First found in county Armagh, where they held a family seat from early times.

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish migrating out of their homeland in a great measure due to the oppressive imperial policies of the English government and landowners. Many of these Irish Families sailed to North America aboard overcrowded passenger ships. By far, the largest influx of Irish immigrants to North America occured with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These particular immigrants were instrumental in creation of the United States and Canada as major industrial nations because the many essential elements such as the roadways, canals, bridges, and railways required an enormous quantity of cheap labor, which these poor immigrants provided. Later generations of Irish in these countries also went on to make valuable contributions in such fields as the arts, commerce, politics, and education. Extensive research into immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Cadenhead: James Cadden who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1817; another James Caden settled in Philadelphia in 1844; Patrick and Thomas Cadden settled in Philadelphia in 1842 and 1856.

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