The Pioneer Wave (1700s)

 

The Friel (and O'Friel) family immigration closely mirrors the two-wave pattern of general Irish history, but with a specific focus on County Donegal, the ancestral home of the clan.¹

While the majority of Friels arrived during the Great Hunger (1845–1852), there is a distinct, earlier pioneer line that arrived in the 1700s.

1. The Pioneer Wave (1700s)

A small but significant number of O'Friels arrived during the colonial period.² Unlike the later Catholic refugees who stayed in cities, these early arrivals often dropped the "O" and moved to the frontier to farm.

• Earliest Recorded Pioneer: One of the earliest documented arrivals is Maurice O'Friel, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1740.³

  • Settlement: He did not stay in the city. He moved west to Augusta County, Virginia, joining the wave of settlers pushing the American frontier.⁴

  • Legacy: His descendants largely anglicized the name to Freel or Friel and fought in the American Revolution. If your family has deep roots in Virginia, West Virginia, or Kentucky, you likely descend from this early 18th-century line.

2. The Great Wave (1800s)

The vast majority of Friels in America today are descended from immigrants who arrived between 1830 and 1880, with a massive spike during the Potato Famine (1845–1852).

• The Famine Exodus (1847): Records show many Friels fleeing the starvation in Donegal at the height of the blight.⁵

  • Example: A James Friel is recorded arriving in New York on the ship Christiana in June 1847.⁶

• The Pennsylvania Connection: There was a heavy concentration of Friels in Pennsylvania (specifically Philadelphia and the coal regions).⁷

  • Many arrived to work on the canals and railroads in the 1830s and 1840s.

  • By the 1880 Census, Pennsylvania had the highest population of families using the specific "O'Friel" spelling in the U.S.⁸

• The "O" Prefix: Most 19th-century immigrants dropped the "O" upon arrival to assimilate, as "O'Friel" sounded too Gaelic/Catholic during periods of anti-Irish discrimination. It was sometimes re-adopted by later generations in the 20th century.

Ancestral Home: County Donegal

Almost all Friels/O'Friels originate from County Donegal in northwest Ireland (specifically the Kilmacrenan area).⁹

• They were a "clerical sept," meaning they were historically the hereditary guardians of church lands and had the honor of inaugurating the O'Donnell chieftains.¹⁰

• Because Donegal was one of the counties hardest hit by the Famine, the emigration from this specific clan was disproportionately high.

Summary Timeline

Year	Event	Immigrant Profile
1740	Arrival of Maurice O'Friel in PA/VA	Frontier farmers, became "Freel"
1830s	Pre-Famine Labor	Canal workers settling in PA
1845-55	The Great Hunger	Peak migration. Destitute refugees to NYC/Boston/Philly
1880s	Post-Famine	Industrial workers moving to coal mines and factories

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Would you like me to look for specific ship manifests or naturalization records for a particular Friel ancestor if you have a first name and approximate birth year?