Re: History of the Silk(e)s in Ireland/UK
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In reply to:
Re: History of the Silk(e)s in Ireland/UK
9/30/00
Jennifer,
Can you recap all the information you have on your first Silke who came to America and his father ? John.Unfortunately for you, Liverpool is of no great help.Many west of Irish people were seasonal labourers in England.They worked during the Spring and Summer on farms etc in England.The money they earned went to pay for the rent of the land in Ireland.They lived most of the rest of the year on a diet of potatoes and milk.Very little else.They had no education, no assets and no prospects.They typically married early, lost about half of all children usually before the age of two.Liverpool was the main port of transit from Ireland to England.In many instances they could get a free boat ride from Ireland to England.The ships with goods came from England and they need ballast on the way back.The captains took the view that at least on the way back to England, the ballast could unload itself.There were vast amounts of Irish people in Liverpool after the Famine.Hundreds of thousands transitting.
These people spoke Gaelic, I am not sure what their standard of English was like.Most were illiterate, neither being able to read or write.In any of the documents of my family, where they appended their signature, it is always his or her mark and a small x.The Irish name was either O'Sioda or MacSioda.The Sioda was a very common name in one branch of the McNamara family. There are too distinct lines; the younger is the Sioda MacConamara anglised to Sheedy (this is the closest to the Gaelic Sioda pronounced SHEE ugh da) and a branch that was about 10 generations before O'Sioda, anglisised to Silke.You can imagine that if youare illiterate and the language you speak is not English, then how your name gets written down is largely at the whim of the registrar.There is therefore no difference between Silk and Silke and even some family members in Australia appear to have switched between Sheedy and Silke.What discriminating people!!
Unfortunately as your ancestors were from Galway, there were lots of Silke families to choose from.I have appended some information on the Galway Silke to the bulletin board.
More Replies:
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Re: History of the Silk(e)s in Ireland/UK
10/06/00
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Re: History of the Silk(e)s in Ireland/UK
Philip Johnson 9/11/04
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Re: History of the Silk(e)s in Ireland/UK
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Re: History of the Silk(e)s in Ireland/UK
10/02/00