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The Esmonde Surname

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The Esmonde Surname

William B. Esmonde (View posts)
Posted: 17 Apr 2000 3:10PM GMT
My name is WIlliam B. Esmonde, and I just stumbled on the Esmonde/Esmond surname Message Board. Just to muddy up the waters a bit, I too am looking for information on my ggfr John Esmonde who came from either the county or town of Wexford, Ireland. He died at the age of 80 in 1883 in Ottawa, Canada. He had at least two brothers, James and John who also emigrated to Ottawa. However, I don't think he's from the lineage of the John Esmonde who settled in Ohio.
Maris (Armer) Putnam posted a message regarding J.P.Esmonde, Sr. of Ottawa. I don't believe there are any of my relatives left in Ottawa or in Toronto where to my knowledge, my ggf first resided. My ggf did have a great uncle by the name of James Patrick. All of our ggf's descendants are in the US. I do know that there are records in Toronto of Esmondes who lived in Ottawa. As I remember there were a Frank and a Michael Esmonde who died in the middle 1850s who may not be related to us. There are Esmondes from an English branch in the suburbs of Ontario, and a Mr. White-Esmonde in Quebec. They are not relatedto each other. Mr. White-Esmonde's father emigrated from County Cork I believe.

There is a book published by a company in Bath, Ohio tha supposewdly lists all the Esmonde surname residences in Ireland, England, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA. The total number of families was 174 with the majority in the USA. The book may help the Esmond(e) researchers.
I fomerly lived in Blue Bell, PA, a suburb of Phila. and there was an Edward Esmond in the same town of no relation.

For those who wish to explore the early history of the Esmondes in Wexford, especially the lineage of the Johnstown castle, Hillary Murphy, a town of Wexford author, published a book on the important families of early Wexford. There is a section of the Esmonde family. It went from warriors to priests to nondescript as time went on. He gives the lineage from the time Geoffrey Esmonde, a Norman left England to help defeat the Irish in 1169. (The Normans are called Yolas by the Irish). He stayed and was given 1,000 acres of land by King Henry II, on which the castle was built by John Esmonde. There is another castle on the premises which he built for his brother. There is also a castle in northern County Wexford in Enniscorthy owned by a different descendant of Geoffrey.

I have seen the Johnstown castle and it is one of the prettiest castles in Ireland. One of the meanings I have seen for Esmonde is ' east hill.'

A fellow in Australia claims there may be a connection with Lady Godiva, which gives the family name a little spice to it.

I am trying to link ggf JE with his exact birthplace, time, etc.


Although I am originally from the Philadelphia, PA area, I lived in Cincinnati for 10 years and used to drive in and around Ottawa, Dephos, Lima, St. Marys and other towns, but never realized there might be other Esmondes in the area.


I believe it was











SubjectAuthorDate Posted
William B. Esmonde 17 Apr 2000 9:10PM GMT 
nadrac 21 Apr 2000 8:49PM GMT 
ElenaBrown35 2 Jun 2000 12:44PM GMT 
nadrac 5 Jun 2000 12:02PM GMT 
ElenaBrown35 5 Jun 2000 8:09PM GMT 
nadrac 30 Jun 2000 12:21PM GMT 
sstewart70 28 Mar 2001 10:53AM GMT 
Nadra 12 Jul 2006 6:20AM GMT 
36stewart 26 Apr 2007 5:58PM GMT 
nscfamily 30 Apr 2007 1:50PM GMT 
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