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Kennedys in Londonderry
We have a family history that traces our Campbell ancestors to the 1680s when they emigrated from Scotland to County Down, Ireland. The history continues to the 1840s when the Campbells emigrated from County Down to Pennsylvania and eventually connected with the Kennedys.
However, we don't have too much about the Kennedys. The first records we have of the Kennedys is that they emigrated from Londonderry, Ireland to PA sometime around 1817-1821. The first known Kennedy was Samuel Kennedy who married Jane Gilfillian. We don't have dates of births or marriage for them. We don't have names for parents or siblings. The children they had who were born in Ireland were: Achsah, Samuel, John, Joseph, and Elizabeth. Other children were born in PA. While the Campbells frequently used the names Robert and William, it is possible that the Kennedys may have frequently used the names Samuel and David.
In your research in the cemetary records in Londonderry, do you have any Kennedys who could be relatives to David Kennedy? We believe that our Kennedys are Scottish rather than Irish. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
However, we don't have too much about the Kennedys. The first records we have of the Kennedys is that they emigrated from Londonderry, Ireland to PA sometime around 1817-1821. The first known Kennedy was Samuel Kennedy who married Jane Gilfillian. We don't have dates of births or marriage for them. We don't have names for parents or siblings. The children they had who were born in Ireland were: Achsah, Samuel, John, Joseph, and Elizabeth. Other children were born in PA. While the Campbells frequently used the names Robert and William, it is possible that the Kennedys may have frequently used the names Samuel and David.
In your research in the cemetary records in Londonderry, do you have any Kennedys who could be relatives to David Kennedy? We believe that our Kennedys are Scottish rather than Irish. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Iain Kennedy on
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I think the earliest birth date of a burial is around 1812 but that's atypical, most a lot later. But people came from all over to sail from Derry so its a needle in a haystack based on what you have so far, unless you want to try your luck and money searching for a marriage for Jane Gilfillian at
http://ifhf.brsgenealogy.com/search.php.
The Gilfillan variant is more common (my last boss had that surname so it sticks out). Or it might be worth looking at local Gilfill(i)ans in Griffiths valuation and seeing where that leads, you may find some Kennedys nearby or it might help you narrow down a list of parishes to look for the marriage in.
But you really need something States side to make the connection, simply looking for likely matches over here isn't the best way forward. The names Samual and Joseph were and are more popular amongst Protestant/Presbyterian Kennedys than the Catholic Kennedys.
Campbells are very common in both Co. Derry and over the border in Co. Donegal by the way. -
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It appears that it would be a matter of luck to find anything out about the Kennedys before Samuel and Jane. Our family history says that they came from Londonderry. I had always thought that to mean that lived in Londonderry, but I see your point about that merely being point of departure. Turns out, I misspelled the name, it is Gilfillan, not Gilfillian. (Perhaps your last last boss is a very distant relative!) So far as state side, a distant relative began researching that in the 1930s. No one had any information back before Samuel and Jane came from Londonderry.
As for the Campbells being very common in Derry and Donegal - the family history is very specific that my great-great-grandmother, Martha Campbell Kennedy was born in Auchneiskiegh, County Down, in 1823. I believe that Auchneiskiegh is probably Aughneskeagh. However, since they immigrated to Ireland sometime between 1680 and 1700 and came to PA around the 1820s, that left 150 years for other members of the family to move to other counties. -
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Permalink Reply by Joe Kennedy on
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HI Joanne
this is very interesting.These names you mention are very much used in my Kennedy family.My 2nd great grand father was William.His first son was Robert.However we are Canadians.William is Irish,but we dont know from where.The Sanger family that William married into are said to have come from PA.Both families were Methodists.There is a little Village in N.Y. state nere the PA border called Kennedy,i think it was founded in 1810 or 1812.Perhaps its worth looking in that area. -
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It is possible that you could have descended from a brother or cousin of my great-great-great-grandfather Samuel Kennedy. Since your family was Protestant, it would seem more likely that they were from Northern Ireland. We do not have any information about any of Samuel's family. He came to PA, but that doesn't mean he didn't have brothers or cousins that went to Canada. As for the City of Kennedy, NY, my relatives went south or west from PA. The first person in my family to be born in NY was born in NYC in 1949 and had the last name of Henderson. Again, it is possible that a brother or cousin of Samuel's that we don't know about went and started the village.
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Did you check the discussion "My Kennedy Origins"? There is a Canadian Kennedy family mentioned that also uses similar names to what is used in your family. Could be that if we could trace the trees back far enough, we could all be related, or none. You might want to check that one out.
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