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As part of the objectives of this website, I've tried to rid a few myths from the history books. Below, I've outlined a few of these myths in an effort to invite discussion and encourage research on these subjects. - Feel free to add your
thoughts.
- The surnames, Cullinan and Cullinane (and variants) originated with King and Bishop Cormac MacCullinan.
Not very likely: the name is much older and refers to the . You will find a wealth of knowledge in the surname section of this website to substantiate the fact that the surname is derived from the Gaelic word for
holly.
- The Cullinan Diamond was discovered by Thomas Cullinan
False. Sir Thomas Cullinan was actually the owner of the Premier Diamond Mine at the time the diamond was discovered. It was unearthed by a worker in pipe, presented to the foreman at the site (who thought the diamond might have been a practical
joke).
- Texaco was founded by a Cullinan
True. This fact can be found in many historical accounts, corporate histories and other sources. Joseph Stephen Cullinan was an oil man, and for many decades the family was involved in the oil business in Texas and elsewhere. The family was well
known in Houston's civic history for philathropy--from the funding of the arts to wildlife research and preservation to public health.
- Cullinet Software was founded by a Cullinane
True. John Cullinane of Massachusetts was the founder of this successful software company. The company was eventually sold, however, Cullinane is still involved in the industry and has been a major supporter of business relations between the
Republic of Ireland and the U.S. Cullinane Hall at Northeastern University was one of the significant philathropic contributions that Cullinane made in the course of his very successful career.
- A Cullinan was involved in the design of Logan Airport (Boston)
True. William E. Cullinan of Maine was an engineer with the Federal Aviation Authority and local airports. His extensive career in airport planning is well documented.
- A Cullinan climbed Mount Everest
True. Patrick Cullinan was a part of a group of Australians who successfully made the climb in the late 1980s. Read on A Cullinan on Mount Everest?.
- Paddy Cullinan was an actor and an Olympian?
True. Patrick Dunne Cullinan is documented with the Irish Film Board as an actor in one of that country's first films, Irish Destiny. He was also one of Ireland's envoyés to the 1920 Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
- Cullinan(e)s were hooligans, ruffians, waifs, miscreants and waistrels
True, I guess - although it depends on whose historical accounts are presented. There are many documented incidents of Cullinans and Cullinanes who were deported from Ireland and sent 'Down Under' - in fact, to what was thought the end of the earth:
Australia. Like many Irish peasants faced with starvation, political opression, religious persecution and fear, the Cullinans and Cullinanes can be found throughout Ireland's darkest history... in trouble. There may have been some honor in the
fact that in the face of often severe consequences, our ancestors fought for their freedoms.
- Cullinans were hanged by Cromwell
Not sure if these were indeed Cullinan or Cullinanes at all. More research is required to determine whether or not the records of the Irish Ancestry Guild were accurate. The Guild, in a genealogical research, claimed that "in 1650, Stephen Cullinan,
John Charles Cullinan and James Henry Cullinan were hanged at the orders of Cromwell at Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, for having failed to provide his soldiers with food and shelter." Given the fact that literacy was only for the aristocratic or landed
classes in Ireland at this time, it is unlikely that the this claim can be validated. Makes a good story, though!
- The Cullinans were from Clare and the Cullinanes from Cork
This is a common theory, but it cannot be supported. I've poured over microfilmed copies of birth records for Clare and Cork and other parts of Ireland in the course of my research--the names are used inter-changeably. It is only recently (e.g.,
with the increase of literacy, say from about 1900), that the names have spelled consistently as Cullinan and Cullinane, and yes, these names are found primarily in Clare and Cork respectively. The surnames can be found in early (pre-1800) records
in many far-off corners of Ireland and also in Britain.
Quillinan, it is important to remember, is another spelling of the surname that is encountered in early records.
- The Cullinan and Cullinane Coat of Arms is a bunch of mallarchy
Remember that the Coat of Arms that MacLysaght uses is really only one of three that have been recorded in monographs. Typically, heraldry was reserved for royalty--and Ireland most certainly had its share of kings and chiefs through the ages. Arms
were typically associated with larger families like clans or septs - and therefore, the Cullinan(e) Coat of Arms represents a larger population, and not simply a single family. The Coat of Arms of County Clare incorporates themes
found in many of the prominent Clare families, including the Cullinan family from Ennis (namely, the springing stag).
Only one Coat of Arms, that which was granted to Sir Frederick Cullinan in 1910 is officially recorded. By the way, Sir Frederick's Coat of Arms can only rightfully be presented to his direct descendents (children, grandchildren, etc.), of which
there is only a small family living in England primarily. -
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