MacNamara
Possible MacNamara Royal Descent
John MacNamara (ancestor of Lysaght and Rynne) acted as agent for
Earl Nugent (died 1788),
and was said to be a relation.
This is an early claim, made in 1830.
It seems possible, but the exact relationship is unknown.
If he is in any way a close relation, through
Nugent,
then
he is a descendant
of
Edward I
and of
Aoife Mac Murrough
and of
Brian Boru,
and so are Lysaght and Rynne.
John MacNamara,
born maybe c.1730.
He was agent for
Robert Nugent
(later Viscount Clare and Earl Nugent).
Letters survive of 1765 to 1769 from Robert Nugent in England
to "John McNamara" in Galway.
John
is acting as his agent for his Irish estates.
Nugent was cr Viscount Clare in 1767, cr Earl Nugent in 1776, and died 1788.
John died before 1788.
Nugent left a pension to John's widow in his
will
of 1788.
John and unknown wife
had issue:
-
Hugh MacNamara.
[Letter of 1855]
from his grand-nephew
Michael Lysaght
says
that the
Nugent
family regarded Hugh as a relation.
The letter says that when Earl Nugent's son-in-law the
Marquess of Buckingham
was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
(1782-1783 and 1787-1789)
Hugh "was invited and received at the Castle of Dublin as a near relative".
He died unmarried in 1832.
-
Nanno MacNamara.
She mar John Bourke.
[D'Alton, 1860]
says John Bourke was of "Glenaragha-Burren".
This place is unidentified.
Burren is a Barony in Co.Clare.
The only similar placename in that Barony is Gleninagh, Gleninagh par, Co.Clare.
They
had issue:
-
Mary Bourke,
mar John Lysaght
and had issue.
John MacNamara was agent for Earl Nugent
John MacNamara was definitely the agent for
Earl Nugent.
- Letters survive of 1765 to 1769 from Robert Nugent
(later Viscount Clare and Earl Nugent)
to "John McNamara" in Galway.
John
is clearly acting as his agent for his Irish estates.
-
Nugent writes from his house, Gosfield Hall, Essex,
and also from his house in Great George St, London.
- John MacNamara died before Nugent.
-
Nugent's will of 1788
leaves a small pension to the widow of John MacNamara.
John MacNamara was said to be related to Earl Nugent
The claim that John MacNamara was related to Earl Nugent is an early claim, made in 1830.
- The 1760s letters:
- These letters say "Dear John"
and "My Good John".
One says "your most assured friend, Clare".
-
This may be too familiar for addressing an agent, who would be "Mr. MacNamara".
- The will of 1788
- Nugent's will in 1788
lists one of the executors as "Daniel Macnamara" of
Lincoln's Inn Fields, London.
Page 5 of the will leaves £1000 "to my worthy friend Daniel Macnamara".
We do not know his relationship to John MacNamara of Ireland.
But surely the name is no coincidence.
Most likely Nugent is related to both of them.
- Page 26
of [Memoir of Earl Nugent]
says that "McNamara and Drummond" were the executors of the Earl's will at his death in 1788.
[Letter of 1855]
from
Michael Lysaght
says that the
Nugent
family regarded Hugh MacNamara as a relation in the 1780s.
Michael says he was told this by Hugh in 1830.
Extract from
p.377
of
[D'Alton, 1860].
This says that John MacNamara was "relative and friend" of Robert Nugent, 1st Earl Nugent.
See full size.
Joan Nugent
The Nugent relationship was thought
to come through an ancestor "Joan Nugent".
[Letter of 1855]
from Michael Lysaght
to
Sarah Wallace
discusses who their supposed ancestors "Joan Nugent" and "Mary Lynch" are.
Sarah Wallace thinks Joan Nugent is wife of John MacNamara.
Michael Lysaght thinks she might be a previous generation.
They do not know.
This casts doubt on the idea that John MacNamara's wife was the Nugent:
The will
of Robert Nugent, 1st Earl Nugent, in 1788
leaves a small pension of 5 pounds per year for life to the widow of John MacNamara.
It does not refer to her as his relation, in a section of the will mentioning various of his relatives.
The 1760s letters do not mention John's wife.
Edmond Nugent, brother of Earl Nugent
Aidan McMahon Glynn
inserts "Joan Nugent" and "Mary Lynch" into the tree.
He thinks the connection to Nugent is through
Edmond Nugent (or Edmund),
brother of
1st Earl Nugent.
However, this idea does not fit with the peerages.
Above is an extract from Nugent, Viscount Clare, on
p.127
of
[Peerage of Ireland, 1768, vol.2].
Just after Nugent was created Viscount.
This says that his brother Edmund Nugent
died at Buda, Hungary, in 1736. (Other peerages say at age 21.)
This is only 32 years earlier.
It would be strange if this was false.
-
The Nugent entries in other early peerages agree
that
Edmond Nugent
died at Buda in 1736, age 21.
-
Though p.6
of [Nugent, 1898]
thought he died unmarried in 1760.
-
Aidan McMahon Glynn
does in fact note that Edmond Nugent
is meant to have died young, but still thinks he might be the father of Joan Nugent who married MacNamara.
This would need more proof.
It is not clear what led him to Edmond Nugent
in the first place.
MacNamara of Doolin
Aidan McMahon Glynn
thought
John MacNamara
was
of
Doolin, Co.Clare.
The tree below shows that
MacNamara
of Doolin
may descend from
Edmond Nugent, grandfather of Earl Nugent.
So that could explain the link.
But there are problems:
- We cannot prove Earl Nugent is related
to MacNamara of Doolin.
- We cannot prove John MacNamara is related
to MacNamara of Doolin.
- Doolin was inherited through the MacNamara-Sarsfield marriage (see below).
It is hard to see how John MacNamara
could descend from that marriage.
The dates do not work.
-
We suspect John MacNamara
is not of Doolin.
Though he may be related to MacNamara of Doolin.
Question: Why does William Nugent MacNamara, MP
(born 1775) have middle name Nugent?
His supposed Nugent ancestor is too far back.
We start the family of MacNamara of Doolin as follows:
Tiege MacNamara,
of Ballynacraige (or Ballynacraggy), Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co.Clare.
This might be Ballynacragga, Kilnasoolagh par, Co.Clare.
He settled in Drumcreehy par, Co.Clare, in
1659.
[Mac Mahon, 2017]
says he married
Ann Nugent,
"daughter of Edmund Nugent of
Colmanstown, Co. Kildare".
Tiege and his wife had issue:
Bartholomew MacNamara,
born 1685,
of Muraghlin (or Murrough), Burren barony, Co.Clare.
Think this is Murrooghkilly or Murrooghtoohy, both in Gleninagh par, Co.Clare.
He
mar Dorothy Brock.
He died in 1761.
They had issue:
-
William MacNamara,
born 1714, Gleninagh.
He came to Doolin, Co.Clare, through marriage.
He mar Catherine Sarsfield [of Doolin].
His line inherited
Doolin through his wife (after complex legal cases).
See [Ms 39264, pp.353-359].
His will dated 1762. He is Protestant.
He died 1762.
His will pr 1777.
Summary of his will is in [Ms 39264, pp.103-104].
Catherine remarried to Nicholas Comyn.
William and Catherine had issue:
- Francis MacNamara,
born 1749 or 1750,
of Doolin.
He mar Jane Stamer.
After the birth of her youngest
daughter Dorothy, Jane fell out with and eventually went to war with her sons. She evicted them.
Francis' will dated 1819. He died 1821.
His will pr 1823.
Copy in [Ms 39264, p.139].
Jane tried to disinherit her sons.
A legal case ensued, in which the drama of the family fight was recorded.
See [Ms 39264, pp.158-186].
Francis and Jane had issue:
- William Nugent MacNamara, MP,
born 1775.
His will dated 1856.
He died 1856.
His will pr 1857.
Copy in [Ms 39264, p.143].
- William MacNamara.
Did not marry. No issue.
He died intestate, 1774.
Admin granted 1787 to his brother Francis.
See [Ms 39264].
- John MacNamara.
He mar Margaret MacDonagh [dau of Antony MacDonagh of the Irish Brigade].
See Antony MacDonagh
(and p.2)
in
"Biographical Dictionary of Irishmen in France",
Richard Hayes,
Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review,
Vol. 33, No. 131 (Sept 1944), pp. 367-377.
[Mac Mahon, 2017]
says the MacNamaras of Doolin, Co.Clare,
descend from Ann Nugent, dau of Edmund Nugent of "Colmanstown, Co.Kildare".
"Colmanstown" seems to be an error. See the following.
Note 9 refers to Frost. See the following.
Note 10 refers to the
Will of William Macnamara.
Note 9 above leads to
p.440
of
The history and topography of the county of Clare, James Frost, 1893.
This shows entries from the
Book of Forfeitures and Distributions
listing the
confiscations
after 1652.
See pp.390-526.
See facsimile of originals for Drumcreehy parish
on pp.476-479 of
Books of Survey and Distribution,
Vol.IV, Clare.
This shows a way that MacNamara of Doolin could be related to Earl Nugent:
-
Frost says the transplanted Nugent was
Robert Nugent of Carlanstown
and his son Edmond.
- Edmond is father of Michael Nugent, father of Earl Nugent.
-
So is Ann Nugent (who married Tiege MacNamara)
the dau of this Edmond Nugent?
- This Edmond Nugent did indeed have a dau Anne Nugent.
But the peerages show her
as marrying James Reynolds who died 1729.
They do not show her (or any daughter) marrying MacNamara.
Also Tiege MacNamara's son is meant to be born 1685.
The dates do not fit.
Conclusion: We have not proved a link of Earl Nugent to MacNamara of Doolin.
Nor have we proved a link of our John MacNamara to MacNamara of Doolin.
References
Sources yet to be consulted
The Twigge Mss. Collection
at the British Library
is a vast archive of research into MacNamara of Co.Clare.
[BL]
Add. Mss.
Mss 39259-39270.
Research by Robert William Twigge, F.S.A. [died 1915].
Presented to the BL in 1916 by Mrs. Frances Susan Twigge, daughter of Francis Macnamara, of Ennistymon and Doolin, and widow of Robert William Twigge.
Includes transcripts and abstracts of many items that were burnt in 1922.
- Guide was formerly here.
- Ms 39264 (Vol. VI) has extensive
Macnamara family history.
No photography allowed.
- Page 46 onwards has wills, admins, mar licences, etc. of Macnamara. Collection date 1913.
Many of the originals would be burnt in 1922.
- To do: See other volumes.
