We have several early immigrants in our family tree that came from Ireland, but most of them from the Protestant north. However, there is one notable exception … William Durgy, the first Irishman in Boston!
William Durgy was born in Ireland about 1632, possibly surnamed O’Durgy, and perhaps from County Meath as indicated by the surname. William was sent as a slave to the Barbadoes by Lord Oliver Cromwell after being captured in battle.[1] He was freed by King Charles II after 7 years of slavery. He arrived in the Mass. Bay Colony upon The Redemption, arriving in Ipswich on Nov 9, 1663 as the indentured servant of Thomas Bishop of Ipswich.[2]
Also working in the Bishop household was Martha Cross, daughter of Robert and Hannah (Jordan) Cross. Papa Robert sued young William for abusing his daughter and William countersued claiming that Robert withdrew his consent to their marriage. William won the suit and Martha’s hand; John Durgy was born two weeks later. William and Martha had a total of 10 children.
The surname soon appeared in the records as Durkee and most of the Durkee families in American are descended from John and his brothers Thomas and William.
John married Elizabeth Parsons of Gloucester who died soon after the birth of their 11th child, Mary, and John married Hannah Bennett a year later. By 1725, we find this Durkee line in Windham County, Connecticut where John Durkee Jr.’s fourth child was born. John Sr. died there in 1739.
Mary, the eldest daughter of John Jr. and wife Mary Lee of Manchester Mass, married John Armstrong Jr. and their children were born in New London County, Connecticut. The eldest daughter, Olive Armstrong, married John Tenney. The family migrated to Hanover, Grafton County, New Hampshire, as did many Connecticut families. Their fourth child and eldest daughter Lydia married our patriot ancestor David Wright on September 16, 1783, after the end of the Revolutionary War.
So there is our oldest claim on the wearing of the green on St. Patrick’s Day but in honor of all the Ulster Scots ancestors, be sure to place a shot of single malt beside your pint of Guinness.
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[1] Brian Lee Merrill, Internet post “White Slaves” at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mysouthernfamily/myff/d0011/g0000086.html
[2] Society of Genealogy of Durkee, Bernice B. Gunderson, ed., Durkee Family Newsletter, Vol. 5 No. 2, p. 27.
Welcome to Geneabloggers and great stories. I look forward to reading more.
William was my gggggggg grandfather… I was trying to see if he has any family in Ireland still, the spelling is causing us problems.. Was he Durgy or O’ Durgy. Does anyone know???
Michelle, I don’t think much progress has been made on the Irish origins of William Durgy. I do hold out great hope for DNA projects solving many of the origins mysteries in the future. Do check out The Society of Genealogy of Durkee at durkee.org. They have recently published “The Durkee Family Genealogy” covering Generations One through Six. You can also subscribe to their newsletter for a very reasonable price and you can purchase back issues. PW
Just thought I throw this on the floor..
Thomas Bishop, who “owned” William Durgy was my GGGGGGGG-GrandFather (that’s ten generations before me)..
When I first started doing genealogy research (about 1975), I was just trying to “find anything”.. Now I’ve found an ancestor was in the Union Army!, Two were in “The Kings Militia”, one “owned slaves” (okay, William as “indentured”.. same-same, to my mind), but the upside is, my direct blood-line has been in “The Colonies” Three Hundred Eighty-One Years!! Now THAT is something!!
Also, sorry for “owning” your relative ;-}
Charles Bishop.
Texas.
Well, Thomas did bring William to America and also brought Martha Cross into his household so he gets points for that. I suspect William would be much more angry with a descendant of Cromwell than of Bishop. But I can’t speak for the people of Boston for Thomas bringing in the very first Irishman.