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EXPERTS LOOKING FOR clues into Ireland’s pre-famine history have uncovered evidence that links the British Royal Family to Dublin.
Genealogists researching the Morpeth Roll – an unusual and little-studied document from the 19th century – discovered that one of its signatories, a Henry White from Booterstown in Dublin, was a distant cousin of Prince William and Prince Harry.
The connection was revealed by researchers at Ancestry.com, who are working with NUI Maynooth and Castle Howard in Yorkshire to unlock the stories behind the 275,000 men and women who signed the mini-Census in 1841.
The group have been working on the 652 pieces of paper that make up the 420 metre-long roll (almost three Croke Parks) for the past 18 months. It is has now been fully digitised and is one of few primary resources available about people living in Ireland before the Great Famine (most of Ireland’s Census data was destroyed it the Civil War).
“The Morpeth Roll is one of Ireland’s most significant historical and genealogical documents. It has major research potential, whether examined as a pre-Famine census substitute, a genealogy resource, a family heirloom or a politically significant document,” said Professor Philip Nolan of NUI Maynooth at yesterday’s launch.
“Unlocking the stories behind the signatories provides a unique insight into Irish life, society and politics in pre-Famine Ireland.”
Daniel O’Connell was among the well-known names on the Roll, which was a parting gift for George Howard, the Lord Viscount Morpeth, the Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1841.
According to Ancestry.com, it was a rare tribute to an English administrator who was held in high regard by all levels of society in Ireland.
An inscription read:
We assure Your Lordship that he warmest Good Wishes of our Country will ever Accompany You, in Your Future Progress through Life.
For many years, the roll was hidden away in a basement at Castle Howard in Yorkshire, England. Luckily, the property’s owner Simon Howard realised its potential and loaned it out for research, analysis and preservation.
“[It] is a valued family heirloom, but much more than that, it is a highly significant historical document.
“I am delighted that it is coming to life now through the collaborative research into the signatories and the tour around Ireland. I am very proud of the high esteem in which my ancestor, Lord Morpeth, was held, and that the story of the Morpeth Roll is now being revealed.”
The Morpeth Roll will now begin a 14-month tour of Ireland, giving the public its first chance to view it in 170 years. Starting in NUI Maynooth, the mahogany spool is due to travel to Westport, Derrynane, Clonmel, Kilkenny, Belfast and Dublin before returning to the Kildare college.
The Morpeth Roll is available online at www.ancestry.com. The Morpeth Roll Exhibition Tour begins at NUI Maynooth on March 13th and details of locations and dates can be found at www.nuim.ie/MorpethRoll.
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We are all related if you go back far enough.
Only if you believe that book science believe we a. Came from the water, b. Came from trees.
Eh, it’s a scientific fact that we are all related Mack – demonstrable by examining mtDNA and the Y-Chromosome, amongst other things like retroviruses and psuedo-genes.
Adam & Eve ?
No, not Adam and Eve. Our shared lineage on the female side, and male side is separated by 100,000 years+.
Ahh Sean – next you’ll be telling us that Santy doesn’t exist and Leprechauns are only folklore :-(
And what about the apple & the extra rib Sean ? Explain that one with your x & y’s & your DNA & don’t be smart to your cousin either.
Trollolol or for realsies? Hard to tell who’s a poe these days
“And what about the apple & the extra rib Sean ? Explain that one with your x & y’s & your DNA & don’t be smart to your cousin either.”
Not sure if trolling, or serious. What about them, and how exactly are they evidence for the existence of a biblical Adam & Eve?
Sorry Sean forget it, it’s Friday & I tend to get a bit giddy, trolling no, amusing myself yes, ah sure it will be ‘wine o’clock ‘ soon enough. Have a nice weekend.
Sean is going all Sheldon on us!!
Dead right Sean.
We all related , and for me this was not a surprise at all . 1 in 10 British and Irish are relatives
Beside we all human beings
We have our past now it’s time to move on to the future
And l’m aware the English and Irish history so Does the other counties also have bad past with English but they moved on and better their lives
Morning All :D
Why do we always try to connect ourselves to famous people its beyond a joke at this stage. I’d live to trace my family family tree back in fairness. My grandmother done it and it does bring some eerie results back.
Sinead as a suggestion, an article on by its called Paddys Day and not Pattys Day would be great for our American friends. It’s highly annoying! Sorry for going O.T.
Loads of mistakes here. Blame my iPod and the hour of the morning. You get the idea anyway, I hope.
Anyone for a pancake?
Well Harry certainly looks Irish. I’d be looking up James Hewitt’s Diana’s ex boyfriend’s roots
So would you have them take tip-ex to this historic document in order to erase the connection?
Tip-ex on a historical document? Are you Mr.Bean?
‘Why do we always try to connect ourselves to famous people”…
Seeing the document made the connection what were they to do?
Nothing, it’s exactly what William and Harry will do or think about it.
How would that work out now if the rumour of James Hewitt being prince harry real father were true
It really.great seeing resources like these, it allows us to track down our historical families, it would be nice if the media started using correct term for what is incorrectly know as the famine, one crop failed the rest was being exported under military supervision by the landowners?/landlords, enough time has passed that this topic should be discussed. In a senseabil manner, it was deamed a starvation order and should be taught as such. Another famous starvation order has a tagline ” let them eat cake” when their flour /wheat cronies failed.
Excuse my poor spelling phone acting up, wont display dialogue box as I type.
Poor excuse is poor.
Geddit…. :D
Mack if you changed your name to neanderthal it might assuage some of the confusion created by your posts.
More crap from Patrick the Brit!!
Gerard the bigot has spoken…
They misspelled famine, It’s spelled “genocide “. Dont mind that Lyons Muppet he never comments unless It’s to spout his loyalists bullshit
Great stuff! I’m looking forward to seeing it. I wonder if one of my Irish ancestor’s names our on the document?
Those relatives of the princes would never have allowed themselves to be called “Irish”.
When the (Dublin born) Duke of Wellington was asked if he was Irish he was highly insulted.
He replied “You can be born in a stable but that doesn’t make you a horse.”
(And note how deliberately bomb-proof his enormous memorial in the Phoenix Park is!!)
Even Oscar Wilde described himself as “English by race,Irish by birth.”
An awful lot of those “Aul’d Decency” of Dublin regarded themselves as foreigners in an alien land.
Wellesley was born in Kerry .,
I also have an Irish cousin and they have an Irish cousin. So it only means one thing, I don’t give a flying fudge.
God that website sucks big time – I went on there, registered, searched for my father using his date of birth, first and second and surname, and county of birth, and it did not find him. The other thing I object to is that it seems to be a commercial site. There came a point when they asked me did I want to do a free trial. Can this information not be made available to citizens by the state free of charge?
Gc.orgIf you have the time to sit at a desk in the national archives it will cost est 10euro for a yearly readers ticket, http://www.nationalarchives.ie military archives.ie is also a good source of information is cwgc.org
Thanks Mack! Now the general information emails they send I am not able to unsubscribe from without ringing a number…just from filling in my email address on the site…
God dont tell Enda that leprechauns aren’t real- the whole €5m tourist push in America is based on it, – posters, flags, bill boards across America stating ” can u find one”
The future of the country relies on this working – this is why they got elected- and for one lucky punter – the pot of Gold is out there-
For more info on this Contact Sen D. O Gill, Mushroom Field, Back o Beyond, Dáil Éireann , Ireland
From this day forth I demand to be addressed as ” your royal highness” . After all my great great grandmother was a cleaner in the Palace of Liverchester and was possibly having a bit of nookie with the prince!
Who cares?
Harry
You obviously cared enough to read it…
Yes Paddy who cares about history, science, philosophy, literature or mathematics when we have football. The rest is just for nerds.
A royal pain in the ass!!
This pseudo-interest in history always reminds me of the story about Brendan Behan.
Someone asked him what was an Anglo-Irishman and he replied”A Protestant on a horse”.
Who didn’t?
1st d yanks now d brits….Every1 wants irish blood…..
have your say