As I did with Candelan and Fagan (see blog posts) and other names in the records of the English royal court in Ireland, I discovered that trying to understand the ethnicity and connection of minoritised people using the court can be very difficult. Without any label or self-description Gaels have hidden in the records. The numerically largest group was the Gaels of Ireland who were minoritised by the English colonists in Ireland, but there were also the Ostpeople (Ostmen and Ostwomen), Cymry (Welsh), Scots, and a few others. The English clerks had a great difficulty with Gaelic names and uncovering some Gaels ‘hidden’ in the English records took a lot of work. Myagh is one of the names with the most variants.
M…. something something something
Miagh (and many other variations of it) has no external to Ireland possible origins. It is an entirely Irish name. The question is whether it was invented or used by Gaelic people or was it largely an English of Ireland name. MacLysaght thought it was a translation of de Midia (Latin for ‘from Meath’) and Midheach (Gaelic sobriquet usually for someone fostered in Mide/Meath). Sobriquets were not usually surnames. Domnall Midheach Ó Conchobair was a son and tainiste of Toirdhealbhach Mór Ó Conchobhair, rí of Connacht and later ard rí. Domnall had been fostered in Mide. There were many rígrad Gaels with regional sobriquets (Midheach, Cairbreach, Muimnech, etc.) but these were not interchangeable with Latin loconyms. Mostly colonists used loconyms such as de Kells, de Cromelin, etc. which were usually vills (unit of land) or villages and not regions, provinces, or cúigeadh.
There was, however, at least one person named de Midia who was also called Myagh interchangeably, which may be sufficient proof that de Midia and Myagh were synonyms.
The spelling of Miagh was not stable, which was more usual for Gaelic names, but some English names were also treated as such (for example, de Caunteton had at least a dozen forms used in the court records).
Court Cases:
From Cork: Assize of novel disseisin (recent dispossession of property): the assize comes to determine whether Richard de Wynchedon and Thomas Miagh disseised Peter fitz Walter of his free tenement in Kilnegleragh. Richard answers as tenant (legal holder of land) that he entered by hereditary succession after the death of Johan de Wynchedon, his father, whose heir he is, who died seised. Richard says that Johan entered by charter of Thomas which he presents to court and he calls Thomas to warranty. Thomas warrants and says that he made no disseisin and that this be determined by the assize. The jurors say that Peter at the age of 6 entered the tenement after the death of Walter, his father, and afterwards gave it to Thomas Myagh when Peter was 10. Thomas enfeoffed (granted lands in fee) Johan de Wynchedon, father of Richard 8 days after Thomas had seisin. Richard entered by hereditary succession and not by disseisin.
Peter later brought a complaint to the justiciar that the jurors in this case had not examined whether Thomas was Peter's guardian at the time and therefore his entry to the tenement may have been disseisin. The record of the complaint calls Thomas 'Thomas de Midia' and not Thomas Miagh. This one record might be a smoking gun to prove de Midia and Miagh were synonyms but we cannot be certain. The above case is recorded next to the complaint but no mention was made of the change in Thomas's name. Usually a name change of a defendant quashes a case. But Peter's complaint was dismissed on the grounds that Thomas was not his guardian so there was no issue to examine.
A charter entered into justiciar’s court roll, witnesses: Bernard Myagh
Jury between Roger de Stapilton and Robert bishop of Cork, Henry Myagh, and Johan fitz Henry Myagh regarding a trespass is held because the jurors did not appear.
From Louth: Galiana who was the wife of Adam Myath complains against Margery fille Eustace Brun for 1 house and 1 acre in Fermefyhyn in which Margery does not have entry except by the grant that Adam made to Johan Myaght‘ [the apostrophe indicates abbreviation].
From Limerick: Assize of novel disseisin: the assize comes to determine whether Johan de Penrys, Johan fitz Tancard, and Aunselm Myagh disseised Gerald fitz Nicholas Tancard of his free tenement in Balytancard. Johan de Penrys comes and says the the tenements are in Tancardeston and not in Balytancard and he prays judgment. Gerald says that the tenement is in Balytancard. The jurors says that the tenement where the view was made are in Tancardeston and not in Balytancard, therefore Gerald fitz Nicholas Tancard take nothing by this writ.
Johan Grym and Johanna, his wife, against Reginald de Les that he return to them a third of 1 house, 100 acres of land and 1 mill in Thurles that is the dower of Johanna by his warranty that he made to Hugh de Les. Reginald calls Richard Myagh son and heir of Andrew Myagh, who is underage and in his custody.
Assize of novel disseisin: assize comes to determine whether Andrew Myath and Roger Oglassyn [Ó Glaisín] disseised Richard Myath of half an acre of arable and 1 acre of bog in Hurlys. Jury says that Andrew disseised Richard.
From Tipperary: Nicholas Myagh was attached to appear in the justiciar’s court as a recognitor (juror in an assize). He did not appear and he and his mainpernors (pledges to appear) were amerced (fined) for it. His mainpernors were Walter Miagh and Nicholas Miagh (certainly a different person). William Myagh of Elyogred was also a recognitor and amerced for not appearing.
Robert fitz Richard Laynagh complains that Thomas Myath granted to him 1 house and 28 acres of arable in Tyllagheth for a term of 12 years, paying 7d. per year per acre and that Robert gave Thomas two marks that Thomas would make a writing for the house and land warranting and defending against all for the term. Robert asked Thomas to make the writing as agreed between them and Thomas has refused to do so to the damage of Robert of 100s. Thomas comes and recognises the grant for the term but denies the agreement to make a writing and on this he offers to verify by law. This is granted to him by the court that he prove himself by twelve hands at the next coming of the court, his pledges are Richard Miagh and Clement Leynagh.
Assize of novel disseisin: the assize comes to determine whether Johan fitz Robert Haket and Cristiana fille Richard de Midia disseised Cristiana de Midia and Alice de Midia of their free tenement in Myathiston, Oldeton, and Kylstoyghyn. Johan and Cristiana fille Richard de Midia come and ask for a judgment against Cristiana de Midia who does not prosecute with Alice, her participant, and Cristiana de Midia though solemnly called does not come, therefore it is considered that Cristiana be summoned to appear here before the justiciar on the Friday after the feast of St Hilary to prosecute with Alice de Midia, her participant, if she should be willing. On which day the viscount answers that Cristiana de Midia has been summoned to prosecute, and Alice comes and also Johan and Cristiana fille Richard come, and Cristiana de Midia although solemnly called did not come. Therefore it is considered that Alice alone answer for her purparty and Johan says that he has no claim on the tenements at present and that he has done no injury and of this he puts himself upon the assize.
And Cristiana fille Richard de Midia answers and says that the assize ought not to be taken between them because one Richard de Midia, her father, was at one time seised of the said tenements and farmed them to Robert Haket and Cristiana de Midia and their heirs, and bound himself and his heirs to warranty, and she produces here in court the deed of Richard which testifies to this, whereupon she says that if she were impleaded, Alice, for her purparty, should be held to warranty, and asks for judgment if the assize ought to be taken unless it could be shown how the state of free tenement was obtained after the making of the said deed. Alice acknowledges the said deed to be the act of her father but says that she ought not to be excluded from an assize by that deed because the said tenements did not pass from the seisin of Richard, father of Alice and Cristiana, whose are his heirs, by the said deed, but that Richard before and at the time and after the making of the deed was peacefully seised of the tenements and died seised and after his death Alice entered upon her purparty and was peacefully seised thereof until Johan and the rest unjustly disseised her, and she asks that this be inquired of by the assize. Afterwards Alice does not prosecute, therefore she and her pledges to prosecute, Maurice Wolf and Jordan Joman, amerced. And Johan and Cristiana fille Richard de Midia are released from answering this writ.
Sorting out medieval names based on ethnicity without any label or self-identity is a hazardous affair. Some names are easy to distinguish, such as Murewoth McBren [Murchadh Mac Briain] while others such as Candelan, Fagan, and Myagh require exhaustive inquiry. The English colonies in high medieval Ireland provide an opportunity to sort out people that may not have conceived of themselves in our modern conceptions. We can codify the Murchadhs, Domhnalls, and Toirdhealbhachs as separate from the Richards, Williams, and Henrys, but how do we distinguish the Rikards from the Richards or the Willems from the Williams from the Guillaumes – and should we?
I also analyse Candelan and Fagan (and variants). Click the names to see those blog posts.