Re: Anthony Buchanan, 1821 Census of Ireland
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In reply to:
Re: Anthony Buchanan, 1821 Census of Ireland
marilyn wilson 1/09/11
This information is being forwarded by permission of John Buchanan of Oakville Ontario
Hello Sheila,
Go ahead send the stuff to Marilyn.She came to the Rondeau Reunion in the 50's and I was to that branches reunion about 5 years ago in Lubbeck, Texas.
I hadn't talked to Marilyn in several months and we just emailed each other last week.She will be very interested to hear from you.Tell her that you and I have been talking.
Regards,
John
Some thoughts on Anthony Buchanan’s name
At the many family picnics, gatherings, weddings, funerals that I have attended where we often talked of family history, no one was ever able to explain to me the origin of Anthony’s name… a given name that was unusual in a family of Scottish/Irish Protestants.Nor, is there any hint of his name’s source in any of the family papers that have been passed on to me as one of the “family genealogists”.However, everyone seems to be aware that our first known ancestor was Anthony… I guess it’s because of the hand drawn family tree that many of us have seen with the name “Anthony” written along the length of the trunk in large letters.
Nevertheless, the name Anthony Buchanan is unusual and I’m intrigued by it.
There is enough data to indicate that his given name was indeed Anthony and not a nickname, and that he was born about 1775.Family tradition says that he was born in Scotland, although there is no proof, and that he moved to Ireland and was married about 1812.It is strange that he didn’t name any of his 7 sons, Anthony, and that NONE of his descendants was named Anthony.His sons were William, James, John (2), Thomas, George and Henry and they and their descendants followed the common practice of naming sons after grandfathers, fathers, and brothers… but none was named Anthony.His wife’s maiden name of Hamilton was used as a given name in the family for several generations.In his Lisgrey, Ireland, Dec. 30, 1850 letter to his son William, it is clear that he loved and had warm feelings for his children and one would assume that the feelings were reciprocal.This letter to his oldest son starts with “My dear Son William”… the son who traditionally would have named one of his 7 sons Anthony, but didn’t.
Why then was he named Anthony and why was this name never “given” to any of his descendants?
Traditionally, in large Scottish families after they ran out of male names of paternal relatives the maternal part of the family may have been allowed input into name giving.The Buchanan’s were Protestants… Orangemen, in fact.Anthony is a Catholic name… St. Anthony is one of the patron saints of Italy.In the Catholic Church Calendar June 13th is St. Anthony’s Day.Often children born on that day are named Anthony.How does all this fit together for the name of Anthony Buchanan?
Here’s my speculation… a thoughtful scenario perhaps, but still just speculation.
In both Scotland and Ireland in 1775 there was a significant population of Catholics.Possibly, Anthony’s mother came from a Catholic family and Anthony, whether he was born in Scotland or Ireland, may have been the latter of several of her sons and so by the time he came along she had the opportunity to use one of her traditional Catholic names.Perhaps Anthony was even born on St. Anthony’s Day… June 13th.BUT, the male side of Anthony’s family dominated and they were staunch Protestants, so Anthony and his descendants had no desire to use his Catholic given name in subsequent generations.The Catholic name of Anthony may even have been embarrassing for them and thus his name or the derivation of it was never handed down as part of family lore.
John H. Buchanan