leinster) was dominated, as it had been for over two centuries, by the Butlers of Ormonde and Fitzgeralds of Desmond, who formed what were essentially miniature feudal principates. Both houses raised their own armed forces and imposed their own law, a mixture of Irish and English customs independent of the English government of Ireland in Dublin. However, since the 1530s, successive English administrations in Ireland had been trying to expand English control over all of Ireland. By the 1560s, their attention had turned to the south of Ireland and Henry Sidney Lord Deputy of Ireland, was charged with establishing the authority of the English government over the independent lordships there. His solution was the formation of "lord presidencies" provincial military governors who would replace the local lords as military powers and keepers of the peace. The local dynasties saw the presidencies as intrusions into their sphere of influence, and into their traditional violent competition with each other. This had seen the Butlers and Fitzgeralds fight a pitched battle against each other at Affane in Waterford in 1565. This was a blatant defiance of the Elizabethan state's law. Elizabeth I of England summoned the heads of both houses to London to explain their actions. However, the treatment of the dynasties was not even handed. Thomas Butler 3rd Earl of Ormonde who was the Queen's cousin was pardoned, while both Gerald Fitzgerald 15th Earl of Desmond (in 1567) and his brother, John of Desmond, widely regarded as the real military leader of the Fitzgeralds, (in 1568) were arrested and detained in the Tower of London on Ormonde's urging. This decapitated the natural leadership of the Munster Geraldines and left the Desmond Earldom in the hands of a soldier, James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald, the "captain general" of the Desmond military. Fitzmaurice had little stake in a new de-militarised order in Munster, which envisaged the abolition of the Irish lords' private armies. A factor that drew wider support for Fitzmaurice was the prospect of land confiscations, which had been mooted by Sidney and Peter Carew, an English colonist. This ensured Fitzmaurice the support of important clans, notably MacCarthy Mor, O'Sullivan Beare and O'Keefe and two prominent Butlers brothers of the Earl. Fitzmaurice himself had lost the land he had held at Kerricurrihy in County Cork, which had been leased instead to English colonists. He was also a devout Catholic, influenced by the counter reformation, which made him see the Protestant Elizabethan governors as his enemies. To discourage Sidney from going ahead with the Lord Presidency for Munster and to re-establish Desmond primacy over the Butlers, he planned a rebellion against the English presence in the south and against the Earl of Ormonde. Fitzmaurice however had wider aims than simply the recovery of Fitzgerald supremacy within the context of the English Kingdom of Ireland. Before the rebellion, he secretly sent Maurice MacGibbon, Catholic Archbishop of Cashel to seek military aid from Phillip II of Spain.
The First Desmond Rebellion
Fitzmaurice launched his rebellion by attacking the English colony at Kerrycurihy south of Cork city in June 1569 before attacking Cork itself and those native lords who refused to join the rebellion. Fitzmaurice's force of up to 4,500 men went on to besiege Kilkenny, seat of the Earls of Ormonde in July. In response, Sidney mobilised 600 English troops, who marched south from Dublin and another 400 troops landed by sea in Cork. Thomas Butler, Earl of Ormonde returned from London, where he had been at court, brought the rebel Butlers out of the rebellion and mobilised Gaelic Irish Clans antagonistic to the Geraldines. Together, Ormonde, Sidney and Humphrey Gilbert, appointed as governor of Munster, began devastating the lands of Fitzmaurice's allies. Fitzmaurice's forces broke up, as individual lords had to retire to defend their own territories. Gilbert in particular was notorious for the terror tactics he employed, killing civilians at random and setting up a corridor of severed heads at the entrance to his camps. Sidney forced Fitzmaurice into the mountains of County Kerry, from where he launched hit and run attacks on the English and their allies. By 1570, most of Fitzmaurice's allies had submitted to Sidney. The most important, Donal MacCarthy Mor surrendered in November 1569. Nevertheless, the guerrilla campaign dragged on for three more years. In February 1571, John Perrot was made Lord President of Munster, pursuing Fitzmaurice with 700 troops for over a year without success. Fitzmaurice had some victories, capturing an English ship near Kinsale and burning the town of Kilmallock in 1571, for example, but by early 1573, his force was reduced to less than 100 men. Fitzmaurice finally submitted on February 23, having negotiated a pardon for his life. However in 1574, he again became landless and in 1575 he sailed to France to seek help from the Catholic powers to start another rebellion.Gerald Fitzgerald, Earl of Desmond, and his brother John were released from prison to stabilise the situation and to reconstruct their shattered territory. Under a new settlement imposed after the rebellion, known as "composition", the Desmond's military forces were limited by law to just 20 horsmen and their tenants made to pay rent to them rather supply military service or to quarter their soldiers. Perhaps the biggest winner of the first Desmond Rebellion was the Earl of Ormonde, who established himself as loyal to the English Crown and as the most powerful lord in the south of Ireland. Although all of the local chiefs had submitted by the end of the rebellion, the methods used to suppress it provoked lingering resentment, especially among the Irish mercenaries; gall oglaigh or "gallowglass" as the English termed them, who had rallied to Fitzmaurice. William Drury, the new Lord President of Munster from 1576, executed around 700 of them in the years after the rebellion. Furthermore the aftermath of the rebellion, Gaelic customs such as Brehon Laws, Irish dress, bardic poetry and the maintaining of private armies were outlawed, things that were highly provocative to traditional Irish society. Fitzmaurice, by contrast, had deliberately emphasised the Gaelic character of the rebellion, wearing the Irish dress, speaking only Irish and referring to himself as the captain ( taoiseach ) of the Geraldines. Finally, Irish landowners continued to be threatened by the arrival of English colonists. All of these factors meant that, when Fitzmaurice returned from continental Europe to start a new rebellion, there were plenty of discontented people in Munster waiting to join him.
[The details of the second rebelion are not given as this rebelion was after the first known recording of the Alloheire (Poss. Ó Laoghaire) surname in Cheshire.]
The above is not a definative answer to the Alloheire's of Cheshire but it certainly gives food for thought.
The Ancestors of Charles Ollier - Author & Publisher of London
The Family of Charles Ollier - Author & Publisher of London
The Ancestors of Richard Ollyer (Ollier) - Brewer of Holborn London