I have discovered that my McAnaspy's are translated, son of the bishop, it appears to be a rare Gaelic name. Sent from my iPhone On May 17, 2011, at 1:06 PM, jerrykelly@att.net wrote: > A chairde / Friends, > > As you know, celibacy was not a requirement of the early Church in Ireland > and Scotland. Instead, it was a special mark of sanctity chosen by few. > > I can't find the exact reference at the moment, wish I could, but many monks > had as many as 3 wives in honor of the Patriarchs. Around the 8-9th > Centuries, the Irish church tried to convince the monks to keep it down to 1 > wife, and got a lot of flak from the rank and file for defying Biblical > tradition. > > Here is a related comment from the law text known as Bretha Crólige: > > > > There is dispute in Irish law as to which is more proper, whether many > sexual unions or a single one: for the chosen people of God lived in > plurality of unions. (Kelly, Fergus. A Guide to Early Irish Law. Dublin: > Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1998. p. 71) > > > This non-celibate tradition is reflected by some of our surnames, including: > > MacTaggart - Mac an tSagairt - Son of the Priest > MacAnerny - Mac an Airchinnigh - Son of the Airchinneach ('Erenagh' in > English) > MacNabb - Mac an Abbadh - Son of the Abbot > > Monasteries were handed down within the hereditary 'erenagh' families, some > of whom were royal. These families were expected to staff these > institutions with their descendants. Choice of leadership and ownership was > by Féineachas ('Brehon Law'), within the electable derbh-fhine ('true > family' sharing common descent from a common great-grandfather). > Ecclesiastics were called by both God and blood, so the Church was strong > and constantly expanding, in contrast to what we see today. > > Examples of royal abbesses and abbots include St. Brighid, Abbess and Bishop > of Cill Dara ('Kildare'). And, of course, Colm Cille. As you know, Colm > Cille was of the righ-damhna or 'stuff of kings' of the Cinéal Chonaill, > electable as their King at a time when the Uí Néill In Tuaiscirt (Uí Néill > of the North, especially the Cinéal Chonaill and Cinéal nEoghain) were busy > creating the High-Kingship of Ireland. > > Colm Cille remained celebate so his successors like Adamnán were close > relatives of his, also royal, rather than direct descendants. Right up > until the point that they were extinguished, the Columban daughter houses > were typically staffed at the top with close relatives of Colm Cille. Many > of these successors married and had children. Some of these in turn became > comh-arba ('heirs' or 'successors') of Colm Cille. > > I don't know about Scotland, but in Ireland, marriage by priests, monks, and > nuns was common right up until the imposition of English Common Law in 1603. > At that point, the territories owned by the erenagh families and all > properties owned by right of descent from married ecclesiastics were > escheated to the English crown on the basis of 'bastardry' - no legitimate > heir. > > Go raibh sé sin cabhrach. / Hope that's helpful. > > Best, > Jerry > > R1b1c7 Research and Links: > > http://clanmaclochlainn.com/R1b1c7/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DNA-R1B1C7-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi Jane, Yes, that's a good example of the Celtic churches at work. I remember that Paul pointed this one out. So when evaluating ancient genealogies, it's important not to ignore the ecclesiastics as contributors to the gene pool. Their were many hereditary ecclesiastical families, called 'erenaghs' in English and airchinnigh (the plural of airchinneach) in the Gaelic languages Le gach dea-ghui/, Best, Jerry Cló an Druaidh / The Druid Press www.druidpress.com ________________________________ From: Jane <JaneKaschak@sbcglobal.net> To: "jerrykelly@att.net" <jerrykelly@att.net>; "dna-r1b1c7@rootsweb.com" <dna-r1b1c7@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thu, May 26, 2011 9:48:29 AM Subject: Re: [R-M222] abbots, abbesses, and heirs I have discovered that my McAnaspy's are translated, son of the bishop, it appears to be a rare Gaelic name. Sent from my iPhone On May 17, 2011, at 1:06 PM, jerrykelly@att.net wrote: > A chairde / Friends, > > As you know, celibacy was not a requirement of the early Church in Ireland > and Scotland. Instead, it was a special mark of sanctity chosen by few. > > I can't find the exact reference at the moment, wish I could, but many monks > had as many as 3 wives in honor of the Patriarchs. Around the 8-9th > Centuries, the Irish church tried to convince the monks to keep it down to 1 > wife, and got a lot of flak from the rank and file for defying Biblical > tradition. > > Here is a related comment from the law text known as Bretha Crólige: > > > > There is dispute in Irish law as to which is more proper, whether many > sexual unions or a single one: for the chosen people of God lived in > plurality of unions. (Kelly, Fergus. A Guide to Early Irish Law. Dublin: > Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1998. p. 71) > > > This non-celibate tradition is reflected by some of our surnames, including: > > MacTaggart - Mac an tSagairt - Son of the Priest > MacAnerny - Mac an Airchinnigh - Son of the Airchinneach ('Erenagh' in > English) > MacNabb - Mac an Abbadh - Son of the Abbot > > Monasteries were handed down within the hereditary 'erenagh' families, some > of whom were royal. These families were expected to staff these > institutions with their descendants. Choice of leadership and ownership was > by Féineachas ('Brehon Law'), within the electable derbh-fhine ('true > family' sharing common descent from a common great-grandfather). > Ecclesiastics were called by both God and blood, so the Church was strong > and constantly expanding, in contrast to what we see today. > > Examples of royal abbesses and abbots include St. Brighid, Abbess and Bishop > of Cill Dara ('Kildare'). And, of course, Colm Cille. As you know, Colm > Cille was of the righ-damhna or 'stuff of kings' of the Cinéal Chonaill, > electable as their King at a time when the Uí Néill In Tuaiscirt (Uí Néill > of the North, especially the Cinéal Chonaill and Cinéal nEoghain) were busy > creating the High-Kingship of Ireland. > > Colm Cille remained celebate so his successors like Adamnán were close > relatives of his, also royal, rather than direct descendants. Right up > until the point that they were extinguished, the Columban daughter houses > were typically staffed at the top with close relatives of Colm Cille. Many > of these successors married and had children. Some of these in turn became > comh-arba ('heirs' or 'successors') of Colm Cille. > > I don't know about Scotland, but in Ireland, marriage by priests, monks, and > nuns was common right up until the imposition of English Common Law in 1603. > At that point, the territories owned by the erenagh families and all > properties owned by right of descent from married ecclesiastics were > escheated to the English crown on the basis of 'bastardry' - no legitimate > heir. > > Go raibh sé sin cabhrach. / Hope that's helpful. > > Best, > Jerry > > R1b1c7 Research and Links: > > http://clanmaclochlainn.com/R1b1c7/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >DNA-R1B1C7-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes >in the subject and the body of the message

Jane, Yeah, I mentioned this already, it's usually Anglicized as McAnespie - and not that rare a name. On Thu, May 26, 2011 at 9:48 AM, Jane <JaneKaschak@sbcglobal.net> wrote: > I have discovered that my McAnaspy's are translated, son of the bishop, it > appears to be a rare Gaelic name. > > Sent from my iPhone > > On May 17, 2011, at 1:06 PM, jerrykelly@att.net wrote: > > > A chairde / Friends, > > > > As you know, celibacy was not a requirement of the early Church in > Ireland > > and Scotland. Instead, it was a special mark of sanctity chosen by few. > > > > I can't find the exact reference at the moment, wish I could, but many > monks > > had as many as 3 wives in honor of the Patriarchs. Around the 8-9th > > Centuries, the Irish church tried to convince the monks to keep it down > to 1 > > wife, and got a lot of flak from the rank and file for defying Biblical > > tradition. > > > > Here is a related comment from the law text known as Bretha Crólige: > > > > > > > > There is dispute in Irish law as to which is more proper, whether many > > sexual unions or a single one: for the chosen people of God lived in > > plurality of unions. (Kelly, Fergus. A Guide to Early Irish Law. > Dublin: > > Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1998. p. 71) > > > > > > This non-celibate tradition is reflected by some of our surnames, > including: > > > > MacTaggart - Mac an tSagairt - Son of the Priest > > MacAnerny - Mac an Airchinnigh - Son of the Airchinneach ('Erenagh' in > > English) > > MacNabb - Mac an Abbadh - Son of the Abbot > > > > Monasteries were handed down within the hereditary 'erenagh' families, > some > > of whom were royal. These families were expected to staff these > > institutions with their descendants. Choice of leadership and ownership > was > > by Féineachas ('Brehon Law'), within the electable derbh-fhine ('true > > family' sharing common descent from a common great-grandfather). > > Ecclesiastics were called by both God and blood, so the Church was strong > > and constantly expanding, in contrast to what we see today. > > > > Examples of royal abbesses and abbots include St. Brighid, Abbess and > Bishop > > of Cill Dara ('Kildare'). And, of course, Colm Cille. As you know, Colm > > Cille was of the righ-damhna or 'stuff of kings' of the Cinéal Chonaill, > > electable as their King at a time when the Uí Néill In Tuaiscirt (Uí > Néill > > of the North, especially the Cinéal Chonaill and Cinéal nEoghain) were > busy > > creating the High-Kingship of Ireland. > > > > Colm Cille remained celebate so his successors like Adamnán were close > > relatives of his, also royal, rather than direct descendants. Right up > > until the point that they were extinguished, the Columban daughter houses > > were typically staffed at the top with close relatives of Colm Cille. > Many > > of these successors married and had children. Some of these in turn > became > > comh-arba ('heirs' or 'successors') of Colm Cille. > > > > I don't know about Scotland, but in Ireland, marriage by priests, monks, > and > > nuns was common right up until the imposition of English Common Law in > 1603. > > At that point, the territories owned by the erenagh families and all > > properties owned by right of descent from married ecclesiastics were > > escheated to the English crown on the basis of 'bastardry' - no > legitimate > > heir. > > > > Go raibh sé sin cabhrach. / Hope that's helpful. > > > > Best, > > Jerry > > > > R1b1c7 Research and Links: > > > > http://clanmaclochlainn.com/R1b1c7/ > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > DNA-R1B1C7-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > R1b1c7 Research and Links: > > http://clanmaclochlainn.com/R1b1c7/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > DNA-R1B1C7-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >