After I landed at York, for a while I lived on the McIntire farm in Scotland parish. Unaccustomed to farm labor, and growing weary of manual occupation, I applied to Rev. Dr. Moody, pastor of the parish, for assistance. I made my application in a letter written in seven languages, so that he might see I was a scholar. He became interested in my behalf, and being conversant with my ability to teach he loaned me the money with which to pay the captain the amount I owed for my passage. Thus set free from the McIntires, I was assisted to open a school and earn money to repay Dr. Moody.
Later in life, when he was past fourscore years old, he made another statement in regard to himself, at the request of his daughter-in-law, wife of General Sullivan. He wrote it with his own hand and gave it to the general’s wife. She gave it to her daughter, wife of Judge Steele; from Mrs. Steele it passed to her son and grandson; by the latter it was given to Thomas Coffin Amory, who published it in his biography of Gov. James Sullivan. It is as follows:
I am the son of Major Philip O’Sullivan of Ardea, in county of Kerry, Ireland. His father was Owen O’Sullivan, original descendant from the second son of Daniel O’Sullivan, called lord of Bearehaven. His father married Mary, daughter of Col. Owen McSweeney of Musgrey, and sister of Capt. Edmund McSweeney, a man noted for his anecdotes and witty sayings.
I have heard that my grandfather had four countesses for his mother and grandmothers. How true this is, or who they were, I know not. My father died of an ulcer raised in his breast, occasioned by a wound he received in France in a duel with a French officer. My ancestors were short lived; they either died in their bloom or went out of the country. I never heard that any of the mankind arrived at sixty, and I do not remember but one alive when I left home.
My mother’s name was Joan McCarthy, daughter of Dermod McCarthy of Killoween. She had three brothers and one sister. Her mother’s name I forget, but she was daughter of McCarthy Reagh of Carbery. Her oldest brother, Col. Florence, alias McFinnen, and his two brothers, Capt. Charles and Capt. Owen, went in defense of the nation against Orange. Owen was killed in a battle at Aughrim. Florence had a son, who retains the title of McFinnen. I can just remember Charles. He had a charge in his face at the siege of Cork. He left two sons, Derby[[12]] and Owen. Derby married with Ellena O’Sullivan of the Sullivans of Banane. His brother married Honora Mahoney of Dromore. My mother’s sister was married to Dermod, eldest son of Daniel O’Sullivan, lord of Dunkerron. Her son Cornelius, as I understand, was with the Pretender (Charles Edward) in Scotland in 1745.
This is all that I can say about my origin, but shall conclude with a Latin sentence:
Si Adam sit pater cunctorum, mater et Eva;
Cur non sunt homines nobilitate pares?
Non pater aut mater dant nobis nobilitatem,
Sed moribus et vita nobilitatur homo.