The “poll list for the election of burgesses for the County of Prince William,” Virginia, 1731, contains many Irish names, including Darby Callahan, Edward Barry, John Mead, Thomas Conway, Samuel Conner, Michael Regan, James Curry, Owen Gilmore, John Murphey, William Hogan, Thomas Hicks, Michael Scanlon, John Madden, Dennis McCarty, Thomas Jordan, Richard Higgins, Thomas Welsh, etc. These and other names, constituting the entire list, are set forth in Boogher’s Gleanings of Virginia History.
A gallant soldier of the Revolution, who has almost been forgotten, was John Haslett. He was born in Ireland, came to this country and located in Delaware; was for several terms a member of the State Assembly; participated in the battles of Long Island and White Plains. On one occasion, he surprised a British picket, took 36 prisoners, 60 muskets, and two pairs of colors; became colonel of a Delaware regiment and was killed at the battle of Princeton, 1777. His son, Joseph, became governor of Delaware.
Among the many Irish names on the roster of the Commander-in-Chief’s Guard, during the Revolution, is that of Hugh Hagerty. He served in a Pennsylvania regiment of the Line, and was transferred at Valley Forge, March 19, 1778, to the Guard just mentioned. This organization is sometimes referred to as Washington’s “Life Guard,” and was composed of picked men. Hagerty participated in the battle of Monmouth and other engagements of the war. (Godfrey’s recent work on The Commander-in-Chief’s Guard.)
The Dutch records of New York mention Jan Andriessen, “the Irishman.” Jan was at Beverwyck, now Albany, N. Y., as early as 1645. He is also referred to as “De Iersman van Dublingh.” His name in English was probably John Anderson. In 1649 he leased a “bouwerie” or farm. It is also known that he bought a farm and homestead of Peter Bronck at Coxsackie, N. Y. In one document his signature is thus attested: “This is the mark of Jan Andriessen, the Irishman, with his own hand set.” He died in 1664.
William Hogen, also written Hogan, is heard from in Albany, N. Y., as early as 1692. The Dutch records state that he was from “Yrland in de Kings county.” At a mayor’s court held in Albany, May 14, 1700, he was deemed “convenient and fitt to be one of the fyre masters for ye Citty.” June 25, 1700, he was on a petit jury to try an action between two Dutchmen. He also served on a jury in 1703. In 1700 and 1704 he was elected an assessor. (Hon. Franklin M. Danaher in Early Irish in Old Albany, N. Y.)
James Butler came from Ireland, and is heard from at Lancaster, Mass., 1653. He became the largest landowner in what is now Worcester County, Mass. He also owned land in Dunstable, Woburn and Billerica, Mass. He died in 1681. His son, Deacon John Butler, was the first child of Irish parentage born in Woburn, and settled in Pelham, N. H., and lies buried there. (From a letter written to the American-Irish Historical Society by Henry A. May of Roslindale, Mass., a descendant of James Butler the immigrant.)
A resident of Yarmouth, Mass., as early as 1645, was Teague Jones, who is stated to have been an Irishman. He was one of the men sent from the town, in the year just mentioned, against the Narragansett Indians. His period of service at the time was thirteen or fourteen days. In 1667, the selectmen of “the towne of Yarmouth returne the name of Teague Jones for not coming to meeting.” In a “rate” made in 1676 to defray the expenses of King Philip’s War, Teague was assessed £2 4s, as his share. He had a son, Jeremiah.
A prominent resident of Albany, N. Y., during the Revolution, was Hugh Denniston, “a true Irishman.” For many years he conducted the only first-class hotel and tavern there. It was the first stone house erected in the place. Denniston was a sturdy patriot and his hotel was a meeting place for the liberty-loving citizens of Albany. Washington was a guest at the hotel on his visits to Albany in 1782 and 1783, and was there presented the freedom of the city.
Charles MacCarthy was a founder of the town of East Greenwich, R. I., 1677. Like many surnames at that period, his is variously spelled in the records. Thus, it appears as Macarta, Macarte, Macarty, Mecarty, Mackarte, etc. In the year mentioned, he was one of a party of forty-eight settlers to whom a grant of 5,000 acres, to be called East Greenwich, was made by the General Assembly of Rhode Island. Later, the area of the town was enlarged by the addition of 35,000 acres on the western border. Charles’ will is dated Feb. 18, 1682.
The twenty-six original members of the Charitable Irish Society, Boston, Mass., which organization was founded in 1737, were: Robert Duncan, Andrew Knox, Nathaniel Walsh, Joseph St. Lawrence, Daniel McFall, Edward Allen, William Drummond, William Freeland, Daniel Gibbs, John Noble, Adam Boyd, William Stewart, Daniel Neal, James Mayes, Samuel Moor, Philip Mortimer, James Egart, George Glen, Peter Pelham, John Little, Archibald Thomas, Edward Alderchurch, James Clark, John Clark, Thomas Bennett and Patrick Walker.