Notes for Alexander Denniston
Alexander DENNISTON 1
!Birth: From handwritten and sketched information of monument in honor of Alexander attached to letter from Susan (Denniston) Forster of Currygrane, Moatfarrell, County Longford, Ireland. "Here lieth the body of Alexander Denniston late of Drumeel who departed this life ye 15th day of August Anno Dom 1723 in ye 60th year of his age. This monument was erected by his wife Kathanne (sic) Denniston alias Montgomery in Testimony of her affection to him." I have assumed that "Kathanne" was a misspelling of Katherine.
Source: Burkes History of the Commoners of Great Britian and Ireland. Alexander was an officer under St. Ruth in 1691 at Athlone and aided in the defense against the English. After the battle followed the period in which it is said that Ireland had no history, a period that developed tyranny on the part of the government and bitter suffering on the part of the people. This induced Alexander to move to Scotland to avoid persecution. In 1702 he returned to Ireland, where he remained quiet and secluded for a time in the town on Greenbrard, until the ascension to the throne of George I in 1714, when the Whigs obtained ascendancy and all adhering to them were taken into favor. In 1727 when George II came to the throne, Parliment passed bills that disenfranchised 5/6ths of the population of Ireland. Other legislative measures convinced many that Ireland was to be treated as a conquered country.back to AlexanderAlexander DENNISTON 2 At the town of Edgeworth, Co. Longford, Ireland, a group of Scotch Presbyterians formed the " Clinton Company" and sent Charles CLINTON to Dublin where he chartered a 90 ton frigate "George and Ann " commanded by Capt. Rymers. Included in the group were the families of Charles CLINTON, Alexander DENNISTON, John YOUNG, James LITTLE, and a Mr. MULLINER. They sailed on May 20,1729 with their destination Philadelphia. It is said that Capt. Rymer purposely prolonged the voyage to cause passengers to die off so he could obtain their possessions. Some accounts say the trip lasted five months and the Capt. was ultimately put into irons and the ship was brought into Cape Cod.
In the spring of 1730 a considerable number of the group moved to New York state where they took up land eight miles west of New Windsor and founded Little Brittain.Back to Alexander
Notes for DANIEL DENNISTON:
Letter, January 16, 1932, from James H. McKown, Chicago, Il, to Rev. Benjamin M. Denniston, Bedford Hills, NY refers to will
(made August 22, 1764, probated October 2, 1769)
of Daniel Denniston that lists wife Sophia, and brothers Joseph and Hugh.
(Also see OCGS Quarterly, November 1978, p.21: "DANIEL DENNISON (sic), Vol. 7, p. 304, 1898. Of Ulster Co. Aug. 20, 1764. I leave to my wife, Sophia, all my estate & all my clothing I leave to my bros., Joseph & Hugh Denniston. I leave all and everything else to my wife & make her exec. Wits John Monk, John Fendell. Proven Oct. 1769 in Albany.")
Notes for JOHN, SAMUEL, DENNISTON:
Letter from Debby Simon of Kaplan, LA, 23 May 1991 gives information that Hugh, Alexander, Samuel, and John Denniston are brothers from Longford, Ireland, and previously Paisley, Scotland. She credits Father John J. Denniston with this information.