O'Denpsy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the O'Denpsy family

Early History of the O'Denpsy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Denpsy 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 O'Denpsy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Denpsy Spelling Variations

Pronunciation, rather than spelling, guided scribes and church officials when recording names during the Middle Ages. This practice often resulted in one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname O'Denpsy are preserved in these old documents. The various spellings of the name that were found include Dempsey, O'Dempsey, Dempsy, Dempsay, Dempsie and many more.

Early Notables of the O'Denpsy 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 O'Denpsy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the O'Denpsy family

A massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression. A great portion of these migrants arrived on the eastern shores of the North American continent. Although they were generally poor and destitute, and, therefore, again discriminated against, these Irish people were heartily welcomed for the hard labor involved in the construction of railroads, canals, roadways, and buildings. Many others were put to work in the newly established factories or agricultural projects that were so essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the world. The Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s initiated the largest wave of Iris immigration. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name O'Denpsy or a variant listed above: 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.