Sheesly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the Sheesly family

Early History of the Sheesly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sheesly research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1172 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Sheesly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sheesly Spelling Variations

Within the archives researched, many different spelling variations of the surname Sheesly were found. These included One reason for the many variations is that scribes and church officials often spelled an individual's name as it sounded. This imprecise method often led to many versions. O'Shea, O'Shee, McShea, McShee and others.

Early Notables of the Sheesly family

Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sheesly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sheesly family

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish families leaving Ireland for the distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute due to the policies of England. Those Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United States and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents indicate that members of the Sheesly family relocated to North American shores quite early: Daniel, James, John, Patrick, Thomas McShea all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860; Bartholomew, David, Edward, Lawrence, James, John, Michael, Timothy O'Shea all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860..