This page is intended as a clearing house for information relating to those with the surname Muldrew. There aren't that many of us in the world, so perhaps we can all pitch in and find out where we all came from and how we came to be where we are now.
Over the years there has been much speculation in my family as to the origins of the Muldrew surname; Scots, French Hugenot and Dutch have all been suggested. From my own research I have little doubt that it is native Irish. One thing is certain, it is extremely rare in Ireland. I only know of two distinct family lines, and each of them come from the same small geographical area in county Armagh in Northern Ireland.
So far as I can tell the name is an Anglicised form of the Gaelic, O'MAOLDORAIDH, pronounced O - MOIL-DRE, a pronunciation which survived in county Armagh until forty years ago and which means descendant of the servant of a recalcitrant king. They came from Tyreconnel, which is now part of the modern County Donegal in the Irish Republic. Though still very rare there are still traces of them to this day on the Atlantic coast near the town of Donegal. Their rarity is due to two factors; they were all but wiped out some nine hundred years ago in a local battle in Donegal; and perhaps more speculatively, one family moved from Tyreconnel to Armagh following the flight of the last of the native Irish Earls in the early seventeenth century and the confiscation of their lands by the crown, at which time the O'Maoldraidh name was Anglicised, like those of others and they changed their religion to Protestant, becoming Protestant being the only way native Irish were able to hold land in any quantity or of any quality.
There may have been two original families occupying two farms at Teemore in the 1860s, near Tandragee in County Armagh. I do know that two younger sons left for America in 1858 (Andrew [Archibald? ed.]) and 1860 (David) and others, whose names I do not know, left for New Zealand, Australia and Canada, while the elder brothers William - my great grandfather, and John his brother or cousin, remained.
I suspect that most if not all the Muldrews spread throughout the world may originate in the first instance from Tyreconnel and then from Teemore near Tandragee County Armagh in more modern times. As well as the pleasure of making contact, I should be very interested and grateful to hear of any family histories which might confirm this or otherwise.
Maolruanaidh O`Maoldaraighe first assumed the surname. His Great Great grandfather was Maoldarach( "darach":Irish an oak) a quo O`Maoldaraighe. In 1027 Maolruanaid went on a pilgrimage to Rome. In Marie Flanaghans book "Irish Society Anglo Norman Settlers Angevin Kingship" .Clarendon Press 1989 it states on page 11 that he died in Rome in 1027.
1011 After a coordinated military and naval battle against Mael Doraid, king of Cenel Conaill MD submitted to Brian Boruma and was taken to Kincora were he accepted a large stipend from BB and "made complete submission to him". p177 of Flanaghans book.
Maolruanaidh had a brother Criochan and his great great grand son was Flaithbertach Mael Doraid
1181 Brian Luignech and Aed, sons of Toirrdelbach Ua Conchobair were defeated and killed by Flaithbertach, King of Cenel Conaill, ally of Donnchad. "A New History of Ireland" viii "A Chronology of Irish History to 1976" Part I. Oxford
1182 Flaithbertach is defeated by Ruaidri Ua Conchobair.
1185 Ruaidri Ua Flaithbertaig, contestant for kingship of Cenel Eogain was killed by Flaithbertach.
1188 Flaithbertach kills Ruaidri Ua Canannain at Sligo
1197 Flaithbertach dies on Inis Saimer succ. by Echmarcach Ua
Dochartaig. " The Annals of the Four Masters" describes Flaithbertach's
death as follows:
" Flaherty O`Muldory, Lord of Kinel-Connell and Kinel Owen, and Oriel
defender of Tara heir presumptive to the sovereignty of all Ireland, a
Connell in heroism, A Cuchullin in valour a Guave in hospitalty and a
McLughan in feats of arms, died on Inis Saimer on the second day of
February, after a long and patient suffering, in the 30th year of his
reign and the 59th of age, and was interred at Drumhome with due
honour".
1203 Domnall Carrach Ua Mael Doraid was killed in an attempt to win the kingship of Cenel Conaill with support of Meiler, son of Meiler fitz Henry, and the de Nangles. (Thereafter the family falls into obscurity - John's note)
On p14 of "A New History of Ireland" II Medieval Ireland 1169 - 1534
Oxford 1987 it states
"Their former dynastic rivals, the Cenel Connaill, were confined to Tir
Conaill,the diocese of Raphoe; by the end of the century their royal
families of Ua Mael Doraid and Ua Cannannain had so exhausted each other
in internecine feuding that they were replaced first by Ua Taircheirt
and then Ua Dochartaig, until in the 13th century Ua Domnaill
(O`Donnell) obtained the monopoly....until the passing of the old order
in 1603".
John's note- Cenel is Irish for Clan; Ua is the old Irish form of "O"; Muldory is an anglisized version of 0`Maoldaraighe. It is clear the Muldragh, Muldarach follow the original gaelic. It is clear to me that our Surname in all its forms is extremely old.
My name is William James Muldrew. I've just finished at Rugby School where I held a scholarship, and am taking a year out before I go to university at Imperial College in London, probably to do physics. I'm currently working full-time at a small computer science R&D company specialising in computational intelligence, although how I got the job I cannot figure! The company is literally next door to me so it's a case of rolling out of bed and 9.25 in the morning! I'm heavily involved in music, having played bass guitar in a few bands, and my double bass in my county youth orchestra. I'm looking forward to a Cyprus tour in the spring which has been payed for by their government but it may be rather hot, and the Muldrews over here are rather fair skinned!
I have a sister - Beth Muldrew. She's 17 in January and is currently at Charterhouse school near London. She's also into music and plays the cornet and also the trumpet in the county youth orchestras.
My Dad (James Ferguson Muldrew) was born and brought up in Co. Down. As I said, his father was a grocer - T.F.Muldrew - and own quite a successful shop back in the 30s and 40s. Unfortunately my grandad died before I was born and so I know little of him. My grandma, Jeanette, moved over to England in the 70s, but she passed away last summer.
My Mum (Vivien Muldrew), although not a blood Muldrew, was brought up in Zimbabwe, and was the daughter of an R.A.F pilot and a nurse. Although I never met her father, her mother is still alive and well and emigrated to England abut 10 years ago.
Her connecting ancestor being Henry Muldrew who was one of the sons of Hugh Muldrew and Mary Jane Heaney. She says in her letter that it "appears that Henry was left in Ireland in the care of his maternal grandparents after his mom died while his other five siblings journeyed to NZ to join their father. Henry emigrated to Victoria BC ca 1906, and worked for his uncle Joseph Heaney who started a horse and dray business here in 1890."
Henry Muldrew was born on 11 March 1885 at Ballynagarrich co Down N Ireland. He married Elizabeth (Cissy) Ward and they had five children. Joseph Henry Ward (Leila's late husband), Mora Mary Jane, William Albert, Gerald Douglas and George Hubert.
Archibald Muldrew Sr., from Kilcon, near Mount Norris, Armagh, Ireland,
settled on Lot 8, Con.2 (N) Clarke Twp, in l861.( Clarke Twp. Is on the
north shore of Lake Ontario about 45 miles east of Toronto) He had five
children: Archibald Jr., William, James, Margaret
(Mrs. David Gray) who died in Victoria, B.C. and David (my Great-Great
Grandfather - ed.)
Archie's homestead
From some of the information on Molley McManus-Muldrow's newsletter, the most likely scenario leading up to Archibald Sr. seems to be: view tree
William was Principal of Gravenhurst High School in 1901 (Gravenhurst Ontario is in the Muskoka region , near Georgian Bay and Muldrew Lake is named for him - - take a look) He was also Dean of Macdonald College, Guelph Ontario in 1903 and 1904 and died in office in 1904.
Archibald Muldrew Jr. married and lived at Elizabethville, Ont. He had eight children, Violet (d.l966) Wilhelmina and Hannah in California: Lawrence retired in Elizabethville;: Agnes Anette (Mrs. Russell Savery) of Starkville, William - Oshawa, Stanley - Whitby, and Gordon who died in infancy. William and John Muldrew were listed as merchant and tailor in l85l and l865 on Lot 8 Con 2 but could have been in the village.
James Muldrew lived on the family farm at Elizabethville Ontario (about 15 miles north east of the original family settlement in Clarke Twp.). This is a very picturesque area with rolling hills, a trout stream running through the property with deer rabbit etc. often seen. He had two sons, Orville and Harvey. Harvey Muldrew's son has inherited his grandfather's farm and lives on it. Orville's two sons -John and William (Bill) still live on the farm next door. All of the children of Archibald Jr. are now deceased. The eldest son of Archibald Jr. was Lawrence, (Marilyn Evelyn's father), Violet married Wm. Walter, no children: Wilhelmina never married, Hannah married Harry Fowlie, had two sons and moved to California (her grandson is also working on family tree). William married and had one son who died at birth. Annette had one daughter, Betty Bothwell living in Wasaga Beach Ont. Stanley never married.
David Muldrew (1854-1939) married Margaret (Maggie) Walters (1855 -1922) of Port Granby. (She had three sisters: Susanna (Mrs. Jared Kimball) and Mary Jane (Mrs. Symons Wade) both of Port Granby and Mrs. John Chestnut, Fortuna, California.) David taught school in Starkville and other Ontario schools before l880, joined the Newtonville L.O,L, No. 3ll in March l876 and remained active in this Order as well as in municipal affairs and agricultural organizations. Was member of Presbyterian Church. In l882 he moved to Virden Man., where he worked for the C.P.R. for a year then settled on a homestead. Their first child, Alfred William, born in 1889 married Jessie McTavish, May 24, 1922. The second child, Cecil, died in WWI. Their other children were Agnes Evelyn, Edmund, and Walter.
Some clan pics:
At Milton's place in 1968
At the Beach in 1970
At the Beach in 1993
Cecil married Margaret Maier in 2001.
Larry lives in Winnipeg with his wife Gail. They have three children: Dawn, Nicole, and Leanne. Dawn lives in Red Deer now.
Betty lives in Winnipeg with her husband Hank Lodewyks and their four children: Colleen, Jan, Paul, and Michael.
Ken is a professor of biophysics at the University of Calgary, Calgary,
Alberta. He married Terry Thain (nee Hayes) in 1991 and assumed co-stewardship
of Terry's daughters Colleen (1978) and Jennifer Thain (1980). Ken and Terry
had Nicole in 1992.
Pictures
Shawn is a computer engineer and lives in Edmonton, Alberta. He married Kristan MacLoed in 1997. They have two daughters, Edie (1999) and Nellie (2001).
Sandy works for the CBC in Edmonton as a video editor and also runs a video rental store that specializes in old movies (you know: grainy, black and white, sort of a 'Kiss Me Deadly' look)
Sheila lives in Winnipeg with her husband Craig Mensforth. They are both computer programmers/analysts and have three kids: Alexandra (Ally 1988), Cameron (1990) and Evan (1992).
Ross lives in Winnipeg with his wife Roberta, they have two girls: Shauna (1985) and Angie (1987).
Sharon married Tom Penner in 1995; Sharon is teaching English as a Second Language and Tom is teaching English at the University of Winnipeg. They have one child, George, born in 1997.
Fiona is teaching near Anola and started a co-housing project in 2003 (3 households share 80 acres of mostly bush on the beautiful rushing Hazel Creek). Her son Aandeg (A.J.) was born in 1998.
Rod and Patwork for Arrow Graphics in Toronto.
Linda lives in Vancouver with her husband Russell Stephens. They have three daughters, Madeleine (1990), Sadie (1993), and Juliette (1995).
Linda graduated from Birmingham Dental School in England and is now a dental hygienist in Kingston, Ontario. She married Brent Tureski in 2000; he is a nurse working at the Kingston penitentiary. They live in Perth, Ontario.
Andrea graduated from Wilfrid Laurier and Fort Kent (Maine) Universities in education. She is presently a supply teacher. She married Sean Kennedy in 1996 who is a Conservation Officer. They live near Perth in an 1860 farm house. They have two children: Juliet (1997) and Andrew (2000).
MY GREAT-GREAT GRANDFATHER, ISSAC MULDREW ARRIVED HERE IN 1863 AS A FREEDMAN FROM, WHAT I NOW KNOW IS, THE COUNTY OF AMARGH. HE ESTABLISHED HIMSELF IN EMMIT, ARKANSAS AND MARRIED A WOMAN NAMED DORA. I'M STILL UNSURE OF HOW MANY SONS HE HAD, BUT MY GREAT GRANDFATHER ALEC, ALSO MARRIED A WOMAN NAMED DORA. MY FATHER ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT MY GRANDFATHER JAKE NEVER TALKED ABOUT HIS FAMILY, SO IT IS UNKNOWN HOW MANY BROTHERS HE HAD. i MYSELF HAVE FOUND EVIDENCE OF THREE. THERE WAS A FAMILY REUNION A FEW YEARS AGO, AND ONE OF THEM HAVE COMPILED IT TOGETHER IN A FAMILY ALBUM i HAVE AT HOME (fT.WORTH,TEXAS).
The confusing part is that Issac was a freedman, and when he arrived he wasn't sold back into slavery. I want to know if our family had that much clout when they arrived, or was he "passale" (black, but light enough they couldn't tell the difference. My mother's father was mixed, and they had a lot when they were groing up, because no one knew my grandfather was black, until they met my grandmother. Intriguing huh?
James and Ruth Muldrew left Ireland and arrived in New Zealand in August 1874 with seven of their Children and a nephew. There appears to be some doubt about whether the nephew Nicholas Muldrew actually was assisted and sponsored by his uncle or not. Recent research suggests that his two sisters also came out at the same time. One Annie Jane Muldrew who later married in Northern Ireland Colin McLachlan. It is also believed that Annie Jane came out in the place of Margaret Muldrew her cousin who stayed in Northern Ireland.
They were later joined by their oldest son Hugh Muldrew, while their daughter Margaret stayed in Ireland and later married a Mr Clarke.
After arriving in Oamaru James Muldrew secured a job with the Hon. Mathew Holmes and they lived near where he worked on what is now known as Holmes’s Hill. Four years later in 1878 James and William bought 50 acres of land at Maheno about seven miles south of Oamaru where they lived for the remainder of their lives. Over the years the original farm was added to and remained in the family up until 1973 when it was sold.
* * * * *
James Muldrew was born in 1817 and his father was Hugh Muldrew and his mother was Margaret Thomson. Ruth Steele was born in 1825 and her father was William Steele and her mother was Mary S Donald.
Their children are as follows, Hugh Muldrew born in County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1847, died 24-10-1919 in Maheno NZ. Elizabeth Muldrew, Margaret Muldrew, Mary Muldrew born 12-12-1853, Sarah Muldrew born 1854 in Northern Ireland and married Nicholas Muldrew then George Campbell then married Charles Adam. William James Muldrew born 10-12-1856 in Ballymacanuallen County Down, Northern Ireland, married Agnes McLeod, Ruth Muldrew, Martha Muldrew and Esther Muldrew.
James Muldrew was a Presbyterian Minister with a string of degrees and doctorates behind his name. At the age of fifty he gave up his ministry ( possibly because "he did not approve of the singing of hymns in church) and went farming in Northern Ireland, then at the age of fifty eight he then emigrated to New Zealand.
William James Muldrew married Agnes McLeod a neighbour who was the first born of James McLeod and Jane Morton of Springhills, Kakanui. Agnes was born on the good ship Cheviot enroute to New Zealand from Scotland and arrived here in 1862. They had eleven children James, Hugh, William, John, Agnes, Robert, Jean, Ruth, David, Andrew and Morton. John married Ruth Knox Chapman and had three children Ian James Muldrew, Alison Agnes Muldrew and Ruth Knox Muldrew. Ian married Eunice Isobel Ledley and they had four children Maxwell Ian Muldrew (the provider of this edited genealogy), Jan Christine Muldrew, Adair Denise Muldrew and Christopher John Muldrew.
The above is a brief comment on the family from Max. He has 2333 names in a genealogy programme on his computer. Max is also President of the South Canterbury branch of the Clan MacLeod Society and is the New Zealand President and Chief of the Society.
