HISTORY OF OUR BRANCH OF THE FAMILY TREE
CELTIC AND NORMAN BACKGROUND
The Moore Family name starts long ago and has its roots in two separate families; one is from the Celtic culture that arrived in Ireland 6 centuries before Christ in the Ulster area in the North: the other is from the Norman culture that arrived in Ireland in the 12th century and settled in County Cork in the South.
The habitation of Ireland started about 6,000 years ago when the first people arrived and established a clannish rural society. This lasted until the Gaels (a branch of the Celts that swept across Europe for a few centuries) arrived in Ireland about 600 BC- bringing with them the spirit and culture that established a society of tribal kingdoms that were never known to back down from a fight should they have the slightest disagreement with one’s point of view. These kingdoms evolved into 5 major Celtic clans, including Ui Neill in the North of Ireland, which is where half of the Moore history begins. A warrior Chieftain named Morga was a descendant of the King of Ulster. One of his descendants, probably his grandson, added the O’ to Morga. O’ means “descendant of “, while Mc means “son of”. The Normans used Fitz in place of the O’ to mean “descendant of”. The O’Morga's were a powerful family in the North of Ireland.
Both sides of the Moore (O’Morga) families held high positions in Irish affairs. In 1354 Roderick O’Moore married into the O’Morga family and became the Lord of Laois. In 1404 the O’Morgas of Laois were attacked by an English force. They defeated the English with a loss of many English lives, and took away a substantial booty of horses, weapons and armor.
ROCK OF DUNAMAISE- There is more on the link to Laois- See Today's Feature on the story of the remains of a castle once held by the Moore's for over 100 years- the remains are still there. See Today's Feature and scroll down to the story from the town of PortLaoise, County Laois where the Moore's dominated under driven out to the Southeast of Ireland in the 1500's- this is where we tie to our families past.
NEWCASTLE WEST, IRELAND
The history of our branch of the family tree begins in the townland of Castlemahon in Newcastle West in County Limerick , Munster Province in the Southwest of Ireland just soutwest of the City of Limerick.
Both the Moores and the O’Connells were from this area. During a 2004 trip to Ireland we visited the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Newcastle West (built in 1807), and in examining the Baptism records we found that Catherine (Sheehan) & James Moore had 8 children- including Edmund, born in 1842. This was probably the Father of the Patriarch of our Family, Edmund Moore. He was born in Ireland in 1875 and died in Chicago in 1921 at age 46. The Matriarch of our family, Ellen O’Connell Moore, was the second child born to Elizabeth and Daniel O’Connell in Newcastle West in 1862. She died in Chicago in 1946 at age 84. The O'Connell side of the family is pretty well documented, thanks to a history prepared by Sister Francis Elizabeth in 1974. An update of the O'Connell\ Feehan history has been completed, along with some photos. (It is available, if requested.) They migrated mostly to the Detroit area.
LINKS TO ENGLAND
Before Ellen married Edmund she was married to John Collins. They had two children, Johanna (later known as Aunt Annie) and Jack. They left Ireland and moved to London where John Collins died at an early age in the early 1890s. Ellen returned to Newcastle West with her two children. There she married Edmund Moore in the mid 1890s. He was a young man at about age 20- she was 33. They had 7 children over the next 10 years, the last when she was age 43, very unusual for the time. She must have worn him out; he died at a young age. She outlived her younger husband by 25 years.
Ellen ( the baptismal records indicate Helen) and Edmund baptized their first child, Bridget (later known as Bess), on July 11,1897; their second child, Edmund II on July 3,1898; their third, Daniel, in 1900 and Lillian, their fourth in 1903. There is a photo of Ellen with Bess and Edmund II taken in Ireland in 1904. Ellen and Edmund then moved to London, taking Bess, Lill and her children from her former marriage, Johanna and Jack, with them. They entrusted the care of Edmund and Daniel to their O’Connell grandparents in Newcastle West. Daniel later joined them in London, leaving Edmund in Ireland with his O'Connell grandparents.
Ellen and Edmund had twins Agnes and Thomas in 1905, most likely in London. Thomas died at birth. There was another child, Elizabeth, who died at the age of 2. We are not sure of her date of birth or death. There is a family portrait from 1905 in London of Edmund with Bess on his lap, Ellen with the infant, Agnes, on her lap, with Lill and Daniel in the background. This is the only known photo of Edmund I. He was too busy to take pictures.
MIGRATING TO THE UNITED STATES
Their stay in London was short lived- they packed up the four girls, Johanna, Bess, Lill and Agnes, and Daniel and headed for the promised land on the South side of Chicago to seek their fortune around 1907. We have a postcard sent to Aunt Annie (Johanna) in Chicago at 788 W 39th St in 1908 to help verify their migration date. Jack Collins stayed in London where he had a family and lived out his life. In 1907 the O’Connell grandparents, Elizabeth and Daniel, left Ireland for those gold paved streets in Chicago, bringing Edmund II (changed to Edward) with them to rejoin the family in Chicago. They sailed steerage class aboard HMS Caronia , a Cunard Line ship, and arrived at Ellis Island on October 16, 1907. They proceeded to their daughter’s, Josephine Schneider, at 623 W Grand Ave. Many of the O’Connells also migrated and ended up in the Detroit area. (See separate O’Connell History). The O’Connell grandparents did not do well in Chicago, Elizabeth died there in 1911 and Daniel died there in 1913.
THE CHICAGO CONNECTION
All four of Generation 1 of the Moore\ O'Connell family were born in Newcastle West in Ireland and died in Chicago. The Moores are buried in Mt Olivet Cemetery at 2800 West 111th St on Chicago’s South side. We have a picture of their headstone.
Ellen and Edward I (Edmund) had 7 children, 11 grandchildren, 37 great grandchildren, 86 great, great grandchildren and God knows how many more descendants in Generation 6 and beyond.
All five of the Moore siblings that survived childhood and Johanna lived out their lives and died in Chicago. The first to die was my adopted Father, Edward II (Edmund) who died in 1957 at age 59, followed by Agnes in 1963 also at age 59, Lill died in 1967 at age 64, Bess died in 1977 at age 80 and Daniel A died last in 1983 at the oldest age of 83- one year younger than his Mother.
Bess and Dave Nagle had 2 sons, 12 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren and 8 great, great grandchildren so far in Generation 6.
Edward II and Margaret Moore had 5 children and adopted 2 children (God bless you for that kind act), 15 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and none yet in Generation 6.
Daniel Aloysis and Catherine (Sis) Moore had 4 children, 16 grandchildren, 36 great grandchildren and 3 great, great grandchildren so far in Generation 6.
Lill and Agnes had no children.
FAMILY TREE AND MOORECLAN.ORG
Take a look at the Family Tree for more information on the following generations. We will be working to provide you with as much information as we can on our family website, mooreclan.org. Rick Alvord, another member of Generation, 4 designed the site. Take a look, Rick has done a great job. It has been a lot of fun helping put this information together. I hope you enjoy it.
This project has made me realize how important my family is to me. It has put me in touch with many members that I am sorry to say I have not spent enough time with.
It gives the word Love a new meaning. I now know what that word means- I Love you, the members of MY family. Do not miss the opportunity to share your lives with your family- you never know when that opportunity will be taken away from you.
My kindest regards,
Jim A (Jamie Lacey) Moore Prepared 11-24-02- Revised 12-18-04
THE FAMILY CREST
Heraldry, or the use of a Coat of Arms, began as a means of identifying the Knights, who were covered by full suits of armor, including their heads. Their identity was painted on their shields as a Coat of Arms so one would know who they were.
The O’Morga (Moore) family crest has a gold lion on a field of green, as a symbol of courage; the three stars (or Mullets) are the symbol of Devine Blessings that suggest that bearers of the crest are virtuous (morally excellent) and learned. The hand and the sword symbolize Justice, and the 3 bloody heads impaled on the sword suggest that Justice is swiftly executed.
Now THAT ROCKS- if someone disagrees with our Justice- WHAM, off with their head. Makes sense to me.