The Cashell family (that descends from Rowan and Blennerhassett)
Is this family related to us?
Our family descends from
George Cashel (born 1807, Co.Kerry)
whose mother
is said to be a Blennerhassett (and DNA confirms this).
On the Blennerhassett side, we have made progress.
We have proved that George Cashel descends from the
Blennerhassett Baronets branch.
On the Cashel side, his origins remain mysterious.
The following are a Cashell (or Cashel) family of Co.Kerry
(and Co.Tipperary)
who descend from Blennerhassett through an earlier marriage, in the 1720s.
This could be connected to our family.
Or it could be irrelevant.
Reasons why this might be our family:
-
This could be our family, with a Blennerhassett link in the 1720s.
But there is one issue.
"Blennerhassett" is not a middle name or first name in this family.
Why would "Blennerhassett" suddenly emerge as a middle name in 1807 and a first name in 1848?
This indicates another, later connection to the Blennerhassetts.
-
Perhaps the reason
the 1807
Cashel
and Blennerhassett got together was because they were already connected.
-
This Cashell family are connected to Blennerhassett since the 1720s,
and stayed in touch with their
Blennerhassett relations through the 18th century,
notably with the
Ballyseedy branch.
This would have provided lots of opportunity
for a Cashel to get together with a Blennerhassett.
- 1720s - Marriage of Francis Cashell and Sarah Rowan (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 [Hickson]
we find "George Cashell"
and
George Rowan of Castlegregory
and Rowland Blennerhassett all serving together
on the Grand Jury.
- 1796 - George Cashel, junior (unidentified, but maybe this family)
has a natural child.
- 1798 - There was
another Rowan-Blennerhassett marriage
1798.
- Around 1807 - Our supposed Cashel-Blennerhassett marriage.
- Lakeville, near Killarney, is connected to the
Blennerhassett Baronets branch and the
George Cashell family and the
Blennerhassett of Ballyseedy branch.
-
This Cashell family lived in and near Tralee, Co.Kerry,
and also had an estate at Shallee, N Co.Tipperary.
Our
George Blennerhassett Cashel
was born in Co.Kerry
and settled in Co.Tipperary
(though only because he was sent there by his job in the police,
and he was sent nowhere near Shallee).
- Cashel / Cashell of Listowel, Co.Kerry
are also linked through Bevan to
Cashell / Cashel of Bushfield, Co.Tipperary.
- How did our Cashel become Catholic?
Interestingly,
Jacobie O'Leary Cashel
thought her great-grandfather
Rowan Cashel
was Catholic.
Could Ellen Alton have been Catholic,
and this is where the Catholic line came in,
and then Rowan's brother be the Catholic who married the
Blennerhassett?
Not very likely. See below.
Reasons why this might not be our family:
-
This family are Protestant.
If Cashel were Protestant,
and Blennerhassett were Protestant,
then how did my Cashels become Catholic?
(Maybe just by George Cashel's marriage in 1838.)
-
Apart from Jacobie O'Leary Cashel,
there is no sign that any of these Cashels are Catholic.
Rowan Cashel's marriage licence 1816
would surely have mentioned it.
-
His sons by different marriages
Rowan Francis Cashel
and Frederick Knipe Cashel
do not look Catholic either.
Their marriages seem to be normal Church of Ireland.
-
Also Rowan's brother
George
seems to inherit Shallee,
and have a son George of Shallee, so this cannot be our line.
Unless there is another brother Edward.
There are also inter-connections of Cashel to Blennerhassett
through Harding and Lawrence:
- 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.
We start this family
with the following.
The Ballynevan area of Co.Clare seems to be the ancestral home:
-
Patrick Cashell,
or Cashel, gentleman.
He was
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 24th Jan 1734.
He died 1734-35.
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.
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 this is probably the same Francis Cashell that married Rowan,
for three reasons,
(a) the date of birth is about right,
(b) then Patrick
is the great-grandfather of
Rowan Patrick Cashell
and must be the origin of his middle name,
and (c) later, as of 1760, Ballynevan seems to be connected with
Henry Cashell:
-
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].
