The Cashell family (that descends from Rowan and Blennerhassett)
Is this family related to us?
Our Cashel family descends from
George Cashel (born 1807, Co.Kerry)
who is connected to the Blennerhassett family.
On the Blennerhassett side,
after years of work, we
proved
that George Cashel is closely related to the
Blennerhassett Baronets branch.
On the Cashel side, his origins remain mysterious.
We are not even sure it is a real surname.
It might be just a name picked for a natural child.
No Cashel relative ever appears in his life.
The following are a Cashell (or Cashel) family of Co.Kerry
(and Co.Tipperary)
who descend from Blennerhassett.
The descent is
through a marriage in the 1720s.
This marriage is clearly not the link that George Cashel has to the Blennerhassett Baronets.
However could this second, earlier link be relevant?
Maybe the reason a Cashel and a Blennerhassett got together to make George Cashel
is because they were already related and knew each other.
Reasons why this might be our family:
-
This Cashell family are connected to Blennerhassett since the 1720s,
and stayed in touch with their
Blennerhassett relations through the 18th century.
This would have provided lots of opportunity
for a Cashel to get together with a Blennerhassett.
- 1720s:
Marriage of Francis Cashell and Sarah Rowan
(her mother is Blennerhassett).
- 1751:
Francis Cashell
appears on the
property at Tralee of
James Yielding,
uncle of Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 1st Baronet.
- Around 1756:
Francis Cashell
seems to have served under
Col. John Blennerhassett
(his mother-in-law's 1st cousin)
around 1756.
- 1761:
George Cashell seems to have witnessed the marriage
of
Agnes Blennerhassett
(his mother's 2nd cousin)
in 1761.
- 1766:
Francis Cashell
appears on the
property at Tralee of
Frances Blennerhassett (formerly Yielding),
mother of Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 1st Baronet.
- 1782:
In the Spring Assizes, 1782, think at Tralee,
we find "George Cashell"
and
George Rowan of Castlegregory
and Rowland Blennerhassett all serving together
on the Grand Jury.
See [Hickson].
- 1796:
George Cashel, junior (unidentified, but maybe this family)
has a natural child.
- 1798:
There was
another Rowan-Blennerhassett marriage
in 1798.
- Lakeville, near Killarney, is connected to the
Blennerhassett Baronets branch and the
George Cashell family and the
Blennerhassett of Ballyseedy branch.
- Links to both Co.Kerry and Co.Tipperary:
Reasons why this might not be our family:
- There is no evidence connecting this family to George Cashel.
- Quite a few DNA searches have been done, and no one from this family is a match to our family.
- When did our family become Catholic?
-
This Cashell family are Protestant.
If Cashel was Protestant,
and Blennerhassett was Protestant,
then how did my Cashels become Catholic?
-
This is probably easily answered.
George Cashel could be born Protestant
and became Catholic at marriage in 1838.
There are inter-connections of Cashel to Blennerhassett
through Harding and Lawrence. But the Blennerhassett branch is wrong,
so it probably means nothing:
- 1762:
Samuel Harding, of Silvermines, Co.Tipperary
(where Cashel was from)
was Bondsman, 6 July 1762,
for marriage of
William Lawrence, of Bureskeane, Co.Tipperary
[poss. Borrisokane, far N of Co.Tipperary]
and Mary Harding of Ballymonce, Co.Tipperary [unidentified].
See folio 190,
MS 31883,
Killaloe, Co. Clare, Marriage License Bonds.
- 1807:
Marriage of
Letitia Blennerhassett to Samuel Harding
of Harding Grove, Co.Limerick.
- 1816:
Marriage of
Rowan Cashel
to the dau of William Lawrence of Silvermines, Co.Tipperary.
- 1831:
Marriage of
Henry George Cashel
of Bushfield, Co.Tipperary,
to Christiana Harding
of Rock Lodge, Co.Limerick.
- 1850s: The wife of
Rowan Francis Cashel
has affair with Jonathan Harding,
of Bessborough, Co.Tipperary.
Conclusion: No real evidence this family is connected to George Cashel.
But we will keep an open mind.
We start this family
with the following.
The Ballynevan area of Co.Clare seems to be the ancestral home:
-
Patrick Cashell,
or Cashel,
gentleman,
of "Ballynavin", Co.Clare.
NOT Co.Kerry.
-
Think this is Ballynevan,
Kilfinaghta par, SE Co.Clare
(N of Sixmilebridge,
not far from Co.Limerick border,
Limerick city and Co.Tipperary border)
since this is probably the same family as that of Sixmilebridge below.
-
Think this is NOT Ballyknavin,
O'Briensbridge par,
SE Co.Clare
(NW of O'Briensbridge,
closer to Co.Tipperary border,
across the far side of the River Shannon
from Shallee area, Co.Tipperary).
-
Also, it may be coincidence, but Ballynevan is in
the "Mountcashel" area.
Patrick's
will dated 24 Jan 1734.
Think this is old style year, so 24 Jan 1735 new style year.
He died 1735.
Will proved 17 Mar 1735
[Index to Irish Wills, vol.3].
Think will burnt in 1922.
Also noted in
[Betham abstracts]
vol.8 p.73,
[NLI] GO Ms 230,
[NLI] microfilm POS 1220 (illegible).
Patrick
had issue:
- Francis Cashell.
- Henry Cashell.
The above must be the same as:
-
Patrick Cashell,
"colonus" (farmer),
had issue:
-
Francis Cashell,
born 1697, Sixmilebridge, Kilfinaghta par, Co.Clare.
He was educ at Mr.Cashin's school, Limerick.
He was educ TCD.
He
went up 13 May 1715, age 18.
"Pensioner" (i.e. paid normal fees,
from family of middling means).
BA Spring 1719
[TCD Alumni].
And the above is probably the same as the following
Francis Cashell that married Rowan,
for these reasons:
- The date of birth is about right.
- Then Patrick
is great-grandfather of Rowan Patrick Cashell
and must be the origin of his middle name.
- Later, as of 1760, Ballynevan seems to be connected with
Henry Cashell.
So the above Francis who went to TCD is probably identical with:
-
Francis Cashell,
of Shallee, N Co.Tipperary
[near E Co.Clare and NE Co.Limerick].
He married in 1720s to
Sarah Rowan of Co.Kerry [whose mother was a Blennerhassett].
Family lived in both Co.Tipperary and Co.Kerry.
The Cashell who married Sarah Rowan was NOT "George Cashell".
That is a transcription error made by
[Hickson, 1872].
All entries for Cashel and Cashell in
[TCD Alumni].
References
