The spread of the Grants throughout Ireland

Although there are many references to the name Grant throughout the southern counties of Ireland from 1169 onwards, they are by and large single one off references to a Grant , but with no indication that the family settled there. However one can find in the records the places that they did settle

The main settlement until Cromwells confiscations were in Iverk and Waterford City. There are one or two other places where the family may have settled - Mallow, Youghal and New Ross in Co Wexford.

Also statistics show that the family did not live in Dublin before the Cromwellian confiscations.

Statistical View

We can look at the documents that cover the whole of Ireland and draw conclusions from the spread of the family by county and their religion. (where "0" is shown the record shows no Grants, where blank the record has not been found/consulted)

The 1570 survey of land held by Knight Service gives 3 landowners in Kilkenny and 0 in Tipperary. They were firmly rooted in Iverk and Waterford prior to 1650.

In addition the only dispossessed landowners in 1664 were 4 in Kilkenny and 1 in Waterford.

There is no evidence of the family setting down roots in any of the major towns - Dublin, Cork or Limrick prior to 1650

If we now look at the growth of the population of Ireland from 1200 until after the famine, we can see that apart from ups and downs with plagues and wars, the population remained fairly constant at around one to two million until 1600. Growth continued after the Cromwellian War and climbed to a peak of about 8.5 million when the famine hit in the 1840's.

One can assume that there were roughly as many Grant families in Ireland in 1600 as in 1200. With about 2.5 times the number of families in 1700 and 5 times the number of families by 1800. With a peak of 8.5 times the number in 1845.

From the figures point to about 3 families in Waterford in 1600 (and it would appear that the Grants only went to Waterford after 1550. And to 13 families in Co Kilkenny in 1600. However the evidence is that Waterford had more than 3 families prior to Cromwells arrival in Ireland I would guess at 6 Grant families in the city then, and they would have fled to Co Kilkenny after being expeled from the town by the Cromwellians.

This would lead us to the view that in 1600 there were 6 Grant families in Waterford, and 10 in Co Kilkenny, with another 2 families in Co Wexford. These would have been the descendants of the original Norman baron.

The figures for Tipperary and Kings County suggest that around 1800 there were 8 families in Tipperary and 3 in Kings Co. These would have been.

• Kings Co - Shinrone (John, Stephen and William)
• Tipperary - Templemore , 1 or 2 families
• Moyne, 2 or 3 families
• Moyaliff, 3 or 4 families

Youghal

The only references to merchants from 1610 to 1800 are:-

1647 John Grant - skinner

1720 John & William - merchants

1773 Thomas (cousin of Wm Commins of Mallow) died in Waterford and a memorial was erected in Kilcockane near Youghal.

1846 a Mr Grant came under Land League for evicting tenants at Kilcockane.

Dublin

Records are fairly extensive for Dublin, and we can be fairly certain that there were no Grants living permanently in Dublin before the Cromwellian confiscations. The table below shows their gradual appearance in Dublin

 

date	marriages	deaths
before 1600	1	1
1601 - 1650	0	0
1651 - 1700	3	3
1701 - 1750	6	3
1751 - 1800	27	10

The earliest references to births is a series of children born to David(labourer) & Catherine from 1683. There is also a second couple David(labourer) & Elizabeth having a family at the same time.

The 3 marriages from 1650 to 1770 are all Elizabeth. The deaths at this period are Henry (innkeeper) in 1663, Richard (merchant) in 1696 and Thomas in 1664.

Co Wicklow

1705 John Grant (b.1682) son of Thomas Grant of Co Wicklow, got BA at TCD

Barony Bargy, Co Wexford

1595 James of Ballynabouly buys land at Courthoil, New Ross

1602 William died at Clongadde, Kilturk Parish, Bargy Barony

1619 There are 3 land transactions near New Ross from 1619 to 1626 of the Ballinabouley family, and of Matthew (later mayor of Waterford).

1622 Rev Thomas, rector of Kilmore Parish

1626 Walter died, Belleghley, Duncormick Parish, Bargy Barony

1665 Thomas died, of Bellicress, Kilmore Parish

Cork

As with Dublin, extensive records exist from least 1600. We see clearly that the Grant family (apart from the descendants of Jasper and Stephen who are chronicled separately on pages 36 and 37) did not come to Cork until about 1750.

 

date	marriages	deaths
before 1700	0	0
1701 - 1750	2	0
1751 - 1800	9	2
1801 - 1850	8	2

1610 James fitzWalter, pardoned. (Curlody branch ?)

1699 George of Ballidalagh in Scotland, now of Skibereen, Co Cork, will

Limerick

Apart from 3 marriages in the 1700's - James in 1717, George in 1773 and James in 1770, the only other records point to Scotish soldiers garrisoning Limrick. James was mayor of Limrick in 1769.

Kerry

Christopher (first noted in 1750), David (1747), Micheal (1756) and Patrick (1740) appear on the Kenmare Estate records as paying rent at Rathbeg West. There is evidence of Grants still in the area in 1870. No other information about them is known.

Diocesan Records

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