James Culbert was born about 1774 in Manorcunningham, Raymoghy Parish, County Donegal, Ireland, married Elizabeth Park about 1802, and they had nine children. James died there in 1833, and Elizabeth followed him in death about 1848.
The following are excerpts from, and comments about, a story written about their family.
Ena Culbert Porter Story
Forward by Jennifer Burstein, April 2004
Ena Culbert Porter (1906-1952) wrote a Culbert family history around 1950, I believe, in which she stated that our Culbert immigrant ancestors originally had the name Culbreth, which was changed to Culbert upon arrival. This is probably where Cheryl’s uncle got that information. I know of no evidence of the Culbreth name change being true. All Irish records that I have found have the name Culbert or Culbertson connected to our family, beginning with the 1796 Flax List that has James Culbert listed. Other Irish records include: Andrew and Catherine’s marriage records; death records for Andrew’s children; marriage record for Andrew’s son Mathew; baptism records for three of Andrew’s children; a second baptism record for Andrew’s son Mathew; birth records for Mathew’s children and grandchildren; marriage records for 2 of his daughters; a death record for Mathew’s son, James; the Griffith Valuation taken in 1857; and the 1901 and 1911 census records. All of them have Culbert. There is a tombstone in the Balleeghan Cemetery that has the name Culbertson Family, which may be connected to us, as well as Mathew’s son, James, taking the name Culbertson. But, I have not seen one shred of evidence, besides family lore, that suggest the family name was Culbreth in Ireland.
Ena’s stories were very entertaining, and she really had a great dramatic flair and was a talented writer (that seems to be a family trait), but I must say that much of what she said is, at best, unsubstantiated and at worst, flat wrong. I have heard that the stories were bed-time stories that she told her daughters, and they were never really meant to be portrayed as facts. Below is a transcription of the family history Ena wrote. The writing [in brackets] are my [Jennifer Burstein’s] comments.
Excerpts From Story [in quotes]
[The first part of my copy is cut off]
“…extremely appalling. Most land, industry, and wealth was controlled by absentee ownership and their neglect caused a steady decline in the economy. A large percentage of the population subsisted almost entirely on potatoes and many lived in wretched hovels. Religious oppression had been exerted for years and there was no hope of relief from the oppression or poverty.”
[The Catholics were the ones who were originally oppressed, especially during this time, not the Protestants, Episcopalians or Presbyterians. In 1829, Catholics were finally legally able to worship, but they were forced to register with the state in order to go to the Catholic church. It wasn’t until the beginning of the 20th century that Catholics finally gained control of Ireland. The land was granted to Presbyterians and Protestants by the British – the Presbyterians and Protestants then rented it out to the Catholics and other Protestants. Now, Mathew and James left 10 years before the Potato Famine, which hit around 1846, so they were probably beginning to feel the pinch. More likely the cause for them leaving Ireland was that their father had died and did not have enough land to split between 3 sons. Here is an excerpt from a book called, Scots in Ireland:
The Scots left Ireland not for religious reasons, but because of economic pressures. Ship building expanded, and better, larger ships, able to transport more passengers, led to an increase in emigration. The greatest factor in the increase emigration was the growth of trade between Scotland and America, in which Ulster heavily participated. So much trade was being accomplished between the two countries that complaints were reported in the English State Papers. Another economic factor in the mass emigration was the problem of Scots being unable to sell their cattle to England. Exports of cattle alarmed English landowners, who complained that the competitions of the Scot’s Irish pastures was lowering English rents. Laws prohibited the importation into England from Ireland all cattle, sheep and swine, beef, pork, bacon and mutton, and even butter and cheese. Scotland adopted similar laws, ultimately contributing to Ireland’s ensuing poverty and famine. Another problem for the Scots of Ireland was the English woolen manufacturers’ position that they were being infringed upon by the import of Irish woolen goods. A law enacted by the British Parliament prohibited the Irish from exporting manufactured wool to any country whatever. The main industry of the Scots of Ireland was thus destroyed. As each prohibition came upon the Scots, emigrations increased.]
“Brothers Matthew, Andrew, and James Culbreth were desperate to escape the religious oppression and poverty in Ireland but they didn’t have money for passage to America. With their old and feeble parent’s approval, they hatched a plan to stow away on ship bound for Philadelphia. Their parents placed a Bible in their hands and wished them Godspeed.”
[Note: Andrew stayed in Ireland. It is believed that the catalyst for Mathew and James leaving was actually their father’s death, probably in 1834 or 1835. There is some indication that Mathew and James traveled with their sisters, Elizabeth and Easter Jane, in which case stowing away is impractical, and, in actuality, I find it unlikely in any case. Others think that Elizabeth and Easter Jane came later. I have seen no proof either way.]
“With the stowaways concealed below deck, the ship sailed in the summer of 1836, from Donegal for Philadelphia. The brothers made themselves known after the ship was underway and paid for their passage by tending livestock aboard ship.”
“The name was shortened to Culbert upon arrival in America.”
[This does not match Irish records, which always have their names as Culbert.]
“Andrew remained in Philadelphia, but Matthew and James traveled on and settled in Marshall County [Alabama], about twelve miles from Guntersville.”
[Andrew actually remained in Balleeghan.]
“A large part of the Tennessee Valley was wilderness, and it was back breaking work to tame the land. My great, great, grandfather, Matthew Culbert, Sr. was a self-reliant, ambitious, hard working man. His neighbors said that he worked his own land by moonlight so he could hire out during the day. I guess he was the original “moonlighter.” His neighbors also reported he looked old for his age and that he was killing himself with work. Many of his neighbors were slaveholders but Matthew was deeply religious and did not own slaves.”
“He acquired land a few acres at a time and invested any income into the purchase of more land.”
[The death of his brother was probably also a large factor in Mathew’s wealth and accumulation of land. There are actually more deeds for James than Mathew.]
“He was a wealthy man according to the standards of his day, and upon his death he owned 1200 acres and much livestock.”
[The rest of the article is in regards to Ena’s direct line from Mathew.]
