History of The Darcys (Based upon the research and writing of Br J.B. Darcy)
Banner Douglas Darcy's 90th birthday summer 2008 (L-R) Rev Brother J.B. Darcy(NL); Dr Douglas Darcy(England); Dr.James Darcy (NL)
Chapter One: Patrick Darcy 1600's
It is possible that the Darcy's can trace their ancestry back to James Darcy, a native of Kiltola County Galway, in the 16th century. James' seventh son was Patrick Darcy who was born in 1598 in Kiltola. Patrick became a lawyer and went into politics. He was elected for Nevan and subsequently for the Irish Parliament in 1634 of which he was an active and influential member in the House of Commons in Dublin.
He resisted the King's proposal to disband the Irish Army in 1641 and, on the outbreak of the uprising, became a member of the supreme council of "Confederated Catholics" in Kilkenny. His signaturecan be found on the Peace treaty with Lord Osmond the Marquis in 1646.
At the Restoration, he was a leader of theparty that demanded redress for the injustice done to the people of Galway by the Royalists. He died in 1668 and was buried in Kilconnel in Galway. He left one son, James.
Patrick Darcy was noted as an outstanding constitutional lawyer. He wrote the consititution for the Catholic Confederacy and his "Argument" formed the basis for the protests of the American settlers against the English laws. It is also the basis of the Statue of Westminister of 1931 which gave independence to the British Dominions.
Chapter Two: 1800's
The earliest definitive record of the Darcy Family is of John Darcy, a native of Fethert, Co Tipperary. He was born around 1820 and had a brother Thomas. John had studied for the priesthood in Ireland but was forced to stop because of ill health. He subsequently came to Newfoundland about 1840. There he worked as a clerk with O'Dwyer's store apparently at the request of O'Dwyer who was a relative.
John married a young lady who worked as a cashier at a teastore on Water street (Hutchings?). They had one son Michael James Darcy. When O'Dwyer's burned down in the great fire of 1846, John went to work as a book-keeper with THompsons. He lived first on King's Brideg Road and later on Duckworth street.
John died when Michael was still a child. Michael's mother remarried a widower Joseph Hickey and had two half brothers Patrick and James Hickey.
John Darcy had a brother Thomas Darcy who came to Newfoundland briefly about 1842-3 and went on to the US.
Michael James Darcy (1846-1929), the son of John Darcy and Grandfather of James, Douglas Marie and Joseph Darcy attended the Orphan and Assylum school in St John's. As a boy he worked with one of the oldest newspaper publishers, probably the "Newfoundlander". He subsequently worked as a tailor and became a master tailor and cutter. He went into partnership with Mr Dunsterville on Water street across from Bowering's grocery store. Later the parntership dissolved and Michael Darcy went to the Havelin Tailor Home on Water Street. At the time of the fire of 1892 he had his own store on New Gower Street, two doors east of Scott's Dry Goods Store, east of Adelaide street. Around 1889 he moved to Ship House (which is now #47 New Gower Street).
Michael married Mary Ann Cain and had ten children. The eldest three (William aged 14, May and Anne) died in a diptheria plague. two more children died of infectious causes at a later time. Mary, Agnes, William, Elizabeth (Lizzie) and James Michael survived to adulthood. Michael died on September 1st 1929.
James Michael Darcy (1888-1949)
James Michael Darcy was born on December 27, 1888. He attended St Patrick's Hall school. For most of his carrer he worked as a salesman for Imperial Tobacco on Flaven street. At the time of his death, March 19, 1949, he was sales manager for the company.
Despite being sick as a child, James took aprt in athletic events, notably as coxwain in the annual Regatta of St John's Like his father, Michael, he was musical and was gifted with a good vioce. He took leading roles in various operetta staged by Mr Charles Hutton in St John's . It was at a party after one of these events that he met Isabel Kelly , whom he later married. James also played the French horn and was active in the Benevolent Irish Society for years acting as secretary and treasurer of that society.
Isabel and James were married in August 1917. The announcement of their wedding in the daily paper of the time said they were "motoring to Holyrood" for their honeymoon. James and Bell Darcy had five children: Douglas, Joseph, James, John, Mary and Marie. Both John and Mary died in infancy.
Douglas Darcy (1918-)
Douglas Darcy was born August 15, 1918. he was named after Lord Douglas Haig (the great general of the First World War). On graduating from St Bonaventure's College in 1935 he was awarded the jubilee scholarship. This was the first time the scholarship had been awarded to a first year student. Douglas also received the senior jubilee scholarship and his B.S. degree from Dalhousie in 1941, and M.A. in 1943 in Biochemistry. In 1943 he also was awarded the Rhodes schoarship for Newfoundland. Because of the second wrold war, he was forced to delay taking up the scholarship. He instead went to the Institutum Divi Thomae in Cinncinnati until 1945 when he commenced his studies at Baliol College in Oxford. Having received his Ph.D. in 1948, he was awarded the Beir Fellowship for post-doctoral studies and later appointed to the Chester Beatty Cancer Institutue in London where he had a long and distinguished career in cancer research.
Douglas married Margaret Sutherland and they ahd four children: Jane; Catherine; John, James and Hugh.
Jospeh Darcy (1920-)
Joseph Darcy was born March 3, 1920. When his mother was pregnant with him she became seriously ill and was in danger of needing an operation. She prayed to Blessed Peter Eymard and was saved from danger.
Joseph graduated from St Bonaventure'sCollege in 1936 and joined the Congregation of the Christian Brothers of Ireland. He studied at Fordham University in New York and received a B.A. in 1949 and M.A> in philospohy in 1952. To his duties as teacher was quickly added the burdens of leaership and Brother Bertrand Darcy, as he was named in the order, took up various positions with the Brothers including Provincial of the newly created Canadian Province and Vicar- General of the order in Rome. Br Joe returned to Newfoundland in the 1990's and began a prolific writing career in his retirement. He is the author of a number of books and also wrote and produced an operatic musical celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Basilica of St John the Baptist in St John's NL.
Marie Darcy (1933-2008)
Born on April 21, 1933, Marie attended Mercy College and pursued higher studies in psychology from the University of london. Marie spent a long career in clincal psychology focused on youth. She married Gordon Burnand and had three children: Simon, Judith and Jane.
James Darcy (1922-)
James Michael Darcy was born on June 3, 1922. James graduated from st Bonaventure's College and initially worked for the Royal Bank. Subsequently, James went to Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia and pursed studies in dentitry receiving his D.D.S in 1948. For the next 59 ! years he practised dentistry in St John's retiring in 2007 at the age of 85. James married Mary Armstrong and had three children : Anne, Sheila and Stephen.
The book.
On July 19th 1861, Michael James Darcy (1846-1929) was presented with a book ("The Instruction of Youth in Christian Piety by the rev Charles Gobinet) for his good conduct as a monitor at the school. The book subsequently passed to his son James Michael Darcy who, on October 6, 1926 presented it to the Christian Brothers at Mount St Francis House. In 1994, Br Joe Darcy came across this book and presented it back to a Michael James (1989-) Darcy!
