MacCormac family of County Armagh, Northern Ireland facts for kids

The MacCormac family is a group of people with roots in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. This family is known for having many members who became important doctors. In the 1800s and early 1900s, at least three family members were even honored with knighthoods, which means they were given the title "Sir" by the King or Queen.

Family History

The MacCormac family started with John MacCormac, who was a successful linen merchant. He married Mary Ann Hall, who came from a wealthy family in County Armagh. Her father, Colonel Joseph Hall, was a well-known distiller. John MacCormac's father, Cornelius MacCormac, was a high-ranking naval officer who sadly died after falling from a ship.

The exact beginnings of the MacCormac family in County Armagh are not fully clear. It seems they were not originally from Scotland. They might be connected to Archbishop Cornelius MacCormac, a church leader in Ireland during the late 1600s. The Hall family, on the other hand, likely came from England or Scotland.

A Family of Doctors

The tradition of medicine in the MacCormac family began with Henry MacCormac (1800-1886). He was the son of John and Mary Ann MacCormac. Henry became a medical doctor after studying in Dublin and Paris. He earned his main medical degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1824.

Many important doctors in the MacCormac family came from Henry MacCormac's side. His older brother, John MacCormac, also started a medical family, the Easmon family, in West Africa. Dr. Henry MacCormac married Mary Newsam, whose family had settled in Ireland in 1640.

Henry and Mary MacCormac had a son named Sir William MacCormac, 1st Baronet. He became one of the most famous surgeons of his time. He even served as the personal surgeon to King Edward VII. Henry MacCormac's grandson, also named Henry MacCormac, became a skin doctor. He was also the father of the well-known architect, Sir Richard MacCormac.

Important Family Members

The descendants of Henry MacCormac and Mary Newsam MacCormac include many doctors. Other family members also became successful in education, business, and government work during the 1800s and early 1900s. As mentioned, at least three MacCormac family members were knighted. Two others received special awards for their public service.

Here are some notable members of the MacCormac family:

• Henry MacCormac (physician): A famous doctor and writer.
• John MacCormac: A pioneer in the timber trade in Sierra Leone, Africa.
• Sir William MacCormac: He was the president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England five times. He was also the personal surgeon to King Edward VII.
• Henry MacCormac (dermatologist): A skin doctor and a Lieutenant-Colonel in the army's medical corps.
• Dr. Henry Roy Dean: A medical doctor and professor at the University of Cambridge. He was also the Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
• Sir Patrick Dean: A British ambassador to the United States.
• Sir Richard MacCormac: A famous architect who founded his own firm.

MacCormac Family in West Africa

The Easmon family in Sierra Leone, West Africa, is partly descended from John MacCormac (1794-1865). He was a successful timber merchant and the older brother of Dr. Henry MacCormac. John MacCormac moved to West Africa in 1816 and lived there for over 50 years. He and his brother, Hamilton Edmund MacCormac, built a successful business exporting timber from Sierra Leone to Britain.

Here are some members of the Easmon family, a well-known medical family in West Africa with ties to the MacCormacs:

• John Farrell Easmon: He was the first to describe and study a serious disease called Blackwater Fever.
• Macormack Charles Farrell Easmon: A notable doctor and historian of Sierra Leone.
• Charles Odamtten Easmon: The first Ghanaian to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
• Charles Syrett Farrell Easmon: A distinguished scientist who studied tiny living things (microbiologist) and managed medical services.