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On my father's side I am researching the McCormacks and McCormicks of Nova Scotia, Canada. Currently I know they were in the Cumberland County area as far back as the beginning of the 1800's, since David X. McCormack received a land grant in 1828, but do not yet know how they arrived there. There is a David McCormick listed in the 1828 census as being 69 years old (just right for the year of birth 1758). I wonder if this is really the "Joseph" that family lore says was born in Scotland, went to No. Ireland for a time and then immigrated to Nova Scotia.

My father's mother, Mary Isabella Carvalho Valentim, appears to have come with her mother to what we believe was Providence, Rhode Island in the early 1890's from Terceira, in the islands of the Azores. Their marriage certificate states they were both born in Providence, but other sources say differently. The first note of my two grandparents in New Bedford, Massachusetts is the early 1910's street directories.

On my mother's side, the Beirne/Byrnes & Flynns of Co. Leitrim, Ireland traveled to Sydney, NSW, Australia as "bounty immigrants" in 1841. Previous to their trip on the HMS Forth, I have no evidence as to their actual origins except from a marriage certificate. An ancestor of note is Sergeant Duffy, a garrison non-commisioned officer that was for a time in Tasmania and then settled just outside Sydney.

Also from the Australian side are a Franciso Rosa of Italy, a New Year's baby of 1 Jan 1850 from Luceno, Italy (I have yet to find the locale) and Alfred William Carter of Deptford in greater London, whom family lore says was the sole survivor of a transit of the Great Australian Bight. Alfred was one of the union organizers written about in the book "Thirteen Angry Men" for their organization of unions in the factories of New South Wales.

Another interesting note is that of a convict in the family, Stefano Powsetich, born Palmero, Sicily in the 1790's. He somehow ended up in England and was sentenced to life in Australia in 1813. There is some question amongst our family researchers that what we have is an Italian name spelled very wrong. Time will tell. He was later pardoned by Governor Bligh and changed his name to John Stanton upon marrying Mary Stanton at St. John's Church in Parramatta, NSW. Coincidence, I'm sure. To make things more interesting, there is some suspicion that Mary Stanton may actual have the maiden name of Mary Reilly and traveled to Oz with her husband, an Irish Rebel.

Just before leaving for Ireland in September of 1998, I discovered that the Swift side of my mother's family was descended from the Swifts found in Burke's Peerage. One of her ancestors included the Swift of Gulliver's Travels fame and another, direct ancestor, was the Keeper of the Royal Regalia in the Tower of London. My mother and I actually spent a night at the "family" estate, Swifte's Heath, in Kilkenny.

In respect to my relatives still living I have not included any lines to current generations.
The McCormack Family Web Page
Updated August 31, 2003

Michael Kenneth McCormack
New Bedford, MA A-United States
mikemccormack@comcast.removethis.net

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Family Photos

  • Mike & Cheryl McCormack (11 KB)
    Mike and Cheryl at the home of Senator Edward Kennedy during the U.S. Conference of Mayors — January 2000
  • At the Ceremony Welcoming the Olympic Torch. (49 KB)
    December 27, 2001 — The Olympic Torch Relay stopped in New Bedford for nearly 30 minutes, an event organized and coordinated by Mike. A short ceremony and the lighting of New Bedford's replica cauldron took place in City Hall Square. Seen standing next to the Offical Olympic Flame, Mike officiates the lighting of New Bedford's own "Olympic Flame".
  • First Grandchild (30 KB)
    Isaac, born 13 Oct. 1999 with his grandfather, Mike, at City Hall, 27 Dec. 2001
  • Ft. Taber Lighthouse Ceremony (74 KB)
    June 15, 2001 — Mike McCormack serves as Master of Ceremonies for the relighting of Ft. Taber Lighthouse, a special project he worked on for almost two years. He received the Coast Guard's Public Service Commendation for his efforts in relighting three beacons in as many years.
  • Pat & Mike McCormack (68 KB)
    Pat and Mike McCormack at 161 Fair St. New Bedford - probably the Winter of 1950.
  • Mike & Cheryl in the Dakotas (24 KB)
    In Augst 2003 Mike and Cheryl went west to Yellowstone, passing through the Badlands, Black Hill National Park, Custer State park and mile after mile of prairie. They returned home following the trail of William Clark (of Lewis and Clark fame) along the Yellowstone River to the Missouri and back down to the Iowa and Nebraska border of South Dakota.
 

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