Ok- You folks are the experts! Still trying to track down my Dallas relatives, John Marion Dallas ancestors to be exact. As of now, I believe they were delivered by Martians. From Mars. Little Green Men. However on the the census I see they state their parents as being Irish. My research of the many Dallas families finds them to be from Scottland. Can anyone shed any light on this?
The 1911 census shows 161 people named Dallas. Almost all of then were either in Co. Derry or Co. Antrim and almost all of them were Presbyterian which suggests a Scotish origin.
We have other Northern Ireland/Scotland experts who I'm sure can add more information.
When was John Marion Dallas born?
Roger McDonnell
MacLysaght’s the Surnames of Ireland says Dallas is “A Scottish name established in Co. Derry. Dalhouse was an earlier form. Derivation (dweller at) the dalehouse.”
Huge numbers of Scots settled in Ulster in the 1600s, something like 200,000 of them. By the 1700s many were dissatisfied with life in Ireland and started moving on again, often to North America. Your family may well have been amongst them. In North America they tend to be known as Scotch-Irish and in Ireland as Ulster-Scots. Bit of history here:
https://www.ancestryireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/The_1718_Mig…
So the short answer as to your family’s origins may be that some generations were born in Ireland but if you go further back to the 1600s they probably originated in Scotland (where the name remains common).
Presbyterianism was established in Scotland in the 1550s and brought to Ireland by Scottish settlers, most of whom lived in the counties of Ulster. I don’t know when your ancestors left Ireland (you haven’t said) but if it was early 1800s or before, then many churches don’t have records for that period, and of the ones that do, they are often not on-line. So that may be why you cannot find any information.
Thank you so very much for all that information! I can't tell you how pleased I am to have some kind of answer to this mystery of John Marion Dallas. Thank you, Thank you!
John Marion Dallas: 1820 - 1875
I don't know when my ancestors left Ireland because I can't seem to find ancestorial history on them- at least not the Irish :) My best guess seems to be around early 1800's, late 1700's.
Another quick question-
MacLysaght’s the Surnames of Ireland says Dallas is “A Scottish name established in Co. Derry. Dalhouse was an earlier form. Derivation (dweller at) the dalehouse.”
Was Dalhouse or dalehouse a workhouse? A version of the surnamne?