New Site

I have created a new site which gives me more freedom to include various records in a spreadsheet form, I will probably not be updating this site again.

New site https://sites.google.com/site/ulstermccorkells/

Name Origin 3

Thanks to Jack McCorkell who contributes to the ancestry.com forums I have been taking another look at the origins of my Surname, having dismissed out of hand any relationship to the Isle of Man. (Maybe a little to hasty I might add) I replied to a post in ancestry.com without fully researching my reply.

Although I standby my ascertain that the name McCorkell arrived in Ireland through Scotland as part of the Plantation of Ulster in the 1600's, I have no evidence to for any other migrations. Apart from 1 record from 1550 discussed in previous post I can find no other references to the name in Scotland in recognizable form earlier than this date.

In the Isle of Man however the name appears in the Manx Note Book as far back as 1408 with many references in the following century http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=McCorkell+OR+McCorkill++site:isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook&start=10&sa=N

The remarkable aspect of these names for the time period is the spelling is unchanged, forgive my skepticism but looking at any name from these time periods and the spelling will be quite different, eg. Janet M'Korkyll (1561 Scotland). A famous name like Shakespeare from the mid 1500's is spelt at least 10 different ways depending on the document.

If these are original documents then they are remarkable and McCorkell/ill must go down as one of the least changed names in the English language, I will have to take a closer look at these documents.....

To be continued.

Ballyrattan, Moville Upper, Donegal (1)

Warning This post will be of little interest to anyone outside my own branch of the family,

The earliest relative I can trace with confidence is a William McCorkell who appears in Griffiths Valuation 1857 for 23 Ballyrattan, Moville Upper, the name is spelt McCorkhill. He was tenant farmer his landlord being a Mr Thomas Ferguson, William farmed 25 acres and the annual rent for land and Farm was £27.

I also have William appearing as father of the groom for the marriage of his son Robert to Jane Williams on the 2nd February 1857, this at a rough guess would make him at least 50, possibly older in 1857 which takes me back to the beginning of the 19th Century.

I have then a tenuous link between William and the William who appears in the Flax Growers Bounty list for Inishowen in 1796, he also came from the Parish of Moville Upper but no other details are given. It is quite likely that William is Williams father but I cannot prove it as yet.

Although William appears in griffiths valuation he does not appear in the 1828 Tithe Applotment list, however a Robert McCorkell does appear, this is confusing were Robert and William brothers? I don't know I have been trying to build 2 separate branches of the family branching from William who appears in 1796.

I know there was a Mary McCorkhill living at 10 Ballyrattan in 1857 (Griffths Valuation) who may have been the widow of Robert mentioned in 1828, jumping forward almost 100 years there is a Robert McCorkell living at #10 in the 1911 census, I have therefore developed a 2 family tree, my own branch living at #23 and a separate branch living at #10.

So in conclusion we have 2 McCorkell families living in Ballyrattan, Upper Moville in the 19th century who may or may not have been related, it seems highly probable that they were, although numbers of McCorkells had increased dramatically in the 19th century Donegal there was still only the 2 families listed for Upper Moville.

to be continued...

Name origin (2)

"The surname McCorquodale is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Mac Thorcadail (or MacCorcadail), meaning "son of Torcadal". The Gaelic personal name Torcadal is of Norse origin and means "Thor's kettle"(a more romanticised meaning for the name has been given as "cauldron of the thunder spirit"). In 1881, the surname was most frequent in lands which constitute the current Paisley postcode area.This, more or less, corresponds with the Clan McCorquodale's traditional lands in Argyll. The clans Macleod of the Lewes and Gunn claim variations of this surname as septs of theirs. Septs are families which claimed allegiance to stronger chief and his clan, or that lived upon lands controlled by a stronger chief and his clan. The majority of those McCorquodales recorded in 1881 were located far from the traditional lands of these two clans."

This is taken directly from Wikipedia name McCorquodale, as you can see it is almost certainly just a different version of McCorkell, traditionally the name has been associated with Clan Gunn. But following my discussion with Nancy MacCorkill I saw the strong ties with Clan McLeod.

Clan McLeod claim descent from Olaf the Black King of Man and the Isles, they also claim McCorkell and various spellings as a Sept. Now according to Wikipedia the claims of descent from Olaf the Black date from the 1600's , non the less it may be the connection some have been seeking between McCorkell and various spellings, traditional Scottish names and Corkill and various spellings said to originate in the Isle of Man. Both have the common ancestor Olaf the Black.

I admit the link is tenuous to say the least and it is very doubtful after also 800 years that any connection can be drawn, but it is a possibility.

Early name references

Been using google books lately to further my research, there is a vast library available through google books unfortunately at present many of the books can only be viewed in snippet form for legal reasons because of copyright. Google are currently trying to come to an agreement with publishers regarding this so hopefully one day all content will be freely searchable.

Below are 2 of the earliest references I have so far been able to find for the name McCorkell:

Criminal trials and other proceedings before the High Court of Justiciary in Scotland

By Robert Pitcairn

Page 352 Year 1550

Jun. 28 — Donald McKv Of Far, Neill Mcane Moir, Rory Mcane Moir, Murdoch Mcane More, John Mcane More, and Tormat Mcane More, brothers, and Donald Dow Mccorkill, charged for the cruel Slaughter of Alexander M"ane Rois, Alexander Mcillemychell, Tormat Makalexander, and five others. Alexander Rofs of Balnagowne was amerciated for not reporting and delivering to the Clerk of Jufticiary, the Letters, which had been purchafed by the wives, children, parents, and friends* of the deceafed, duly executed and indorfed.

Ah well every family throws up the odd bad egg!

A history of the Highlands and of the Highland clans, Volume 1

By James Browne 1838

Page 274 Year 1614

When Sir Robert Gordon heard of these occurrences in the north, he returned home from Edinburgh, where he had been for some time ; and, on his return, he visited the Marquis of Huntly at Strathbogie, who advised him to be on his guard, as he had received notice from the earl of Caithness that Sir Donald meant to create some disturbances in Sutherland. The object the carl had in view, in acquainting the Marquis of Mackay's intentions, was to screen himself from any imputation of being concerned in Mackay's plans, although he favoured them in secret. As soon as Sir Robert Gordon was informed of Mackay's intentions, he hastened to Sutherland; but, before his arrival there, Sir Donald had entered Strathully with a body of men, in quest of Alexander Gun, the burner, against whom he had obtained letters of caption. He expected that if he could find Gun in Strathully, where the clan of that name chiefly dwelt, they, and particularly John Gun, would protect Alexander, and that in consequence he would ensnare John Gun and his tribe, and bring them within the reach of the law, for having resisted the king's authority; but Mackay was disappointed in his expectations, for Alexander Gun escaped, and none of the Clan-Gun made the least movement, not knowing how Sir Robert Gordon stood affected towards Alexander Gun. In entering Strathully, without acquainting his uncles of his intention, Sir Donald had acted improperly, and contrary to his duty, as the vassal of the house of Sutherland: but, not satisfied with this trespass, he went to Badinloch, and there apprehended William M'Corkill,one of the Clan-Gun, and carried him along with him towards Strathnaver, on the ground that he had favoured the escape of Alexander Gun ; but M'Corkill escaped, while his keepers were asleep, and went to Dunrobin, where he met Sir Alexander Gordon, to whom he related the circumstance.

I particularly like the second snippet, it puts McCorkell firmly in the clan Gunn, although I have always heard the name McCorkell was a sept of Gunn this is the only direct reference I have seen to an individual in the clan.

Distribution of McCorkells in Donegal 1700's

At the end of the 18th century numbers of McCorkells in Donegal have increased little over the previous century, I can find 10 households in the Flax Growers bounty list for the county in 1796, a further 2 households appear for County Tyrone and 4 for county Londonderry. Of the 4 that appear for Londonderry 2 are from the Templemore Parish which had land in both Donegal and Londonderry so these families may have well been living in Donegal.

The small increase in the family name over a hundred year period can probably be attributed to a couple of factors, All the records I have found from this time suggest the family was Presbyterian, they would have suffered under the established church as Dissenters.

Some members of the family along with thousands of other Presbyterian's would have made the perilous voyage to America to start a new life free from persecution, a look at the world distribution of McCorkells today will show a sizeable branch of the family living in north America.

These migrations took place during the 18th century. I have as yet been unable to obtain a copy of 'From Viking Glory' by Louis McCorkle which may shed some light on this migration, the book can be viewed in snippet form through Google Books but little useful information can be gleaned from it in this form.

Poor harvests in the early years of the 18th century would have pushed others over the edge , almost all records I can find from this period show that McCorkells where farmers either in Donegal or Derry. Almost all these farmers were tenants scrapping a living from the land, high infant mortality rates right down to the 20th century no doubt meant that certain branches of the family simply died away.

McCorkell name origin a discussion

Below is part of an email correspondence I had several years ago with an American webmaster on the origins of the name McCorkell, her breadth of knowledge regarding both the name and early Scottish/Irish history was formidable, although I feel she may have watched Braveheart a little to often!:

A link to her site started in 1995 (Which now looks rather dated!) Still some good content

http://www.geocities.com/sconemac/

<<>>
--------------------------------------------------

Hello Cousin:

The name MacCorkell is a version of MacCorkill and MacCorkle (or visaversa)and other varieties of spelling. We all came from Ireland. The Corkill's came to Scotland from Ireland in the earliest centuries when the Celts established themselves in Ireland. Fergus broke away and went on his own investigating the Islands north of Ireland. They landed in the Hebrides and intermixed with the Norse and Picts of the area. The usage of the Mac is the same as in Ireland, it simply means son of. After the first Corkill had a son, he named him MacCorkill and that is how the name became established in Scotland. It is also now intermixed with,
the Norse form: Thor's Kettle (also) and was quickly adaped by the Norse because they heard what they thought was a connection with Thor's Kettle. It is spelled very similar to Torquil or Thorkell which is Norse. However, our earliest Irish ancestors came from Ireland, spread through Scotland, intermarried, and flourished and became known as Scots by the Romans.

The Celts in Ireland (originally came from) the steps of Russia area, which was not Russia then.....but a huge white population known as the Celts. The reason they never established themselves as did the Greeks and Romans, they had their own bands (or clan like groups), very war like when fighting to keep their own land, and lived pretty much within their own groups. If they had stood as one group; had a written language instead of Bards then there would have been a huge nation of Celts.

I hope I have answered your question, and please keep in touch. We are blood
relatives no matter how thin over the years.

Slainte mhath, (good health)

Scone
Nancy MacCorkill, F.S.A. Scot
Historian of the Ancient Clans of Scotland

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<<>>>>>That is alright. I have a few days at home this week.

The information you gave me has been most useful although some of the details are slightly confusing to me. I was aware of the history of the Gunn Clan through a book entitled, ' The Highland clans ' by Sir Iain Moncreiffe originally published in 1967 by Barrie&Rockliff in the U.K. are you aware of this publication?

>>>>>Yes, but it is not as accurate as some.

The chapter on the Gunn Clan concentrates on the Clans Norse connections and its why I always assumed that the definition of our name: Thors Kettle to be the correct one.

>>>>>That is correct. Clan Gunn has the used the Thors Kettle as their clan
connection name.

The name "Torquil" I was unaware of, in your exceptional "Scottish Internet book" in the chapter entitled "Septs, What are They?", you give a brief history to the origins of your name and the connection with the MacLeods of Lewis. When I went back to the book' The Highland Clans' , in the chapter on the MacLeods of Lewis it stated :Leod's two sons founded the two great branches of clan Leod: Known as the Siol Tormod and the Siol Torquil. Torquil's descendants held the Island of Lewis until they were overthrown by the expanding Mackenzies (claiming through a bogus heiress) at the beginning of the seventeenth century : but younger branches of the Siol Torquil held Assynt and Cadboll on the mainland rather longer, and the island of Raasay until 1846.

>>>>>Most of the above paragraph is correct. The MacLeod of Harris (MacLeod of MacLeod or Tormod) fought for the Scottish king and was never rewarded and lost many men. The MacLeods of Lewis (Torquil) did not fight for the king, feeling that the king would not treat them fairly, as it turned out to be true. The MacLeods of Lewis, turned out for the next great battle and were all but completely destroyed. When they returned their lands had been taken away by the Scottish King and given to the another clan by the King. The King of
Scotland, and previous Kings of Scotland was at war itself with the Hebridesor a long time, fearing they would bring back the Norse influence, and also because the Hebridean Islands was run by MacDonald, of Lord of the Isles. After MacDonald was forced by the Scottish King to give up any right to be Lord of the Isles, and stay out of battles, it became a free-for-all between the MacLeods, MacLaines and others. The MacLeod ruled for quite some time. I believe it was the MacLaines, not the MacKenzies who took over MacLeod of Lewis' land. I will have to check to see if I have that correct. The MacLeod of Lewis, (those left) then moved to their lands in Assynt, Cadboll , and the island of Raasay . I think the writer you read is confusing the MacLeod of MacLeod (Tormod) about the marriage. Tormod married
a islander woman who owned Dunvegan, thus acquiring that land.>>>>>

This was the only mention of the name "Torquil" in the book.

>>>>>This is because the Gunns did not associate the name Torquil as theirs, nearly as much as the Hebridean MacLeods. However the Viking who settled Orkney, and Caithness, was Olaf the Black, and his brother "Leod" settled, all of Skye, Lewis, and many islands in the Hebrides. The two clans were cousins. Some MacCorkills went to live in the Caithness area, not always being agreeable with the Gunns but nethertheless, related. The reason the name Torquil is in both clans is that a Gunn princess (daughter of George the Crowner - Gunn) married a MacCorkill of MacLeod of Lewis, and the names from that point on, were forever
used in both clans.>>>>>

>>>>>Unfortunately, many Lords, in Scotland, wrote history as they remembered it orwanted to remember it. Many times, for their own glorification. The only reliable books were written by the different Lord Lyons of Scotland, two of which I had the pleasure of working with.>>>>>

Here is another piece of information in the above book that maybe you could
shed some light on in the chapter on the McCorquodale Clan it states :the
surname McCorquodale means son of Thorketil, itself an old Norse pagan name
meaning ' Cauldron of the Thunder spirit '.

>>>>>This is what I mean about unauthorized information. MacCorquodale, is a sept of MacLeod of Lewis. However, some of them will not, give up the theory that MacCorquodale (and various spellings) are their own clan. Just because they went to the present Lord Lyon and got a tartan, moto and are listed in the present Lord Lyons book. It is still wrong, and MacCorquodale is a sept of MacLeodof Lewis. However, they argued often with the Lewis clan until at one point the MacLeod of Lewis, threw them out, and off Lewis land. They then went to live in Campbell land, and seemed to get along fine with the Campbells????

At one point I thought I may have had more in common with this Clan than the
Gunns as our names are very similar else ware in this chapter it states : The
seal of Duncan McCorquodale of Phantelane, the Baron in 1556 , bore the
legend ' S.Duncan.mak.corkatill ' . Again you see the similarities between
this and our own Sept name.

>>>>>Yes, I can understand this. I feel my name and much of our Clan sept is MacLeod of Lewis than Clan Gunn. However, in my case, our relatives were born in Caithness, but still MacLeods of Lewis Gunns. It is simply a case that the two clans were cousins and even followed the Norse habit of fosterage. Trading baby boys amoung families, which only made them strongly loyal.>>>>>
>>>>>I claim both Clans as our history is so intermixed. Clan Gunn and Clan MacLeod of Lewis and then my mother's clan of Keith (Marshall). I feel very definitely that my clans is closer to Clan MacLeod of Lewis, and that is why my pages carry both clans. I will probably always be closer to MacLeod of Lewis and the Hebrides, having been born there.

What is the Irish connection ? Again I wasn't aware of Fergus and his connection with our name I had always assumed that my ancestors had arrived in Ireland as part of ' The plantation of Ulster ' in the seventeenth century.

>>>>>They could have come through Ulster but that was 4 centuries later than the Hebridean invasion from Ireland and the formation of Dalriada, (the Irish who became Scots' ) homeland territory. They were given the name of Scots by the Roman leader, Tiberius.

The Ulster Plantation was set up by England, after the Irish took back most
of their Ireland, except Northern Ireland. I always call it North East. The
Ulster Plantation was set up by England to put dissidents there to keep them
away from the favored English. More as a buffer between Ireland and England.
The people of the Ulster consisted, among others, of Irish under English
rule, Scots who came down from the Highlands to find work, after Culloden,
Presbyterians who the English hated. The Presbyterians would not accept the
Church of England and Cromwell began to hate the Presbyterians, so he shipped
all he could find to Ulster, and other people who wanted out of the Lowlands
and England.....they also went to Ulster. Ulster was know as a port for
being immigrated out to Canada, (the Hudson Bay Fur Colonies), the Colonies
in the America where they became slaves, Australia, as prisoners and New
Zealand. The Clearances were in full swing, to rid England and the Lowlands
of Scotland, ......of the strange Gaelic speaking people from the North.
After Culloden, the English were afraid these fierce fighters might reform
again. They (the Highlanders) were killed, burned out, starved, beaten
pittiless and sold into slavery from the North. The young men were taken
into the English Armies. From Ulster, most immigrated out without the stigma
of slavery.>>>>>

Have you wrote a history of the MacCorkill name, If so is it on the Internet
? As I would love to learn more about our shared histories.

>>>>Yes, it is under the listing of Sept MacCorkill. I have written it from the prespective of Clan Gunn, so it might "not" help you much......however, I have also written the Histories of Clans MacLeod of MacLeod, now know as Harris (Tormod), and MacLeod of Lewis, Torquil. All are on my menu and can be reached from the menu pages (I believe page 2 of the menus). There is a link at the bottom of each of the 4 menu pages that takes you to the next page.>>>>>

I hope you could make some sense out of this e-mail, as you can probably see
I'm still rather confused but would appreciate any help you can give me.

>>>>>With all the incorrect information out there on the internet, I can see
why.
Be assured anything I write, has been researched thoroughly and I use only
the
accredited writers for reference.

Nancy MacCorkill
Scone


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