Among my own Irish immigrant ancestors to Virginia is Philemon
Cavanaugh/Kavanaugh (d. 1742/3, Orange Co., VA).  Tradition holds that
he arrived in Virginia with a brother (cousin?) named Charles --
although I'm not certain that there's any documentation proving this --
around 1705, but again, as with so many things when it comes to
Philemon, I'm not sure that even this is true:  The earliest record of
Philemon in Virginia that I've ever been able to find any reference to
is a deed in Spotsylvania Co., dated 1724.  Anyway, there was a bit of
a buzz a couple of years ago when a birth record for a Charles
Cavanaugh, son of Charles Cavanaugh, dated January 1679, was discovered
in Barbados
-- the theory being that they were the father and brother of Philemon
-- but as far as I could tell all this really proved was that a Charles
Cavanaugh was born to another Charles Cavanaugh in Barbados in 1679.
Much of the interest in this Barbados find was spurred by the fact that
there was some reason to believe both father and son were, in fact,
members of the Cavanagh family of Clonmullen and therefore descended
from Donnal Spanaigh Cavanagh the last titular "King" of Leinster, who
is, in turn, believed to be an ancestor of Philemon Cavanugh/Kavanaugh
(although, I have to again point out that as far as I know, no one has
ever been able to prove this either).  In short, it's all a bit of a
muddle and while it's possible to find numerous sites online that trace
Philemon Cavanaugh/Kavanaugh's ancestry back to the dawn of Irish
history, it's all pure fantasy (in my view) as no one has yet been able
to discover who his parents were, let alone his great or
great-great-grandparents.  If I'm wrong, however, I'd love to know it.
Thanks.

Jeff Duvall
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