My name is Elisabeth (Martin) Darnell. A cousin of my grandmother's (Phoebe
<Wilkins> Clapper) did some research on our ancestors but I don't have much
info; I have also researched on the web and what I find matches what little
I know from her. We definitely know that our ancestor of origin is Ann
Carnahan, a charter member of the first Protestant Church in Scotland (the
timeframe is 1455). Research on my part finds a William Carnahan from
Aberdeen Scotland born 1455. There is definite knowledge of moving to
Ireland in the 1700's and then to America in the 1800's - PA and VA then OH
are brought into the mix. My grandmother's father's name was John Wilkins
and his mother was an Ann Carnahan also. From what I can tell, the
Carnahans were actually not a Scottish clan but inhabited the lowlands
around the Aberdeen area, but were actually more Ulster Irish in nature to
begin with. Later on in the 1700's I found Carnahans mentioned in Northern
Ireland (both County Cork and Donegal) as being somewhat of a pirate nature,
seafarers and rather wild.
Other facts I have dug out but are not sure they are verifiable: The motto
being Valor and Faith and our blazon of arms had an ermine fur (signifying
royalty) with lions and our crest had a Griffin (signifying death defying
bravery). The first recorded mention of Carnahan is in Scotland in the 13th
century, 1289 to be exact; records in 1540 three Irish tribes banded
together to form Carnahan for protection - the Carnochans, Carnighans and
Carnathans.
If anyone knows or has any further information on the Carnahans (where, who,
dates, events, etc) I would be thrilled!
Liz Darnell