Have you ever wondered where our family name came from? Or have you ever wondered who the very first Nangle was? Most families cannot answer those questions, but we can. Clan Nangle has a well researched and recorded pedigree.

Most of our family members do not know that we are today deemed to be of Irish origin, or that the family originally settled in Pembrokeshire, South Wales after they arrived from Normandy. The fact that we can answer those questions does not alter the fact that there has been a lot of family history lost over the past 160 years or so.

Two members of the family stand out for their reseach into our family history. John Nangle of Port Washington, New York, USA has done a marvelous job on his book on the family called "Nangle, and then some". The other chap is Lt. Col Frank Nangle (1910 - 2000) of Ardglass, Co. Down, Northern Ireland. Frank wrote "A Small History of the Nangle Family" a number of years ago, and this started John and I down the long road of family research after we read the book. Frank Nangle has one of the finest collections of Nangle papers in existance and we humbly thank him for his gracious help.

The name Nangle is the anglicized form of the Norman French name "de Angulo" which means "of Angle". It is believed the family originally came from the parish of St. Germain of the Angles near Evreux, Normandy. They made their way to Pembrokeshire in South Wales and founded the village of Angle, which is still inhabited today. It is in this village of Angle that we come to know the first ancestors we know about. Gilbert de Angulo, his son Jocelyn, and Gilberts brother Jordan. All living Nangle's can trace their ancestory back to Gilbert.

On the 17th October 1171 Gilbert, Jocelyn, and Jordan left West Angle Bay and sailed for Ireland as part of a military force commanded by King Henry II and Hugh De Lacy. They landed at Croch near Waterford the next day.

In Ireland they took part in the fighting to suppress the native Irish, and were awarded by being made Barons. Gilbert de Angulo was granted the Barony of Morgallion in northern Meath, and his son Jocelyn was granted the Barony of Navan also in Meath. It is believd that Gilbert's brother Jordan, not noted as receiving any land grants, went to Connacht and established one of the Jordan or MacJordan families.

Little is known about Gilbert after he was granted the Barony of Morgallion. Jocelyn, the first Baron of Navan married and had issue. One of his sons, Richard de Angulo settled in Co. Cork, and became the ancestor of the Nagles'. Another son, Gilbert de Angulo (grandson of the first Gilbert), was also known as MacOisdealbh. When rendered back into English this became MacCostello and eventually Costello.

These three families, the Nangle's, Nagle's, and Costello's are septs of Clan Nangle.

The line of Barons continues until 1781 when on the 10th of October, the 23rd and last Baron, Francis, died. He was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Imperial Austrian Army, and commanded the 4th Hesse-Darmstadt Dragoons.

This long line of Barons left a treasure trove of family records for future generations to ponder over. These family lines are printed in Burkes Landed Gentry of Ireland, and provide a positive link back to 1171 for those of us who can prove a connection.