GALLAGHER-L Archives
Archiver > GALLAGHER > 1998-12 > 0913924063
From: theOGollaher <>
Subject: Re: GALLAGHER-D Digest V98 #79
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 12:47:43 -0700
Hello, Tricia;
Since I am the one who is usually guilty of bringing up the pronunciation
stuff, I shall attempt a reply to some of your concerns.
The surname GALLAGHER, while originating in a small and localized area in
what is now known as County Donegal, Ireland, has nevertheless branched into
all four corners of the world. This "scattering of the tribes of Gallagher"
as I call it, was due almost entirely to the plantation of northern Ireland
by the Crown beginning in the early 1600s. We know the "Wild Geese" fled to
Europe in the early 1600s, but these represented only the elite of the Irish
clans, and probably a limited number of O'Gallaghers. Later immigrations
scattered members of what was once one of the three most powerful families in
all of the Tyrconnell (Co. Donegal minus Innisowen, which was held by the
allied O'Dougherty Clann) to Scotland, North America and Australia for the
most part.
Due to their migration to nations where English was the primary language, the
anglicization of the old Gaelic name became even more dreadful.
Additionally, in a continuation of the process of differentiating the various
factions within the clan which began in Ireland, descendants began to spell
their surname differently according to religious or political beliefs they
adopted. We see GALLAGHER mutate into a great very many forms depending on
where the immigrants migrated and what their beliefs were. O'GALLAGHER
largely disappeared due to the strict penalties affixed in northern Ireland
for continuing the tradition of applying the "O" and "Mac" prefixes to
surnames.
Why is this important today? Because it is an important part of our heritage
in understanding who we are and how we arrived at this point. But more
pragmatically, there are great many genealogy searchers who have been stymied
because they think they've hit a brick wall in their search when they run out
of instances of surname spellings they are familiar with researching. Good
examples abound, as well as extremes one. For instance, we often speak of
the "anglicization" of Gaelic surnames, but seldom of their "latinization."
There is a fair possibility that the surname "Gallegos" may even be a variant
of "Gallagher!"
But to use an example a little closer to home, just today I have discovered
proof that the surname spellings GALLAHER, GELEHER, GOLLEHER, GOLLIHER, and
GOLLAHER were in fact owned by common ancestors. The census and landowner
records of Lawrence County, Alabama ca 1820-1860 show conclusively that
William C. Golleher (BTW NOT the Wm. C. who was my ancestor) and Charles
Golleher used all of these spellings. I even have images of their signed
land deeds where the "a" and "i" have been crossed out and notated with an
"o" and an "e"!
In addition, the census records show a JOHN GALLAGHER living in that county
just prior to the arrival of Wm. or Charles, which may be indicative that the
relationship of the surname spelling GALLAGHER and GOLLAHER (et al) may be
more closely associated in some instances than I had previously supposed. It
is also entirely possibly that John's name was, in fact GOLLEHER or GOLLAHER,
but was misspelled by the census taker as is still so common today for those
of us whose name is GOLLAHER, GOLLIHER, etc.
In searching our roots, it is imperative we use all the tools available to
us. Written deeds and records lying in government archives are not
infallible, and were recorded by beaurocrats who were just as frustrating and
fallible as they ones we sometimes encounter today.
As I have written here before, my research into the culture of our ancestors
back into ancient Ireland has lead me to conclude that the Irish have never
been overly concerned with the _spelling_ of words, probably because their
ancient culture all but prohibited utilizing the written word. They are much
more fond of the way a word _sounds_, and for this reason, the phonetic
quality of surnames -- which often leads to the way the name is spelled --
may be a worthy tool in our arsenal of discovering just who our ancestors
were, and how they lived, and why they did what they did.
I hope I have been able to show the relationship of family traits (such as
religious and political views) and the spelling and pronunciation of the
surname. I should think that if your ancestors tended to travel alot, then
this information would be all the more valuable, as we have ample evidence
that GALLAGHERs (et al) tended to spell their name according to the dialect
of the locale they inhabited at that time.
All the best to you, Tricia, and may your holidays be filled with bright and
lasting memories!
wrote:
>
> You know its all very interesting stuff, pronunciation and that but for
> someone who has just begun to look into her roots I have much more pressing
> questions. You all seem more knowledgeable than I on this subject and I
> wonder what I have missed before I became a member of this group of people
> belonging to Gallaghers. Although I am an English person it is just as
> difficult to find out about your heirs, especially when those heirs where
> travellers. If you have anything to offer me I will lap it up. My
> Grandmothers maiden name was Gallagher and she married a Foley (William)
> They lived in Yorkshire England during the early part of this century. When
> she died aged 94 in the mid 60`s she had given birth to 18 children, my mother
> was the last. Some did not survive because they were twins. How many of you
> have twins in your family? Now have I posed a question to you? I must confess
> that I am more interested in family traits than pronunciations. Have you
> anything to say to this?
<snip>
> Tricia. Email .
--
A síorraidh...
_____________________________________
Michael Monroe Gollaher, aka
Mícheál Mac an Rothaich ÓGhallchobhar
"the.O'Gollaher"
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