Scanlan family genealogy

Kings of Ossory

Arms: Per fess indented ar. and az. two lions ramp. (two in chief and one in base), counterchanged. Crest: A lion’s gamb erased and erect sa. grasping a lizard ppr. Motto: Naomh Coll. Cill agus an Angil (Anglicé: Saint Columbkille and the Angel).

According to Adamnan (Lib. I. c. ii), Scanlan[1] Mór, second Christian King of Ossory, son of Colman, son of Fearadhach (d. A.D. 601), son of Ruaman Duach, who (see p. 450, Vol I.) is No. 96 on the “Fitzpatrick” (No. 1) pedigree, was a hostage in the hands of the Irish Monarch Aodh or Hugh (d. A.D. 567), who (see p. 60, Vol. I) is No. 140 on the “Roll of the Monarchs of Ireland.” From that Scanlan Mór, second Christian King of Ossory, who was contemporary with Saint Columkille,[2] and cousin-german to Scanlan Mór, Chief of Ossory (d. AD. 642), who is No. 101 on the “Fitzpatrick” (No. 1) pedigree, above mentioned, this Scanlan family is descended. Between the Four Masters and Keating there seems to be a difference in giving the names immediately before and after the said King Scanlan Mór; but we have adopted the arrangement of the names as given in the Linea Antiqua.

To this family belonged Patrick O’Scanlan, Bishop of Raphoe, who was translated to Armagh, as Primate of Ireland, A.D. 1261. He was the 66th successor of Saint Patrick; and he it was who, A.D. 1268, began the great Church of Armagh. According to the Four Masters, the King of England received Primate O’Scanlan honourably, A.D. 1270; after which he returned to Armagh with great privileges.

At present we are unable to trace the descent from Scanlan Mór, the second Christian King of Ossory, above mentioned, down to Connor Scanlan of Ballinahagh, co. limerick, who was living in 1703:

1. Connor Scanlan, of Ballynahagh, in the co. of Limerick, living in 1703, married, and had:

2. Michael, of Ballynahagh, who married, and had:

3. Cornelius, of Mein, in the co. of Limerick, who married the beautiful Miss O’Connell of Derrynane, county of Kerry. Two large old family oil portraits, representing these in Court dress, are in the possession of Michael Scanlan, Esq., the present head of the family.

4. Michael[3] Scanlan, of Ballynahagh: son of Cornelius; m. Elizabeth Wheeler, first cousin of second Lord Clarina, and dau. of the Hon. Amy, the youngest dau. of the first Lord Massy, of Duntry League, and granddaughter of the Right Hon. George Evans, who m. Miss Eyre, of Eyre Court, co. Galway, father of the first Lord Carbery. He had seven sons and seven daus.:

1. Michael, of whom presently.
2. Francis.
3. John Fitzgibbon, a Captain of Marines.
4. Hugh-Wheeler.
5. Matthew.
6. Connel.
7. Charles.

The last four were officers in the army, and died young in the Continental and Peninsular Wars. The last two died in Spain, of whom Connel, a Lieutenant in the 39th Regt., was five days and nights lying alone dying of his wounds, in the Pyrenees.[4] John Fitzgibbon Scanlan, mar. his cousin, dau. of Col. Wheeler, of Bath. None of the sons, except Michael, left descendants. Of the seven daus.:

1. Elizabeth, married her cousin, Hon. George Eyre Mony, of Riversdale, co. Tipperary,[here see addenda] for whose descendants, Col. Mony and the present Lady Roche, see Burke’s Peerage, 1875, under the heading “Massy.”
2. Constance, married William Blacker Bennet, Esq., of Castle Crea; their dau. married John Austen, Esq., LL.D., Professor of Roman and English Law in Dublin University, who was the celebrated translator of Faust, for which the Queen highly honoured him.
3. Mary, m. William Cox, Esq., of Ballynoe. Their grandson, Lieut.-Colonel William Cox of Ballynoe, at present in India, in command of his Regiment, m. the daughter of the late Sir Armor Lowry Corry, K.C.B. (See Burke’s Peerage, under the heading “Belmore”). He served with distinction; immediately after the Indian Mutiny (see Hart’s Quarterly Army List, 1857 or 1858,) was with his Regiment when it annexed the Transvaal; was in the Zulu War, and was wounded severely at the battle of Kambula; also fought in Upper Burmah.
4. Martha-Anna, m. Wade Foot, Esq., of Cork.
5. Frances-Margaret.
6. Amy.
7. Hellen, who was remarkable for her beauty.

5. Michael Scanlan,[5] of Ballyknockane, co. Limerick: eldest son of Michael; Captain of Upper Connello Cavalry Yeomanry Regiment; a J.P., a Grand Juror, and twice High Sheriff; m. Frances, dau. of Colonel William Odell (the head of an old Norman family, whose ancestor, when he came over, is said to have had his horses shod with silver), of the Grove, co. Limerick, M.P., a Lord of the Treasury (refused a Peerage), Custos Rotulorum of the co. limerick, and by her had four sons and three daus:

1. Michael, d.s.p.
2. William, of whom presently.
3. Hugh-Wheeler, mar. Sarah, dau. of Captain Brown.
4. Matthew, m. Emily, dau. of Captain Brown.

The three daughters were:

1. Mary, m. Wm. Daxon, Esq.
2. Elizabeth.
3. Constance, m. W. Odell, Esq.

6. William Scanlan, of Ballyknockane, co. Limerick; second son of Michael; a graduate of T.C.D., J.P., G.J., and High Sheriff; mar. Aphrasia, dau. of Captain Brown of Clonboy and Bridgetown (head of his house, and representative of John Brown, Esq., of Maghlans in Scotland, who m. Jane, dau. of Sir Robert Gordon, of Lochinvar. Said John Brown was wounded severely at the battle of Winchester, as an officer of Dragoons, temp. Charles II), and had seven sons and one daughter:

1. Michael, of whom presently.
2. John-Brown.
3. William.
4. Hugh-Wheeler.

These last two m., respectively, Alice and Elizabeth, daus. of the late Lieut. Dexter, R.N.

5. Matthew, died abroad.
6. James, U.S. Navy.
7. Rev. Thomas-Richard, Rector of Loughguile, m. Georgina, second and last child of Wm. Watts Thetford, Esq., Physician, M.D., and Surgeon.

The daughter, Frances Scanlan, married Richard A. Burris, Esq., of Ballintemple, King’s County.

7. Michael Scanlan,[6] of Ballyknockane: eldest son of William, and head of the family, living in 1888; a J.P., and G.J.; m. Hannah-Jane, dau. of James J. Fisher, Esq., of Limerick, and his wife Lydia-Jane, Compiler of Annals of Ballytore; The Life and Correspondence of her Mother, Mary Leadbetter; The Life of Her Husband’s Cousin, Wm. W. H. Harvey, M.D., Professor of Botany, T.C.D.

Notes

[1] Scanlan Mór: As, in the List of the Kings of Ossory (see the “Provincial Kings of Ireland,” in the Appendix, No. I., at the end of this Vol.) there is but one King named Scanlan Mór; and that, according to Adamnan, that King was the hostage of the Irish Monarch Aodh (or Hugh), as mentioned in the legend in Note Columkille, in next page, there must be some mistake in recording as a King, instead of a “Chief,” of Ossory, the Scanlan Mór, who is No. 101 on the “Fitzpatrick” (No. 1) pedigree, and who died A.D. 642. This is clearly shown in the Paper headed “Fitzpatrick,” in the Corrigenda, in this Vol.

[2] Columkille: The following legend, respecting St. Columkille; Scanlan Mór, King of Ossory; and the Angel, is taken from Keating’s History of Ireland, commencing with p. 375 of that work:

“The pious Collum Cill with his retinue

Sailed from the Isle of Aoii, and arrived

In Ireland; but, by the discipline of the Church

Enjoined, he never with his eyes beheld

The country.”

(A severe penance inflicted by St. Molaise. During this visit Columbkille had to wear a bandage over his eyes.)

Brought before Hugh, King of Ireland, Collum Cill made requests:

The second request St. Collum Cill preferred to Hugh, the King of Ireland, was, the release and enlargement of the King of Ossory; but this petition was denied, which so displeased the saint, that he replied boldly, that Scanlan should be discharged, and that very night should untie the strings of his brogues, at the time when he was offering up his midnight devotions.

When Collum Cill had taken his final farewell of the King and the Irish Court, he withdrew and came with his followers to the place called Dubh Eagluis in Inis Eoghain, where Scanlan, the King of Ossory, was confined in close custody; and the night after he arrived (as the old Chronicle particularly mentions) a most miraculous event happened; for a large pillar as it were of fire appeared in the air, which it enlightened, and directly hung over the apartment where Scanlan was imprisoned under a strong guard, and loaded with chains. The soldiers were astonished at this fiery appearance, which was exceeding bright and terrible, and under surprise fell flat upon their faces to the ground. All the castle was illuminated as at midday, and a beam of light darted into the room where the King of Ossory lay groaning under the weight of his irons, and (as the tale goes on) he heard a distinct voice which called to him aloud: “Stand up, Scanlan, give me your hand, fear nothing, leave your chains and fetters behind you.” The king was in a maze at the vision and the voice, but he took courage upon recollection, and rose up, and gave his hand to an angel in human shape, who led him out of the apartment, his feet being at liberty, and his chains falling off, of their own accord. The guards were surprised as the angel was conducting the king, and demanded who they were that dared to force the prison against the king’s command. The angel replied that “Scanlan, King of Ossory, was delivered from his imprisonment,” which answer confounded the soldiers; for they thought it impossible that any human power would make so desperate an attempt; and by this means the king obtained his liberty. When they had passed the guards, the king was presented to Collum Cill, with whom he was to continue that night; and the saint being disposed to sleep, he intended to take off his brogues, but he was prevented by the king, who untied them as Collum Cill had predicted. The saint in surprise demanded who had loosened his strings; the king answered that he had done it, which gave the saint great satisfaction, because he had frustrated the design of Hugh, King of Ireland, upon that Prince, and procured his delivery from a cruel imprisonment.

The King of Ossory was severely used during his imprisonment: his apartment was mean and unbecoming his quality, and his diet hard and exceeding coarse, for, his keepers allowed him nothing but salt meat, which so violently inflamed his threat, and raised his thirst, that, when Collum Cill would have talked to him about the circumstances of his usage and the posture of his affairs, his mouth was so dry that he could not speak plain or give an answer, but made signs, and by a confused noise signified that he wanted drink. The saint immediately relieved his thirst, and commanded Barithim, one of his followers, to give the king a large bowl top full, which the king joyfully accepted and finished at three draughts. After his thirst was thus assuaged, and his throat cooled, he was able to discourse, and answered the saint particulary to every question, and made him acquainted with his nearest concerns. But, from the impediment that was in the speech of the king, occasioned by his thirst, the posterity of Scanlan who succeeded him in the command of Ossory were observed to stammer, and to pronounce their words with a great deal of trouble and difficulty.

The king being thus restored to liberty, was advised by Collum-Cill to return to his government and appear publicly in the administration of affairs; but Scanlan apprehended the resentment of Hugh, King of Ireland, who would be apt to seize upon him again, and commit him to prison under a stronger guard, with worse usage. The saint told him not to fear; and, to inspire him with courage, he bestowed upon him his Episcopal Staff as a security and protection, with a command to leave it for him at his Convent at Armeigh, in the county of Ossory. The king, under this sacred assurance of safety, returned to his Court, and reigned over his people as long as he afterwards lived (thirty years, according to Adamnan and the Four Masters), without any disturbance or intrusion from Hugh, King of Ireland.

Scanlan, from a principle of gratitude, acknowledged the favours he had received from Collum Cill, to whom he owed his life and delivery; and enacted a law which should oblige his subjects who were masters of families to pay three pence a-year towards the support of the Convent which Collum Cill had erected at Armeigh, in the county of Ossory; and this tax was to be levied from Blathma to the seaside. An old poet of good authority, who composed upon the Umbra or Vision of St. Collum Cill, has recorded this in the following lines:

“It is established by my royal law,

Which I require my subjects to obey,

That every master of a family,

Who lives within the extent of my command,

Should three pence offer as yearly tribute

To the religions convent of Armeigh.”

After this revenue was settled upon the Convent by a legal establishment, Saint Collum Cill pronounced a solemn benediction upon the royal family of Scanlan, and upon the whole county in general:

“The fruitful land of Ossory I bless,

The king, his family, and all his subjects,

Who from a conscience of religion

Have bound themselves a yearly tax to pay,

And fixed the same on their posterity.”

(See Note at the end of this pedigree.)

[3] Michael: This Michael was a near connection of Lord Clare, Lord Chancellor of Ireland.

[4] Pyrenees: After the battle of Sauroren, in the Pyrenees, 28th—30th July, 1813, against Soult, it is stated that there were killed and wounded of the French 15,000, and 4,000 French made prisoners; and Soult was driven into France.

[5] Scanlan: This Michael was first cousin of General Sir Hugh Wheeler, K.C.B., who was treacherously massacred with his officers and men by Nana Sahib. His daughter, Miss Wheeler, shot five sepoys in bravely defending herself before she was killed.

[6] Scanlan: It is worthy of remark (in connection with the “pillar of fire” and “great light” mentioned in the legend respecting Scanlan Mór, King of Ossory, and Saint Columbkille), that the “Scanlan Lights,” as they are called, are always seen on the demise of a member of the family. We have ascertained that, by the present head of the family, they were seen: 1st, outside, as a pillar of fire, with radiated crown at top; 2nd, inside, by the room being lit up brightly in the night.

By other members of the family, now living, those “lights” have been seen in shape of balls of fire of various sizes.