French in the Irish

[Orlaith17]

Hoping someone can give me some pointers or hints here. I was always told when growing up that we had French blood somewhere in our line on dad's side. That seemed unlikely to me, as his family cane from Ireland. Other relatives I have linked with through genealogy had also been told the same, and were also a bit dubious, though it made no sense for us to have been told false information. I was told the French lady's name was Cecilia du Barrie (unsure of spelling). During my research, I did indeed find my 3 x great grandmother recorded as Cecilia Barrie, her maiden surname. I don't have a birth or marriage record for her; I just know her name from my 2 x great grandmother's death certificate. It was recorded as Barrie but someone suggested it may have been Baret or similar and just recorded as it sounded on Scottish record of her daughter's death? Anyone know if there was likely to be any possibility of a marriage between an Irishman and a French woman at that time? It would be somewhere around 1820's - early 1830's or thereabouts as her daughter was born around 1833. Any ideas most welcome.

[Currie]

Hello Orlaith,

Perhaps he was a soldier in the Army of Occupation in France after the defeat of Napoleon and married a local girl. They were there until 1818 and it seems there was a lot of that sort of thing going on. There were great numbers of unmarried Irishmen in the British Army and plenty of Mademoiselles in France.

All the best,
Alan

[Orlaith17]

Thanks so much for that, Alan. That's an idea well worth following up with some more research. My dad was always adamant about the French lady in the lineage, but his information was just from word of mouth, so I wasn't sure how accurate. Then when I found a name that fitted with what he had told me, I wanted to know more I just couldn't think of how on earth he would have met a French woman back then when travel was less common, and he was a rural farming Irishman. Thanks again for the suggestion. I'll start looking for more information on that.

[Orlaith17]

I have managed to do a bit more research though not in any real epth as yet. I have however found a Patrick McGuiness in the army in Belgium at the right period during Napoleonic wars. The person I am looking for is Patrick McGuinn but I'm not closing my mind to the possibility that it just may be the right person with a mis-spelled surname on some documents. If I can find a marriage for this man, to a French or Belgian woman, it will be confirmed (or not, as the case may be) that he is my relative.

[Currie]

Hello Orlaith,

Did it mention the regiment? I may be able to dig up a regimental history for that time period.

All the best,
Alan

[Orlaith17]

Hi Alan,
Only two I could find in the records were D Sinclairs Company (that doesn't sound like a regiment name though, does it?) and 1st battalion 27th foot. I am not sure if either are relevant but that was the two I have found to date serving in Belgium.

[AndrewP]

... re D Sinclairs Company (that doesn't sound like a regiment name though, does it?)

Hi Orlaith17,

This source on the web refers to Captain D. Sinclair’s Company. The item concerns the Battle of Waterloo (1815).

http://www.mortonandeden.com/pdfcats/33web.pdf

See item 307. There is a picture of this medal on the page before the text about it. This web page is part of a catalog of items being sold at auction in 2008, including this "Waterloo medal".

All the best,

AndrewP

[Orlaith17]

Thanks for that, Andrew. I'll take a look at the link. The source came from Ancestry.com so I should have guessed it would be accurate but just didn't think it sounded like a regiment's name. I know it's not going to be easy to find out for sure if my ancestor was definitly involved in these wars but definitely worth a good search. It would certainly explain the certainty my father always had that there was a French lady married into his family. Earlier posts in this thread will explain all

[Currie]

The auction site has Sinclair’s Company as part of 2nd Bn. 30th Foot. Locations of these regiments according to regiments.org http://web.archive.org/web/200710110536 ... gxrefn.htm

1st Battalion, 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot
1809 Sicily
1812 Spain: Alicante
1813 Peninsular war: east coast of Spain
1814 France: Bordeaux
1814 American war: Canadian frontier
1815 American war: New Orleans campaign
1815 England: Portsmouth
1815 Waterloo
1815 France: Paris Army of Occupation
1817 Ireland

2nd Battalion, 30th Regiment of Foot
1810 Portugal
1810 Peninsular war
1813 England
1813 Channel Islands: Jersey
1814 Holland
1814 Belgium
1815 Belgium
1815 Waterloo campaign
1815 France
1815 England
1816 Ireland
1817 Disbanded

Here’s a history of the 27th Foot. There is one for the 30th, or XXX, but nowhere to be found. http://archive.org/stream/historicalrec ... 9/mode/2up

All the best,
Alan

[Orlaith17]

That's interesting, Alan. So both of those regiments were from Ireland, which is where my ancestor came from. I have a lot more research to do before I can be sure, but it is certainly looking more likely day by day. Thanks for all your input.