Actually, we still don't know much about the origin of James Doyle and even less about his father. William Diel/Doyle is listed as James' father and mother, Mary, on the Marriage Certificate of James Doyle and Elmiera Caroline Bishop in September of 1855. He is Irish according to the census records but some sources have said he came from County Cork and another said that he came from Limerick, Ireland.

"The story that she heard was that the three Doyle brothers came from Lemrick County, Ireland and worked on the building of the train from Norfolk to Bristol. James Jackson Doyle worked for Preston in Seven Mile Ford as a gardner after he came to America about 1842". [interview with Dorothy Hitchings of Roanoke, VA in 1995, a relative of the Doyle & Grubb family]

Elroy found that the ship Sarnak on an earlier trip came from Liverpool. Cork would certainly be an easier port to make than Limerick but they could still have come from Limerick and gone overland to catch a boat from Cork. Historically the Doyles are centered in Leinster, Wexford, Wicklow and Carlow according to the [Clans and Families of Ireland]. [Clans and Families of Irelandp. 104]

Although there are perhaps hundreds of Doyles, only so many of these fit the profile of our James Doyle because of his age. The James Doyle that we have identified as the closest fit came to the port of Philadelphia on the ship Saranak on 30 May, 1849. He may have come, possibly, from Limerick Co., Ireland with a possible brother or cousin Martin Doyle also on the same boat. [ship manifests of Phil., National Archives, WA, DC]

Source:

Grenham, John.Clans and Families of Ireland, The Heritage and Heraldry of Irish Clans and Families. Wellfleet Press, Book Sales, Ince. 110 Enterprise Ave, Secaucus, NJ 07094, pub 1993 Hitchings, Dorothy. of Roanoke, VA or Blue Ridge, phone interview , 1995
Smyth County History Traditions, Virginia. Pub. 1932
US Census records, Smyth County, VA

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web pages created by Elroy Christenson- echriste@sccd.ctc.edu - last updated 11/25/02