Historic Georgetown, Inc.
The Henry Hamill Family
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When the mist first parted over Inis Fail, the place Plutarch calls Ogy-gia, "The Most Ancient Land", the first visitors found that there were those to meet them. So it began. History records the coming of the Milesians seventeen hundred years before the Christ and the coming of the Danes in the eighth century after. History records the coming of Strongbow and of Cromwell, -- and the coming of King Billy. The aliens brought their culture with them. They brought their ideas and their traditions and from them arose a nation speaking a Scythian language, somewhat like the Latin of the Romans, later to become the Gaelic of more modern times. The Milesians, so-called after their progenitor, Miledh or Milesius (see Seventh Generation, below), were preceded by the Nemedhians, the Firbolgs, the Fomorians, and the Tuathe da Danaan. The ancient ancestry of the Milesians and their lineage is portrayed by John O'Hart in his "Irish Pedigrees" as follows: 1. ADAM After the conquest of Ulster by the three Collas, the territory of Tirowen was comprised within the kingdom of Orgiall. Niall of the Nine Hostages (87, above), 126th Monarch of Ireland, conquered that part called "the Kingdom of Aileach", one part of which he gave to his son, Eoghan or Owen, (Tirowen). The other part he gave to a second son, Conail Gulban, (Tirconnell). These were the first princes of the Hy-Niall sept. Eoghan (Owen, or Eugenius) was King of Aileach (Ely). His descendants, who were called the "Clan Owen", afterward possessed the territory now extending over the counties of Tyrone and Londonderry, and the two baronies of Raphoe and Inishowen in Donegal: all this district was called Tir-Owen or Owen's Country, which is now written Tyrone, and restricted to one county. The peninsula between Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly took its name from Owen; namely, Inishowen, i.e. Owen's Island. Owen's descendants were also called the "Cineal-Owen" (Clan Owen). The Oh'Aghmaills were a leading sept of Cineal Binnigh, a sub clan of
Owen. They claim descent from Binneach, son of Eoghain, son of Niall of
the Nine Hostages, founder of Clan Owen (89, above). EACHACH BINNEACH, a brother of Muireadhach, who is No. 89 on the "O'Neill" (of Ulster) pedigree, was the ancestor of Cinneal mBinnigh, or O Binnigh; anglicised Binney, Binnie, Benny, Bennie, and Benzy. 89. Eachach Binneach ("binn:" Irish, melodious): son of Eoghan;
a quo O'Binnigh. Aileach: Greenan Ely (or the palace of Aileach) was a fort in the County Donegal, near Lough Swilly, situated on the isthmus dividing it from Lough Foyle, in the barony of Inishowen. Donal, prince of Aileach, and the 179th Monarch of Ireland, having A.D. 1088, marched against King Murkertagh O'Brien, the 180th Monarch, and destroyed his famous family residence at Kincora, the latter, A. D. 1101, avenged this injury upon "Aileach, among the oak forests immeasurable;" ordering that for every sack of provisions in his army, a stone from this great northern edifice should be carried away to the south. Such, after an existence extending beyond the dawn of history, was the fate of Aileach; from which its possessor was, in old writings, designated - "King of Aileach of the spacious house -of vast tribute -of the high decisions -of the ready ships -of the armed battalions -of the grand bridles -the Prince of Aileach who protects all -the mighty-deeded, noble King of Aileach". -O'Callahan. The chiefs and clans of Tir-Owen and the land they posessed by the twelfth century included Ohghmaill, (of Cineal Eoghain), later anglicized to O'Hamill, or O'Hamil1, chiefs of the district called Teallach Duibhrailbhe, (named for 99, above). The O'Hamills from the twelfth century onward were noteworthy poets and ollamhs to the O'Hanlons. "Ollamh" is an ancient word for a master in some branch of learning, a learned man, a rank answering to that of doctor or professor of a university. The earliest record I have that refers to the Hamill name is as follows2: "Ruarcan ua h Amail, ollan of Ua Anluain in poetry, a man of general house of guests, without objection to the presence of anybody, died this year (1376), after gaining victory from the world and from demon." "O'Hamill, O'h Adhmaill or Ua h-Admaill Ruarcan, poet to O'Hanlon, died in 13763." "O'Hanlon's Country is on the South side of the Newry4." The Church has, and long has had, a profound influence upon all matters in the lives of the people. The saints are pretty well known to us today; Columban and Bridgid, Brendan and Patrick and many more. In the twelfth century the Pope gave dominion to the English crown and from that came the influence of the Church of England. From the settlers of the plantation of Ulster in the early seventeenth century came the influence of the Presbyterian Church. The Huegonots contributed their own ideas of reform. In twelfth century Scotland we find records regarding "Hamills", although these are largely thought to be descended from Norman origins. In any event, there are any number of records through the centuries regarding them and one may fairly suppose that some of the planters of Ireland in the seventeenth century included "Hamills". Hugh Hammill of Roughwood, Ayrshire, accompanied Vicount Montgomery to Ulster in the early 1600's and at least two Hamills marched in his funeral procession in 1636. Some later immigrants to America were of this so-called "Scotch-Irish" ancestry. Most of the families traced were, though immigrants from Ireland and England, "Scotch-Irish" and Presbyterian. One might fairly suggest that some of the Scotch "Hamills" descended from earlier Irishmen in Scotland. Circa 1850 several of Thomas Hamill's children, Mary Anne, Eliza, Frances Maria, and William Arthur, at least, came to Philadelphia where they apparently had relatives. We have two letters from one Pat Fearis in Dublin to his brother(s) Barney in Whitehaven (13 March, 1763) and Philadelphia (25 July, 1784). These letters were apparently passed down from Barney Fearis and came to hand of William B. Howland, Denver, before August, 1989. He provided the copies from which this related data was taken5. In his letter of 25 July, 1784, Pat Fearis mentions several Hamill relatives including one "Uncle Bry" Hamill. It becomes apparent that Henry Hamill could well be a son, or descendant of this "Uncle Bry"6. In a letter to her cousin, Francis B. Howland, (11651), in 1943, Agnes
Candy, nee O'Kane, (11661), wrote that Henry's family was Catholic, and
Henry's wife, Eleanor (Elinor) was Protestant7. |