STANTON HISTORY
Old Times
After I had cobbled this page together, I found a WONDERFUL web-site, which goes into this history in much greater detail. It was written by Patrick J. Brennan and Darren McEvilly. The site is no longer available online; there was, for a while, a cached version, but it too has now disappeared. I copied the page back in the day, but I am not entirely sure about the ethics of republishing it. I tried to contact Darren McEvilly (the only one who had an email address posted) but that address was also no longer working. If anyone knows how to contact either of the authors, please let me know.
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According to one of Grandpa Rufus’s uncles, the Stantons came from County Mayo, Ireland. This makes perfect sense. In the Primary Valuation Survey (1848-64), there were 53 Stanton households in Mayo, and only 14 in the entire rest of Ireland.
Mayo is a county in Connacht, the westernmost part of Ireland. It is one of the poorest and least developed areas of Ireland, consisting largely of mountains, bogs and drumlins (surprisingly steep little hills). When Oliver Cromwell conquered Ireland (again) in 1649, the native Irish were told to “go to Hell or Connacht.”
The Stantons were part of the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland, which began in 1169 and which reached Connacht in the 1220s. These particular Anglo-Normans were mostly from Wales, and some of the Welshmen taking part in the invasion were originally Flemish, having settled in Wales (in Pembrokeshire) in the early 1100s. There is a place in Pembrokeshire called Staunton, and so it is possible that our Welsh Anglo-Norman Irish Stanton ancestors were actually Flemish Welsh Anglo-Norman-Irish.
STANTON/ STAUNTON/ MCEVILLY SURNAME HISTORY
This is principally a Connacht surname, while Stanton itself is a place in Pembrokeshire in Wales, from whence the family, perhaps of ultimate Flemish origin, came to Ireland. Sir Bernard de Stanton, who possessed lands in County Kildare, was the father of Philip Stanton, who took part in the invasion of Connacht in the 1230s, and obtained lands in County Mayo in addition to those in Kildare. In Mayo the family adopted the Irish form Mac an Mhileadha, meaning ‘the son of the knight’, i.e. from Philip son of Sir Bernard, and some Connacht Stantons retain this in its anglicised form McEvilly, although most use the original form of the surname.
The family were long of importance among the Mayo gentry. Today the name is principally found in Mayo, Galway and Cork. In the latter county the family were established since at least the 1240s just east of Cork City, and there is some evidence that this family also possessed an interest in lands in Kildare in the early fourteenth century, and thus may have been of the same root as those of Kildare and Mayo. (Paul McCotter, “Anglo-Norman Surnames of Ireland (part six),” Irish Roots, no. 3 (1998). Found on the Internet at (Local Ireland website) 10 Aug 2003.) [2012 – the original link no longer takes you to the page quoted. This link was accessed on 18 Oct 2012]
The Normans, “Northmen” or Vikings, were an adaptable people. They conquered Normandy, England, Sicily, Ireland (among others) and in each case they eventually adopted – with some changes – the language and customs of the conquered people. In Ireland, it is said they became “more Irish than the Irish themselves.” Many names we consider typically Irish – Fitzgerald, for example – are actually Norman. In Mayo, some of the common Norman names include Barrett, Burke and Bourke, Costello, Culkin, Davitt, Fitzmaurice, Gibbons, Jennings, Joyce, McEvilly, Nally, Padden, Staunton and Walsh.
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The Normans invaded England in 1066. They came into Ireland in 1169, a force of 30 knights, 60 other horsemen, and 300 foot soldiers. There were virtually no towns – the Irish didn’t build towns, they hated towns – the only towns in Ireland in 1169 were on the coast, and had been built by Vikings.
“No towns, then, unlike Roman Britain; no roads; only beaten paths, stony or muddy; very few buildings . . . ; everywhere dark and wellnigh impassable woods . . . ; a climate even more moist than in our time; vast stretches of uninhabited land . . . . One may imagine how it was that the Danes could never penetrate far beyond the coast, except for brief and daring raids inland, and that even the Normans could only drive wedges into the more passable valleys, and then always have inimical and unconquerable fastnesses on their flanks.” (Sean O’Faolain, The Story of the Irish People(New York: Avenel, 1982) [Originally published 1949 as The Irish: a character study], p. 26-7.)
The Normans proceeded by building their own towns and roads. They would advance a bit, build a castle, establish a town. They participated fully and freely in Irish politics of the time, making dynastic marriages and alliances, switching sides whenever convenient. They also brought the Irish into English politics. They were a rowdy lot, often at odds with their King, and their Irish allies became, willy-nilly, a party to their intrigues, whether as leaders or followers.
The Stantons – or Stauntons as it was most often spelled then – were middle level people. They were considered knights, but they were not one of the great families, like the Burkes or the Fitzgeralds. They were followers of the Burkes (the de Burgos as they were then). Apparently they first rose to power in Kildare: a certain Adam Staunton is referred to as a”great baron of Kildare;” he or his son Philip [according to MacLysaght, Philip was the son of Sir Bernard Staunton as the surname info (above) says] came with the Burkes into Mayo, and was given the district of Carra, where he built a Castle and established a town. (This was about 1229.)
Castle Carra consisted of a three-story tower inside of a strong bawn (i.e., walled courtyard). To this day, remnants of the outer walls remain at some distance from the heavily fortified castle. Castle Carra continued to be held by the Stauntons until the end of the 16th century. (Although difficult to locate, there are significant ruins remaining and they are well worth visiting.) Nearby Kilboynell Castle (sometimes Called Kilvoynell or Kilfeynell), which had originally been built by the O’Flahertys, was taken over and rebuilt by the Stauntons. Ballinslea (also called Kilkerran) and Cloynlaghen Castle were also built by the Stauntons. (from the Patrick Brennan/Darren McEvilly website)
Here is a photo of Carra Castle
In 1298 the Stauntons built a monastery: Burriscarra, a Carmelite foundation. It was transferred to the Augustinian Hermits of Ballinrobe early in the fifteenth century. [According to Darren McEvilly, Adam Staunton built both Carra Castle and the monastery.]
“The Stauntons had been specially powerful around the lake, on the shores of which was their stronghold of Castle Carra. They had another castle at Kinturk. Favouring English customs, they called the neighbouring locality Burriscarra – the borough or town of Carra – and it is not unlikely that fairs and markets were held there when the Stauntons ruled.”(J. F. Quinn, History of Mayo (Ballina, Ireland: Brendan Quinn, 1993), V. 1, p. 310.)
At some point, some of the Stauntons took the Irish name Mac an Mhilidh, which means “son of the warrior” and which is pronounced (now) MacEvilly or MacAvelly. These were the powerful people: the area around Carra was known as “MacEvilly’s country.”
In 1338 the Stauntons were involved in an ugly affair, which gave them yet another name: Clann Ulcins, which some translate as “the children of evil” although Quinn does not define it, but simply mentions that it is an old name, and supposes that it would be Culkeen (or Culkin) today. (Quinn, p. 260) [Darren McEvilly suspects that it was this affair led the Stauntons to take the name McEvilly, and that they were called Clann Ulcin by others.]
The affair was “The Death of the Red Earl’s Son.” There were by now two branches of the Burkes. An opportunity arose for Edmond Burke, son of William Burke, to capture Edmond Burke, son of Richard Burke (the Earl of Ulster). He seized the opportunity without (apparently) considering the consequences. The Archbishop of Tuam was called upon, an agreement was about to be made . . . . At this point the Stauntons, who had considered the consequences (to themselves) if Edmond were released, tied him up in a bag with a stone or two for ballast, and threw him into the lake. And this act had its own set of consequences.
The Stauntons and the sons-of-William Burkes were kicked out of Mayo for a while (they seem to have been back in power by at least 1385), and because the King did not punish the murderers, he lost all claim to authority, not only in Mayo, but all over Ireland.
“In 1338 occurred the event which showed to all men the feebleness of the king’s government and led to open disregard of his authority, not in Connaught and Ulster only but all over Ireland. Hitherto it might be thought that the king tolerated the private wars from unwillingness to put forth his strength. [but] . . . condonation of the murder was an act which would not be attributed to any cause but the true one – – inability to punish it.” (Hubert Thomas Knox, The History of Mayo (Castlebar, Ireland: De Burca Rare Books, 1982;Dublin: Hodges Figgis & Co, 1908), p. 134.)
As for the Stauntons and Burkes:
“the destruction of the Foreigners of Connacht, and of his own [Edmond, son of William, Burke’s] family, occurred through this. And Toirdhelbhach O’Conchobhair [Turlough O’Connor] assumed the sway of Connacht after that, and Edmond MacWilliam Burk was expelled out of Connacht; and the territories and churches of all the West of Connacht were spoiled. And Edmond Burk collected a large fleet of ships and barks, [and] remained on the islands of the sea for a long time. Luighne and the Corann were depopulated and wasted, and the sovereignty was assumed by their own hereditary Gaeidhel, after the expulsion of the Foreigners out of them.”(Knox, 134)
By 1385, the Stauntons were back in power.
“The year 1385 was disastrous to Mayo men. . . . Cormac MacDonogh wasted Clann Cuain, but MacWilliam came against him and turned his men out of Castlebar. The MacDonoghs who went to plunder Carra were defeated, and lost many men at the hands of the Stauntons and others and the sons of Cathal Og.”(Knox, 150)
The MacEvillys were still around in 1472. . .
“1472 a son of MacEvilly and others, twenty six in all, went off privately by themselves and were surrounded by the hostile O’Kellys, who captured or killed all but MacJordan, who fought his way out though wounded.”(Knox, 159)
And they were still around in 1576 and 1585.
Philip Sidney states that a chieftain (among those minor chieftans who had sufficient land for Barons) named “Mac Invyle, of English surname Staunton” came to him with the rest at Galway, 1576. . . . They were, however, subject to the Burkes and when the MacEvilly chief went to Galway in 1576 he was mounted on a little nag, and was spoken of by Sidney (the royal deputy) as poor in condition and shrunken in power, very different indeed from the powerful MacWilliams. (Quinn, 260, 310)
Among the first signatures to the Indenture of Composition of 1585 was”Myly MacEvily of Kinturk, a chief of his name,” implying minor chiefs of the same name. The lesser chiefs who agreed to this composition are bracketed together as”MacPaddynes, MacPhillipines and MacEvillies.” Nearly all of them were in an uprising four years afterwards, and the Stauntons said they were driven to unwilling rebellion by the murderous greed of the new-arrived English officers, who all had “itching palms” and insatiable “land hunger.”(Quinn, 260)
They seem to have lost the last of their power before 1600.
MacEvilly owned the castle of Kinturk . . . until 1592. Castlecarra . . . was in MacEvilly hands until it was sold to Lord Trimleston in Sir N. Malbie’s time, and by him to Captain W. Bowen in 1586.(Knox, 287)
Of course they didn’t disappear – Stauntons and Stantons and MacEvillys are still in Mayo today – but they disappeared from the history books. Peter McLoughlin, a Stanton relative still living in Mayo, in a private e-mail (11 March 2003) mentioned some of these later Stantons:
Fr. Martin Staunton (1902-1994) ordained priest served in America, a very holy and prayerful man;
Monsignor James Horan (1911-1986) was related to the Staunton’s and he was responsible for the building of the Airport in Knock, Co Mayo;
Steve Staunton of Dundalk Ireland and Captain of the Irish Team in the World Cup is related.
Peter also described the life of the average Stanton:
Our ancestors lived in two or three roomed cottages with often hard earth floors and small windows and thatched roofs. There was no running water or sanitation or electricity. They slept on beds with straw mattresses.
Our ancestors were predominantly Catholic.
Most were farmers, blacksmiths, shoemakers, weavers,. Ireland was primarily agricultural no industry so every occupation till the late 1800’s was related to agriculture.
Our Ancestors spoke Irish until after the Famine- post 1849 they spoke Irish and English.
Thank you for your internet entry. I, as the family historian, am currently researching our Staunton family’s Irish branch. Your sentry has been most helpful.
Lauralynn
Thanks for your comment Lauralynn. What a lovely name. Wondering where your branch settled
Greetings, and thanks for the informative Stanton history. My mother was a Stanton, and her Irish family came from County Mayo. My siblings and I are having a family reunion in County Mayo next summer and I am trying to pinpoint my particular Stanton family. The Stanton names regarding my particular Stanton men recorded in Griffith’s are James & Myles. The earliest is James b: abt 1800, and his son, Myles, b: abt. 1834. The name ‘Miles’ is still running in my family. So far, no luck in finding the correct link to the past..
I would love to have a copy of the Brennan/McEvilly paper that you copied from their now non-existent web link. Please send if possible!
Thanks again for sharing your Stanton information.
Jody Panzenhagen
Thanks for you comment Jody. Good luck with your Branch and well done to having a family reunion. I will have to have a search of the Brennan stuff as that would have been quite a few years ago that it was sent to me. Please let me know how your searching evolves. Look forward to hearing again from you.
nice site. My extensive research finds that the ancestors of the Stauntons were from Normandy, where the name was spelled de Sdondon.
When the Elizabethan English arrived in the 16th century, they did not buy property, they took it over. there are records of the McEvilly Chief at the time appearing in Elizabeth I court, seeking her favour, and the return of Carra, Kinturk, and other properties.
the McEvilley claimed that they were indeed loyal subjects of the Queen and in fact were also English themselves. The Queen refused to grant an audience, so the Staunton/McEvilley’s never got their stolen lands and castles back
Hello, I am working on our family genealogy. My husband’s grandfather was Robert Mc Evilly. His father and mother were Peter and Mary Mc Fadden Mc Evilly. .
Peter was born June 1838 in Mayo, Ireland, he arrived in America in 1864. Peter died September 20, 1914 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mary was born in 1842 and died November 17, 1927 in Cincinnati, Ohio. My husband’s cousin on a recent trip found out we are distant cousins to Archbishop Mc Evilley of Tuam. That is all I have. I would love to know who Peter Mc Evilly’s parents were. Can anyone help? I have reached a wall.
Gratefully, Anne Rettig
Thank you so much for this information. I have been researching the Statons for 3yrs now. I could only go back to 1066 battle of Hastings. Wonderful finding this link, my mother is a Staton. She is going to flip out.
Please feel free to send me more information via email.
I have not been able to find any portraits of the earlier Stautons, would you have links?
Scott all the info I have I try to put into this website. You have done so well have you not. 1066 thats some research. Where in the world do you live
Great information. have approved your post. I don’t have any more but perhaps someone else will have this information for you. Would love to add a page for you if that helps. WOULD need info and photos of course
Thank you for the very informative article on the history of the Stantons/McEvillys in Ireland. My great-great grandfather Miles McEvilly immigrated to the U.S. in 1864 and settled in Westport, Wisconsin. He was born in 1844 in Louisburgh (just outside of Westport), Mayo, Ireland. If anyone has information on the family and ancestors of MIles, I would like to hear from you.
Best wishes,
Eric
Hi, my surname is Staunton but I am not sure if I have any relation to all this! How can I find out for sure? I can only go back to 1800s on Ancestry I think.
Hi. Thank you so much for the information. My nans’ mother was Nora Stanton and born in 1901. My great nanny Noras’ father was called Jack stanton. They lived in Peckham, South East London. Somewhere down the line they came from Ireland and owned a manor house and other properties but unfortunately my ancestor was a great gambler and one night gambled all the shares away. His wife was so ashamed that they moved to England and settled in London. This is all we had previously known until we came across your site. We would love a copy of the attached page if you could please email it to us.
My family are hoping to visit Carro and other locations of the Stanton family to find out more about our history. My nan briefly visited a town that had the Stanton name on the post office and many shops however as she was on a coach trip to Ireland was unable to find out more. My great nanny Nora married into the Royston family but her brother carried on the Stanton name and he had a son who is called John Stanton and is 83 this year.
Hi, My great grandmother was Catharine Stanton, from Mayo. Her family left Ireland in the1880s and went to work in the coal mines of northeastern PA, outside Scranton. Tired of hardship in the mines, her brother Patrick took his family and went to Tilden, NE, to open a department store. They also started Our Lady of Mt. Carmel church in Tilden. My great grandmother never returned to Ireland, although she wanted to.Died in Binghamton, NY, married name Sullivan. I have no idea who her antecedents were, just know they were extremely poor.
I live in Fuquay-Varina,North Carolina USA.
Thank you for replying, your web has a lot of great information.
I’m getting confused on where (Staunton) originalated from, Nottingham or Ireland. I see Mauger de Staunton was the son of Sir Bryan de Staunton 1040. Which was in/near Newark/Nottingham
How would I go about finding more information as yourshelf? I feel the libraries here do not carry a lot of Enlish history
Feel free to contact via email, typing on this phone is killing me lol
Thank you again for your detail work about the Staunton family history
Thank you for leaving your comment.The Staunton family is actually a Norman name and was brought to England via France where the Vikings had settled in Normandy. Then over to England and then on to Ireland. There is a town called Staunton in England. I will see if I can find any links to send to you. PS. love your name.
Thanks for leaving this comment. Seem to have lost my last comment which I tried to post. The name is a Norman name which came over when the Vikings did their conquering of France, ENGLAND and then onto Ireland. The Normans had settled in Normandy France [where it got its name]. Then over to England. There is a little town called Staunton in the south west part of England. Then over to Ireland where their history continues today. Love your name –
My great great grandmother was Mary Staunton who married John Walsh. Staunton used to own Castlegar nursing home land in Claremorris Co Mayo
Thanks for leaving your comment Ann.Would love to see more about your line from yourself backwards. The names suggests they might have been cousins. Very common then. Can you let me know any more. thanks and pleased to meet you.
I stumbled upon this page as I was researching the Stanton line and the possible origins in the UK.
Your research appears to be quite good, but very little information is available on the sources you used. I would like to find out which sources you used to tie the Stanton family to Irelan if you don’t mind sharing.
Thank you
My husband is Denis Madigan Stanton. His direct line were from Westport, County Mayo.
Hello,
Just discovered your site as I sit in the USA. My family DNA tells us we are from Connacht, specifically East and South Mayo. My great-great grandfather John Stanton left Ireland in the early-mid 1800’s for America.
I haven’t found much information on him at all, except his sister Winifred also left Ireland. They settled in Pennsylvania. John was a farmer.
Thank you for sharing the Stantons’ of Mayo story.
Thank you for leaving your comment Roseanne. I know how difficult things are so research Irish records but I believe that they are improving all the time as researchers are visiting around the Parishes to record. As you know many of the Records were destroyed during the Uprising when a fire took hold.
I have found this site very interesting especially about the Stanton/McEvilly name. My grandmother was an Evilly. Through communicating with a distant relative on Ancestry.com I learnt that Castle Carra was built by Adam de Staunton in the 13th Century.
I would love to have a copy of the Brennan/McEvilly paper that you copied from their now non-existent web link. Please send if possible, thank you
Charmaine Simpson, Suffolk, England
I enjoyed reading your history of the Stantons. Would you please send me the Patrick J. Brennan and Darren McEvilly web page you captured. I am eager to learn more about the early Stantons in Ireland. Thank you.
have tried to forward it. Not sure though about the e.mail address you have given me
I have been researching some on my family name – my father’s surname Stanton.
i know very little about the early history of the family, except that they emigrated to
Canada in the 19th century and settled in the Ottawa Valley near Portage du Fort
Quebec. My grandfather, I know from ‘word of mouth’ was a successful horse trader
until the great depression and lost his business in the ’30’s but was able to put
a down payment on a working farm of 200 acres near Portage du Fort, Quebec.
He was very well known and respected in the area and married my grandmother
Elizabeth Kennedy, 20 yearrs his junior. They had 9 children but sadly he died
suddenly in his late 70’s. He never discussed his lineage, nor did my grandmother
and so I would llove to learn more about my irish heritage.
Thanks for posting this lovely comment Gwen. Many people read this and perhaps if you could let us know your fathers full name or any other ancestor, eg the forename of the first Stanton to settle in Quebec that would help.
Hi Helen – thanks for sharing all this information.
My fourth great-grandmother was Sarah Staunton of Party, Mayo. She married James MacCormack in the late 1700s.
Her uncle, Rev Philip Staunton, is documented as living with them. He was the last Abbott of Murrisk Abbey.
One of Sarah’s grandsons, Francis Joseph MacCormack became Bishop of Galway until 1909.
I’d love to see the cached history you have.
Hello! your discussion is so interesting — could you send me the capture you mentioned, to the address listed? My dad’s grandfather came from County Mayo in the latter half of the 1800s, Thomas Stanton, married to a Brigid Callahan, and tracing them — so many folks with the same name! — is tricky. They came through Newark, NJ, and settled in northern NJ.
Hello Susan. After several unsuccessful attempts to find this information again, alas it is gone into the cloud. Unretreavable. Sorry
Hello Paula. What interesting information regarding the Stanton. The cached history has now gone into the cloud and I can’t find it now unfortunately.
When I was a little girl, my maternal grandmother, Mary Gillard (called Molly by her friends), lived at 10 Little King Street, Edinburgh. I remember quite clearly that one of her best friends was a Mrs Stanton – I do not recall what her first name was, but I can see her in my mind’s eye and she was a strong woman. All I know is that she was a very good friend, always read to help through good times and bad. Back in those day days of hardship through WW2 and the aftermath, neighbors were like a close family. I believe that Mrs Stanton helped my grandmother with birth of babies and also consoled her after miscarriages too. Just wanted to reach out and say thank you to Mrs Stanton for all her kindness and strength and true friendship to my darling grandmother. Sending love to all xxx
that’s lovely Josephine. I am intrigued now to find out who this Stanton was. Which branch of the Stanton line. So we are looking at WW2 era
A Mayo father’s plea for passage to America for his daughters …https://www.irishcentral.com › Roots
Nov 18, 2021 — The Staunton family in Co Mayo. Courtesy Ciaran Staunton. A fascinating look into how and why people left Ireland to head for America 100 …
I am one of the Staunton descendent. I have done a family on the McEvilly’s on my side of the family
I am one of the Staunton descendent. The Staunton were French and they were normans
The Staunton name is English and was mentioned in old documents before the Normans came to England. We did come to Ireland with the Normans however. There are many placenames in England called Staunton.
Both my paternal grandparents were Stauntons, my great grandfather was Pat Staunton, married to Catherine Mullarkey and lived in Farm, Williamstown , Co Galway but was originally from Westport. This is all the information I have on his origins apart from a story that some Stauntons had to flee from Westport due to an altercation with a baliff/landlord. My maternal Stauntons came from Cloonfad and were reputed to be “connected” to the Westport Stauntons. I would love to find out more about my Great grandfather as we are sadly lacking in known relatives and info from that side. Thanking you in advance . Marian
Hello and thank you for leaving this comment. It is great to hear about another wee piece of history. If you send me more information and photos on your line I will insert a page or a postscript to a page if you would like. quilietti@icloud.com is my e.mail address.
Hello Helen,
Would you please try again to send me the Patrick J. Brennan and Darren McEvilly web page you captured. My email, dulongj@habitant.org, should work. Thanks.
I believe my 4th great grandfather whose name was Michael Stanton was born in Ireland. Unfortunately, I’ve been able to find more information. This site is very information. Thank you for sharing.
Hello! I live in Winnipeg here, l have done my DNA with Ancestry.ca. l am having problems trying to get beyond my great grandfather John Jeremiah Stanton (dunno where he was born), but his son Michael John Stanton was born August 2 1914 in Austria. Where in Austria? I dunno, he may of had a sister. Michael John Stanton did pass away November 22 1956 here in Winnipeg. I don’t know who my great grandmother was at all. I am in the process of getting information from Ottawa, because Michael John Stanton was a WWII vet, l do hope to have information about who his mother was and where exactly he was born. I’m on Facebook…..under Jeremy Jason Stanton and can be emailed at stantonjeremy71@gmail.com. l hope to find more information and relatives l didn’t know l had. I know we’re all in this together one way or another trying to help each other’s family tree grow. Take care!
One of my GG grandmothers was elizabeth Stanton born 27 Dec 1856 in Motueka New Zealand
I wonder if she can link to John and Merci Staunton of Westport Ireland, whom I knew from our days together in Tanzania, Africa.
I hope so!!…and hope someone may know of John and Merci’s email contact
Cheers
Mike Shone – Auckland NZ
mjshone@gmail.com
My maternal grandmother was Elizabeth Stanton, daughter of Martin, a fisherman from Whitegate, co Cork. Brother William, Sisters Kate and Emma/Emily. Martin married Lizzie FitzGerald, also of Co Cork.
Your website is very interesting as my dad’s family came from County Cork, his Name was Edward Patrick Joseph Stanton, siblings Myles, John, Margaret and Elizabeth. Thier parents were Edward and Nora Hogan Stanton.