THE IRISH BRANCH

As the early history of the Corneille family is that of the Huguenots who fled from France to the Palatinate of the Rhine during the reign of Louis XIV., a sketch of the history of that time is both interesting and necessary.

The term Huguenot was applied to all the followers of Luther in France.  This name originated from the fact that they, like S. ugh, a ghost, dared appear only at night to hold their meetings.  Persecution of every form was used against them, not only religious intolerance, but political differences were the motives.  The Huguenots stood for constitutionalism in an age of personal monarchy.  In spite of such persecution their numbers rapidly increased.

After nearly a century of oppression the Hugenots were granted protection under Henry of Navarre (himself a former Protestant) by the edict of Nantes 1598.  In ten years however he fell beneath the dagger of a fanatical monk, and the Protestants lost their protector, nevertheless they enjoyed a measure of freedom until 1661, when Louis XIV. curtailed their liberties.  At this time they were excluded from public life, from the universities, from the professions, from the arts and industries.  Many left France, but eventually even emigration was prohibited.

The culmination of this intolerant policy was signified by the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, 1685.  Thus now they were absolutely forbidden the exercise of their religion.  Soldiers were quartered among them to compel them to go to mass.  Their churches were leveled to the ground, their ministers exiled, and no lay Protestant was allowed to leave the country.  However, even though cordons of soldiers were stationed along the frontiers to dragoon them back to the galleys or prison, many escaped into exile.  It is estimated that during these years of persecution France lost half a million of her best subjects, many of whom were skilled handicraftsmen.  Four hundred thousand lives also paid the forfeit of the long dark reign of terror.

The Platinate during this period of emigration from France received a large addition to its population, and to the reign of Louis XIV. Can be traced the French names of the Irish Palatines.

But where was the Palatinate?  Perhaps a description might not be out of place, since maps have changed several times in the past two centuries.  The simplest reply to the question is that it was the country in that part of the valley of the Rhine of which Heidellburg  was the chief city.  Sometimes the Palatinate referred to the valley of the Rhine as far north as Bonn.  Again there was the upper or Bavarian Palatinate, and the Lower Palatinate of the Rhine, or the Pfalz.  It is to the Palatinate of the Rhine we refer in this study.

The lot of the Huguenots was a little better here.  The dwellers in the valley of the Rhine have felt the cruel persecutions of ware more bitterly than perhaps any others in Europe.  The undying desire of the French to extend their boundries to the river, and the determination of the Germans to hold the rich valley, have been main causes of the struggles through the centuries, though differences of religion have been prominent factors. 

During the era of Louis XIV, there was almost continual fighting from 1673 to 1679, the electorate was devastated by French troups; we are told at one time seven cities and nineteen villages were in flames.

The country had had Protestant rulers and religious liberty, but in 1685, the ruling family which succeeded, was Catholic, and under the Elector John William, the Protestants were deprived of various civil rights.

When William of Orange and Mary were acknowledged King and Queen of England, ware with France at once broke out.  The Palatinate was again the land that suffered.

In the struggle of the Grand Alliance against the French, Valley of the Rhine continued as a great battle ground.  Nearly every town and city was laid waste.

Then came the War of the Spanish Succession when Marlborough carried British arms to victory.  It was after the battle of Malaplaquet in 1709, at the invitation of Queen Anne, that the great migration of the Palatines began.

Up and down the valley preparations were made.  Rude carts were loaded with a few necessities.  The streams of exiles began to move northward, till the road winding over the mountain and down through the valley became one increasing caravan of pilgrims.  Boats and barges were hastily built, and pile high with boxes and bales.

They were a mixed company, Germans, Mennonites exiled from Switzerland because they would not bear arms, and Hugeunots driven from France.

The passage down the river Rhine brought them into Holland, and the people of Rotterdam hurries them on sailing vessels.  Many shiploads went to New York, Pennsylvania and Carolina, while many under great hardships landed in England.

From May to October the stream of immigrants continued.  By Autumn thirteen thousand had arrived, cast like shipwrecked people upon the English shore, and dependent upon the charity of Queen Anne and her Parliament.  Seven thousands were in the outskirts of London at one time.

Great storehouses were opened, army tents set up, and rough buildings hurriedly put together.  The Queen made an allowance of nine pence each per day for food.  It is worthy of note that the charity of Englishmen is not confined to the present day.

In the meantime the conditions in Ireland for the Catholics were lamentable.  Laws were enforced against them which were based on those enforced against Protestants in France through not carried to such extreme lengths.  The Irish Parliament was restricted to protestants alone.  Every judge, magistrate, lawyer and school teacher must be a Protestant.  Priests were not allowed to perform the marriage ceremony.  Restrictions were placed on trade, absolutely prohibiting the exports of the products of Irish farmers and artisans.

Emigration took place on a scale that has scarcely been equaled since.  The result was that the landed proprietors were in many cases in sore need of tenants.  In 1709 Sir Thomas Southwell of Court Matrix, Co Limerick, was a member of Parliament.  He and other landowners extended an invitation to the Palatines, which was accepted by about eight hundred families, five or six hundred locating in the country of Limerick.

Plots of land were assigned each at a moderate rental, and houses were built.  Each family was granted forty shillings per year for seven years, as well as being assisted in the purchase of stock.

After the assistance lapsed however, they were in store straits, as these extracts from John Wesley’s diary prove.  In 1760 he wrote “I rode to Killiheen, a German settlement near twenty miles south of Limerick.  In the evening I preached to another colony at Ballygarane, the third is a mile from Killiheen.  I suppose three such towns are scarce to be found in England or Ireland.  There is no cursing or swearing, no Sabbath breaking, no drunkenness, no ale house in any of them.  How will these poor foreigners rise up in the judgement against those round about them.

An extract five years later reads, “About noon I preached at Ballygarane to the small rmains of the poor Palatines.  As they could not get food and reiment here with all their diligence and frugality, part are scattered up and down the kingdom and part gone to America.  I stand amazed! Have landlords no common sense (whether they have common humanity or no) that they will suffer such tenants as these to be starved away from them.”

Among those referred to as leaving fro America, were Philip Embury and Barbara Heck in 1760, from Ballingrane.  The Corneilies were at Ballygarane near Adare.

Though these people suffered so, their descendants in Ireland today are in comfortable circumstances.

Farrer in his history of Limerick, 1786, says, “The Palatines preserve their language but it is declining.  They appoint a burgomaster to whom they appeal in all disputes.  Their mode of husbandry and crops are better than those of their neighbors.  The Palatines have benefited the country by increasing tillage, and are a laborious independent people.”

The account in our family says that a ship which was bound for America from London, was shipwrecked n the mouth of the river Shannon.  The passengers were all saved, Jacob Corneille being one of these.  He received a grant of the townland of Ballygarane (Ballycurrane) on the estate of Earl of Ponsonby.

The house in which he lived is still standing.  He never learned to speak the English language, but worshipped from his German Bible.  This would seem to indicate the fact that at least one generation had been born in the Palatinate, with possibly a German mother.  The homestead is still in the Corneille family, through Gen Corneille, the last man of that name at Ballycurrane, died in 1914.  His widow and daughter May are still living there.

Our great, great grandfather (who must have been a son or grandson of the Jacob of 1709) was a Jacob Corneille.  He, when a young man, traveled the Limerick circuit with Wesley, and later was a personal friend of Giden Ousley that great irish orator.

One of his sons, John, became a tenant at Rour, on the home farm of Earl Dunraven in the parish of Adare.  It is from this branch of the family we are descended.  There are three Corneille plots inside the walls of an old roofless church which stands in the Adare cemetery.  The date on John Corneilles headstone is 1965 or 67.

The home farm of the estate is the one in which most interest is taken by the Earl, and is well equipped with improvements.  John’s grandson, John Corneille, who lives there now, told us that the Earl was very generous and had never refused a request of his.

During the lives of Jacob and John Corneille, the times were very unsettled, the Irish peasants organizing for the sake of robbing and molesting the people.  They were known as the whitecoats, as they met at night, and wore their coats (which were lined with white) inside out when raiding.  The story is told that one night Jacob Corneille’s home was chosen to be raided.  A servant was was among the rabble sliped home to warn the family to leave.  The staunch old Methodist refused, saying, “We are in the Lord’s care.”  So they committed themselves to Him, and prepared to defend their home.  When the rabble came to the avenue leading to the next home, some one (probably the servant) called out “Come this way boys.”  The crown then turned and went to the other house, and that family were all killed.  Jacob Corneille’s home was never touched.

The faith and courage of our forefathers is a legacy of which we may be proud.  May we prove worthy of our heritage. 

Information of this paper has been furnished by Mrs. Corneille of Ireland, also taken from a paper written by C.C. James for the Methodist Historical Society, and gleaned during my visit in the Irish Palatine settlements in 1903.  E.TAPE

I. Jacob Corneille, the son or grandson of the Jacob of 1700 was alive in the eighteen twenties, married a Delmage.  They had six    ...sons and six daughters Adam, Nancy, Mary, Betty, John, James, Christopher, William, Dora, Sarah, Barbara, Benjamin.

At this barn he could run a thresher, fanning mill, grinder, for grain, which also bagged it, a machine for shoving furze into the cutter, and cutting it, and a turnip cutter, all at the same time, with the same horse power.  This was his own invention, and was in operation, when machinery was no in as general use as at present.

He was very lame, but would drive around and oversee the farm work.  He died in 1906.

d.         Ellen, died 1930, was married to John Ruttle (see under Dora)