James Fanning (abt. 1616)

Born about 1616 in Ballingary, Tipperary, IRELAND

Ancestors

This profile is part of the Fanning Name Study.

Biography

James Fanning appears to have been the protégé of his maternal uncle, the Jesuit priest Michael Cantwell, who lived in Spain for many years. In 1631, Michael writes in Spanish to Hieremias Herbert, O.S.F. [Order of St. Francis] in Rome mentioning that his nephew Diego (Spanish for "James") is waiting in Paris, France, for the possibility to join his uncle in Spain. In 1648, Diego made a separate application to join the Order of Santiago.

From the history of "Farranrory Castle", Ballingarry:^[1]

• 1648: "Don Diego Fanin,^[2] a native of Ballingarry, sought admission to the Order of Santiago in Spain. His parents were Don Nicholas Fanning of Ballingarry and Elena Cantwell of Moycarkey and his grandparents were William Fanning and Catelina Purcell of Ballyfoyle and John Cantwell and Margaret Morris, of Latteragh.^[3][4]

It is undetermined if this is the same James Fanning who appears here in the 1659 Census of Ireland. All spellings original:^[5][6]

• William Fannyng (gentleman) and Jeffrey Fannying (Esquire), both of Ballingary; as well as Thomas Fannynge^[7] (gentleman) of Killeens; all appear on the census for the Barony of Sleavordagh, County Tipperary.^[8]
• Altogether there are 31 people with the Fanning surname in the same Barony. Related surnames include Cantwell (11 individuals), Morres (13), Morissy (7), Purcell (14).
• James Fanning (gentleman) appears in Alwardstowne, Parish of Kilbride, Barony of Ida, Igrin and Ibercon, County Kilkenny.^[9]
• Thomas Faning^[10] (gentleman) appears in Killana and Cahirr, Parish of Teakill, Barony of Tulla, County Clare.

Research Notes

An earlier Jesuit priest named James Fanning (1602-1646) came from the Limerick branch of the Fannings. Born in Limerick, he entered Spain (Galicia) in 1623, he was ordained at the Royal College in Salamanca (1635) and returned to Ireland as professor of humanities. He was in poor health and died in Co. Kilkenny in 1646.

Fanning Origins

The Fannings arrived with the Norman invasion of Ireland and were present in Kilkenny in the first decade of the 1200s. Thomas, son of Richard Fanyn [sic] received Knight's Fees in 1247 in Clomantagh, Barony of Crannagh, County Kilkenny. Later, in 1314-5 and again in 1317, Thomas Fanning received Knight's Fees, also in Clomantagh. The Fanning neighbours in the 1420s were Archdeacon, Butler, Purcell, Cantwell, St. Leger, de la Freyne, Le Poer, Tobin, Shortall, Archer, Fleming, Erley, Fitzgerald, Barron, Rocheford, Malherbe, Carew, Bigod, Grace.^[11][12][13]

For the first names of Fannings in south Ireland, consult the Calendar of Ormond Deeds.^[14][15] These are legal and land transactions in 6 volumes covering 1172 to 1603. A wealth of names and locations, and often useful for specifying family relationships (e.g., Geoffrey Fannyng, "son of Nicholas", lord of Ballyngarry, in Vol.4, 1509-1547). Many spelling variations including Fanyn(g)(e) and Fan(n)yng.^[16]

Sources

1. ↑ Richard Clutterbuck , The Settlement and Architecture of Later Medieval Slieveardagh, County Tipperary, Volume 2. This thesis is presented in fulfilment of the regulations for the degree of M.Utt in Archaeology, University College Dublin. Supervisors: Prof. Barry Raftery, Dr. Tadhg O’Keeffe, Dr. Muiris 0’Sullivan, August 1998:
   • http://www.slieveardagh.com/places/farranrory-castle-3/
2. ↑ In Spanish, "Don" is a polite male form of address, and "Diego" is the equivalent of James.
3. ↑ Notes on Spanish pedigree requirements of the era, by author Samuel Fannin in “Documents of Irish Interest in Archivo De La Diputación Foral De Bizkaia (Bilbao) [with Index].” Archivium Hibernicum, Vol.64 (2011), pp.170–193:
   • "The rigorous demands of the Spanish notarial system in the 17th and 18th centuries resulted in the production of substantial documentary records. These include the extensive documentation required for the registration of new Irish emigrants wishing to settle in Spain. The information required from the new arrivals included extensive genealogical detail to provide proof of legitimacy, religious conformity and, in the case of claims to nobility, an exposition of the blood lines of preceding generations."
   • "Noble status was reflected in the title 'hidalgo'. To secure recognition of noble title, [people] were required to demonstrate 'limpieza de sangre' (purity of blood or descent) as well as noble origin. In the Basque country [i.e., Bilbao and San Sebastián] the grant of mere citizenship was indicated as 'sello menor', while noble title was referred to as 'sello mayor'."
     • www.jstor.org/stable/23621202
4. ↑ Michael Cantwell -- brother of Ellen, who married Nicholas Fanning -- and his nephew Diego Fañin [sic] are also mentioned (1631) in the Report on Franciscan Manuscripts preserved at The Convent, Merchants' Quay, Dublin. See entry for 20 May 1631 (Madrid) on p.41. Excerpts from the letter are included here:
   • Michael Cantwell to Hieremias Herbert, O.S.F. [Order of St. Francis], Rome:
     • " I received Your Paternity's letter 15 days ago to my no small comfort for the glad tidings it brought me of Your Paternity's health and well-being. I should have answered at once but that I was in daily expectation of fresh news to send Your Paternity from Ireland and Paris, of which I am still dis- appointed.
     • I quitted Paris about last Candlemas, leaving there Father John Burke and Diego Fanin, my nephew, in tolerable comfort, which cost me not a little trouble to secure by reason of the small respect and consideration (which daily grow less) in which the Irish are held there [Paris].
     • The plague took off 10 or 12, but touched no others save the two Fathers Aluan O'Brien, and Brien O'Dala. John Burke of Cahirkinlisk had a lucky escape, and got to Ireland. Many of the other priests also returned to Ireland, others betook them elsewhere, and some remain.
     • Since I left Paris I have not received a word from Ireland, without which I cannot proceed a step further. I shall now have to wait here [Madrid] until the end of August. Should I have news from Ireland, I will advise Your Paternity."
       • https://archive.org/details/reportonfrancisc00greauoft/page/40/mode/2up?q=fanin
5. ↑ http://www.irelandgenweb.com/irltip/Records/SleavordaghBarony1659.htm
6. ↑ https://www.irishmanuscripts.ie/digital/censusofireland1659/Census%20Of%20Ireland%201659.pdf
7. ↑ This does not seem to be James' brother Thomas Fanning, who appears to have emigrated to Massachusetts Colony before 1655.
8. ↑ William and Jeffrey appear to have been distant cousins via common ancestor Andrew Fanning.
9. ↑ "Ida was recorded in the Down Survey (1656) as "Ida Igrin Ibercon":
   • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_(barony)
   • Interactive map of Ida Igrin Ibercon from the Down Survey
10. ↑ This does not seem to be James' brother Thomas Fanning, who appears to have emigrated to Massachusetts Colony before 1655.
11. ↑ "15th Century Royal Service in County Kilkenny"
    • https://sites.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/history/royal_service_1423.htm
12. ↑ "The Fanning Family: Early Documented History"
    • https://sites.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/history/fanning.html
13. ↑ "Knights' Fees in County Kilkenny"
    • http://sites.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/history/knights_fees.htm
14. ↑ Search here for "Ormond Deeds" to see all 6 volumes in PDF format:
    • https://www.irishmanuscripts.ie/product-category/imc-digital-editions/
15. ↑ Note: "Ormond" refers to the lands of the Earls of Ormond, a title created by King Edward III in 1328 for James Butler, 1st Earl of Ormond. The 6 volumes of the Ormond Deeds were kept for centuries in Kilkenny Castle and transcribed by historian Edmund Curtis in the 1930s.
16. ↑ According to W.F. Brooks, p.6:
    • "The present form [of the surname], ending in -ing, seems to have become established in the 16th century. Then and subsequently we find the forms Fanyng, Fannyng, Fannynge, Fanynge, Faning, Fanyin, Fannying, Fannyn, Fanningc, Fannen, Fanan, Fannin, and Fannon."
      • https://archive.org/details/historyfanningf00broogoog/page/n32/mode/2up

• Archivo General de Simancas, Valladolid, Spain:
  • http://censoarchivos.mcu.es/CensoGuia/archivodetail.htm?id=2

• WikiTree profile Fanning-174 created through the import of My Family File072211.ged on Jul 25, 2011 by Grady Lucas.