Purcells from Ulster?

[S Rediess]

Hello.

Has anyone traced Purcell immigrants from Ulster? My earliest proven Purcells are buried in a Presbyterian cemetery Washington County PA, and were born between 1757 and 1777. My guess is they were first or second generation born in the colonies. They intermarried with Scotch Irish immigrants in this area. Given the high likelihood that they were Presbyterian, seems unlikely they are direct descendants of the Irish Purcells that people often point to as early ancestors (i.e., Sir Hugh Purcell) since that Irish line was from southern Ireland and Catholic.

Some resources (e.g., Lumber Scots and their descendants) talk of three brothers who immigrated in the mid 1700s from Ulster, one who settled in PA. Purcell tends not to be a Scottish surname, so unlikely they were the typical Ulster Scots/Scotch Irish. There were English Calvinists who came up to Ulster and I can find a few Purcells on records on the Ulster genealogy websites.

I'm aware of the NY/NJ Purcells who intermarried with Dutch families and were in the Dutch Reformed Church (also Protestant) but can't find any connection of my family to that one. I don't believe my family is directly connected to the tidewater VA Purcell families from the early-mid 1600s, as most people settling in Western PA and WV in the 1700s tended to be later immigrants coming via Maryland, NJ, and PA, rather than the coastal VA areas. And they were likely Anglican/Episcopalian.

For all these reasons, I'm wondering about an English-Ulster immigrant. Interested if anyone has looked into this. Or if anyone sees problems in my reasoning. Reply here or I welcome direct email response too: sred...@gmail.com

Thanks in advance.

Shari Rediess (mother is Sharon Purcell)

[Gerry Purcell]

Hello Shari,

Whilst I have no leads on your particular branch of the clan, may I offer the following (based on 35 years researching the Purcell clan worldwide):

Purcell is a Scottish (not Scotch please) family name.  The Purcell's were a 'broken sept' / adherents of the MacDonald of the Isles Clan in the southwest of Scotland (predominantly north/west of Glasgow) and were quite numerous in the 1800's.  These Purcells had either been forcibly transplanted from Ireland (after an uprising and as a form of punishment), chose to settle there after being 'attainted' and dispossessed of their lands (1690's),  or were descendants of the Loughmoe Purcell's who fought in the English King's Army against the Scottish Clans in 1301/02. There was certainly a number of Purcells in the Scottish Isles in the early 1700's.   A significant number of Scottish Purcell's (who were Presbyterians) immigrated to Canada, from where some, or their descendants, moved south into the USA.

Not all the Irish Purcell's remained 'loyal' to Roman Catholicism.  Many titled or landed gentry opted to 'convert' (at least on paper) to the Church of Ireland, in order to retain their lands and titles. 

Gerry Purcell

inter alia

Purcell Family Historian

Tauranga, New Zealand

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Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2015 19:24:22 -0800
From: sred...@gmail.com
To: purcell-fami...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Purcells from Ulster?

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[Alec Purcell]

Gerry, hope this gets to you. site is  little confusing to me as far as exactly where this is going.  I would appreciate if you can do so, referring me to a researcher in Ireland who can help with research in the mid 1700's.  I had  Ulster Historical Foundation do a preliminary assessment without much positive outlook.  I am trying to find a David Pursell who according to oral history left Dublin and sailed with wife Elizabeth to VA (what is now Richmond).  Probably sailing between 1758-62.  Most likely Scot-Irish since h e and most descendants have been Presbyterian.  last 3 generations before me were 32nd degree Scottish Rite Freemasons..

any direction appreciated.  Alec Purcell, purc...@gmail.com,

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[Judith Lee Fisher]

Maybe Ulster.  There were so many that came from there.

I have some old notes but not a source saying my gggrandfather came from  LimerickI Ireland, but there are no sources to prove that.  What is not true is that my Jhn Purcell was not found in Tipperary Ccounty in 1826 ( birth year)with brothers, Benjamin K. and Ephraim in the National Catholic Registry baptism records.    Maybe Loughmoe; Maybe a castle. 

I did research back to the 12th century that was very interesting history thru my research.  But there are gaps.  My most successful probable direct is in Pennsylvania where a Benjamin and John Purcell lived in 1785  in Bedford Township, Pennsylvania.   My father wrote a note saying that my ggggrandfather (Jno or John) was born in PA on a family record sheet.   My John Purcell was born in 1826 according to Civil War Records. He died on Aug. 31, 1864.  We have plenty of CW pension records..including much said by Maria Basor, his wife and widow on pension records.  They married on 2/17/1853. I could not find proof of that in Bowling Green University Ohio records that begin in 1800.  Nor naturalization records out of OH. 

I read that a lot of was bought in Wood County by Benjamin K. in Wood County, Ohio but couldn't find record at the Hayes Library in Fremont, OH.  

there is a gap. between those years (from Benjamin and another John)  

3 brothers died in Ohio ( Benjamin K. Ephraim, and John are all in one cemetery per newspaper) and probably (to them) a cousin Archibald (who carried the Ohio flag back from the prison in Georgia...)  Jno Purcell and brother-in-law Henry Basor were in Andersonsville together.  Henry watched his sister's husband die.  The Basors settled in Lorain County, Ohio Per my (notes)  a great niece of Maria Basor. Maybe Jno Purcell and Maria met there. Fold 3)

Benjamin's mother is Elizabeth and father is Dennis. He died in 1855) ( can't find the record.  The widow lost 2 sons in Civil War.  Had but one cow and finally got $8 a month for a widow's pension.

Can you help me find my link to Jno's parents. or actual county he lived in.  One son, a barber in Toledo, Ohio was named after him,  Also Jno and Maria had a daughter, Emma.   Emma remarried a William Garner.  She died at the age of 30 with a baby one year old that 

was my Grandmother:  Maud.   My grandmother became a foster child when her father gave her away.   two other kids were step sisters and brothers from William's other marriage.   Great Grandmother Basor is in her life as well.   

Judith Alcorn Fisher  .   Michigan resident; taylo...@mac.com

bfn    email:  taylo...@mac.com  

Alcorn is a Scotch Irish name on my father's side from Donovan county..   Purcell is my maternal side.    

[hellodi23]

I know your posting is quite old.  I have a renewed interest is locating a missing link .  I have traced our Purcells to 1776 (George) who dies in what is now WV (Fellowsville).  His census states he was born in Virginia.  Getting some that say Rappahhanock.  The only family information we have is that there were two brothers who came to America and they were part of the Scot-Irish settlement. One family member told me he thought the Purcell men were aides to George Washington.  Never found anything to prove that.  Our  George was born in 1776 and died in 1869.  

I have search and searched.  Some people post a father for our George but I know it's incorrect.  That person had a son that dies in NC.

Your information is quite interesting.  Lots of our Purcells were in the PA/ MD/ VA area.  Just wondering if you have any additional information.

My husband (the Purcell ) and I are going next year on a European Cruise around Scotland/Ireland.  I'm so excited I decided to dust off the papers and see if anything came in my direction.

Diane Purcell

[Charles Leach]

I assume you are looking at my "tree" on Ancestry.com.  Here is a link to the "gallery" for Thomas (1796-1847).

 

I feel absolutely certain about Thomas but I have never felt certain about any of his ancestors.  I have not found any other researchers that have solved that riddle.

 

As you know, Kentucky was part of Virginia - at one time was Kentucky County ( a VA county).  Most original settlers came overland into the Lexington area.  Those coming on the Ohio River had to deal with a waterfalls at what is now Louisville, so that led to a settlement, which led to a town.  I strongly suspect that my Thhomas was born in what was then Hardin County, KY and his father might well have lived in Louisville - there was a Thomas Purcell (1738-1830) who married Eleanor Sullivan and that he lived in Louisville, so the ages match correctly, but I have not been able to prove my Thomas was the son of that Thomas.  Also, I have found a land grant for 50 acres in Grayson County for Thomas Purcell, but I have not found the actual document - there is a date of 26 Mar 1828 for the survey but that's all I have on that.  I need to find that document because it could easily shed some light on why there was a land grant.  I found the follwong:  Probably served in War of 1812.  THOMAS PURCEL Company: 10 REG'T (BOSWELL'S) KENTUCKY MILITIA. Rank - Induction: PRIVATE Rank - Discharge: PRIVATE Roll Box: 169 Roll Exct: 602 and THOMAS PURCELL Company: 3 REG'T (MILLER'S) KENTUCKY MILITIA. Rank - Induction: PRIVATE Rank - Discharge: PRIVATE Roll Box: 169 Roll Exct: 602

 

Article in Kentucky Irish American dated 10 Jun 1899 says Thomas Purcell lived in Louisville with his family in 1782.

 

Stone "Memoirs" says Thomas Purcell was born on the banks of Beargrass Creek, where the city of Louisville now stands.  The following is a quote from the Memoirs of C. W. Stone: "....my grandfather Purcell was born on the banks of Bear grass (sic) Creek where Louisville, Kentucky now stands.  Not long after my great grandfather settled in the neighborhood, a village was started on the banks of the Ohio River which was called Shippingsport (sic), as it was a place from which many commodities were shipped mostly by flat boat down the river to the South as far a New Orleans.  My grandfather made several trips down the Ohio River into the Mississippi River and down to the metropolis of the South and was employed on one of the large plantations as an overseer of negro (sic) slaves.  This occupation did not appeal to him and this experience caused him to be strongly opposed to slavery.  He went to Elizabethtown the county seat of Hardin County, Kentucky, where he married a Miss Reagan (sic) and stayed in that place for some time.  As most of the good land there had been taken up, removed to the adjoined county of Grayson and patented a connsederable (sic) body of land a few miles west of grandfather Stones place where he lived the remainder of his life.  He and grandfather became neighbors and fast friends.  Grandfather died at the age of 64 years before I was born.  Grandmother Purcell lived about two years longer.  I never saw either one of my grandmothers parents. "

 

Note: Col. John Floyd's Station (1779 or 1780), three miles east of Louisville on Middle Fork Beargrass Creek. Also known as Bear Grass (Fort) Station. Marker located at Breckinridge Lane and Hillsboro Ave., Louisville KY.  Louisville was one of six small cities at the Falls of the Ohio – the others were Portland and Shippingport in Kentucky, and New Albany, Jeffersonville, and Clarksville in Indiana.

 

 

Thomas named his male children: Warren, James Roderick, and Charles, and he named his daughters Mary and Elizabeth - so there might be a clue to ancestors there (but so far it hasn't helped me).

 

I did find the name Roderick used in a Purcell family in PA but I wasn't able to prove a connection.

 

Other researchers have used the Thomas mentioned above as the father of my Thomas and show he came to KY from Deleware; and they show his father as John Jan Purcell/Pursell from Richmond County, NY.  There is a "Quaker Meeting record online (apparently from PA) as follows:

 

 

The Quaker document doesn't seem to prove anything to me.

 

That same researcher then goes backward to Thomas Pursell (1662-1738) md to Christina Stinje Van Woggelum; and this researcher refers to an application for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution that can be seen here:

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2204/images/32596_242405-00347?pId=1085712

but I'm not convinced (yet).

 

So, while others feel that my Purcells can be traced back to County Kilkenny, Ireland, I am still trying to prove who was the father of my Thomas.

 

If you find anything that you think is connected to my line, please let me know.  Good luck on your trip to Scotland/Ireland.  I have never been there although I would love to go.  If you can remember, please contact me after your trip and give me a report.

 

Charles

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