Irish Mutt? No, It's My Pedigree

In recent months, I've been thinking to myself that I am such an Irish mutt.  I've got McGuire, Flanagan, Hickey, Coughlin, McLaughlin, Maxwell, Shaffrey, Gartland, Bellew, Kirwan, O'Brien, and Maguire in my blood.  What a combination.  It would appear that I am also a McGrath, McMahon, and maybe a few more.  The further back that I go, the more Irish I become.  While Maxwell may, in fact, be Scottish, they were living in Ireland so that makes them Irish, right?

I have been thinking though.  I need to scratch that word "mutt" out of the picture here.  What I am referring to is my Irish "pedigree".  Yes, my pedigree includes all of those who came before me in Ireland.  It's looking like I am about 70% Irish.  Do I look like I fit in there?  Probably.  I do look like a cousin who lives there.  Her parents find it pretty uncanny.

Am I descendant of Irish Kings?  I'm not sure and, frankly, really don't care much about that.  I do descend from hardworking, educated, some middle class, farmers.  Everyone appears to be Catholic too.   It is amazing how that has remained true for so many years.

So, if you find yourself to be substanially Irish, remember, you're not just a mutt, that's your Irish Pedigree!

Anne T. Gray Glover's Letter to Owen Duffy - 1978

Yet again, I am reviewing the information that I already have at hand about my Maxwell's.  It would appear that the Maxwell's were and still are very interested in their family tree.  Regardless of which of the Maxwell/Shaffrey children's descendants that I review, I usually find that at some point, there is a descendant who researched the line. 

In this case, I have a letter that Anne T. Gray Glover wrote to Owen Duffy about the line.  She appears to have written it with Ellen Maxwell Flanagan's prompting and possibly in her presence.  Ellen Maxwell Flanagan is a descendent of Ellen Maxwell McLaughlin.  Anne T. Gray Glover is a descendant of Mary Maxwell Gray, and Owen Duffy is a descendant of Catherine "Katie" Maxwell Duffy.  Ellen, Catherine, and Mary were sisters who's parents were Joseph Patrick Maxwell and Judith Shaffrey Maxwell.  Now, that is a mouthful.

I also know of descendants down the line of Dennis and James Maxwell who are researching this family line.  Dennis and James were brothers of the ladies mentioned above.  I do wonder if the other sisters in the family have anyone researching their lines.  Just last week I came upon someone of Bedelia's line.  The other sisters were Judith (Julia), and Anna. 

There is also Joseph Patrick Maxwell's two other children from his second marriage.  After Judith Shaffrey Maxwell passed away, Joseph remarried to Rebecca O'Harriet.  They had two children - Sarah and John.  Sarah passed away and may have never married or had children.  John did marry and have children.  I have found someone down his line researching our family tree.  It definitely runs in the family!

Here is Anne Gray Glover's letter: