Hi all, I am about to venture out into the "wild blue yonder" on what fr me is a dream trip. I fly to New York on Monday, hook up with my 20 year old and her beloved 1989 Saab... then we are driving home along the migration routes followed by our family lines! Itinerary is New York thru Harrisburg, PA (Amish Country) to Cincinnati, OH (to meet some of you!) Madison, IN (my Switzerland Co. connection) to St. Louis, MO (for fun) then thru Kansas (no research to do there, but depending on time and our humor/wear and tear on each other ;] , may do a side jaunt down Chanute, Sedan, Emporia and Neodesha, then to Denver (southern route) (to see friends and meet a few more of you ;]) then to Salt Lake (to see a bunch of 20-something cousins and hit the library) then the (for me) yukky part thru Nevada to good old Winnemuca (I can see the motel shining in the distance) and finally home to the Bay Area. Expect to be home no later than the weekend of the 20th... I will not be able to access this email address while I am gone, so I cannot do much "techy stuff" - these lists are (happily) small enough and you are all kind enought that I rarely have problems, so I feel OK about it. Still, I will be accessing my aol account, and if anyone wants/needs to reach me, you can use that address, jmbrock@aol.com... You all be good now, while I'm gone! I feel like the proverbial mother hen kicking her chicks out of the nest ;] Jana

In addition to the several spellings suggested by members of the group recently, I have heard, though I don't know the source, of another one -- KIERWAIN Just in case it has not been come across. Also, has anyone done any investigation into the geographic locations of the different spellings. I was told that Kirwan was Irish, Kerwin was Scottish, and the above was Germanic. I have no idea how valid the above information is, but would be interested if anyone else has heard the same or similar. thanks William Kirwan, Jr. CALIF

Here is my stab at summarizing the spellings of the name which is the subject of this listserver. I haven't written the whole name in capitals because it seemed intrusive in this context. I have grouped the names by the way they sound to me when I try to pronounce them. ************ Kirwan Kirwin Kerwan Kerwin ************ Kierwan ************ Currawn (a 1750 rendition by an English clerk from hearing a name spoken, and it is possible that it might be the name which is now spelled "Curran" instead of the name which is now spelled "Kirwin, etc.") ************ Kervin Kirvan Kirevan Kyrvan ************ Kieravan Keerevan Kerovan Kerovane O'Quirivan, / . . / O' Ciardubain / / O' Chiardubhain ************ Kervick Kerwick ************ If the spellings, / . . / / / O' Ciardubain and O' Chiardubhain which were posted by David Kirwan are the most likely spelling of the name in Irish, then it seems to me that the variations, O'Quirivan, Kirevan, Keerevan, Kieravan and Kerovane are probably "best effort" recordings of the name for English readers and speakers by a writer who was hearing the name spoken by someone who either spoke Irish or had preserved the Irish pronunciation of the name and whose pronunciation was not affected by knowing how to read English, or was spoken by someone who may have been an Irish speaker, reader and writer whose pronunciation would not be affected by seeing the name written by an English speaker. The best example I can think of a change like this happening to pronunciation of a name is the pronunciation of two names in Nebraska. There is the town Papillion, Nebraska which is pronounced "puh-PILL-ee-un." Then, running through Omaha and emptying into the Missouri River is the Papio Creek, and Papio is pronounced "PAP-ee-yoh." If I remember right, early French traders gave the name, butterfly (papillion in French), to the creek because there was a host of butterflys there when they went past. People must have used the word for the creek many years before the founding of the town, and by that time, people could read, and used English language rules of pronunciation to work out Papillion to be "puh-PILL-ee-un." --- Tom Fitzsimmons Clonakilty, Co. Cork, Ireland tjfitz@iol.ie

I am looking for information on Kerwins my father is James Gerard Kerwin the 2nd. my grandfather is the first, he was born in 1914 and his father was George P. Kerwin born about 1840. my grandpa Kerwin's mother's name was Hilda Papin born around the same time. and she had a brother named George Papin from Baltimore Meryland. Hilda Papin also had a sister named Clohie who married Dan Jaffet and he was in the oil business with Howard Hughs. My grandfather James Gerard Kerwin was married to Adraine Blick.

hey guys- Look at the cool info I found! Only this one Kirwan so far, but promise of more to come. And at least this Kirwan knew how to spell his name properly. This site is computerizing the fabled (at least among genealogical circles) records of the Emigrant Savings Bank, which catered to Irish (and other immigrants?) in NYC. Chris Kirwan NYGenExchange Emigrant Savings Bank Records ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Account Holder: William Kirwan Account Number: 24978 Date Open: 08/06/1860 Born: Not Listed Thurbs Tipperary, Ireland Residence: 24 Barclay Street Manhattan NY Occupation: Coachman Relative: 3 daughters - US Arrival Date: 1850 Ship: 'J. Nesbitt' Notes: Account holder is a widower. http://genexchange.com/ny/index.cfm

A Chairde; I am searching for the following person, if you have any information on him at all please respond. Go raibh mile maith agat. William Michael Kirwan (Kerwin, Kirwin ...) b) 1848, Co. Galway (I think) d) 1890, Jackson MI USA He was married to Mary Griffin of Co. Sligo, had 3 children (all born in USA), was murdered at the Michigan Central railroad depot.

Jana and All I believe you are correct about the spelling variations. I was brought up in Ireland and about 20 years ago spent a lot of time researching Church records in County Wexford. Even to an amateur it was fairly obvious that until around 1880-1890 a signficant number of Marriage Certs were signed by the particants "X, His/Her mark",. I suspect the form actually recorded varied according to the literacy of the priest concerned and the local accents ( in some Irish counties the middle "W" tends to be elongated to "owa" I tracked one relative (Eliza Kirwan) through three different spellings between 1850 and 1930 - Kerwin, Kerovane and Kirwan. Only at the end of her life did her signature appear other than as an "x". In passing, concerning the Irish form of the name , my memory is that when I started school my name in Irish was : / . ./ O' Ciardubain The dots over the "C" and "b" were referred to as "buailte" (pronounced booiltje). The dash over the "a" ws a seimhiu (pronounced shayvoo). Later (presumably because buailte's don't appear on typewriters, the buailte was changed to a "h" and the spelling of my name became:- / / O' Chiardubhain My mmeory may be t fault, howver. David Kirwan (Bermuda) >From kirwin-l-request@rootsweb.com Mon Feb 15 21:59:51 1999 >Received: (from slist@localhost) > by bl-30.rootsweb.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) id VAA08822; > Mon, 15 Feb 1999 21:58:07 -0800 (PST) >Resent-Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 21:58:07 -0800 (PST) >Message-ID: <36C90821.51874AF8@slip.net> >Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 21:54:42 -0800 >From: Jana Black <janab@slip.net> >Reply-To: janab@slip.net >X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.04 [en] (Win95; I) >MIME-Version: 1.0 >Old-To: Kirvan <kirvans@river.it.gvsu.edu> >Old-CC: KIRWIN-L@rootsweb.com >References: <36C8D557.284A@river.it.gvsu.edu> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >Subject: [KIRWIN-L] Origins of our name.... >Resent-Message-ID: <"EEK12.A.dGC.ojQy2"@bl-30.rootsweb.com> >Resent-From: KIRWIN-L@rootsweb.com >X-Mailing-List: <KIRWIN-L@rootsweb.com> archive/latest/170 >X-Loop: KIRWIN-L@rootsweb.com >To: KIRWIN-L@rootsweb.com >Precedence: list >Errors-To: KIRWIN-L-request@rootsweb.com >Resent-Sender: KIRWIN-L-request@rootsweb.com > >Hi all, > >I think this is a terrific thread especially since we have had quite a few >new subscribers lately who may not know the basics about our name. > >I found this posted to a website which is no longer free ;[ over a year ago. >It seems to have a good summary: > >(O) Kirwan > >The Kirwans - the O is never used with the name these days - are best known >as one of the "Tribes of Galway"; they are second only to the Lynches as a >leading family of that city. Like the Darcys and unlike the other twekve >"tribes" they are of Gaelic origin. They are first recorded in hiostory as >ernaghs in Co. Louth, and were noit connected with Galway until the 15th >century. In Irish, the name is O Ciardubhain, the sept being of hte race >Heremon. Early formas in English are Kerovan, Kyrvan and O'Quirivan, wehence >the Co. Clare place-name Craggykerrivane........." > >...... the article then goes on about the easily traced Kirwan/ins (none of >ours!); Most Rev. Francis Kirwan, John Kirwan, Richard (builder of Cregg >Castle http://indigo.ie/~creggcas/ now run by very nice folks, Pat and Ann >Marie Broderick, purveyors of fine original music and affordable rooms!) >Walter Blake Kirwan and Owen Kirwan, who was hanged. > >New list members, please do not be shy! Post your lines, your walls whatever >you have, and "oldsters", time to repost - who knows, the very connection you >need may be sitting out there like you just waiting! We are up to 65 Kirwin >researchers....... > >Jana Black >Listowner, > >Kirvan wrote: > >> Tom, I have one more spelling for you. I have traced my family tree back >> to the late 1700's with the derivitive of the Kirwan name spelled >> "KIRVAN". I'm quite sure this came from the more common spelling of >> Kirwan. My family origins have been traced to a John Kirvan from Galway >> , Ireland. You will find Kirvans in the US, Canada, Austrialia, and >> Great Britian. >> >> ==== KIRWIN Mailing List ==== >> TO POST A MESSAGE: email KIRWIN-L@rootsweb.com >> Tell us about yourself, your research, your brick walls! Tell us the lies >> you heard and anything else to help us really understand the KIRWIN mind! > > > > >==== KIRWIN Mailing List ==== >TO UNSUBSCRIBE: we hope you won't BUT we won't take it personally either! >email KIRWIN-L-request@rootsweb.com and write in only the word >UNSUBSCRIBE in the message body. No subject necessary..... > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

Hi DeAnne, Not sure we have anyone on this list who has easy access to Griffith's for look ups but there is someone on the SHAMROCK-L who regularly offers to do them. You might want to sub to that list long enough to get your look up done, then you can unsub ;]. SHAMROCK is a big list with lots of email, so you may want to subscribe to the digest version <SHAMROCK-D-request@rootsweb.com> writing only the word subscribe in the body of the message. You would use the same address to unsub after you get your look up... Happy Hunting, Jana DFUZZYBEAR@aol.com wrote: > Could someone do a lookup for me. I found in the index to Griffith's > Valuation of Ireland, 1848-1864 the following names that I need more info on: > > Kervin, John County: Waterford > Parish: Fews > Location: Kealfoun > > Kervin, Miles County: Fermanagh > parish: Denenish > Location: Aghamuldowney > > I am trying to trace John Kirven (etc.) spellings , born ca 1830 in Ireland. I > have conflicting town names.. He immigrated to America ca. 1850. He died > in OHIO, USA > I would greatly appreciate it if you could email the info to me. Thanks, > DeAnne Hawkins-Kirven. dfuzzybear@aol.com > > ==== KIRWIN Mailing List ==== > If you have other IRISH roots to research, try subscribing to SHAMROCK-L > @rootsweb.com. Maura Petzolt capably hosts this very informative list > for all related to Irish roots research. Very friendly, no politics!

Hi DeAnne, Not sure we have anyone on this list who has easy access to Griffith's for look ups but there is someone on the SHAMROCK-L who regularly offers to do them. You might want to sub to that list long enough to get your look up done, then you can unsub ;]. SHAMROCK is a big list with lots of email, so you may want to subscribe to the digest version <SHAMROCK-D-request@rootsweb.com> writing only the word subscribe in the body of the message. You would use the same address to unsub after you get your look up... Happy Hunting, Jana DFUZZYBEAR@aol.com wrote: > Could someone do a lookup for me. I found in the index to Griffith's > Valuation of Ireland, 1848-1864 the following names that I need more info on: > > Kervin, John County: Waterford > Parish: Fews > Location: Kealfoun > > Kervin, Miles County: Fermanagh > parish: Denenish > Location: Aghamuldowney > > I am trying to trace John Kirven (etc.) spellings , born ca 1830 in Ireland. I > have conflicting town names.. He immigrated to America ca. 1850. He died > in OHIO, USA > I would greatly appreciate it if you could email the info to me. Thanks, > DeAnne Hawkins-Kirven. dfuzzybear@aol.com > > ==== KIRWIN Mailing List ==== > If you have other IRISH roots to research, try subscribing to SHAMROCK-L > @rootsweb.com. Maura Petzolt capably hosts this very informative list > for all related to Irish roots research. Very friendly, no politics!

Could someone do a lookup for me. I found in the index to Griffith's Valuation of Ireland, 1848-1864 the following names that I need more info on: Kervin, John County: Waterford Parish: Fews Location: Kealfoun Kervin, Miles County: Fermanagh parish: Denenish Location: Aghamuldowney I am trying to trace John Kirven (etc.) spellings , born ca 1830 in Ireland. I have conflicting town names.. He immigrated to America ca. 1850. He died in OHIO, USA I would greatly appreciate it if you could email the info to me. Thanks, DeAnne Hawkins-Kirven. dfuzzybear@aol.com

Today, hot on the heels of a tip from Geralyn Barry, I looked up The Irish Genealogist, Volume 4, Number 6, November, 1973, and read "The Popish Inhabitants of the Half Barony of Ikerrin in 1750", pp 578-583 inclusive. This was a census of the Catholics who owned land in that barony of County Tipperary. I believe the purpose of the census was to identify Catholic landowners and tax them for whatever monetary losses had been suffered by English interests or by loyalist (maybe that is an anachronism, but it may get the idea across) inhabitants of the barony. There was to be one farthing of tax levied per 3 acres of land, I think. I wish I had been able to copy more info, but the library was about to close, and they didn't have a copier. One of the persons to be taxed in the Parish was John CURRAWN, who owned 1 acre. I don't know what tax had to be paid when the amount of land owned was less than 3 acres. I went through the census names two or three times before it occurred to me that this might be yet another variation on the spelling of the name Kirwin/Kirwan/Kerwin/etc., etc..

As if anyone could truly civilize the Irish.... :) Jennifer L. Williams (1850 Alexander Co. NC) Better living through denial.

>The spelling of Kirwan seems to be purely Irish, and found in County Galway -- >where the Kirwans originated before the Romans showed up. ^^^^^^^^^ I trust you mean Normans. The Romans never showed up in Ireland. Lot's of evidence that they traded with Ireland, but never got around to conquering or civilizing it. Marty Kirwan

Sorry all, it is late! Hi all, I think this is a terrific thread especially since we have had quite a few new subscribers lately who may not know the basics about our name. I found this posted to a website which is no longer free ;[ over a year ago. It seems to have a good summary: (O) Kirwan The Kirwans - the O is never used with the name these days - are best known as one of the "Tribes of Galway"; they are second only to the Lynches as a leading family of that city. Like the Darcys and unlike the other twelve "tribes" they are of Gaelic origin. They are first recorded in history as ernaghs in Co. Louth, and were not connected with Galway until the 15th century. In Irish, the name is O Ciardubhain, the sept being of the race Heremon. Early forms in English are Kerovan, Kyrvan and O'Quirivan, whence the Co. Clare place-name Craggykerrivane........." ...... the article then goes on about the easily traced Kirwan/ins (none of ours!); Most Rev. Francis Kirwan, John Kirwan, Richard (builder of Cregg Castle http://indigo.ie/~creggcas/ now run by very nice folks, Pat and Ann Marie Broderick, purveyors of fine original music and affordable rooms!) Walter Blake Kirwan and Owen Kirwan, who was hanged. New list members, please do not be shy! Post your lines, your walls whatever you have, and "oldsters", time to repost - who knows, the very connection you need may be sitting out there like you just waiting! We are up to 65 Kirwin researchers....... Jana Black Listowner, KIRWIN-L

Hi all, I think this is a terrific thread especially since we have had quite a few new subscribers lately who may not know the basics about our name. I found this posted to a website which is no longer free ;[ over a year ago. It seems to have a good summary: (O) Kirwan The Kirwans - the O is never used with the name these days - are best known as one of the "Tribes of Galway"; they are second only to the Lynches as a leading family of that city. Like the Darcys and unlike the other twekve "tribes" they are of Gaelic origin. They are first recorded in hiostory as ernaghs in Co. Louth, and were noit connected with Galway until the 15th century. In Irish, the name is O Ciardubhain, the sept being of hte race Heremon. Early formas in English are Kerovan, Kyrvan and O'Quirivan, wehence the Co. Clare place-name Craggykerrivane........." ...... the article then goes on about the easily traced Kirwan/ins (none of ours!); Most Rev. Francis Kirwan, John Kirwan, Richard (builder of Cregg Castle http://indigo.ie/~creggcas/ now run by very nice folks, Pat and Ann Marie Broderick, purveyors of fine original music and affordable rooms!) Walter Blake Kirwan and Owen Kirwan, who was hanged. New list members, please do not be shy! Post your lines, your walls whatever you have, and "oldsters", time to repost - who knows, the very connection you need may be sitting out there like you just waiting! We are up to 65 Kirwin researchers....... Jana Black Listowner, Kirvan wrote: > Tom, I have one more spelling for you. I have traced my family tree back > to the late 1700's with the derivitive of the Kirwan name spelled > "KIRVAN". I'm quite sure this came from the more common spelling of > Kirwan. My family origins have been traced to a John Kirvan from Galway > , Ireland. You will find Kirvans in the US, Canada, Austrialia, and > Great Britian. > > ==== KIRWIN Mailing List ==== > TO POST A MESSAGE: email KIRWIN-L@rootsweb.com > Tell us about yourself, your research, your brick walls! Tell us the lies > you heard and anything else to help us really understand the KIRWIN mind!

Tom, I have one more spelling for you. I have traced my family tree back to the late 1700's with the derivitive of the Kirwan name spelled "KIRVAN". I'm quite sure this came from the more common spelling of Kirwan. My family origins have been traced to a John Kirvan from Galway , Ireland. You will find Kirvans in the US, Canada, Austrialia, and Great Britian.

Hi everyone. This is my first posting. I'm not even sure if the way may great grandmother spelled her surname would be included in this list as I haven't seen any reference to it as yet. But my spellings are as follows: KERVIN KERVICK KERWICK Her father was definitely born in Ireland. Catherine KERVIN was born in Nova Scotia. Anyone out there researching the above spellings. Trish LEWIS Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Canada

I just got a letter today from Neil Kirwan, Beacon, New York with data for baptisms of seven children of Philip Kirwan and Margaret Scanlan from Couraganeen church, Bourney Parish, near Roscrea, Co. Tipperary over the period 1837 to 1846, and here are the spellings of K_____: Kirwan Kirwin Kierwan Keerevan Kieravan Kerwan Kirevan I believe these are all phonetic spellings of how the person bearing the name pronounced it. In some cases, different spellings are given for the parent's name and the sponsor's name, even though it is pretty certain they are both the same name.

The spelling of Kirwan seems to be purely Irish, and found in County Galway -- where the Kirwans originated before the Romans showed up. The Kerwin spelling is anglicized and is found in the Dublin area during the 1600's and up until today. My Kirwan ancestors spelled their name Kerwin and Kirwan, which is puzzling. Kerwin was also a rather common spelling with census takers. Since a great many of our Irish ancestors were illiterate, the spelling of their last name was up for grabs. Carole Shanahan

It looks as though 1858 should have been 1958 for the suburb, Kirwan. And it is in Thuringowa, North Queensland. Thuringowa is the twin city of Townsville. When I posted that first note with the words, "suburb" and "subdividing", I wondered about 1858!