A history of the Cairns/Cairnes family (McCairns, MacCairns, etc.), written in 1906 by Henry Cairnes Lawlor. The following is from the Author s preface:
It is now a good number of years ago since some of my relatives, both in Australia and at home, expressed a desire to know something of the history of our ancestors .
My original intention was only to write a short memoir of the Irish family of Cairnes, but so engrossing did the subject become to me, that, having pretty well exhausted the Irish family, I began inquiries as to its progenitors, the Scottish family. One discovery led to another, and my original intention to write a memoir of the Irish branch gradually developed into an effort to write a history of the whole family. I have spared no pains to make my work as complete as possible. Few will believe the amount of labour this has entailed. It has been, although always a pleasure to me, a vast undertaking. This is because almost the whole book has had to be compiled at first hand from original sources. True, the Ulster Office Pedigree to which I have referred formed a groundwork for a small section of the book, but on carefully examining old records, family papers, &c., I found this to contain several errors, and therefore to be unreliable. With this exception the history of the family as chronicled in these pages is the result of original research. I have deemed it best in all cases to give my authorities in footnotes. These, it will be noted, are in the most cases from original records, or from verified sources. Hence I can place the volume in the hands of the subscribers with the belief that it will be found reliable as a work of reference .
It will probably be said by some critics, Who are these Cairneses or what have they done to warrant their family history being written? I admit they have no claim to be included among the greater noble families of these kingdoms; yet I think that anyone who reads these pages will acknowledge that they contain the history of a noble family. In the six hundred years covered by this work the family has supplied many prominent and useful members to the State, the Church, the Army and the Bar. It has produced none but good citizens, whether of high or low degree. In the many hundred books, public records and private documents I have perused in the preparation of my book, I have never found the name of Cairnes sullied by unworthy or dishonourable conduct.