Hello Joe,
My name is Con English. My ancestors came from Doon Co. Limerick which is just a few miles from Solohead. (modern spelling) I am not sure that we are related but we may be distant relations.
In any case you might be interested in the following.: In 1826 there was a record called the Tithe Applotments taken for each parish. This was a record of the amount to be paid by each catholic household for the upkeep to the protestant clergy. It provided limited information but the following might trigger somethin for you. In 1826 the following were listed as head of household in Solohead.
Thomas English of Kyle, John English of Raheen lower, Richard English of Monemore, Walter English of Acarbuy, James English of Ballyryan West, Edmund English of Ardloman and William English of Ardloman. It is possible that James' father may have been Richard given that he named his son Richard. Do you know when James was born?
There were two Carew families listed: Edmund Carew of Upper Ratheen (note the address of John English above) and Thomas Carew of Acarbuy (note Walters address). It those days there were many instances of neighbours marrying.
In 1766 there was a Religious Survey conducted listing head of household but unfortunately no address; It mentions 6 English households of Mary, George, William, Laurence, James and Theobald. It also mentions 2 households of Darby Cary and Dennis Cary. Sometimes these can be interchangeable with Carey or Carew.
If you folllow this link it will take you to a site with the incriptions on the gravestones in Solohead Graveyard. It is quite likely that some of your ancestor are in there somewhere.
http://www.irelandgenweb.com/irltip/Records/SoloheadGraveyard.htm
The Hearth Money Rolls from the late 1665 recorded the tax to be levied on each houshold by reference to the number of fireplaces they had. Listed in that are the following Englishs
Ed of Lisindermont. John, Richard, Patrick and Morrish of Shallohode Towne. James and Redmond of Kilmorrey. Gibbon of Knockvealagh and William of Bronoconie. These places names are olde spellings. There were no Carews listed.
Cromwells survey of Ireland c 1650 records lands owned in 1640. It records that land owne by Englishes in the Sologhead Cullen area totalled 1250 acres in the names of George, Eustace, William James, Piers. They were described in the survey as owning the land and being " Irish Papists". Two hundred years later in Grifiths Valuation there are no landowning Englishs recorded. The lands were most likely confiscated by Cromwell. It is worth noting that at this time the only Englishes in Ireland were in the Sologhead Area c. 25 families, the Ardfinnan, about 30 miles away. area c 25 families. I think one could infer that the English spread from Sologhead to Doon and other neighbouring parishes over the intervening decaded ie from 1650 to the early 1800s. However there is no way of documenting this.
I grew up not far from Solohead, about 10 miles or so. I have cousins Englishes living in the Solohead Area but they, like me, trace back to Doon. So it is unlikely that we will be able to establish a definitive relationship.
A lot of sibling of my own ancestors left Ireland in the 1800 and mostly in the mid 1800s largely driven own by the desperation caused by the famine in the forties. In some cases they got assisted passage to Australia or USA/Canada.
I hope this is of some interest to you.
All the best.
Con
