1600-1799 Wild Geese
Irish Wild Geese at the Hôtel Royal d'Invalides Paris
There were 2,350 Irishmen listed at the Hôtel Royal
d'Invalides. Seven Traceys are stated in the records which is a very high number
for an individual surname. It has been stated that those admitted represented
about one per cent of the number of men enlisted in a specific regiment. As
such, there may have been 700 Traceys who served in the armies of France.
John Tressy aged 70 of Portumna, County Galway,
cavalier of Sr. Dossemont, Bourbon's Regiment, in which he has served 10 years,
as well as 27 years in the Regiments of Clare under Greder-Allemand,
Furstemberg and Hamilton (confirmed by his certificate). His troubles put him out
of service. Catholic. Received 20th January 1708. Died 20 May 1714 at Hougue ATD
Richard Treacy of Canoth, Ireland. Received 1763
Thomas Trassy of Galway. Received 12/9/1726
Thomas Trassy aged 36 of Cork, soldier of the colonel
of Galmoy's Regiment under the Queen of England's Dragoons, in which he says he
has served 8 years, as well as 6 years in Ireland. He bears an order from the
Marquis of Barbesieux to be received. Harquebusier by trade. Catholic. Received 11th February 1700. 13 May 1700. gave up his place. Given £30
PSC.
Thomas Trassy aged 36 of Dublin, dragoon of Sr.
Carroll, lieutenant colonel of the King of England's Dragoons Regiment in which
he says he has served 10 years as much in France as in Ireland. He has had his
left arm "cut" after a musket shot at Valence. Married in Paris.
Catholic. Received 15th August 1697. 15th May 1700 he gave up his place. Given
30 PSC.
William Tracy aged 32 of County Obredary, grenadier of
Sr. Galfer, Dillon's Regiment, in which he has served 12 years, confirmed by
his certificate. His right arm is crippled from a musket shot at Chiari.
Catholic Received 28th July 1701. Died 12 October 1719. at Nantes ATD.
William Tressy aged 50 of County Galway, soldier of
Sr. Jack Dillon, Dillon's Regiment, in which he has served 5 years (borne out
by his certificate) and says he has served 4 years in the Cavalry Lists, 4 in
the Brittany Dragoons and 4 in Hamilton's. He has received a sabre blow to his
head and his left leg is crippled from a musket shot at Ther. These, combined
with his other wounds, put him out of service, Catholic. 13th May 1698. he gave
up his place. Given 30 PSC and his certificates were returned to him.
17th and 18th Centuries Extract of
the parochial registers of Nantes
Parish St Nicolas: 6 November 1693 Denis
Tracy present at the baptism of François, son of Jean Kaudy (absent) by Marie
Fanin
Hôtel-Dieu (Nantes 's hospital): 27
November 1751 Burial of Guillaume (William) Tracy, priest of Elphin diocese,
27 years old, son of Thomas Tracy and Winifred Kirchey.
(Thanks to Alain Loncle de Forville)
Finistere (North Brittany) Burial; Jean
Trassy, Landerneau, prés de Brest+ 28/01/1692 (I suppose, a soldat)
Burial Guillaume Tresy, 30 years old,
soldat in Fittgerald's regiment, 21/01/1692 Parish La Chandeleur, Quimper
(Thanks to Alain Loncle de Forville)
IV. Sponsors for Alberto Hugo O Donel, Madrid 1625
A.H.N. Madrid Alcántara, Exp. 736
Patricio Tressy [Priest; born Rosclogher, Co.
Leitrim, Ireland.]
A.H.N. Madrid, Santigo, Expedientes 3146, 5853; A.G.S. Estado. Leg. 2767
Walsh, Micheline ed (1978)
Spanish Knights. Vol IV. Irish Manuscript Commission.
In
the poem ‘Cremona’ by Emily Lawless, in the first stanza she makes a
reference to “Tracy” along with the other great names of the Irish military.
However, I have been unable to locate the origin of this reference.
“Homesick,
sad, and weary,
Heartsick, hungry, dreary,
(Shout, boys, Erin's the renown!)
O'Brien, Burke, and Tracy,
MacMahon, Dillon, Lacy,
We watch the town.”
1749
The Tracy case.
Albemarle
to Bedford. The Tracy Case. Also a Frenchman of Irish extraction has been executed in the Bastille
for writing a satire against the king. UK Secretaries of State: State Papers
Foreign, France SP 78/233/
|
Paris 12. Aug. 1749 H.G. the El of Albemarle ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Paris
1st/12th August 1749 His
Grace the Duke of Beford My
Lord, I was honour’d last Saturday
with your Grace’s Dispatch of the 24th of last month inclosing the
case of Mrs. Susanna Tracy. I have lately had a Memorial delivered to me by
her sister to the same purport as that youres Grace has now sent me, and I
waited only for the return of the French Court to Versailles to speak of it
to Mr. Puyzieulre, and to demand he as a subject of Great Britain. This is a
Prolectess(?) I thought I could not refuse her; and now that I have received
by Your Grace His Majesty’s Commands, I shall be more express in my
representations; and have drawn up a Memorial on that subject, which I shall
convey to him tomorrow; and from the Justice of the Demand I cannot expect
there will be the least Delay in ordering the necessary redress(?). When I
shall have taken her out of the convent, (?) proper care shall be had of her
till some person appointed to conduct her to England comes to receive her,
which your Grace is pleased to acquaint me I shall be apprized of in time. Next Tuesday the Foreign
Minister will have the opportunity of being admitted to Audiences, and till
then I don’t expect to have any thing of moment to communicate to Your Grace.
This Court seems now a little more quiet than they were, in their
Apprehension on the side of Russin(?). A man of Irish extraction,
but born in this country, was taken up some time ago for writing a satire
against the Court, in which, after calling the French King a Tyrant, he
added, that thos there was no Henry the Fourth, there might yet another
Ravaillac(?) be found. This author was secretly executed last Saturday in the
Bastille. I have the Honour to be with
the greatest Respect My Lord Your Grace’s Most obedient, humble Servant Albemarle P.S.
Since I have wrote my letter I have
been informed Mr. Tracy is in Paris. Colol. Yorke sent for him at my Desire.
Mr. Tracy has given him his Word of Honour (which is again repeated in the
inclosed letter I have the honour of transmitting to Your Grace) that if he
is allow’d to take his Wife out of the Convent, and to carry her to England
he will use her well. This I thought the best way of proceeding and therefore
I have stops(?) any application to the French Minister. I shall see Mr. Tacy
myself to morrow, when I will make him renew, in the most solemn manner, the
same promise he has made to Colol. Yorke. Alb |
1794
Irish College Toulouse
Six Irish student had been imprisoned in the Irish College in
Toulouse…released on 30 October [1794]…The six students were Tracy, O’Meara, Cotter,
Murphy, and two brothers named MacCarthy. In their session of 7 November 1794,
the Committee of Public Safety ordered that the navy put them on a neutral ship
to Hamburg and from hence to Ireland.
Swords,
Liam (19??) The green cockade, the Irish in the French Revolution 1789-1815.
References:
D'Alton,
John (1855) Illustrations Historical and Genealogical, of King James's Irish
Army List (1689). Dublin.
Lawless, Emily
(1902) With the wild geese. Isbister & Co. Ltd.
O'Callaghan,
John Cornelius (1870) History of the Irish Brigades in the service of France.
Cameron & Ferguson, Glasgow.
Ó
hAnmracháin, Eoghan: ‘Wexford Veterans in the Hôtel Royal des Invalids, Paris’
in The Past 2006.