MacGimpsey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the MacGimpsey family

Early History of the MacGimpsey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacGimpsey research. Another 286 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1193, 1599, 1631, 1641, 1652 and 1865 are included under the topic Early MacGimpsey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacGimpsey Spelling Variations

Before widespread literacy came to Ireland, a name was often recorded under several different variations during the life of its bearer. Accordingly, numerous spelling variations were revealed in the search for the origin of the name MacGimpsey family name. Variations found include Dempsey, O'Dempsey, Dempsy, Dempsay, Dempsie and many more.

Early Notables of the MacGimpsey family

Notable among the family name at this time was Sir Terence O'Dempsey, knighted May 1599, by Robert Devereux, earl of Essex, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Terence was created "Baron of Philipstown," and Viscount Clanmaliere, by patent dated 8th July, 1631, temp. Charles I. He had five sons, two of which were clergy:...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacGimpsey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the MacGimpsey family

To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name MacGimpsey or a variant listed above, including: Ann, Biddy, Bridget, Catherine, John, and Henry Dempsey who settled in Quebec in 1840; Edward Dempsey settled in New York in 1810; Jeremiah Dempsey settled in Mississippi in 1820.