CARLOW TO LANARK
– Tennant Family History(Selected pages, copied with grateful acknowledgement, from an out of print book about the Tennant family who went from Ireland to Lanark, Canada in 1820. Original versions written by Robert Dawson Tennant, Canada, between 1950-1986.
First Written Record of Our Kin
Several versions of this history were received from different branches of the family.(writes R.D.Tennant) The following, which appears more extensive, was received in 1965 from Mayme Tennant daughter of Dr. Elijah Tennant.
"Dedicated to my daughter Mrs.Maria Phillips by her father Thomas Tennant, Lanark, December 1880"
I was born on the September l7th AD 1804 in the townland of Newton, County of Carlow, Province of Leinster, Ireland. My ancestors were English, came to Ireland about the time Cromwell invaded that country about 1650. My grandfather's name was Thomas, he had three sons, Robert, Richard and Thomas. My father's name was Thomas (and grandfather) had three daughters, Ann, Julia and Mary.
(Townland probably derives from the Anglo-Saxon ‘toun’ which means farmstead. Gaelic equivalent is Baile or Bally when anglicised. The 1907 Ord.Survey map states "Ballynoe or Newtown" for the area a mile south of Aghade Church, shown in the same typeface as adjacent Ballinastraw. Today much of Ballinastraw is one farm and Ballynoe is a large house but the crossroads in the village of Ardattin are still shown as "Newtown Crossroads"on Ordanance Survey Map 61, Discovery series.)
My grandmother's name was Butler (other versions identify her as Judith, and indicate that Thomas was a stone-mason), she ran away with my grandfather, was married, for which she was disinherited of a large fortune, her friends being of high aristocracy, however they lived happily together, and their remains lie buried in a church yard called Ahade (sic) (See Aghade) about one mile from where they resided. The family monument is built enclosed with cut stone intended to defy the ravages of time.
1(Aghade is pronounced Ahade by the locals hence the misspell. I have visited the church twice and found no sign of Judith’s grave but the stone for their son Richard and grandson Thomas is on the right between the gate and church This large flat stone is now secured vertically against a small granite wall but may have once covered a vault. This I think was the work of Bruce Tennant in 1970. Is Bruce alive, does anyone know whether it was moved from its original location?)
2(The Butler family at Ballintemple is well documented but as yet no relevant Judith. However a mile east of Ardattin is Broomsville or Clonachona, a Butler home that predates Ballintemple and might have been her home if she was Protestant. Alternatively Judith may have been from the Catholic Butlers in nearby Tullow. Either way Judith would not be popular with her father for marrying Thomas so soon after the war with Cromwell, if Thomas was English descent. Ballintemple House was not built when Judith was a child- source Butler Society- but the Building of it would require stonemasons such as Thomas).
3(Edmund Butler brother of the 10th Duke of Ormande acquired Garryhunden House and Ballin Temple estate about 1600 and passed them on to his fifth son Thomas in 1602. Thomas was granted a Baronetcy in 1628. James Butler of Clonachana died around 1723 leaving his son Richard Butler(d1771) to inherit the 5th Baronetcy from an uncle. Sir Richard died in 1771. His brother William m1731 to Anne Pierce, a possible source of our christian name but there were many members of the Butler family also called Pierce, anglicized from the Norman Piers. The most famous at that time was Maj.Pierce Butler(b1744) signatory to the USA Constitution.)
My father Thomas was married to Anne Hill of respectable origin, also English descent. Her father's name was George Hill. He lived to be 103 years old, a splendid looking person was he. I remember his dressed wig and silver buckles on his shoes. His wife's name was Dudson.
(Hill’s are well known as an English settler family in the north of Ireland)
My father's family consisted of ten sons and two daughters, three of the sons went the way of all earth when young. Seven sons and two daughters came to this country leaving the old home of their childhood on the April 12, 1820, and landed in Quebec safely on the 6th June following. (NOTE - See my comments re dates at the end of this chapter)
My father died the February 6, 1821, after a short illness. My brother William died in June with fever inside of seven days. The privations we had to encounter in a desert wild is known only to those who had to labor under similar circumstances most of whom have passed away.
In the year 1826 I was brought under the influence of Divine Grace while a poor wandering youth thousands of miles from the haunts of my childhood, and all strange to me. In the month of September my darkness was turned to light and I could rejoice in God, my Saviour. When I look back I feel grateful that I was kept from the evils prevalent among the youth of that time, with my face Zionward.
I now turn to your mother's connection. Richard Richards, your mother's father was also of English descent, was born in the County of Wexford, Ireland, on the seashore about fifteen miles from the part I came from. He had two brothers, both were doctors, and one sister. They were in affluent circumstances but the rebellion of 1798 ruined your grandfather, his property being taken by the rebels and he was shot by his own stable boy in the right arm which left it almost useless the remaining part of his life. His wife's name was Mary James. He left his old home soon
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From Page 7 & 8, CARLOW TO LANARK – Book by R.D.Tennant, annotated by D.Tennant.
Aghade Church And Other Records
In 1880 when Thomas wrote his brief history of our family,(writes R.D.Tennant) he said his father Thomas was one of a family of six born to Thomas Tennant and Judith Butler. They were Robert, Richard, Thomas, Ann, Julia and Mary. From other records we know that Thomas was born in I755 and his sister Julia was also called Judith. We do not know their order of birth.
In 1963, Canon Studdert, Rector of Aghade sent me a list of entries he found in the church registers. Some of these entries have been incorporated in the lineage portions of this history. The entire list is included here for you to ponder, with spelling of names as recorded.
Baptisms:
1.July 4,1773 Richard the son of Robert Tennant and Sarah his wife of Ballintemple in Parish of Barragh
2.Dec.18,1774 Thomas the son of Robert Tenant and Sarah his wife of B/T in P/B.
3.June27,1779 Ann daughter of Robert Tenant and Sarah his wife
4.Dec 10,1796 John son of Thomas and Ann Tenant, Parish of Barragh.
5.July 4,1799 Elizabeth daughter of Thomas and Ann Tenant, Parish of Barragh
6.Nov.29,1801 Judith daughter of Thomas and Ann Tenant, Parish of Barragh.
7.Jan. 1,1816 Mary daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Tennant, Parish of Barragh.
8.Mar 31,1816 Robert son of Pierce and Katherine Tenant, Parish of Barragh.
9.May 31,1818 Richard son of Pierce and Katherine Tennant of Newtown, P/B
10.Nov.29,1818 Robert son of Richard and Elizabeth Tenant,of Newtown, P/B.
11June,16,1822 William son to Pierce and Catherine Tenant, Parish of Barragh.
12June,20,1823 Thomas son to Robert and Elizabeth Tenant, Parish of Barragh
13Sept,26,1826 Elizabeth daughter of Robert and Betty Tennant, Collamon,P/B.
Marriages:
14. Oct. 15,1780 Dean Pierce and Judith Tennant both of Parish of Barragh.
15. Feb. l, 1820 George Tenant of Newtown, County of Carlow, P/B, to Elizabeth Smith of B/T, P/B.
(no trace so far of Pierce christian name for a Tennant until 1783 when Judith had a grandchild. It is possible that Dean Pierce was Judith's second husband)
Burials:
16. Dec. 10,1771 Richard Tenant of Aghade
17. Nov. 12 1790 Ann daughter of Robert and Sarah Tenant, Newtown.
18. Nov. 4, 1800 Sarah Tenant wife of Robert Tenant, Parish of Barragh.
19. Apr. 13,1803 Thomas Tenant son of Thomas Tenant of Newtown at Aghade.
2(The Civil Parish of Barragh has nothing to do with a Church parish but was an administrative area which on a 1900 map in Carlow Library did not extend quite as far north as Ballinastraw or Ballynoe ?)
- NEW REGISTER -
Baptisms:
20. July 27,1862 Robert Pierce son of William and Margaret Tenant of Ballinastraw
21. June 26,1864 Richard James son of William and Margaret Tenant, Ballinastraw,
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Burials:
22. Feb. 21,1837 Anne Tenant, Ardallin, (Ardattin?) age 70
23. May 7,1864 Pierce Tenant, Ardayne Parish, aged 81.
24. June 15,1868 Catherine Tenant, Ballinastraw, aged 78.
25. May 31,1875 Hannah Tenant, Carlow, aged 52.
26. July 20,1893 Margaret Tenant, Ballinastraw, aged 60.
The above prompts a few questions.
Item 10 -Is Richard an error in transcribing, as Richard died in 1771 (item 16).
If it should read "Robert", his wife Sarah died 1800 {item 18) then Elizabeth must be his wife by a second marriage and they had children Mary(1816), Robert(1818), Thomas(1823),and Elizabeth (1826), per items 7, 10, 12 and 13 respectively.
(The above hypothesis may be correct but Robert son of Judith also had a son Thomas(1772-1773) source=gravestone, therefore his likely dob is 1730/56 meaning when Elizabeth born 1826 he would be 70/96 years of age?? A more likely scenario is that Robert the father of 7,10,12 and 13 is an unregistered son of Robert and Sarah born before Sarah’s death in 1800 and possibly before the first child listed in the register in 1773. One basis for this is that Robert and Sarah would surely follow tradition and name a child Robert. Also if Sarah was his second wife then items 2 and 12 are two sons both called Thomas,in addition to the unlisted Thomas who died in 1773. The register information is probably incomplete, eg no mention of the birth of Pierce in 1783)
Among other issue was a son William (see item 11) who married Anne Thorp or Tharp in 1833. Item 11 gives baptismal date as June l6th, 1822, so he must have been about ten when baptized, very often the case in those days.
(Pierce (1783-1864) had son William (1821-1897)source = death certs. Above mixes him up with William (1797-1845)who married Anne Thorpe in 1833,lived in Carrigbeg, buried in Dunleckney. Source=gravestones. My g.gf William (1821-1897) was married to Margaret Roberts and lived at Ballinastraw- source = cert)
A Thomas Tennant, farmer, of Clowater, County of Carlow died 1812. In 1795 he had married Mary Burrows. They had a son Richard Tennant who married May 30th, 1846 at Lorum Parish Church, Anne Tennant, daughter of John Tennant, farmer, of Slygiffe, County of Carlow. Witnesses were David Tennant (of Lorum I have had earlier reference to him) and Richard Agar. The researcher suggests that this is probably the same Richard Agar who married another Anne Tennant in 1837 (Ossory iKarriage Licence Bonds).
(This Thomas could have been Thomas in item 2. I have gravestone info saying a Thomas died Dec 21st,1811 aged 41, ie b1770 perhaps baptized 4 yrs later, married to Mary Burrows.}
In a further letter from the researcher in late 1983 said he had found record of a John Tennant residing on a small holding of ten acres, next door to a 125 acre farm in the townland of Ballybar, County of Carlow, owned by James Butler, younger brother of Sir Richard Butler, Baronet (of Ballintemple).
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"Maps of the Roads of Ireland" (1777) p. 133 shows what may be this farm, then owned by "Butler, Esquire," Ballybarr, and almost adjourning is "Garryhundon, Butler, Baronet". The latter has been suggested as possibly having connection to our Judith. These are on a road south from Carlow to Gores Bridge, and across the Barrow River from Leighlin Bridge.
Through the great kindness of the Genealogical Office, Dublin Castle, I received a lengthy list of documentary references to the Tennant name, in early 1958. One of particular interest was No. 387 - 176 - 260112 from the Registry of Deeds, as detailed below.
(Garryhundon was home to Butlers prior to Broomsville and Ballintemple. It is possible that Judith and Thomas came from here as there were also many Tennant’s in the area. Thomas was probably same generation as the William below. )
Assignment, dated December 29, 1787 between (1) William Tenant, Ballybarr, County of Carlow, mason and (2) John Higgons, Ballybarr, farmer. Reciting a lease dated 22nd January 1759 whereby Thomas Butler of Garryhunver, County of Carlow, demised unto the said (1) part of the lands of Ballybarr to hold for the lives of the said (1); John Tenant and Robert Tenant, the eldest son and nephew of him the said (1) at the yearly rent of twelve shillings per acre and two couples of fat turkeys. The said (1) assigned to the said (2) the above mentioned lands to hold for the residue of the term yet unexpired, and subject to the same conditions. Registered December 21, 1787.
Also supplied was a list of - Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin Marriage Licence Bonds For Tennant:
Ann and William Collier, 1804
Ann and Richard Agar, 1837
Ann and James Heppel, 1818
Elizabeth and Robert Henry Roe, 1837
Elizabeth and Thomas Thorpe, 1833
James and Elizabeth Sly, 1823
John and Johana Maker 1842
Margaret and John Blair, 1839
Mary and Daniel Nowlan, 1793
Nicholas and Mary Scallan, 1827
Richard and Sarah Jeffers, 1836
Richard and Hannah Kinsley, 1844
Robert and Maria Evory, 1843
Robert and Jane Steacy, 1841
Susanna and William C. McAssey, 1837
Thomas and Mary Burrows, 1795
Walter and Elinor Quirk, 1800
William and Anne Thorpe, 1833
Index to Perogative Marriage Licence Bonds: Tennant,
William, and Catherine Dobson, 1783.(This William was married the year Pierce was born!!)
Index to the Dublin Grant Book to 1800 includes:
Tennant,
John and Hannah Bouveriere, 1754 John and Martha Hutchins, 1780
Robert and Mary Emerson, 1664.
(Early Tennant reference, I assume it’s a land grant but where? Anyone researched this early key info?)
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From Page 11 Carlow To Lanark – Book by R.D.Tennant, annotated in italics by D.Tennant
In the September 1962 reply received from the Very Rev. John G. Gash, Dean of St. Canice's, Kilkenny, he said in part: "In December I had tea in the Butlers old home at Aghade now occupied by Major Barratt, the name is "Ballynoe." It is a lovely mansion, and the Butlers were the landlords of the district, and knighted. They must have been a branch of the Butlers of Ormonde of Kilkenny Castle.
I preached in Aghade Church in October. The graveyard there is well kept. The Rector is Canon R.C. Studdert, The Rectory, Tullow, County of Carlow who looks after Aghade, It is a lovely country district a couple of miles from Tullow. I know some Tennant families too. They are good farmers, at least David is and he lives at Lorum, Bagenalstown, County of Carlow.".
In the letter of March 6th, 1963 which accompanied his extracts from the Aghade Church Registers he added "but I am afraid I haven't been able to find any record of the burial of Judith Tennant which you wanted. I have looked at the old tomb stones but with no success. As you can understand, many of them are in a very bad condition and difficult to read."
On ,January l5th, 1965, after he had received a copy of my 1963 edition of our history he wrote saying "I had a meeting of the Aghade Vestry last night and I formally represented it to the parish. They asked me to express their thanks for your kind gift, and many of them were anxious to borrow it."
In May 1965, I received exterior and interior views of the beautiful old church at Aghade which are included in this edition. They were taken by James Richard Brian Studdert, B.A., son of Canon Studdert. Several of our cousins have since visited Aghade Church and were warmly received.
In early 1969 I wrote to a Mr. Tennant Young of Lorum, County of Carlow, said to know a lot about the Tennant family there, but received no reply. However I did receive a reply from Mrs. Jane C. Burgess (nee Tennant) of Ferns, County of Wexford, in May 1964. She said that the David Tennant of Lorum, mentioned in Dean Gash's letter, had died almost ten years previously. He was married to a Tennant, sister of Jane. They had no family.
David's father, also David, married a Kepple and had a family. Jane's grandfather married a Ralph and had two sons Thomas and William Tennant. These brothers married Collier sisters.
(The farmer at Ballinastraw said a Mrs Burgess had questioned him some years earlier about the Tennant’s. He told her what he told me – his father bought 40 acres from Willie Doyle who had bought it from Bill Tennant (descendant of Pierce Tennant). The Tennant house was located on the corner where the track from the current farm joins the road from Ardattin to Ballintemple. The stone flagged house was knocked down by his father but a barn, now a disused Garage, remains. The 40 acres were incorporated into the main farm but still referred to as "Tennant’s Land".)
In June 1970 M. Bruce Tennant and his wife "Pat" were in Ireland, and visited Aghade Church. Bruce helped the caretaker lift a fallen stone partially covered by turf. The inscription read:
"Here Lieth the body of Richard Tennant who Depd This life December the 3rd 1772 Aged 23 years. Also the Body of Thomas Tennant son of Robert Tennant who Depd this life June the 1st 1773 Aged 6 months"
(In 2003 the stone remains in relatively good condition attached to a small supporting wall, on the right between gate and church, closer to the church)
Thus baby Thomas was interred in the same plot as his Uncle Richard who had died previously. The dates are debatable. Thomas's stone defintly says 1775 ie 6 mnths after baptism date in the register, making the above quote clearly wrong. I believe Richard's date on the stone is Dec the 3rd 1772. The register (16) for the burial of a Richard Tennant says Dec 10th 1771. If burial really means burial date and not death then this would probably refer to the same Richard, buried 7 days after death but in 1771??
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From page 12, CARLOW TO LANARK - Written by R.D.Tennant annotation in italics by D.Tennant
The Sailing Vessel "COMMERCE
"
When the war against Napolean ended, many of the troops raised in Great Britain and Ireland were returned home and disbanded. The cottage industries of spinning and weaving of clothing for the military suffered, as did those in munitions production. There was widespread unemployment. Some troops were sent to Upper and Lower Canada to aid in settling the Loyalists, and to guard the border. After the War of 1812, some troops were disbanded here, and Military Settlements, such as Perth, were established.
Glowing reports of good land for opening up were viewed by the Government in Great Britain as an opportunity for the many unemployed and their families to establish a new life. Advertisements were placed in leading papers of the day, giving some of the proposals for provision of vessels and passage to Quebec. (see Leeds and Grenville OGS News and Views, p. 22, 1984 for copy of advertisement in the Dumfries Weekly Journal of 1815.) This was found by Royce and Anne Tennant, on a recent visit to Scotland in search of their ancestors who emigrated on August l3th 1817 on the ship "Brothers" to their new home at Caintown, north of Gananoque. (PAC Ms. group 9, D8, Vol 27 part 1 nos. 478, 479 and RGI, L1 Vol 30, p. 148.)
This subsidized British emigration proposal aroused great interest. Hundreds signed
the "Return of Protestant families prepared to emigrate from the Counties of Carlow
and Wexford, November 1817." (PAC mfm reel B-876, MGll, C.O. 384, Vol 1). This return bears the signatures of Pierce Tennant (3), Robert Tennant (10) and Thomas Tennant (13). The numbers in brackets indicated the size of a family. Robert was a brother of Thomas and Pierce was Robert's son I believe. Only Thomas and his family emigrated.
For more about Pierce and his wife Catherine see my extracts from the research I commissioned, and the Registers of Aghade Church.
(I wonder what made R.D.Tennant assume Pierce was Robert’s son apart from born too late to be son of Richard(1749-1772)? Related definitely, based on location and names of children. But did he move into Ballinastraw from the Garryhundon group? No marriage or birth record only death cert saying d1864, Ballinastraw age 81 ie born 1783)
In Scotland numerous Societies were formed to review the applications, and select those they considered best suited to withstand the rigors of pioneer life in Canada. Some had finances to pay their way, but hundreds who were suitable but destitute received government assistance, which was to be repaid over a few years. Four sailing vessels were inspected and deemed reliable, namely, the George Canning, the Earl of Buckinghamshire, the Commerce, and the David. These were reported as strong and staunch, commanded by sober expert seamen well acquainted with navigation of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Departure dates were scheduled. As a steam tug eased the ship away from the pier, there were cheers, tears and waving by those on deck, and on the wharf. The ship was towed to the point where its sails could catch the breeze. Some, if not all, called at Dublin to pick up emigrants with reserved passage. They sailed down the east coast off the Wicklow Mountains and around the south east of Ireland.
In the North Atlantic crossing they were entirely reliant on their sails. They might be becalmed, or blown off course by "contrary winds." It is recorded that our folks were nine weeks in the crossing. At other times they might be buffeted by terrible storms, with waves breaking over the deck as it pitched and
The planned emigration from Ireland - copied from other web sites eg http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/passengerlists/emigrants1818p.htm