Smiths of Fermanagh

RADIUS

Would a person with a family name Smyth or Smith of Fermanagh who would have owned expensive land in Dublin city centre around the 1930's be more or less likely to be Ulster Scots?

I believe the person owned the land where either Busarus is, or where the CIE Connolly station parking is (Off Sheriff St). Not sure which one, but it's in this area anyway.

The person was my great great Grandfather. He was struck blind by a kick from a horse, and died a while later. His wife, my great great grandmother, was an alcoholic and sold the land to fund her excess. She moved to Dublin from Fermanagh and orphaned her children. My grandmother subsequently was raised in an industrial school and as a result, she was raised a Catholic. I am not sure when this happened but my grandmother was born around 1929.

I am trying to figure out if this great great grandfather of mine was Irish or a descendant of the Scottish Presbyterians of the name Smith or Smyth who came to Fermanagh during the plantations.

The reason I think they may be descendants of the Ulster Scottish is because of the fact the they had substantial lands which would have been denied to an Irish Catholic.

Coolnabacky1873

About the name Smith/Smyth, MacLysaght (Irish names expert) says:

When not the name of an English settler family, Smith is usually a synonym for MacGowan, nearly always so in Co. Cavan.

Menas

Your gg grandparents should be in the 1901/1911 census which will list their religion. Searching for them there would be a good start to determine what their religion is.
In 1911 there are 160 odd Smiths and 270 odd Smyths living in Fermanagh according to the census...so with their first names it should not be too hard to narrow the list down if you know their first names.
Once you have that you then work back to determine who their parents were etc.
Then you could search the Griffiths/Tithe records and see if they have that land in dublin (ie to see if the land was in the family back in the early/mid 1800s.
By 1930 lots of catholics would have had valuable land so dont rule out the possibility!

owenc

Well I reside quite a bit away from fermanagh. But from what ive read it would seem that most planters in fermanagh are church of ireland and english. With the name smit theyd probably likely be english. Looking on 1911 census there are 162 smiths in fermanagh- 4 of these are presbyterian, 44 are anglican and 89 are roman catholic. Based on that it is extremely unlikely that your anvestors were presbyterian.

But it is possible that they were coi. If you tell us names and the TOWNLAND they were in.

My g granny was smith too and her family are english. Usually in ni its easy to work out if they are scottish or english "smyth" - scottish "smith" - english.

RADIUS

Thanks for that , I will try to talk the first names out of my Nan who is very tight lipped on the subject.

owenc

RADIUS wrote: »

Thanks for that , I will try to talk the first names out of my Nan who is very tight lipped on the subject.

Just like mines ok thanks no worries.

RADIUS

owenc wrote: »

Just like mines ok thanks no worries.

I actually managed to get those names

James Smyth and Honora Smyth, and I found out that I was off on my geography of the land they sold. It was actually the land where the CIE bus depot in Summerhill/Mountjoy Square is now.

Apparantly James ran a mobile catering company amongst other things.

My nan was actually born in Belturbit in Cavan in 1930 but she insists her parents are from Fermanagh.

Her surname was changed to Smith when she was put into the Catholic industrial school in Dublin.