Heart and Soul Pursuits

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Tracing Ancestry Origins

In December of 2025 my curiosity about our connection to Lord Edward FitzGerald led me to finally explore further ancestry connections. (Original blog link here)

Following the trail of the FitzGerald dynasty (Link here FitzGerald Dynasty.... and here FitzGerald's) and its Norman origins, I was surprised to find a connection with the Medieval Welsh House of Gwynedd (Link here.... House of Gwynedd - also known as the House of Aberffraw).

FitzGerald Line

Lord Edward FitzGerald (1763-1798)

James FitzGerald (1st Duke of Leinster / 1722-1773)

Robert FitzGerald (19th Earl of Kildare / 1675-1743)

Robert FitzGerald (1637-1698)

George FitzGerald (16th Earl of Kildare / 1612-1660)

Thomas FitzGerald (died 1619)

Gerald FitzGerald (9th Earl of Kildare / 1487-1534)

Gerald FitzGerald (8th Earl of Kildare / son of Thomas Fitzgerald and Lady Joan / 1456 - 1513)

Thomas FitzGerald (7th Earl of Kildare / 1421 - 1477) ...2nd marriage, he married his kinswoman Lady Joan, Daughter of James FitzGerald 6th Earl of Desmond - see line change below)

Line Change: Progenitor through the female line of Lady Joan (Daughter of James FitzGerald, Earl of Desmond)

Gerald FitzGerald (3rd Earl of Desmond / 1335-1398)

Maurice FitzMaurice FitzGerald (4th Baron Desmond and later 1st Earl of Desmond / died 1356)

Thomas FitzMaurice FitzGerald (2nd Baron of Desmond / succeeded his father Maurice / died 1298)

Maurice FitzJohn FitzGerald (died 1261 with his father at the battle of Callann)

John FitzThomas FitzGerald (1st Baron Desmond / died 1261 with his son at Callann)

Thomas FitzMaurice FitzGerald (Lord O'Conello was the son of John FitzMaurice FitzGerald (6th Earl of Kildare/ 1145-1213 / See Additional Notes below)

Maurice FitzGerald (Lord of Lanstephan & Lord of Maynooth / 1105-1176)

Gerald Fitzwalter (De Windsor) who married Princess Nest Ferch Rhys (Link here ... Princess Nest Ferch Rhys - see line change below)

Line Change: Progenitor of the FitzGerald dynasty through Princess Nest Ferch Rhys (Princess Nest Ferch Rhys - 1085-1136, Link here...House of Gwynedd)

Princess Nests father was Rhys ap Tewdwr, Welsh King of Deheubarth member of the Dinefwr dynasty leading back through many generations to Cunneda Gwynedd (also known as Cunneda ap Edern and Cunneda Wledig), Grandfather of Gwawl verch Cole (daughter of King Cole Hen - Old King Cole), sister of Saint Helena who was mother of Constantine the Great, according to medieval legend.

Interestingly, the line can be traced back from Cunneda to Beli Mawr (120-80 b.c).

Additional Notes: Continuation of FitzGerald Line from Thomas FitzGerald (7th Earl of Kildare / 1421 - 1477)

John FitzMaurice FitzGerald (6th Earl of Kildare / died 1427)

Gerard FitzGerald (5th Earl of Kildare / died 1428)

Maurice FitzThomas FitzGerald (4th earl of Kildare / 1380-1390)

Thomas FitzGerald (2nd Earl of Kildare / died 1328)

John FitzGerald (1st Earl of Kildare / 1250 - 1316)

Thomas FitzMaurice

Maurice FitzGerald (2nd Lord of Offaly / 1194 - 1257)

Gerard FitzMaurice (1st Lord of Offaly)

Thursday, May 29, 2025

To Visby with Love

Walking in the footsteps of our ancestors - We are all standing on the shoulders of giants.

Visby, Gotland

The path Johanna took down to the markets

Visby Domkyrkoforsamling - Church we visited at the base of the hill to Johanna's house

The house Johanna lived in (above the Visby Domkyrkoforsamling - Church)

Visby domkyrko (church near Hastgatan).
Johan made the church window frames and candle holders

Candle holders sitting in the window sill.

Norra Kyrkogarden, where Johanna is buried

Tombstone of Johanna Pettersson

Visby Norra Krykogard - Where Johanna is buried

Where Johan is buried, one of 1160 graves. He was buried behind the current building.
Johanna marked the spot with a tree. There is no marked grave because he took his own life.

Yes, I really did. Oh to be young again!

Monday, May 26, 2025

Ireland & Family History

The global pandemic of 2021 & 2022 halted our plans to visit the land of our forefathers but as the world slowly recovered from the COVID outbreak, we began to plan once again. Ireland was calling and Dublin was our first port of call visiting Leinster House (once the Fitzgerald family home) and St Patricks Church (the Fitzgerald family church)

We then made our way to County Wexford to visit Killurin Church where the Furlong's (James, Matthew and John) are buried and then travelled on to County Cork. (The Furlong's being Mary Ann Brennan's ancestry)

Robert Stackpole sailed from County Cork to New Zealand, marrying Mary Ann Brennan on the 9th June 1859.

Mary Ann Brennan was the child of Mary Furlong from Templescoby who eloped with a British soldier named John Brown to Dinapore, India (believed to be a Private in HM 62nd Regiment). Mary Furlong of Templescoby married Michael Brennan after the death of John Brown settling in New Zealand as part of the NZ Fencibles.

Leinster House, Dublin (Home of the Fitzgeralds, now seat of government in Ireland)

St Patricks Church, Dublin (Church of the Fitzgeralds)

Church Notice at St Patricks Church, Dublin - Our Mary of Templescoby
nee Furlong who married John Brown in India and who as a widow married
Michael Brennan (also in India), revealed on her death bed in Onehunga
New Zealand that she was the grand daughter of James Fitzgerald,
descendant of Gerald Fitzgerald. Refer here for more details

The Door of Reconciliation at St Patricks Church, Dublin
(The church door in which Gerald Fitzgerald cut a hole
to offer a peace treaty to the Butlers of Ormonde)

Killurin Church, Wexford (where the Furlongs, James, Matthew and John are buried)

Tribute to Matthew Furlong at Killurin Church. (Matthew Furlong of Templescoby
is believed to be related to our Mary Furlong of Templescoby)

Tribute in Matthew Furlong and the 1798 rebellion

Tribute to the fallen at battle of New Ross (tribute in New Ross, County Wexford)

Blarney Castle (not far from County Cork - origins of the Stackpole descendants)

On the grounds of Blarney Castle, County Cork

Tribute at Holy Trinity Centre, County Cork to the fallen in the wars of Ireland

Wilton Castle, County Wexford

A castle all to ourselves for a night (I had the ground floor and Dad had the top floor. The right side is still in disrepair)

Wilton castle is believed to have belonged to the Furlong family. The Furlongs owned all property between Horetown and Carrigmanan and sacrificied everything for the sake of their religion during the Cromwellian confiscations. James Furlong moved to a farm at Holmstown, near Glynn and settled there. In 1768, John Furlong left Holmestown to marry Mary Martin of Templescoby, and since that time the Furlong family have lived at Templescoby. During the rebellion of 1798, Matthew Furlong of Templescoby was aide-de-camp to Bagenal Harvey, Commander-in-Chief of the Insurgents army, and was shot whilst carrying a flag of truce at New Ross. He was married to Mary Byrne of Raheen and they had five children. His body was taken to the family burial bround in Killurin, not far from Carrigmanan'. Source (Entry submitted by Alcock 2005)