Ancestry of Robert Savage.

Robert Savage 1912-1982

Born out of wedlock on 13 Aug 1912 to Maria Bennett, Newtownards, County Down, Ireland. *Maria's sister Sarah, carried the new born baby up to 65 William Street, knocked on the door, confronted Robert Savage senior and stated "This is your son, what are you going to do about it"? Robert Savage senior married Maria Bennett three months later on 4 Dec 1912.

Welcome!

The incentive that triggered the creation of this website stemmed from a newspaper cutting that my father carried around in his wallet for years on end. It was headed SAVAGE and read as follows. The Savage family of the Ards, Co.Down, have been distinguished in local affairs for about 800 years. They are of Norman extraction and came to Ireland in 1177 with John de Courcy's invasion of Ulster. The name has its origin in the French le sauvage, meaning "the wild", though the word does not imply ferocity or barbarism. The Co.Down family held their original estates until the confiscations of 1689. The Savages of Southern Irish origin are descended from the Munster clan of O Samhain (i.e. the descendants of the strong one) who for the past 200 years, have styled themselves "Savage". Based on the aforementioned, I set myself the mammoth task of trying to trace a direct link back to William Le Sauvage, one of many knights who accompanied John De Courcey in the invasion of County Down circa 1177 but alas: I soon discovered that seeking records and documentation to substantiate such a link was never going to happen because civil registration of all births, deaths and marriages Ireland did not begin until began 1864. Most of these records were destroyed by fire when the Four Courts building in Dublin where they were housed was shelled during the Irish Civil War. Most of Ireland's census records prior to 1901 were also destroyed. Despite this setback, my research remains an on-going 'work -in-progress' though to date, I have only managed to trace back as far back as Rowland SAVAGE my great, great, great grandfather. circa 1800, so my storey starts here.

James SAVAGE and wife Elizabeth formerly Harper

James SAVAGE 1852-1933 was the son of Willam Savage 1824-1891 from the district of Derryboye, Co.Down