Stories Of My Irish Families

Irish Native/Planter Stories

Sunday 21 June 2015

A 1789 Letter that defines - "Images Tell Stories"

One of the greatest pieces of Family History that I came across, were 2 Photographic Negative Glass Plates and the story of a letter on how it managed itself to Australia.
On these 2 Glass Plates, sat 2 pages of a letter that was photographed, most possibly by my 3 x Great Grandfather and professional photographer - Frederick John Hasler.

I am estimating the date of these Glass Plates, to be around from 1869 (min) till about 1920 (max).
However, I would suspect they may be closer to about 1872-1891.

The letter was dated:  July 29th, 1789 & came from New York - USA.
The writer, in his own handwriting, was 1st President George Washington.
It was addressed to Sir Edward Newenham (6th GGF) and was written by George, only 3 months into his Presidency. I gather it may have been written at Washington's Residence in Newburgh - New York.

It is about General Montgomery's Widow being introduced into Ireland after her husband's death in Battle, as General Montgomery was Irish-born. And hoping that Mrs. Montgomery could be "taken care of" during her visit to Ireland.


(© Brett Fitzgerald)






 
Originals and copies of their communication can be viewed here :
www.loc.gov/search/?q=newenham

This original differs from the copy, only by the way it's laid out.
The original transcribed/copy letter is @ the Library of Congress :
memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mgw2&fileName=gw...

This image taken by me, is an actual photograph, of the 2 Glass Plates, to bring the image "out". (© Brett Fitzgerald)
And has been certified as a "genuine copy".

Sir Edward was an Irish Politician in the House of Commons in the mid to late 1700s and made his acquaintances with George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay & Marquis Lafayette. There is a lot of documented history between these people (in letters)

This letter has traveled the world, initially sent from Newburgh, NY to Ireland then was sent to France for a Grandson's keeping. But as the Napoleonic Wars were raging in France, the mail was not getting through.
It was sent back to Ireland, with an unknown destination. It somehow ended up in the Jersey Islands.
It then turned up in Australia in 1856 aboard one of Sir Edward's Grandson - Henry Hood Newenham. It was then passed down to a son/daughter who advertised a story about its authenticity.
As time went on, the letter created a few family squabbles, then it was put to auction in the 1930s.
Where a collector bought it and gave it back to the USA, where it resides in a Library today.


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by Stories Of My Irish Families Sunday, June 21, 2015 No comments
Images can depict so much of a story, beyond our thoughts.

Over the years of my research and being able to get into photography, is that I have learnt that a
Portrait / Photograph of one's Ancestors or any image of any type, depicts not only the person, but defines a snapshot in time to a lost era.
Images of any type carries stories from both the imager (sketcher/painter or photographer) and the subject.

You can learn so much information from an image, if your willing to try. And it is almost my "go to" piece, when in search of any information. I always ask "Is there any images of  xxxxxx"

There a few images of my Ancestors, based in the National Gallery of Ireland. Some may not have been found just yet, but most of my research is based on my Maternal line.
And the one thing is, I am trying to find connectivity from my Maternal line to my Paternal line via using these images.

Below, is my quest (and reasoning), to show you what keeps me intrigued in my Genealogy pursuits. Even though I don't think there a true 100% connection in this image, but it depicts a "questionability" that there has to be some sort of "intriguing connection".

The Dublin Volunteers on College Green - 4th November 1779
by Francis Wheatley
(Actual painting is located in the National Gallery of Ireland)



This painting depicts a few men that knocked around together during a ceremony at College Green - Dublin on 4th of November 1779.

Two men in the centre of the image, is of my interest and to see if there is any type of genetic connection between these 2 men with Me (both through my Father and Mother's DNA).

It depicts a Maternal 6th Great Grandfather - Sir Edward Newenham on the left, if I have it correct?
Sir Edward was Colonel of the "Liberty Volunteers" Militia.
His eldest son and my 5th GGF - Edward Worth Newenham, was a Captain in this militia, but it is unsure if he was there with the unit on this day.
(A very close friend of Sir Edward was James Napper Tandy - later a "United Irishman" - stands towards the Cannon on the right of image)

And if I interpret the zoomed image correctly, standing to the Right Hand Side of Sir Edward (who is on the far left), is William Robert Fitzgerald - 2nd Duke of Leinster.

Now even though I am a Fitzgerald, my DNA is showing quite a different trend to what it's supposed to be. It does have quite the tendency to be locked into DNA, that structures around the time when Limerick area was dominated by the Fitzgerald's, that is - Earl's of Kildare, Earls of Desmond and the White Knight's (Fitzgibbon's).
My DNA does not point to a Male Fitzgerald as such, but suggests a Female who "got" with a Local Lad around the time of this push, by the Normans.



This "local lad" of Munster, that's in my DNA, was something to do with the Collins/O'Donovan's & MacCarthy/O'Sullivan dynasties around 1000 AD (+/- 200 years). And connected very close to the Ui' Fidgenti populace, by way with a Scottish/Norse offshoot.

If you know your history, you will see that the Norman Fitzgerald's, battled with and against these dynasties for centuries. One of these factions had an unknown Daughter, who is my Ancestor.
I don't know of which exact line or faction my Female Fitzgerald was off, but this above image suggests a invaluable story, if true.

That said, with this DNA knowledge, I have now wondered if this portrait suggests that it could depict the 2 men in the centre, having Genetic Maternal/Paternal links to me, before they even knew it. We know Sir Edward is 100% genetic Maternal, however, this is not proven with the Duke of Leinster.

(As a side note, I have found a genetic Maternal DNA connection through Sir Edward's wife - Grace Anne Burton, with an Usher/Ussher name. This Usher surname, does connect with the Duke of Leinster line of Fitzgerald's by way of marriage with Emilia Olivia Usher St George)

This is why you need to study images of any type, when doing Genealogy, as there maybe a detailed connection that you didn't know about.


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by Stories Of My Irish Families Sunday, June 21, 2015 No comments

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