Hello, My ancestor James Pender came from Clare to Memphis Tn. in the early 1850s. According to older members of my family, the name was shortened from Pendergast (or some variation) when they came to America. I believe I've confirmed this with a passanger list found on ancestry.com. James Pender married Elizabeth Carty (also from Clare?) in 1858 at St Peter's RC church in Memphis. At the time, members of his family had also settled in Peoria Il.
If anyone has any information on the Pender/Pendergast family (or the Carty family) in Clare, I would deeply appreciate it. I will be in Clare from August 3-6.
Thank You,
JV
Here's a little more info about the various members of the Pender (Pendergast?) family that emigrated in the 1850s: Johanna born about 1796 (I'm assuming that she was the mother of the clan), settled in Peoria Il. with Johanna (born 1834), Mary (born 1839), and John (born 1841). The 1860 census of Memphis TN. shows James Pender (Born aprox 1830), Nat Pender (born around 1830), Michael Pender (born 1843) and Thomas Pender (born 1838).
Pender/Pendergast in County Clare
Moderators: Clare Support, Clare Past Mod
-
Paddy Casey
- Posts: 743
- Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:53 pm
- Location: Внешняя Громболия
- Contact:
Re: Pender/Pendergast in County Clare
You might like to factor in the name variants Prendergast and Prindergast here, remembering that a lot of spelling in earlier times was done phonetically or by a census taker from a totally different culture (e.g. a Ukrainian emigré census taker with embryonic English noting details from an Irish immigrant in a US district).
My Clare family is related to Prindergasts or Prendergasts but unfortunately I haven't worked up this connection yet. My family is from Tubber, a village on the Clare/Galway border and one of them married a Prindergast or Prendergast (the spelling varies according to the account). Just on the Galway side of the border there was a fairly well-documented and well-off Prendergast family (see the book "Beagh, a history and heritage"; Editors Marie McNamara & Maura Madden"; Beagh is the Tubber parish just across the border in Galway). I suspect that "my" Prendergast was from that family. You might like to take a look at the Prendergast entries in that book and see if there is anything which rings bells with you.
Paddy
My Clare family is related to Prindergasts or Prendergasts but unfortunately I haven't worked up this connection yet. My family is from Tubber, a village on the Clare/Galway border and one of them married a Prindergast or Prendergast (the spelling varies according to the account). Just on the Galway side of the border there was a fairly well-documented and well-off Prendergast family (see the book "Beagh, a history and heritage"; Editors Marie McNamara & Maura Madden"; Beagh is the Tubber parish just across the border in Galway). I suspect that "my" Prendergast was from that family. You might like to take a look at the Prendergast entries in that book and see if there is anything which rings bells with you.
Paddy
Re: Pender/Pendergast in County Clare
Thanks Paddy. I'll look into it. I also noted an interesting crop of Penders in the Kilrush area (and the current librarian there is a "Pender"). THe Clare library is a wonderful internet source--I'm just sorry that I didn't find it sooner.
Something to consider for those who are interested in the Clare diaspora: Most people don't think of Memphis Tn. as a city with much of an Irish influence, but in the 1860s and 1870s over 1/4 of the population was born in Ireland. Memphis was actually run by an Irish political machine after the Civil War. Indeed, both Memphis and Nashville were the center of considerable Fenian activity in the late 1860s. Many of the Irish died in the Yellow Fever Epidemics of 1873 and 1878, however, and their influence began to wane.
According to family tradition, James Pender and his brothers were recruited to come to Memphis by a member of the Collins family whom they had known in Ireland.(The reason they came through the port of New Orleans instead of the usual New York or Boston.) Wages in Memphis were among the highest in the nation at the time, because of the cotton-based river boat traffic and the railroads. I'm wondering if there weren't a bunch of Clare folk who came over in this way.
Something to consider for those who are interested in the Clare diaspora: Most people don't think of Memphis Tn. as a city with much of an Irish influence, but in the 1860s and 1870s over 1/4 of the population was born in Ireland. Memphis was actually run by an Irish political machine after the Civil War. Indeed, both Memphis and Nashville were the center of considerable Fenian activity in the late 1860s. Many of the Irish died in the Yellow Fever Epidemics of 1873 and 1878, however, and their influence began to wane.
According to family tradition, James Pender and his brothers were recruited to come to Memphis by a member of the Collins family whom they had known in Ireland.(The reason they came through the port of New Orleans instead of the usual New York or Boston.) Wages in Memphis were among the highest in the nation at the time, because of the cotton-based river boat traffic and the railroads. I'm wondering if there weren't a bunch of Clare folk who came over in this way.
Re: Pender/Pendergast in County Clare
Hi JV
Just a few bits to add to this post I read some time back and realized that you were going to be in Clare for these few days so this may help. As Paddy has already pointed out there are many varitations of the name. Here in West Clare Pender is the regular name used. The name is to be found in Kilkee Doonbeg and Kilrush as you have noted.
A former TD (member of parliament in Ireland The Dail) and Mayor of Limerick City
Frank Prendergast has great interest in Clare and Limerick history and has contributed to a feature on this website,
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... enames.htm
I haven’t met Frank for sometime but he did tell me that he has family connections with Co Clare and he has a lot of information on his own clan.
Maurice DePrendergast was the ancestor of all the Pendergasts, Prendergasts, Pendergrass and Pender to the present. Learn more about him in a book entitled, “The Norman Invasion of Ireland”, by Richard Roche put out by Anvil Books Ltd first in 1970 and later reprinted in 1995. ISBN 0 947962 81 6 search Amazon.
With so many posts to keep track of I should have got this post out sooner hope you get to read it before you leave Ireland.
Best of luck Michael
PS Clare Library should be able to give you contacts for Frank Prendergast
Just a few bits to add to this post I read some time back and realized that you were going to be in Clare for these few days so this may help. As Paddy has already pointed out there are many varitations of the name. Here in West Clare Pender is the regular name used. The name is to be found in Kilkee Doonbeg and Kilrush as you have noted.
A former TD (member of parliament in Ireland The Dail) and Mayor of Limerick City
Frank Prendergast has great interest in Clare and Limerick history and has contributed to a feature on this website,
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... enames.htm
I haven’t met Frank for sometime but he did tell me that he has family connections with Co Clare and he has a lot of information on his own clan.
Maurice DePrendergast was the ancestor of all the Pendergasts, Prendergasts, Pendergrass and Pender to the present. Learn more about him in a book entitled, “The Norman Invasion of Ireland”, by Richard Roche put out by Anvil Books Ltd first in 1970 and later reprinted in 1995. ISBN 0 947962 81 6 search Amazon.
With so many posts to keep track of I should have got this post out sooner hope you get to read it before you leave Ireland.
Best of luck Michael
PS Clare Library should be able to give you contacts for Frank Prendergast
Re: Pender/Pendergast in County Clare
So Sorry I didn't read this before I left! Thank you so much for your reply. I fell in love with Clare, and will be coming back one day. So many beautiful memories--from the Cliffs to the Aran Islands to St Bridget's well to a bit of Jamie in several of Doolin's world famous pubs.
I'll see if I can't get in touch with Mr. Pendergast.
I've since found that various members of the family used "Pender" and Pendergast" interchangably--Pendergast on the Ship's list and marriage license, and plain old "Pender" for the census taker.
Best Regards,
JV
I'll see if I can't get in touch with Mr. Pendergast.
I've since found that various members of the family used "Pender" and Pendergast" interchangably--Pendergast on the Ship's list and marriage license, and plain old "Pender" for the census taker.
Best Regards,
JV
Re: Pender/Pendergast in County Clare
Hi JV
I met Frank Prendergast last week in Kilkee hale and hearty; he does not bother with a computer and doesn’t have email so I showed him the forum and your posts. I have printed out these posts and sent them to Limerick. He was delighted to see the discussion on the Pendergasts/Pender. He has a lot of research done on his family. His grandfather came from Kilrush and even though he was born in Limerick he has great affinity with Co Clare. I did not get the chance to get much detail from him on the night as he was with friends and they were in a party mood. We were in The Stella Maris Hotel after attending a lecture at The Sweeny Memorial Library in Kilkee organized by the Kilkee Civic Trust. The night ran late as such nights in West Clare do so he gave me his address in Limerick and I can pass it on to you but I would like to mail it privately but not sure how that can be done.
Take care Michael
P S Glad you had a great time in Clare, I'm biased when I say this but here in the south west Clare is the best part of a great county!
I met Frank Prendergast last week in Kilkee hale and hearty; he does not bother with a computer and doesn’t have email so I showed him the forum and your posts. I have printed out these posts and sent them to Limerick. He was delighted to see the discussion on the Pendergasts/Pender. He has a lot of research done on his family. His grandfather came from Kilrush and even though he was born in Limerick he has great affinity with Co Clare. I did not get the chance to get much detail from him on the night as he was with friends and they were in a party mood. We were in The Stella Maris Hotel after attending a lecture at The Sweeny Memorial Library in Kilkee organized by the Kilkee Civic Trust. The night ran late as such nights in West Clare do so he gave me his address in Limerick and I can pass it on to you but I would like to mail it privately but not sure how that can be done.
Take care Michael
P S Glad you had a great time in Clare, I'm biased when I say this but here in the south west Clare is the best part of a great county!