McNamee Family History

Ancient History first

It is reported the McNamees were poets to the O’Neil clan-an ancient tribe in Northern Ireland. Actually being the poet was better than being the king. The kings could be deposed or murdered but the poets were never mistreated because they were the keepers of the oral history. The poets 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. 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-Paddy’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 their families. 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