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The Seay family in County Down, Ulster, Ireland, was originally Catholic, but about half of them converted to the Church of Ireland. Mathew Seay, who moved to Virginia around 1690, was presumably Anglican. Theobald Mathew, popularly known as Father Mathew, was an Irish Catholic priest and teetotalist reformer. He founded the Catholic Total Abstinence Society, which at its peak enrolled about half of Ireland's adult population.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Mathew Seay |
| Origin | County Down, Ulster |
| Religion | The Seay family was originally Catholic, but about half of them converted to the Church of Ireland |
| Time of Migration | Came to Virginia around 1690 |
| Reason for Migration | To avoid restrictions on Catholics inheriting land, pursuing education, etc. |
| Social Status | Presumably upper middle class |
| Genealogy | Judge Burwell Warren Seay IV wrote a genealogy of the Seay family in 1966 |
| Ancestry Claims | Judge Seay claimed the name was French Huguenot, but there is no evidence to support this |
| Family Name Origin | Judge Seay likely preferred a non-Irish name with a strongly Protestant origin |
| Notable Descendant | Sandy Seay |
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What You'll Learn
The Seay family in County Down were originally Catholic
The Seay family in County Down, Ulster, were originally Catholic. Mathew Seay, who came to Virginia around 1690, was descended from this family. While half of the Seay family in County Down converted to the Church of Ireland, it is likely that Mathew Seay was Anglican. This assumption is based on the fact that only Anglican churches were allowed in Virginia until the American Revolution.
The Seay family's Catholic origins are further supported by a genealogy of the family written by Judge Burwell Warren Seay IV in 1966. In this genealogy, Judge Seay claims that the family name is of French Huguenot origin, derived from the unknown De Saye. However, there is no evidence to support this claim, and it is likely that Judge Seay preferred the idea of a Protestant rather than a Catholic origin for the name.
The decision to convert from Catholicism to the Church of Ireland may have been influenced by social and legal factors. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Catholics in Ireland faced various restrictions, including limits on inheriting land and pursuing education. By converting to the established church, individuals could improve their social and economic prospects. This is particularly evident in the case of the Seay family, who were presumably belonging to the upper middle class and sought to avoid the legal constraints imposed on Catholics at the time.
Additionally, the Seay family's conversion may have been influenced by intermarriage with Protestants or the desire to practice law, both of which were factors that led middle-class Catholics to convert during this period. However, it is important to note that the majority of Irish Catholics came to colonial America later, and the presence of significant numbers of Church of Ireland settlers in the early colonial period is a subject of debate.
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Half of the Seay family converted to the Church of Ireland
The Seay family in County Down, Ulster, Ireland, was originally Catholic, but about half of them converted to the Church of Ireland. Matthew Seay, who came to Virginia around 1690, was presumably Anglican, as only Anglican churches were allowed in Virginia until the American Revolution.
There were several reasons why Irish Catholics may have converted to the Church of Ireland. Upper-middle-class Catholics may have converted to avoid restrictions on inheriting land, pursuing education, and practising law. Additionally, during colonial times, Irish Protestants did not accept the British King and the Archbishop of Canterbury as heads of the Church, which may have influenced the Seay family's decision to convert.
Judge Burwell Warren Seay IV wrote a genealogy of the Seay family in 1966, claiming that the name was of French Huguenot origin, though there is no evidence to support this theory. It is likely that Judge Seay preferred the name to be of strongly Protestant rather than Catholic origin.
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Mathew Seay was likely Anglican
Furthermore, until the American Revolution, only Anglican churches were permitted in Virginia, where Mathew Seay settled around 1690. This religious context would have provided further incentive for Mathew Seay to be Anglican. Lutheran clergymen, for instance, were required to be ordained as Anglican priests in England to serve in Virginia. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that Mathew Seay was Anglican to conform to the religious landscape of his time.
While there are claims that the Seay family name originated from French Huguenot roots, these assertions have been disputed. Judge Burwell Warren Seay IV, for instance, argued for a French Huguenot origin, suggesting an alternative narrative to the Irish Catholic roots of the family. However, this theory has been refuted, with some suggesting that Judge Seay preferred a Protestant narrative for the family name rather than an Irish Catholic one.
In conclusion, Mathew Seay was likely Anglican due to the social, economic, and religious incentives of his time. The Seay family's partial conversion from Catholicism to the Church of Ireland, coupled with the exclusively Anglican religious landscape of Virginia during his lifetime, makes it probable that Mathew Seay was Anglican.
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Theobald Mathew was an Irish Catholic priest
Theobald Mathew, popularly known as Father Mathew, was an Irish Catholic priest and teetotalist reformer. Born on October 10, 1790, in Thomastown, County Tipperary, Ireland, he was ordained into the priesthood in 1814 in Dublin. Mathew joined the Capuchin order, serving briefly in Kilkenny before joining the mission in Cork.
Mathew is best known for his work in promoting temperance and abstinence in Ireland. In 1838, he became the president of the Cork Total Abstinence Society, which later became the Catholic Total Abstinence Society. The movement quickly gained traction, with hundreds of thousands of people taking the pledge to abstain from alcohol. By 1841, it was estimated that there were 4,647,000 abstainers in Ireland, and the consumption of spirits had dropped by approximately 50% in three years, much of this decrease attributed to Mathew's efforts.
Mathew's work extended beyond Ireland, as he travelled to England, Scotland, and the United States to spread his message of temperance. In the US, he found himself at the centre of the abolitionist debate, having previously signed a petition encouraging the Irish in the US not to partake in slavery. To avoid upsetting his anti-abolitionist friends, he declined to publicly condemn slavery, which led to criticism from abolitionists like Frederick Douglass.
Father Mathew's work had a significant impact on Irish society and culture. In recognition of his contributions, the Irish Department of Posts and Telegraphs released a set of commemorative postage stamps in his honour in 1938. Additionally, statues of Mathew stand on St. Patrick's Street in Cork and O'Connell Street in Dublin, serving as enduring reminders of his legacy.
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Fr Mathew was a teetotaling reformer
The Irish Catholic priest and teetotal reformer, Theobald Mathew, was popularly known as Father Mathew. Born in 1790 in Thomastown, County Tipperary, he was ordained in 1813 or 1814 and entered the Capuchin order. He was made provincial of the order in 1822 and in 1828 was appointed Provincial of the Capuchin Order in Ireland, a position he held for 23 years.
Father Mathew founded the temperance movement in Ireland, which was part of a wider effort to improve the life chances of poor labourers. On 10 April 1838, he inaugurated a total abstinence movement with the first meeting of the Cork Total Abstinence Society. In less than nine months, the movement enrolled 150,000 people, and over time it became the Catholic Total Abstinence Society. The movement spread rapidly to Limerick and elsewhere, and at its height, just before the Great Famine of 1845–49, it enrolled some 3 million people, or more than half of the adult population of Ireland.
Father Mathew travelled throughout Ireland, Scotland, England, and the United States, preaching his crusade against intemperance. It is estimated that he gave the total abstinence pledge to 7,000,000 people, and he was responsible for a significant decrease in alcohol consumption. In Ireland alone, the number of abstainers in 1841 was estimated to be 4,647,000, and in three years, the consumption of spirits dropped by approximately 50%.
In addition to his temperance work, Father Mathew was also involved in other welfare efforts for the people. He founded a good library, established a cemetery for the poor, and organised schools, industrial classes, and benefit societies at a time when there was no recognised system of Catholic education in Ireland. He died on 8 December 1856 in Queenstown, County Cork, and was interred in a cemetery he had established.
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Frequently asked questions
The Seay family in County Down, Ulster, was originally Catholic, but about half of them converted to the Church of Ireland.
Matthew Seay was from County Down, Ulster, and came to Virginia around 1690.
The family likely converted to avoid restrictions on Catholics, such as those on inheriting land and pursuing education.
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