Actually, there were (at least) two towns named Falmouth in Massachusetts. Portland, Maine, was first settled in 1632, but it was known earlier by several names, one of which was Falmouth. The town was still Falmouth in 1775 when it was burned by the British. When it was rebuilt and incorporated in 1786, it took the name Portland. All the while that was Massachusetts. Maine did not separate and become a state until 1820 when Missouri was also admitted to statehood under the Missouri Compromise. The other Falmouth, Massachusetts, was not settled until 1661. It also suffered at the hands of the British, but during the War of 1812. A johnny-come-lately on two counts ;-). (Source: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1974) > >>My ancestor William Bond was born 1754 in Plymouth, Devonshire, just across >>the river from St. Austell. He emigrated to America (Falmouth, >Massachusetts, which is now Portland, >Maine)... > >For the record, the fine folks of Falmouth, MA will be most surprised to >discover they're now residents of Portland, Maine. I live in >Massachusetts...I head north to Portland and south to Falmouth (Cape >Cod)...never end up in the same place at all. (Just kidding, but I wouldn't >want your research to take you far afield from your destination.) > > >To all BONDs who have traced their roots to England: > >Is anyone aware of a branch that emigrated to Ireland? My BOND ancestors hail >from County Kilkenney. I have located a couple of John BONDs (in Griffiths) >in the town of Freshford (the only BOND families in this county were located >here). One of these may be my gg-grandfather. But the trail seems so far to >end here. Since the BOND name is English and not Irish, we believe the family >emigrated from England, perhaps sometime in the early 1800s (my John BOND was >born in Ireland circa 1825) or earlier. >Any Irish BOND connections out there? > >Madelyn >