The origin of the Kennedys in Scotland and Ireland goes back a very long way. Like so many Scottish names it is of Irish origin from O Cinneide meaning ceann, head, and eidigh meaning ugly. The Irish Kennedys were descended from Cennedig who was Brian Boru's nephew. They were Lords of Ormonde from the 11th. to 16th.C's. Originally from Clare, they spread down as far as Wexford where John F. Kennedy's ancesters came from. There were three branches: O'Kennedy Donn (brown),O'Kennedy Fionn (fair) and O'Kennedy Rua (red). Some moved to Country Antrim where the name is still common. The Irish O'Kennedys migrated to Scotland and became MacKennedys and were a sept of the Clan Cameron and those in Invernesshire descend from the Ayrshire Kennedys where they were first known as Lords Kennedys and later as Earls of Cassilis. A 16th. C Scottish rhyme goes: "Twixt Wigton and the toun of Ayr, Portpatrick and the Cruives of Cree, No man needs think for to bide there, Unless he courts with Kennedie. Ayrshire Kennedys were brough over to Ulster to build the post of Donaghadee in 1603 and spread through the Ards peninsula at Bangor, Comber and Newtownards and on Down to Downpatrick.What I find strange is that the Muster Roll of County Down held in Bangor in 1631 lists only one Kennedy - Constantyne. Similarly the Muster Roll of Clandeboye held in Killyleagh in 1642 listed only Thomas Kenedy. Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy, 1810-83, was born at Culta near Holywood and became Governor of Gambia, West Australia, Hing Kong and later Queensland. There is a lot of early Kennedy information in Hanna's, "The Scotch-Irish". There were Kennedys of Clogher, Co. Tyrone who descended from Cornet John Kennedy 1615-1680 of the Ayrshire Kennedys, who came there in 1641 with the Scottish army under Lord Leven. Most County Down and County Down Kennedys came from Ayrshire and Galloway. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Kennedy" <kennedmr@siscom.net> To: <nir-down@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 11:18 AM Subject: [NIR-DOWN] lookup request - from Books by David Dobson > Greetings: > > Is there anyone willing to do some lookups from the books by David Dobson > on the Scots-Irish around the period 1725-1825. > Apparently he wrote three to five books on the Scot-Irish, with at least > three dealing with this period of time. > I am looking for information on the Kennedy surname in County Down, > especially the area in and near the town of Killyleagh or the Barony of > Dufferin and the whole area known as East Down. > What area of Scotland did these Kennedys originally come from? > Did these Kennedys belong to any particular branch of the Scottish > Kennedys? > Are any of them mentioned as coming from Glasgow? > Are there any family trees or genealogies available that tie these County > Down Kennedy's with Scottish Kennedy's? > Are any of these books online? > > > Any help would be greatly appreciated. > Thanks > > Mike Kennedy > Dayton Ohio > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NIR-DOWN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Any info on Thompson and Hamilton names? Thanks, Ann of Idaho ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hugh Macartney" <hhmacartney@shaw.ca> To: <nir-down@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 2:39 PM Subject: Re: [NIR-DOWN] lookup request - from Books by David Dobson > The origin of the Kennedys in Scotland and Ireland goes back a very long > way. Like so many Scottish names it is of Irish origin from O Cinneide > meaning ceann, head, and eidigh meaning ugly. The Irish Kennedys were > descended from Cennedig who was Brian Boru's nephew. They were Lords of > Ormonde from the 11th. to 16th.C's. Originally from Clare, they spread > down as far as Wexford where John F. Kennedy's ancesters came from. There > were three branches: > O'Kennedy Donn (brown),O'Kennedy Fionn (fair) and O'Kennedy Rua (red). > Some > moved to Country Antrim where the name is still common. The Irish > O'Kennedys > migrated to Scotland and became MacKennedys and were a sept of the Clan > Cameron and those in Invernesshire descend from the Ayrshire Kennedys > where > they were first known as Lords Kennedys and later as Earls of Cassilis. A > 16th. C Scottish rhyme goes: > "Twixt Wigton and the toun of Ayr, > Portpatrick and the Cruives of Cree, > No man needs think for to bide there, > Unless he courts with Kennedie. Ayrshire Kennedys were brough over to > Ulster > to build the post of Donaghadee in 1603 and spread through the Ards > peninsula at Bangor, Comber and Newtownards and on Down to > Downpatrick.What > I find strange is that the Muster Roll of County Down held in Bangor in > 1631 > lists only one Kennedy - Constantyne. Similarly the Muster Roll of > Clandeboye held in Killyleagh in 1642 listed only Thomas Kenedy. Sir > Arthur > Edward Kennedy, 1810-83, was born at Culta near Holywood and became > Governor > of Gambia, West Australia, Hing Kong and later Queensland. There is a lot > of early Kennedy information in Hanna's, "The Scotch-Irish". There were > Kennedys of Clogher, Co. Tyrone who descended from Cornet John Kennedy > 1615-1680 of the Ayrshire Kennedys, who came there in 1641 with the > Scottish > army under Lord Leven. Most County Down and County Down Kennedys came from > Ayrshire and Galloway. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Mike Kennedy" <kennedmr@siscom.net> > To: <nir-down@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 11:18 AM > Subject: [NIR-DOWN] lookup request - from Books by David Dobson > > >> Greetings: >> >> Is there anyone willing to do some lookups from the books by David Dobson >> on the Scots-Irish around the period 1725-1825. >> Apparently he wrote three to five books on the Scot-Irish, with at least >> three dealing with this period of time. >> I am looking for information on the Kennedy surname in County Down, >> especially the area in and near the town of Killyleagh or the Barony of >> Dufferin and the whole area known as East Down. >> What area of Scotland did these Kennedys originally come from? >> Did these Kennedys belong to any particular branch of the Scottish >> Kennedys? >> Are any of them mentioned as coming from Glasgow? >> Are there any family trees or genealogies available that tie these County >> Down Kennedy's with Scottish Kennedy's? >> Are any of these books online? >> >> >> Any help would be greatly appreciated. >> Thanks >> >> Mike Kennedy >> Dayton Ohio >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> NIR-DOWN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NIR-DOWN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message