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Wednesday 20 July 2011

The Rev. Thomas Palmer of Kenmare

Thomas Williams (1748 - 1833) was the first Secretary of the Bank of Ireland.  I had originally believed that our great-great grandfather, Richard Williams (1812 - 1885), may have been a member of this family, but I now believe otherwise.  I publish my research here for the benefit of others.

Richard Williams was a son of Thomas Williams, and he married Anne Palmer, the granddaughter of the Rev. Thomas Palmer of Kenmare.
I discovered the following information about Thomas Palmer on the Internet Archive site and I'm including it here because of its interesting historical content and to illustrate the political state of the country in the mid 17th Century.

From 'Miscellanea, Genealogica et Heraldica' , published in 1873:

  'Genealogy of the family of Palmer, of Kenmare, Co. Kerry, Ireland...Rev. Thomas Palmer: Concerning the Rev'd Thomas Palmer, founder of the Palmer family of Kenmare, the following are the chief particulars recorded or known.  He was (it is stated) for some time in early youth in some way connected with or attached to Anne Hyde,  wife of James II. At a subsequent period...he was admitted to holy orders and...came over to Ireland and cast in his lot with the English settlers in that country.  His name appears in the Visitation Book of Diocese of Cloyne Oct. 27th 1669, as Vicar of Clonfert and Tullilease and Rector of Knocktemple. In 1670, as appears from a document in Rolls Office Court of Chancery, Dublin, he was appointed through Royal favour to the Crown livings of Kilmare (now Kenmare), Kilgarvan, Templenoe, Kilcroghan and Cahirciveen...He was appointed to the commission of the peace for the County Kerry on 15th of May 1679. He was also judge of the Admiralty Court of Munster and of the Consistorial Court of Ardfert and Aghadoe.
The most prominent event of his life was the defence of the Fort of Killowen...by the Protestant colony of Kenmare under his command, united with Richard Orpen Esq. against some thousands of the Irish forces of James II.  Harrassed by repeated raids of the native Irish on their cattle, farms and homesteads,  the whole Protestant population of the district...resolved to bring their families to a common place of safety and associated themselves as a garrison of the fort with its outworks under the leadership of their Rector and his son-in-law Mr. Orpen.  they expected an English army to land immediately in Munster for the rescue of the various colonies of Protestants scattered throughout the province, but the desired relief never came;  and abandoned to their fate in a remote corner of the island...they capitulated on honourable terms. These terms were however shamefully broken by the enemy, and the brave, but unhappy, garrison plundered,  deceived and crowded....into two small vessels, only succeeded at last in making their way to Bristol ...after much hardship and in sorry plight, Mr.Palmer...came back to his old home and work at Kilmare with his little band of settlers and spent the remaining ten years of his life and ministry among them.
...Rev. Thomas Palmer married twice. First, in 1669, to Jane Mary, d. of Sir William (or Richard) Aldworth of Duhallow or Newmarket, Co. Cork.  Secondly to Julia (Shelah), d. of The MacCarthy Mor....

...Much interesting information is contained in another rare pamphlet, also by Richard Orpen...it gives an account of the fraudulent and wilful shipwreck of a ship called 'The Laurel' in the River Kenmare - and contains a solemn statement by the Rev'd Thomas Palmer...- giving his opinion on the matter - relating also a grievous calamity which the shelter and lodging he gave to the shipwrecked sailors with their good brought on himself, viz. the burning and robbing of his own house at "The Sound", Kenmare, at midnight, January 29th 1693 by "The Tories"....His life was saved on that occasion, by the influence which his wife Julia, a native Chieftain's daughter, possessed with the Irish Robbers, but documents with the greatest value and interest were burned and lost...'

From 'The Clerical and Parochial Records of Cork, Cloyne and Ross':   '...Thomas Palmer, a lineal descendant of Thomas Palmer of Rockingham (A.D.1402), county Northampton, had been Page of Honour to Anne Hyde, wife of James II.  He was Judge of the Admiralty Court of Munster, and of the Consistorial Court of Ardfert and Aghadoe, and was the first Protestant rector of the crown livings of Kenmare, Kilgarvan, Templenoe, Kilcroghan, and Cahirciveen.  He was appointed to the commission of the peace for the county Kerry on 15th May 1679...'

George Palmer, the Rector of Castlemaine, Co. Kerry,  was the son of Rev.Thomas Palmer; he married Margaret White of Bantry and his granddaughter Anne married Richard Williams of Drumcondra Castle, the son of Thomas Williams.  Their children were as follows:

  • Thomas Williams,born 1810, who married Marion, daughter of Sir Matthew Barrington of Glenstal Castle,    Limerick.
  • George Gibbons Williams, born 1811, married Emma Highfield, emigrated to New York.
  • Richard Palmer Williams, born 1814, lived at Glaslinn, Clontarf, Dublin.
  • Charles Watkin Williams married Anne Highfield of Liverpool.
  • Anne Williams married Daniel Barrington, second son of Sir Joseph Barrington of Limerick.

1 comment:

  1. Please Note: The opening paragraph above is incorrect. We John Williams, from who we descend,was not the son of Thomas Williams, but of his brother, Hutchins Williams.

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