Irish surname search
Purcell
Purcell is usually regarded as an Irish name, though the most famous man so called, Henry Purcell, the composer, was an Englishman. Both English and Irish Purcells are of Norman descent, the latter being found mostly in the contiguous counties of Kilkenny and Tipperary. The picturesque ruined castle of Loughmoe, the seat of the head of the family, is a well-known landmark near Thurles, to be seen from a main line railway between Dublin and Cork. He was known as Baron of Loughmoe, a title conferred by the First Earl of Ormond as Lord of the Palatinate, but this title wa not officially recognized by the Crown. The name is derived from the Norman-French word porcel, which in turn comes from the Latin porcus. Though Norman, the Purcells did not come to Ireland until some years after the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1172, when they became adherents of the great Butler (Ormond) family. In Irish the name is written Puirseil. the Purcells are a good example fo the saying "hiberniores Hibernicis ipsis", for not only are they found as Bishops of Ferns and of Waterford and as Abbots of Holy Cross and St. John's Kilkenny, but also as staunch fighters in the Irish cause: one, Major-General Purcell, though unsuccessful as a military strategist in earlier engagements, was so prominent in the defence of Limerick in 1651 as to be excluded from the favourable terms granted to the defenders generally; and another, Col. Nicholas Purcell, was one of Patrick Sarsfield's right hand men. This Purcell was one of the negotiators of the Treaty of Limerick in 1691. Subsequent to this they were active as Wild Geese both in the regiment known as Purcell's Horse and in Clare's Dragoons etc. Other Purcells worthy of mention are Richard Purcell (c. 1720-1766), who in his day was a celebrated engraver, and John Baptist Purcell (1800-1883), Archbishop of Cincinnati, who was born at Mallow. In connexion with him may be recalled his brother Father Edward Purcell and the dramatic story of the failure of the "Purcell Bank".