Re: Origins of Manuel surname??
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In reply to:
Re: Origins of Manuel surname??
7/20/01
Hi!!
Someone with a similar story to mine. I've traced my family back to only the turn of the 1800 century. At that point they were Irish and later moved to Scotland, probably due to the Potato famine.
But yes, the story I've got is that they were quite possible descendants of the Spanish sailors whose ships crashed on the shores of Ireland and Northern Scotland after the disastrous Spanish Armada.
They married native girls and that's why despite being 'Celts' there are quite a lot of dark people in Ireland, the dark looks in my family come from the Manuel branch (apparently).
The story must be based on something.
If it comes from the Armada then that would also explain why they are also so many Manuels in coastal places such as Dorset and Devon and parts of Wales, they are all in the direction in which the ships were blown. Although it doesn't explain why there are Manuels, but no Fernandez or GarcĂas etc..
Despite all that my mum's uncles gave me a link to a website which claims that Manuel is a Scottish surname.
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/manuel.htm#http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/manuel.htm#