Thomas (Francis) D'Arcy

Possibly 4th Earl of Holderness Soldier of Fortune. Said to have been killed in the American War. Thought to be the Illigitimate son of Robert Earl of Holderness Commanded a regiment during the American War. Killed in action leaving 2 sons. On his voyage to America Col D'Arcy and his family were wrecked. They lost all their baggage and papers, which it is believed would have proved their noble descent. After her husband was killed Mrs D'Arcy returned to England with her sons. There is a mystery as to who / whether this Francis existed. No records have yet been found and Robert his son always refused to say who his father actually was. The link to the 4th Earl however is well documented though not as a direct relation (admitted anyway). From "Ancestral Voices" by Berta Ruck "We know that he was "wrecked" on his voyage to America to fight as a volunteer in the American war and that in this wreck personal papers including, birth certificate and documents with the names of his parents were lost. It was rumoured (not through family letters) but handed down talk that the loss of these personal papers was engineered to avaoid a possible scandal. The Yorkshire Myth - by rights perhaps he was not of that branch of the D'Arcy family - he had been taken on by them for some unexplained reason to PASS as their child." GAK D'A wrote " from a variety of circumstantial evidence I am inclined to believe that the General (Robert) was an illegitimate son of the last Earl of Holderness who died in 1788. The name Robert - The general having been born and educated in Yorkshire, passing his holidays in Holderness House, London. His silence about his father, of whom he never spoke. His powerful friend, the Marquiss of Townshend, a relation of Earl Holderness, taking him by the hand - and making much of him. My father saying he never knew who his grandfather was - One of his sons being named Considine, a family name with the Yorkshire D'Arcys." There is also a letter to GAKD'A from his cousin Frederick in Australia "your excellent father (J. D'Arcy) gave me to understand before he left England that the title of Holderness had been traced to you, or rather to the General (Robert) who was then alive. I think your father touched up a little by your uncle De La Warr, (Lady Catherine's dearest brother) thought of applying to Chancery but considered that he was not of sufficient financial calibre. I believe caviats are invited and always entered by Parties having spurious claims merely to exact tips. However I look upon you (George A K D'A) as the Earl of Holderness proper." If any of this is to be believed then Robert would be direct link to the 4th Earl and we would not be looking for the Thomas or Francis (Soldier of Fortune). There is also a possibility that he was from Westmeath and of the D'Arcy's of Platten - this was recorded by George Abbas D'Arcy when he was getting research from his relation William. The derivation is Richard II of Normandie and Judith de Bretagne, their son being William de Areci who (later?) became a monk at F camp, their son being Norman D'Arcy. The following is from the Rootsweb Clare List archives (July 4, 2006): The genealogy of the Darcies of Clonuane in the county of Clare, and Kiltolla in the county of Galway : descended from the ancient and honourable family of the Darcies of Platten in the county of Meath, near the river Boyne, which descended from Sir John Darcy, who after being twice Lord Justice and General Governor of Ireland, was the third time constituted for life, in the year 1334, he descended from Sir Richard Darcy, who accompanied King William the Conqueror from Normandy into England in the year 1066, he descended from David, who was the first surnamed D'Arcy or Darcy and descended from Charlemagne or Charles the Great, King of France and emperor of the Romans. The family moved to Ireland when Sir John Darcy was sent as in the 1320s and, in 1334, "... was constituted for life in that eminent post of trust." (p. 10). He had already spent time as the British governor of Scotland. Sir John married twice; the D'Arcy family of England descends from him via his first wife, that of Ireland via the second wife Soldier of Fortune. Said to have been killed in the American War. Thought to be the Illigitimate son of Robert Earl of Holderness Commanded a regiment during the American War. Killed in action leaving 2 sons. On his voyage to America Col D'Arcy and his family were wrecked. They lost all their baggage and papers, which it is believed would have proved their noble descent. After her husband was killed Mrs D'Arcy returned to England with her sons. There is a mystery as to who / whether this Francis existed. No records have yet been found and Robert his son always refused to say who his father actually was. The link to the 4th Earl however is well documented though not as a direct relation (admitted anyway). From "Ancestral Voices" by Berta Ruck "We know that he was "wrecked" on his voyage to America to fight as a volunteer in the American war and that in this wreck personal papers including, birth certificate and documents with the names of his parents were lost. It was rumoured (not through family letters) but handed down talk that the loss of these personal papers was engineered to avaoid a possible scandal. The Yorkshire Myth - by rights perhaps he was not of that branch of the D'Arcy family - he had been taken on by them for some unexplained reason to PASS as their child." GAK D'A wrote " from a variety of circumstantial evidence I am inclined to believe that the General (Robert) was an illegitimate son of the last Earl of Holderness who died in 1788. The name Robert - The general having been born and educated in Yorkshire, passing his holidays in Holderness House, London. His silence about his father, of whom he never spoke. His powerful friend, the Marquiss of Townshend, a relation of Earl Holderness, taking him by the hand - and making much of him. My father saying he never knew who his grandfather was - One of his sons being named Considine, a family name with the Yorkshire D'Arcys." There is also a letter to GAKD'A from his cousin Frederick in Australia "your excellent father (J. D'Arcy) gave me to understand before he left England that the title of Holderness had been traced to you, or rather to the General (Robert) who was then alive. I think your father touched up a little by your uncle De La Warr, (Lady Catherine's dearest brother) thought of applying to Chancery but considered that he was not of sufficient financial calibre. I believe caviats are invited and always entered by Parties having spurious claims merely to exact tips. However I look upon you (George A K D'A) as the Earl of Holderness proper." If any of this is to be believed then Robert would be direct link to the 4th Earl and we would not be looking for the Thomas or Francis (Soldier of Fortune). There is also a possibility that he was from Westmeath and of the D'Arcy's of Platten - this was recorded by George Abbas D'Arcy when he was getting research from his relation William. The derivation is Richard II of Normandie and Judith de Bretagne, their son being William de Areci who (later?) became a monk at F camp, their son being Norman D'Arcy. The following is from the Rootsweb Clare List archives (July 4, 2006): The genealogy of the Darcies of Clonuane in the county of Clare, and Kiltolla in the county of Galway : descended from the ancient and honourable family of the Darcies of Platten in the county of Meath, near the river Boyne, which descended from Sir John Darcy, who after being twice Lord Justice and General Governor of Ireland, was the third time constituted for life, in the year 1334, he descended from Sir Richard Darcy, who accompanied King William the Conqueror from Normandy into England in the year 1066, he descended from David, who was the first surnamed D'Arcy or Darcy and descended from Charlemagne or Charles the Great, King of France and emperor of the Romans. The family moved to Ireland when Sir John Darcy was sent as in the 1320s and, in 1334, "... was constituted for life in that eminent post of trust." (p. 10). He had already spent time as the British governor of Scotland. Sir John married twice; the D'Arcy family of England descends from him via his first wife, that of Ireland via the second wife