FLOOD WEB PAGE

HISTORY OF THE FLOOD NAME

The FLOOD name is derived from O'Moaltuile (devoted to the will, i.e., of God; erroneously supposed to mean chief of the flood). Although Tuile means flood it is here probably toile-genitive of toil, will, i.e., the will of God.

It is related to the names O'Multilly, O'Multully, MacMaoltuile and MacMhaoltuile. Formerly it was MacTully. The form McAtilla is used today suggesting that the name in Irish was MacTuile or Mac a'Tuile. The names FLOOD and TULLY were, at one time, interchangeable and that, which was termed a mistranslation, may, indeed, be a translation.

The form Mac Tuile appears in a seventeenth century manuscript which is a copy, by a well known scribe, of a thirteenth century manuscipt. The original was written by an eyewitness of the inauguration of Cathal O'Connor, last King of Connacht. It describes Mac Tully (Mac Tuile) who was present as O'Connor's physician. The place name, Tullystown, near Granard is associated with the Breffny (Breifney) branch of the family. They were hereditary physicians to the O'Connors of Galway and the O'Reillys of Breifney (Breffny). In Ossory in the year 1571 the name was anglicized to FLUDD. (From "Irish Families" by Fr. Wolf and "Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins" by Edward Mac Lysaght).

According to James J. Flood of Dublin, there are two families in the Parish of Legan who are desended from our ancestorial lines, the BURKEs of Ardandra and the DOYLEs of Killglass. The relationship extends through an old local family named MULVEY. They are known as the MULVEY FLOODs.

To date I've managed to trace my male ancestors back to Ireland in 1794, the year my great great grandfather was born. The known (to me) family history spans from that time to the latest addition to our branch of the family of Nicholas John Flood who was born in Howell, New Jersey on February 6, 2003.

The chapter in America begins with my grandfather's immigration to the United States in 1903.

In the middle of the last decade of the Eighteenth Century the American War of Independence

been over about twenty years and she was starting her expansion to the West, Napoleon was

sailing to Egypt and William Pitt was the English Prime Minister. The French had promised the

Irish help in their bid to gain their freedom from England, but it had not arrived and the Irish

rebels were defeated at Vinegar Hill in June of 1798. The small French force that eventually came

was also defeated. Pitt recognized that Ireland presented an urgent problem. His attempt to unite

the Parliaments of Great Britain and Ireland was defeated in 1799 by five votes in the Irish

It was against this background that my great great grandfather, John Flood, grew up.

For more information on the Early Days, click here.

John married Margaret Lyons, probably in the 1820s. They had eight children. Unfortunately we

only have names of six of them. They were Christopher (Kiddy), Thomas, Patrick Vincent,

Brigid, James and Peter.

John was reported to be a man of middling comfortable circumstances. It is said that he was

liked and well known in the region as an honest man. He raised horses and brought them to fairs

The Longford Journal, in an article dated November 28, 1846, reports that, on Sunday, November 22, 1846, a group of armed men crossed the border from County Westmeath into County

Longford and went about inquiring as to whether or not the farmers had been paying their rent.

They "encouraged" them to not lest they be again visited. They came to the residence of John

Flood, he being alerted by the barking of his dog. When he went to the door to inquire as to what

the ruffians wanted, a man armed with a long gun tried to force entry. John parried with a shovel

and, when the man could not gain entry, he discharged the gun hitting poor Flood in the hip. He

fell to the floor and died a half hour later leaving a widow and eight children.

There is a gravestone in the New Abbyshrule Cemetery engraved with the name John Flood,

November 22, 1846 age 52 (b. 1794?) And his wife Margaret Lyons, died May 28, 1866, age 65

It is reported that John's son, Thomas, died on February 22, 1886 at his residence in Legan

the mourners were his brother, Peter, town clerk, Longford, his brother-in-law, Edward Nally and

nephews, John J. Flood, Peter Flood, Bernard Nally and Joseph Flood (later the District Justice of

Son Peter died on December 24, 1896. On January 2, 1897 the Longford town court adjoined

owing to the death of Peter. The funeral cortege left the residence at 2 o'clock and was of

exceedingly large dimensions. It included his sons Messrs. John J. Flood, William P. Flood and

Joseph Flood. Also his nephews James Flood, Patrick Flood, Bernard Nally, William Atkinson

and Vincent Atkinson.

One of John's sons was Patrick Vincent, who was born on September 16, 1844 in Legan, County Longford. He later became a Dominican priest and Archbishop of Trinidad. For more information on the Archbishop click here.

MY GREAT GRANDFATHER

Another of John's sons, and a brother to the Archbishop, was James. James married Marcella Atkinson on November 13, 1872. They had 10 children, Thomas Christopher, John, Patrick Vincent, Margaret (Maggie) Anne, James Joseph, Mary Teresa, Christopher, Ellen (Ellie) Mary, Mary and Marcella. James died on December 13, 1892 and Marcella died on November 10, 1913. Their son, James is my grandfather.

My grandfather lived on the farm of his uncle Christopher (Kiddy). It is my understanding that there was another nephew living there called Michael Mulvey. Further, it is my understanding, that Christopher was not married. Since James' father seemed to have plenty of help on his farm he probably sent James to help his uncle. Michael Mulvey is mentioned as a nephew to Christopher. Since Christopher wasn't married Michael must have been a son of one of his sisters. In the 1901 census Michael's mother is listed as Alice but I find no evidence of a sister named

Alice nor does the name Alice show up anywhere else in the family.

In 1903 James left Ireland and came to America. He landed in New York on March 5, 1903 on the liner Oceanic. The passenger list tells that he was 24 years of age, a farmer and had Ten ($10.00) Dollars in his pocket.

There are conflicting stories on the circumstances of his leaving Ireland. At any rate, he met my paternal grandmother, Catherine McCormack, in Brooklyn, New York. They married and raised their nine children in the same place. He died in December of 1957 at age 79. My grandmother died in November 1958 at age 78. Their children were

(Bridget) Terese, James Joseph, Jr., Marcella, Catherine, Thomas, John, William (my father), Joseph and Margaret. For continuation and pictures click here.