Wall family genealogy
Of West Muscry, County Cork
Arms: Ar. a lion ramp. betw. three crosses pattée fitchée go. Crest: A demi boar ramp. sa.
This family (called in Irish De Bhal or Faltach) derives its origin from the old Dukes of Valois; and its name from the Celtic O’Uaill (“uaill;” Irish, famous, renowned, etc.). The name was in successive times—De Wallcourt, De Valencourt, Clare-Wall or Clare Val, De Wall, De Val, De Valys, De Valoingies, De Valois, De Valonys, and in late years, Wall.
The first of the family who came to these islands was Hamo De Valencourt, who, in A.D. 1066, accompanied William, Duke of Normandy, to England, and materially assisted him in the conquest of England. This Hamo De Valencourt (or Wallcourt) obtained from the Conqueror several lordships in Suffolk and elsewhere, settling himself in the city of Clare, in that county; hence the name, “Clare-Wall.” He possessed five lordships in Suffolk, and three in Essex.
This Hamo had a son, Philip, two of whose sons—Sir Humphry, and Hamo De Valois (or Wall), in A.D. 1172, came to Ireland with Henry II,; this Hamo was, in A.D. 1194, Lord Justice of the Pale, and from him are descended the Leinster “Walls.”
In 1179, John, Earl of Morton, was Lord of Ireland, and from him Sir Humphry De Valois obtained large possessions in Munster—especially in the counties of Limerick and Waterford. This Sir Humphry resided at Dunmoylen, and was the ancestor of the Munster “Walls.” We learn that this Sir Humphry married Eleanor, daughter of Myles de Cogan, and had by her a son, Hamo, who married Nesta-Anne, daughter of William (son of Robert Le Poer, governor of Waterford), and had by her a son, Philip.
These Munster “Walls” married frequently into the Celtic families of O’Brien, O’Sullivan, MacNamara, MacCarthy, etc.
This family suffered severely during the wars in Ireland, the estates of many of them being confiscated, or seized on, by Cromwell, viz.: Luke, of Ballynekill; James, of Killmallock; William, of Ballyknockan; Robert and William, of Fermoy; together with James, of Coolnamuck; and James, Joan, Luke, Nell, and Richard, who were transplanted to Connaught. The tragic end of old Richard Wall, of Dunmoylen, who was beheaded at the age of 100 years, at his own door (he being totally blind, at the time) by Oliver Stephens, one of Cromwell’s soldiers, who seized on Wall’s estate, is well known.
After Dunmoylen, the principal seat of this old family was Coolnamuck, a few miles west of Carrick, on the Waterford bank of the Suir. The surrounding country was held by a branch of this race from the Anglo-Norman Invasion, down to 1851 or ’52, when it was sold in the Encumbered Estates Court. For a time, these Walls held possession of Kilrush Castle and domains, on the southern slope of Slievenamon; but this property eventually fell into the hands of the Ormond Butlers, who still hold it.
About the year 1652, on the seizure of the estates of Owen MacSweeny, of Misshanaglas; of Phelim MacOwen MacCarthy, of Castlemore; of Henry O’Baldwin, of Garranacomy; of Walter O’Baldwin, of Macroom; of MacSweeny, of Clodagh, and of MacCarthy, Earl of Mountcashel, Muscry was sold out to various English officers and adventurers, many of whom, prior to that date, resided in other parts of the country.
The Herricks and De Vals (Walls) settled in Bellmount, on the property of Teige MacDermod MacCarthy, of Insirahill, at the same time holding lands elsewhere. We are informed that, about 1540, Walter de Val, second son of The De Val of Coolnamuck, and great-grand-uncle of James Wall, who was ejected in Cromwell’s time, had a settlement in Muscry; he was then 35 years old.
1. Walter de Val (or Wall) mar. Ellen, dau. of MacSweeny, of Clodagh; issue three sons and four daus.; d. 1570, aged 65 years.
2. Henry: his son; m. Margaret MacCarthy, of Castlemore; issue two sons and five daus.; d. 1606, aged 71 years.
3. Thomas: his second son (the eldest, Walter, d.s.p.); mar. Kate de Burgo, and had issue:—1. William; 2. Henry; 3. John; 4. Walter; 5. Martha; 6. Anne; 7. Dela; he d. in 1643, aged 69 years.
4. William: his son; m. Sarah O’Mahony, of Kinalmeaky, and had issue by her:—1. John; 2. Florence; 3. James;. 4. Henry; 5. Rebecca; 6. Jane; 7. Kate; d. 1705, aged 90 years; buried at St. Helen’s, Moviddy. This William was the first of the family who settled in Bellmount.
5. John: his son; mar. Kate, dau. of O’Donohue, of Rosscarbery, and had by her issue:—1. Cormac; 2. William; 3. Thomas; 4. Richard; 5. Anne; 6. Elana; 7. Dela. (1) Cormac died young, and left no issue. This John d. 1739, aged 72 years; and was buried at St. Helen’s, Moviddy.
6. William, of Bellmount: his son; mar. Anne, daughter of John Herrick, Esq., of Bellmount, barony of West Muscry, county of Cork. Had by her five sons:—1. John, of whom presently; II. Edward; III. Thomas; IV. Richard (d.s.p. May, 1753, aged 27 years); V. Walter; and three daughters. This William d. 3rd Dec., 1765, aged 55 years, and was buried at St. Helen’s, Moviddy.
(II.) Edward married Margaret Murphy, and had by her—1. Edward;[1] 2. William; 3. Thomas; 4. Walter.
(III.) Thomas of Gurranamuddach, parish of Moviddy, mar. Mary, dau. of Michael Murphy (Roghmhar) of Farranalough, by his wife Mary O’Mahony (see “O’Murphy,” No. 8 pedigree) and had: 1. William,[2] of Crossmahon; 2. Michael; 3. John; 4. Mary; 5. Anne: Michael (2) and John (3) resided at Gurranamuddach—the former mar. Margaret, dau. of Jeremiah O’Donovan, of Moss Grove, and had issue who emigrated to North America; the latter mar. Amelia, dau. of Charles Harold, of Coolmakee, and d.s.p.
(V.) Walter (of Lower Bellmount), mar. Mary Horgan, of Cove (now called “Queenstown”), and had:—1. William, who d. unm. in America: 2. Richard,[3] who mar. Sinead (or Jane), dau. of William MacCarthy Mór (alias “Welply”), of Clodagh Castle. 3. Thomas (of Lower Bellmount), who d. 2nd July, 1870, aged 84 years, mar. Ellen, daughter of — O’Sullivan, of Sliebh Owen, West Carbery, and by her had: 1. Walter, an M.D., who d.s.p.; 2. William, who married in America; 3. John; 4. Henry; 5. Jane; 6. Mary; 7. Anne; and 8. Catherine. This John, third son of Thomas, m. Eliza, dau. — Kenealy, of Misshanaglas, near Macroom, and had: 1. Thomas (of California); 2. Edward, M.D., of Ahandubh, Coolmakee, parish of Moviddy; 3. Walter, of California; 4. John, of California; 5. Richard, in the Civil Service, Dublin; 6. Henry; 7. William; 8. Ellen,[4] and 9.Mary,—these last four resided in 1887, at Lower Bellmount. Jane, the fifth dau. of Thomas, mar. John Kenealy, of Misshanaglas, and has issue; Mary and Anne, emigrated; and Catherine, his youngest dau., mar. Florence O’Crowley, of Dunmanway, and has issue:—1. Daniel, an M.D.; 2. Henry; 3. Florence-John; 4. James; 5. Margaret (died 1884); 6. Ellen; 7. Mary (these last two d. in infancy); 8. Kate; 9. Anne; 10. Mary; 11. Nelly; and 12. Angel.
7. John: eldest son of William; mar. Mary, dau. of John Hayden, of Rathcormac, and had by her:— I. William, of whom presently; II. Thomas; III. Anne, who mar. J. Giles, emigrated to America, and had issue; IV. Mary;[5] V. Martha.
(II.) Thomas, of Upper Bellmount, mar. Catherine, dau. of Robert Thornhill, of Castleview, and had by her:—1. Rev John Wall, late P.P. of Cagheragh, near Skibbereen; 2. William; and 3. Thomas—who both emigrated, mar. and had issue; 4. Mary, mar. Michael Murphy (Roghmhar), and had issue: Mary, Kate, and Daniel; one of these daughters married in England (see “Murphy” of Muscry pedigree, Vol. I.); 5. Martha; and 6. Dora—both d. in 1887; 7. Anne; 8. Rebecca, unmar.; Mary, Anne, and Rebecca, living in Cork City, in 1880.
8. William: son of John; mar. Anne, dau. of Robert Thornhill, of Castleview, near Macroom, and by her had:—I. John; II. Walter; III. Thomas; IV. William; V. Martha; and VI. Rebecca.
Walter and William emigrated; Thomas d.s.p.; Martha, mar. John Horgan, of Macroom, and had:—1. Martha, married and has issue; 2. John, who emigrated, 1880; and three other children who d. young.
9. John: son of William; mar. a Miss O’Mahony, of Reen, parish of Murragh, co. Cork. Was living in America in 1887, and had issue.
Notes
[1] Edward: This Edward had—1. Edward; 2. William; 3. Thomas; 4. Anne; 5. Mary; 6. Catherine; 7. Martha; 8. Richard; 9. Walter: all of whom, except Walter, emigrated to the United States, North America. Said Walter mar. Mary Jephson, and, in 1880, was living at Currabeh, parish of Kilmurry, barony of West Muscry, and had issue.
[2] William: This William, mar. Ellen Harley, and had—1. John, of Bandon; 2. Thomas; 3. Edward; 4. Michael, of Crossmahon.
[3] Richard: This Richard and his wife Jane had an only daughter Jane-Anne (d. 21st July, 1863, aged 41 years), who, in 1840, in the Aghina parish church, m. Robert O’Neill (alias “Payne”). This Jane-Anne was buried at St. Helen’s, Moviddy; and left two sons and two daughters.—See the “O’Neill” (Princes of Tyrone) pedigree, Nos. 133. 134, and 135.
[4] Ellen: This Ellen, aged 29 years, d. on 4th May, 1888, and was buried at St. Helen’s, Moviddy.
[5] Mary: This Mary m. Donal O’Sullivan, of Lac Neill, barony of West Muscry, and had—1. Patrick; 2. John; 3. Bessy; 4. Mary; 5. Joanna; 6. Martha; 7. Catherine. John d.s.p.; Bessy mar. in America, and had issue; Mary m. — Hartnett, of Lac Neill, and had issue; Joanna m. Timothy O’Kane of Clodagh, and d.s.p.; Martha m. — O’Kane, and had issue; Catherine m., but, in 1887, no living issue. The son, Patrick O’Sullivan, of Lac Neill (d. Dec., 1887), m. Joanna, dau. of John Broe, of Lower Bellmount, and had by her—Rev. Daniel O’Sullivan, of Egypt; 2. John; 3. Patrick, both of United States, America; 4. Thomas; 5. Edward; 6. Eliza; 7. Ellen; 8. Hannah—all living in 1887.