Fosterage By M. O’Neill

In ancient times in the Irish society fosterage was such an important feature it had elaborate rules etc.  The relationship between a foster parent and a child was regarded as something very sacred. It’s well noted that the foster children became more attached to the foster-parents, and foster-brothers than to the members of their own family, or clan. For those who don’t know fosterage was the custom of placing children during their childhood in charge of other members of a clan or within the clan. This was usually restricted to members of the derbfine, which was only of those within the five generations of the Chief or King. Although this practice was also practiced by the wealthy, and leading men of their time.

There was fosterage for affection, and another for payment. In the case of fosterage for affection there was no money involved. In the case for payments it depended on the status of the child and sex. The fosterage was paid sometimes with land and the majority of time with just cattle. In some recorded accounts the son of a King may receive up to thirty cows in payment. One thing that was common among the Norse and Danes was fosterage, and was possibly practiced in Ireland after years of their arrival.

Among the Vikings fosterage took other deeper meanings, and it was called föstbrœdralag meaning “foster-brotherhood.” According to some accounts the Vikings would perform a ritual of bloodletting which flowed from the hollow of their hands, and went under a sod, and there they would take oaths that they should avenge the other, if any one of them was slain by weapons, or in battle.

 “There were two customs proper and peculiar to the Irish, which, being the strong cause of so many strong combinations and factions, do tend to the utter ruin of a Commonwealth. The one was Fostering, the other Gossipred, both of which have ever been of greater estimation among this people than with any other nation in the Christian world. For Fostering did never hear or read that it was in that use or reputation in any other country, Barbarous or Civil, as it hath been and yet is in Ireland, where they put away all their children to Fosterers, the potent and rich men selling, the meaner sort buying, the fosterage of their children, and the reason is, because, in the opinion of this people, Fosterage has always been a stronger alliance than blood, and the Foster Children do love, and are beloved of their foster fathers and their Sept more than their own parents and kindred, and do participate of their means more frankly and do adhere unto them in all fortunes with more affection and constancy……”   - Sir John Davies

Are the O’Neill’s origins of a fosterage that happened long ago? I can be said at this time, since after 7 years there are no matches at 25 markers or 37 markers with any other surname in any database.

One must know that the Irish law typically did not distinguish between a "legitimate" and an "illegitimate" child, so any recognized child, even those of a concubine, would receive a portion of any inheritance. Another interesting part of Irish law during those times is that an adopted child could receive a portion of land. The Irish law during those time periods was interesting when it came to a daughter, if she was married to a foreigner to the clan, and had he no land of his own, land would not descend to her sons, but instead it was return to the other members of her clan. Let’s say that a NPE a non-paternal event like fosterage or an adoption occurred in our history long ago. And an O’Neill daughter married a Viking; since women were limited to inheritance of land; if their children were son(s) of foreigners basically they stood on their own, and must have fought and killed to get at any position within the clan.

We will know more when people come forward with more y-dna tests, and luckily someone will match the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico at least with 35 of 37 markers. Till then we will never know the origins of Don Constantino O’Neill and Don Juan O’Neill.