D'Arcy.

Its

This family stands highly distinguished in the annals of the kingdom. descent is derived from David D'Arcy, (of an eminent family in France, which deduces its origin from Charlemagne,) who took his surname from Castle D'Arcie, his chief seat, which lay within thirty miles of Paris. His son, Christopher, having, with a band of his vassals, joined the crusades, died in Palestine, leaving Thomas his heir, whose son, Sir Richard D'Arcy, accompanied William the Conqueror to England, where, after he was settled, that monarch enriched him with ample possessions, which some of his posterity still enjoy. From him descended, Sir John D'Arcy, who was high in repute with Edward II. by whom he was appointed justice of Ireland in 1323. He married the Lady Jane Bourke, daughter of Richard, Earl of Ulster, from which marriage are derived all the D'Arcies of this kingdom. " The Galway family is immediately

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f 1 Vol. Pedigrees, Office of Arms. Ib.-The following extract is taken from a memoir, drawn up by one of this family, as a note to the last edition of Lodge's Peerage of Ireland, the orthography of the name is left unaltered. Sir John Darcy, by his marriage, was ancestor to the Darcies of Platten, Kiltolla, Clunuane, Gorteen and others, in Ireland; having issue by her, a son, William, and a daughter, Elizabeth, married to James Earl of Ormond; William, the son, was born at Maynooth in 1330, and having divers lands assigned him, in recompence of his father's services, he settled at Platten in the county of Meath, and by Catherine, daughter of Sir Robert Fitz-Gerald of Alloone, in the County of Kildare, had John Darcy, Esq. who by a daughter of Petyt, Palatine Baron of Mullingar, had William his heir, whose wife was Anne, a daughter of the family of Barnwall of Crickstown; by whom he had John Darcy, Esq. who married Margaret, daughter of the Lord of Slane. He had two sons John and Nicholas.

John, the elder son, took to wife Elizabeth, daughter of Edmond, Lord of Killeen, ancestor to the Earl of Fingal, and was father of Sir William Darcy of Platten, who in 1523 was appointed vice-treasurer of Ireland. Nicholas, the youngest son, was a captain of horse, and being stationed in the county of Mayo, married Jane, daughter and heir to O'Duraghy, of Partry in that county, who brought him the large estate of that family, and by her he had Thomas, the father of Conyers, whose son Nicholas had James (Riveagh, the swarthy,) and Richard, whose only daughter being married to Robert Blake of Ardfry in the county of Galway, Esq. was mother of Sir Richard Blake, who was speaker or chairman of the supreme council of the confederate Catholics at Kilkenny

in 1648.

James (Riveagh) Darcy was a person of such interest and power in Connaught, that he was appointed vicepresident of that province in the reign of Elizabeth, and was chief magistrate of the town of Galway, as his monu

mental inscription sets forth (V. præses Conacia, prætor Galvia,) in the Franciscan friary of Galway. He died in 1603, leaving seven sons and one daughter, viz. Nicholas (whose two sons, James and Dominick, died childless, the elder of whom a barrister at law, settled his large estate in the Counties of Galway, Mayo, Roscommon and Clare, on his first cousin James Darcy of Kiltolla, Esq. the son of his youngest Uncle Patrick, (to be mentioned presently) Martin, (from whom the Darcies of Clunuane in the County of Clare derive,) James, (ancestor to the families of Ballybocock, Gurteen, Houndswood and Tuam) Anthony, (from whom the Darcies of Brest, in France, descend; and who had also two daughters, Catherine who married Marcus French, Esq. ancestor to the Frenches of Rahasane, in the County of Galway; and Anastace, to James Daly, of Carrownekelly, in that County, Esq.) Mark, Andrew, (whose daughter was married to Richard Martin, Esq. councellor at law, ancestor by her to the Martins of Tulliry, in the County of Galway); Patrick, of whom presently. The daughter was Anastace, married to Sir Dominick Browne, of Carrowbrowne, in the County of Galway, knt. by whom she had Geoffry Browne, Esq. (ancestor to the family of Castlemagarrett, in the County of Mayo,) and four daughters, of whom Mary, the eldest, being married to Major John Browne, of the Neale, had George of the Neale, John of Westport, ancestor to the Earl of Altamont and Dominick of Breafy, all in the County of Mayo.

Patrick Darcy of Kiltolla in the County of Galway, Esq. the seventh son of James (Riveagh) Darcy, was born in 1598, and was educated in the profession of the law, he was an active member of the parliament assembled at Dublin, in 1640, and published, “an argument delivered by Patrick Darcy, Esq. by express order of the House of Commons, in the parliament of Ireland, 9th of June, 1641," he died at Dublin in 1668, and was interred at Kilconnell, in the County of Galway, leaving issue by Elizabeth, one of the four daughters of Sir Peter

descended from James Riveagh D'Arcy, who settled here about the end of the reign of Elizabeth, and, in consequence of his superior abilities and address, rapidly acquired considerable power and influence. From him sprung in a

direct line the house of Kiltulla, and the families of Newforest, in the County of Galway, (formerly of Clunuane in the County of Clare,) Gorteen and Houndswood, in the County of Mayo.

Arms. Azure, semee of cross crosslets, three cinquefoils, argent. Crest. On a chapeau, gules, doubled ermine, a bull passant, sable, corned, unguled, and furnished, or. Motto. Un Dieu, un Roy.

Deane.

The first of this name, that settled in Galway, is said to have been William Allen, or Den, who came hither from Bristol in the reign of Henry VI, and was afterwards elected Provost. Members of this family, were amongst the first Mayors and chief Magistrates of the Town. "

Arms. Azure, three wings, two and one, argent. rampant, azure. Motto. Arte vel marte.

Ffont, or De Fuente.

This family settled in Galway in the beginning of the fifteenth century, they sprung from an ancient English family of Leicestershire, and, are said, to have been established at Athenry, in the County of Galway, as early as the reign of King John. The name is now nearly extinct. Geoffry Ffont, who died near Galway, in 1814, aged 105 years, is supposed to have been the last survivor of the Galway branch of this family.

Arms. Argent, semee of cross crosslets, a lion rampant, sable. Crest. A demi Fion rampant. Motto. [

Ffrench.

This family is descended from Sir Maximilian Ffrench, the first of the name, whose descendants accompanied their kinsman, William the Conqueror, into England. Their original place of settlement in Ireland, together with many other

English and Anglo-Norman adventurers, was the County of Wexford; from whence, in process of time, they gradually spread throughout the other parts of the kingdom. Two families of the name settled at different periods in Galway, the first, with Walter Ffrench, in the reign of Hen. VI. about the year 1425, and the other, with Henry Begg Ffrench, in the reign of Elizabeth; since which time, they have ranked amongst the most considerable in the Province. The family of Castle Ffrench, near Ahascragh, in the County of Galway, was raised to the dignity of the peerage, in the year 1798. The Right Honorable Charles Baron Ffrench, of Castle Ffrench is the present Lord. The other branches of this respectable name, are those of Ballinahalla, now of Beagh, Carrorea, Elmhill, Ffrenchgrove, Monivea, Portcarn, Rahasane and Tyrone in the County of Galway, Ballykeneave and Culliane in the County of Mayo, and Foxborough, Frenchpark, Port, Rocksavage and Snipehill, in the County of Roscommon.1

Arms. Ermine, a chevron, sable. Crest. A Dolphin, embowed, upon rocks, proper. Motto. One heart, one mind.

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Joyes or Joyce.

This old Galway family is of ancient and honourable English descent, and was allied to the Welch and British princes. Thomas Joyes, the first of the name that came to Ireland, sailed from Wales in the reign of Edward I. and arrived

account, in the ancient and authentic annals of that kingdom.”—Sir Humphrey French, knight banneret, married Arrabella, daughter and heiress of Sir Charles Harley, of Ormuch, in Wales, knight; and by her had issue, five sons and two daughters, viz. Christopher, Walter, Patrick, Nicholas, John, Mary, and Julian Ffrench." From Christopher and Walter, are descended the families of Ffrench of England, and from Patrick and Nicholas, are derived the family of the Frenches in Ireland, who seated themselves, in the lands of Ballema-cuoec, near Wexford, as the Bishop of Ferns gives an account in his annals.-Patrick Ffrench had a son, named Walter, who settled near Galway, in Connaught, where he married the daughter and sole heiress, of John Athie, of a worthy family, of great antiquity, and from him are descended the family of the Ffrenches of Connaught."-John, the fifth son of Sir Humphrey Ffrench, is stated to have settled in Scotland, where he married Jane, daughter of the honorable James Lindsey, third brother of Thomas Earl of Crawford, from whom de scended the family of the Frenches of Scotland, and the account concludes, with the pedigree of Sir Humphrey Ffrench, descended from Maximilian, the first of the

name.

James Ffrench and Laurence Browne, burgesses of Wexford, were elected by that town, to serve as repre

sentatives in the parliament summoned to meet at Westminster, in 1376.-Cal. of ancient chart.—It is rather a curious coincidence, that the late Lord Ffrench, was elected Catholic delegate for the town of Wexford.

A branch of this family removed from Galway to the County of Roscommon, at an early period, and from it descended the family of Frenchpark, in that County. Their cemetery, in the old abbey of Clonshanville, in the County of Roscommon, bears their arms with this inscription,

"Pray for the soul of Patrick French Fitzstephen, of Galway, Burgess; who lived in this world eighty six years."

Richard Ffrench FitzPeter, died in March, 1628, possessed of the ruined castle and lands of Dongendricke, Gragalabane, Tonnlagihie, the castle of Menlagh, &c. in the barony of Tyaquin, Tyrnekille and several other lands in Iar Connaught; of which he enfeoffed Jasper Ffrench, Patrick Ffrench, Marcus Lynch and others of Galway, to the use of his son Nicholas, junior.-Patrick Begg Ffrench, died 6th February, 1630, seized of the Castle of Monyvea, with the lands of Plenemoedra, Derryadda, Knocketobber, Carraleagh and Gortemerrin, which descended to his son and heir, Robert Ffrench.Inq.

On the map, an ermine spot.

with his fleet at Thomond in Munster, where he married Onórah O'Brien, daughter of the chief of that district; from thence, putting to sea, he directed his course to the western part of Connaught, where he acquired considerable tracts of territory, which his posterity still inhabit. While on the While on the voyage, his wife was delivered of a son, whom he named Mac Mara, son of the sea, he extended his father's acquisitions, and from him descended the sept of the Joyces, a race of men remarkable for their extraordinary stature, who, for centuries past inhabited the mountainous district, in Iar Connaught, called, from them, Duthaidh Sheodhoigh, or Joyce country, now forming the barony of Ross, in the County of Galway, and for which they were formerly tributary to the O'Flaherties." Walter Jorse, Jorz or Joyce, brother of Thomas, Cardinal of Sabina, of this name and family, was Archbishop of Armagh, he resigned in 1811, and was succeeded by his brother Roland. The former was confessor to Edward II. and was author of

Mac Mara Joyes was first married to the daughter of O'Flaherty, prince of Iar Connaught, the most remarkable of his descendants, besides the above, was William Joyes, who was married to Agnes Morris, being on his travels from Italy to Greece, he was taken prisoner by the Saracens, and brought to Africa, from whence, after a variety of adventures, and undergoing a captivity of seven years, he escaped to Spain; while here, his exalted virtues were rewarded by heaven, according to the pedigrees of this family, in an extraordinary manner; for, as they relate, an eagle flying over his head, pointed out to him a place, where he discovered vast treasures; with which returning to Galway, he contributed large sums towards building the walls, church and other public edifices of the town, he died, leaving three sons, James, Henry and Robert, and was interred in the Franciscan friary.

Heaven was again propitious to another of this family; Margaret Joyes, great grand daughter of the above named William, who was surnamed, Margaret na Drehide, Margaret of the Bridges, from the great number which she built. The story of this singular woman is still current amongst her descendants, they relate that she was born of reduced but genteel parents and was first married to Domingo de Rona, a wealthy Spanish merchant, who traded to Galway, where, he fell in love with, and married her; and soon after departing for Spain, died there, leaving her mistress of an immense property. Upon his decease, having no issue by him, she married Oliver Oge Ffrench, who was Mayor of Galway in 1596. So far the narrative is probable and consistent, but what follows will try the credulity of the reader. It relates that this lady, during the absence of her second husband, on a voyage, erected most part of the bridges of the Province of Connaught, at her own expense! and, that as she was one day sitting before the workmen, an eagle, flying over her head, let fall into her bosom, a gold ring adorned with a brilliant stone, the nature of which, no lapidary could ever discover. It was preserved by her descendants, as a most valuable relique, in 1661, (the date of the MS. from which this account is taken,) as a mark supposed to have been sent from Heaven, of its approbation of her

good works and charity!! This fable, though still piously believed, by some of this family, was humorously ridiculed by Latocnaye, an incredulous french traveller, who visited Galway about the end of the last century.

Cornet Joyes commanded the guard that conducted Charles I. to the scaffold, but it does not appear that he was of this descent.

Several individuals of this name have long felt grateful to the memory of William III. from the following circumstance, on the accession of that monarch to the throne of England, one of the first acts of his reign was to send an ambassador to Algiers, to demand the immediate release of all the British subjects detained there in slavery, the dey and council, intimidated, reluctantly complied with this demand. Among those released, was a young man of the name of Joyes, a native of Galway, who, fourteen years before, was captured on his passage to the West Indies, by an Algerine Corsair; on his arrival at Algiers, he was purchased by a wealthy Turk, who followed the profession of a goldsmith, and who observ ing his slave, Joyes, to be tractable and ingenious, instructed him in his trade, in which he speedily became an adept. The moor as soon as he heard of his release, offered him, in case he should remain, his only daughter in marriage, and with her, half his property, but all these, with other tempting and advantageous proposals, Joyes resolutely declined; on his return to Galway he married, and followed the business of a goldsmith with considerable success, and, having acquired a handsome independance, he was enabled to purchase the estate of Rahoon, (which lies about two miles west of the town,) from Colonel Whaley, one of Cromwell's old officers. Joyes having no son, bequeathed his property to his three daughters, two of whom only were married, one, to Andrew Roe French, ancestor to the late Andrew French of Rahoon, to whom, in addition to their own, the unmarried sister left her third; the second daughter was married to the ancestor of the late Martin Lynch, a banker, who, in her right, inherited the remainder of the estate. In gratitude for this act of King William, this family long after solemnized his accession to the throne by bonefires, and his victories in Ireland by exhibiting orange lilies, on