Ancient History first
It is reported the McNamees were Bairds to the O’Neil clan-an ancient tribe in Northern Ireland.–(from the Book of Kells)– Actually being the Baird was better than being the king. The kings could be deposed or murdered but the Baird were never mistreated because they were the keepers of the oral history. These Bairds were noted for their memory, wit and sarcasm. This apple has traveled many miles
I walked on my great-great-great grandfather’s land. I visited his house, I sat in his church and I visited his graveyard-well maybe-there is no proof.
It all hinges on one date-did Catherine McNamee die in February 1870 or 1871.in Ireland Did the person in Canada mark down the year they received the news ??
I have a Forkill death registry that says Catherine McNamee died February 27, 1870-Daniel’s bible says the date was February 27 1871?
All the names line up. Daniel’s bible says James McNamee married Catherine Lennon . The 1821 census in Forkhill Parish shows James McNamee age 26 and Catherine Lennon age 19 in adjoining farms Jim’s father is listed as Daniel
I met a young girl named Moira (McNamee) Raferty. She is the last of the line. She took me to see an old man named Jack McDwall, 78. His grand-mother was a McNamee. He took me to see 3 farms on the mountain, each about 10 acres, and to see what he called the family homestead of one of the families.
I went to Ireland to find a head stone, but there were no old headstones in the graveyard. They say in the old days people just buried their relatives and placed a stone at the head. Each family knew which stone was for which person. After 3 or 4 generations people forgot which stone belonged to which relative. Moria Rafferty said the family graveyard was at Drumantee, although there is a very old McNamee headstone at Mullabawn This old stone was the type that commemorates a large group of persons in a single plot—no names
Daniel McNamee first shows up in Bowmanville on Nov 18 1858 ,when he marries Mary Walsh and moves directly from there to Lot 5 Con 9 Carden township.
Dan and Mary had 10 chidren:: (Mary 1860-1874) Catherine (1861-1931 ) James (1864-1937) –no children
Anne (1866-??) Elizabeth (1868-1929) Francis (1870-1895)-no children, Margaret (1873-1953)-Dave Finn, Thomas (1874-1875), Thomas (1876-1869)–one girl
Patrick (1880—1974) seven children—three sons
Pat married Rose McGee and had
Joe born 1910 d 1984– married school teacher Josephine Ryan and farms on Lo5 Con 5
Children Rick –lives in Uptergrove area
Mary –lives in Barrie –still owns part of original homestead
Jim –lives in Kinkarden
Mart –lives in Toronto—still owns part of original
Mabel b1912 d 2001–married Jack Willis raises two sons in Richmond Hill
Frank b.1916 d.1976– married Leona Fitzgerald farmed original farm until 1965—
Children Donna –lives in Toronto
Pat predeased
Larry–predeased
Barbra Ann –lives in Missisauga
Marie b. 1918 d.(still here) married Cecil Flarherty raises four sons one daughter in Lindsay
Madeline b 1921 d.2006– married Alvin Tough five sons and four daughters in Kirkfield
Ben b.1922 d 2007– married school teacher Yvonne Harrington farmed Lot 6 Con8 Carden
Children Morris lives in Carden
Michael lives in Carden
Tom lives in Sarnia
Kevin lives in Victoria Road
Ann lives in Armprior
Anne b.1925– lives in Brantford married Bob Lazure and raised six daughters
Rick had two sons and two grandsons- Jim has one son– Morris has one son and one grandson –Kevin has one son and Tom has one son
These grandsons are the Eighth Generation known to us and the Sixth in Canada
