Gaelic Motto: "Fionnail Ardua petit ardea" (The heron seeks high places)

The Fennell side of the family (Grandpa's roots) begins with Garrett Fennell, born about 1795 near Dublin, Ireland. Information earlier than this seems to be lost forever, due to the destruction of many records during the Irish Rebellion. Garrett and his wife Susan emigrated to Canada about 1832, and he is listed as both a shoemaker and farmer in the Canadian Census. They lived in a 1 1/2 story log home on 116 acres of land in Huntingdon, Quebec. Their son, John Fennell (b. 1826) married Sarah Crutchfield, whose family originated in Nottingham, England. She lived to the age of 92.

John's son Samuel Fennell, left Huntingdon at the age of 22 and moved to Morden, Manitoba working as a blacksmith. There he met and married a woman named Beatrice Delong who unfortunately lived a short life, succumbing to typhoid in 1907 at the age of 38. Her ancestors, originally from Amsterdam, came to New York State as her ancestor, Arie Fransen Delong was a member of the Militia employed by England and for his service,  was granted land in New York in 1670. In 1776, Arie's grandson, also named Arie, was a Loyalist and did not support the American Revolutionary war and therefore had difficulties with the local colonial authorities. His grandson, Arra was born in New York State, but emigrated to Canada in the early 1800's, following other family members who were Loyalists finding a new home in Canada.

Samuel and Beatrice had four children, the first being Ernest Fennell, who is my grandfather. He married Edith Nichols and their son, Donald is my father.

Before reading our family history, I knew about the custom of many English and Irish families naming their homes; and some of our ancestors continued this tradition in Canada. Samuel and Beatrice Fennell named thier house in Roland, Manitoba "Shannon Farm"  and the name of John Fennell's home in Quebec was "Maple Lane".

The origin of the Fennell name has both Irish and English origins. It is Anglo-Saxon, and is thought to have been brought to Ireland by English settlers by the 16th century. "Fennel" (Old English) is a plant used in medicine and cookery. As well as the gaelic motto under the family crest found above, another Gaelic meaning of O'Fennell was "fair valour". It was also known that in troubled times in Ireland's past, people with obvious Irish names disguised them by dropping the "O".

Interesting speculation: While searching names on the Internet, I found a Fennell listed at the "The Bounty.com" (a website devoted to the history of the Mutiny of HMS Bounty and the genealogy of the crew). Sure enough, Maria Isabella Fennell, of unknown birthdate, married the grandson of Captain William Bligh, in 1847. Both she and her husband, Richard Bligh died in 1869 in New South Wales, Australia. Although it is improbable she is related to our branch of the Fennells, it was an interesting discovery!