Migration of the Cushing Family to Ireland
The most widely accepted theory is that an English knight with a name like Cousins went to the Cork area during the Norman Invasion of Ireland in the late 12th century. [While the primary invasions ocured in 1169 (eastern Ireland) and 1171 (eastern and southern Ireland), the influx of people from Normandy continued through about 1190. All of this is considered the Norman Invasion.] Over the centuries, they were "hibernicised", losing their foreign identity and becoming "Irish". They had estates in the Cork area, until these were taken away and given to the Bowen family (Bowens Court) in about 1662 as part of the policy begun by Cromwell to replace the Irish with English. This once prominent family is taken to be the source of the Cushen and related families in Munster province (southern Ireland).
Cushing Migration to the United States
The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Cushing arrived in North America very early:
Cushing Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Theophilus Cushing, who landed in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1633
Mathew Cushing, who arrived in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1638
From The Family Tree
Mathew Cushing, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Dilligent" arriving in Boston, Massachusetts in 1638
Nazareth Pitcher Cushing, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Dilligent" arriving in Boston, Massachusetts in 1638
Cushing Migration to Canada
Cushing Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Job Cushing, who arrived in Anapolis (Annapolis), Nova Scotia in 1760
Jobe Cushing, who landed in Anapolis (Annapolis), Nova Scotia in 1760
