When delving into the history and genealogy of families, the journey can often lead to fascinating discoveries about the lives of our ancestors, their occupations, and the times they lived in. This article explores the life and legacy of Patrick Barragry Ellen, focusing on their history, family, occupations, and more. Whether you’re a descendant or simply intrigued by genealogical studies, the story of Patrick Barragry Ellen offers a captivating glimpse into the past.
The History of the Barragry Family
Barragry is an Irish surname with a long and distinguished history from County Limerick, as well as the rest of Munster. The family is of a very ancient origin dating back to the 19th century and earlier, mostly in Limerick County and Tipperary. The Barragry family was probably no stranger to hardship during the famines, mass emigrations, and social upheaval that characterized Ireland of that era.
People said that Patrick Barragry, one of the most noteworthy members of this family, was born around the mid-19th century. His family is from County Limerick, an area renowned for high-quality farmland and a rich heritage. Like many families in Ireland during this period, the Barragrys were mostly bucolic, and involved with farming. While it was a way of life, farming also provided such an essential link to the land itself — from where we came from in Irish culture.
The Family Ties: Patrick Barragry Ellen
Ellen knew Patrick Barragry, and the family continued for generations. Ellen, born circa 1887 was also from County Limerick. Very likely the marriage of this couple was similar to most in time with a focus on family and agriculture. The couple lived in rural Turkana and would have faced the usual day-to-day concerns of running a farm, as well as some unique to that environment.
He and Elizabeth had a number of children — many who would follow his leads to explore more opportunities and greener pastures, such as so many tales in Irish history. This included one of their children who went to Leeds before subsequently moving down to London, in common with many people from Ireland during the migration years at least until 1915. This boy, John Edmund Stevens became a chemist and went on to start his own business in London as Ireland continued the slow transformation from agricultural-based society to urban professional middle-class life which took over that of many families by this time.
As we enter the 21st century, it must be bittersweet for any of us to look back on their story and know that being a Barragry was both about hardship as well as adaptability across multiple generations. Their descendants, scattered throughout Ireland, the United Kingdom, and all across North America, memorialize their lives.
Occupations and Daily Life
The Barragry family were Irish rural farmers. For much of the 19th and early part of the 20th Century, farming in Ireland was an existence balanced on many facets: hard labour; courage when faced with all kinds of challenges and adversity — combined with a fierce sense that their land belonged to them. The Barragrys would have till the earth, grown crops and reared livestock – a farm way of life that was not merely essential to their own survival but also to that of the wider community.
Yet the Barragrys were more than just farmers. With the changing world they lived in, came the opportunities that presented themselves. As the family began moving toward urban areas, some of their members branched out into other fields. The book previously cited also recalls another of Patrick and Ellen’s offspring, who followed a completely different life from being farmed like cattle and became a chemist.
The change in professions among the Barragry descendants mirrors those of Irish society at large as it transformed from one based on small rural farms to a more industrialized and professional economy, driven especially by the expansion of cities.
The Broader Legacy of the Barragry Family
The legacy of the Barragry family is one of adaptation and perseverance. From their roots in the fertile lands of Limerick to the bustling streets of London and beyond, the family’s journey reflects the broader story of Ireland itself—a tale of resilience, migration, and transformation.
The Barragry family still maintains their name in Ireland today, particularly in County Limerick, where their history began. Descendants of Patrick and Ellen continue to honor their heritage, even as they live lives that their ancestors might not have imagined—working in professions far removed from the fields of Limerick, yet still carrying with them the values of hard work and family that have been passed down through generations.
The Bottom Line
The history of Patrick Barragry Ellen is an interesting interlude to the greater story of Irish nationalism. The history of a family that has survived and struggled through the events that inflamed or impoverished other lives, centuries ago — famine and emigration vividly etched here as are some of society’s changes; but lingered on at home countering with their still living thoughts. The Barragry journey from hard-pressed farming in rural Ireland to its wider diaspora is both a tale of their time and, by contrast with the dislocated complicated lives of doomed refugees as they are portrayed today — an eternal story about Irish families.
This story provides a portrait of the history, heritage, and hope that makes tracing your own genealogy or studying a family like Barragry so compelling. Their descendants preserve history by walking paths anew, carrying on the legacies of Patrick and Ellen.
