When I was young my grandmother told me about her family, the Wyse family. She told me the story about how our family was originally German. Specifically we were descended from German Quakers from the Black Forest who fled to Gorey in Wexford escaping religious persecution in Germany. The story had been passed down from generation to generation in our family. To me this story seemed almost too fantastical too be true. Not least because historically Ireland would not have been considered a haven for any protestants to come and practice their religion. Also, I had never read in any of the history books about any German influx into Ireland.
Some years ago I started to investigate the roots of the Wyse family. Almost by chance I came across a newspaper article online that talked about the Palatine Germans and their immigration to Ireland. And there at the bottom of the page among the names of the immigrant families was the name 'Wyse/Wise, Gorey'. And that was the moment I knew I had found them. The story that had seemed too fantastical to be true was even more fantastical because it was true. It was a special moment, but tinged with some regret that my gran was not around to hear the full story that had passed down to her in fragments.
From then on I set out to find out what I could. This was a history I wanted to know more about. It was a story that I wanted to tell and to pass on to other generations in our family. Ironically the reason that the newspaper article appeared is that the Palatines in Ireland were just celebrating the tri-centenary of their arrival. So the very article that had alerted me to presence was telling me that I had missed a golden opportunity to connect with other palatines and learn from them. However, there was still a wealth of information out there on the Palatines, now that I knew where to look.
This blog is a summary of what I have found out in the last few years. It is going to be structured (to begin with anyway) in three parts:
Some years ago I started to investigate the roots of the Wyse family. Almost by chance I came across a newspaper article online that talked about the Palatine Germans and their immigration to Ireland. And there at the bottom of the page among the names of the immigrant families was the name 'Wyse/Wise, Gorey'. And that was the moment I knew I had found them. The story that had seemed too fantastical to be true was even more fantastical because it was true. It was a special moment, but tinged with some regret that my gran was not around to hear the full story that had passed down to her in fragments.
From then on I set out to find out what I could. This was a history I wanted to know more about. It was a story that I wanted to tell and to pass on to other generations in our family. Ironically the reason that the newspaper article appeared is that the Palatines in Ireland were just celebrating the tri-centenary of their arrival. So the very article that had alerted me to presence was telling me that I had missed a golden opportunity to connect with other palatines and learn from them. However, there was still a wealth of information out there on the Palatines, now that I knew where to look.
This blog is a summary of what I have found out in the last few years. It is going to be structured (to begin with anyway) in three parts:
- The first part is going to look at the origins of the palatines. In particular we will look at the Palatinate, the area where the palatines came from. By understanding its history we can understand the reasons why the palatines chose to leave in the first place.
- The second part looks at the journey of the palatines from their home in the Palatinate to their new home in Wexford.
- The third part looks at the palatines themselves; some of the individual families, their lives, and the stories they have to tell.
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