Bridget Kimmons : Short Biography

Bridget Kimmons 1866

Birr (Offaly) Ferbane (Offaly)

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Place of migration

Migrated to/Born in UK

This photo is my lovely GG Grandmother Bridget Kimmons.

Bridget was born in Ferbane, County Offaly on thh 12th April 1866 to her mothe Mary / Maria King and her father Patrick Kimmons. I have see various spellings of the surname; Kimmins, Kimmons, Kemmins etc. but i think they all may be incorrect - I dont know why but maybe they were just spelt how they sounded?? Hwever, Bridget and all her siblings were baptised with either Kimmons or Kimmins as their surname.

Bridget left Ireland for Wales when she married my GG Grandfather in or around 1886.

I have been at a brickwall fro a long time and would greatly appreciate any support anyone could give me on finding out more about Bridget and her parents Mary/Maria & Patrick (where were they born, married, died etc. as i cant find any information on them at all).

Thank you in advance to anybody that could help me with a breakthrough on this :-)

Additional Information
Date of Birth	12th Apr 1866
Date of Death	20th Jan 1919
Father (First Name/s and Surname)	Patrick Kimmons
Mother (First Name/s and Maiden)	Maria King
Townland born	Ferbane

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Comments

Hello Josie Lou

Did your gg Grandmother marry William Phillis? He was a soldier in Crinkle Barracks near Birr. There is a record of a marriage of Bridget Kimmons to William Phillis on 8th October 1886 in Birr RC Church. Soldiers from Leinster Regiment were stationed at Crinkle Barracks. Please read information regarding Birr Library on the Birr page re Leinster Regiment. I can send you the link to the marriage records if it is your Bridget (which I am fairly sure is her). Am going to look for further information now also.

Regards

Margaret Hensey

Ireland XO Volunteer Birr/Kilcolman

Margaret, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

Tuesday 14th July 2020 01:04PM

Hi Josie Lou,

This is a beautiful photograph, what a precious thing to have. I just wanted to let you know that I have moved your comment into the body of the Chronicle so that the information is more accessible for our members.

Best of luck with your research,

Valerie - Chronicles Editor

Chronicles Editor

Tuesday 14th July 2020 02:17PM

Thank you so much to the Chronicles Editor - I am really new using this site so i dont really know my way around :-)

Josielou

Monday 20th July 2020 02:41PM

To Margaret Hensey,

Thank you so much Margaret, thats so kind of you - i would greatly appreciate any help you or advice you can give. Yes, thats my Bridget, I actually still have Bridget & Willliams original marriage certifictae from Birr RC Church. I know very little else about Bridget befor she married William and came to Wales. I have tried for 2 years to find out anything about Bridgets parents but have had literally no luck other than finding the birth records for their other children. I'm still very new to this so thought it was maybe time to try and get some help. Thank you again for your offer to look for further information, i can't tell you how grateful i am :-).

Jo Phillis

Josielou

Monday 20th July 2020 02:49PM

Hi Jo

Very puzzling indeed to trace your ancestors. Just checking that you have the following children born to Patrick and Maria:-

Thomas 1864 (Died 1869), Bridget 1866, Patrick 1868 (Died 1868), Peter 1869, James 1871 (Died 1871), Patrick 1873, James 1876 (Died) James 1875 (Died) As you can see it was the custom to call subsequent children after deceased siblings - this was to continue the christian name tradition. I am very confused about the records of the births and deaths of the last 2 James. James No 2 was born on 1.6.1875 and James No 3 was born on 1.11.1875 a mere 5 months later. Owing to the 5 of their children died I am thinking they may have been born prematurely. It would be very interesting to obtain the Death Certificates of the babies, this can be done by email/online (if you need details let me know) It costs approx €4 per cert but may be less in some cases.

After that the census records in 1901 show that there were only 1 family of Kimmons living in the Republic of Ireland with 3 members in Co Louth. Kimmons is an extremely unusual surname. I have searched the records then for Deaths of Peter or Patrick and there are none in Co Offaly. There are also no records for the deaths of Maria and Patrick in this area. Have you checked records in Wales? I am wondering if the rest of the family left here to join Bridget and her husband? Also do you realise that Patrick and Maria lived in Ferbane which is another town 13 miles from Birr? Bridget would have got married in Birr because the church there is where the soldiers attended from Crinkle barracks. We will keep trying!!

Kind regards

Margaret

kilcolmanoffaly@irelandxo.com

Margaret, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

Friday 24th July 2020 07:35PM

Hi Margaret

Hope you are well? :-)

Yes its all a very puzzling situation. I had seen that there was definitely something very strange with the last two James' with the 5 month gap - the only conclusion i can come to was that maybe Maria got pregnant straight after the birth of the 2nd James in June and possibly carried that baby and actually gave birth to the 3rd James in the November prematurely as you suggested - maybe this would explain why the baby was baptised?? I am quite sure that Maria, Patrick and their two other surviving children (Patrick & Peter) did not join Bridget in Wales. The family history here was a really big thing and i know pretty much everything from when Bridget arrived in Wales through family passing on the information and records. It was said in the family that Maria & Patrick strongly opposed Bridget marrying a soldier and never spoke to her again - there was also speak about Bridget being a school teacher? I really don't know if this was true or just things getting confused over time? I wondered if maybe Patrick and Maria may have been travellers due to the surname seeming to be incorrect and lack of records etc?? I don't know if this could be an option around this time. I am quite sure that Maria and Patrick did not agree with the wedding and had no contact with Bridget afterwards... so sad... but this was definitely a strong suggestion passed down through the family :-(

I would love to obtain the death certificates of the children if you could tell me how i go about doing that?
I would also love to know where the family lived in Ferbane and find out where Maria & Patrick were born if that is something you could help me with? I really appreciate your help, thank you so much.

Best wishes,

Josielou

Monday 27th July 2020 12:41PM

Cont...

I have just had a look at Ferband Margaret and can see it is quite a distance from Birr so that puts things into perspective a little bit. Somebody once said that Patrick May have been born or live in Lemanaghan - because I don't know the area well it's hard for me to understand the different areas. I visit Ireland quite often so I really need to organise a trip to Birt/Ferbane etc. Once lockdown restrictions change. I recently did a DNA test to help with with brick walls and it came back that I had a 2nd-4th cousin in Birr with the surname Watkins... I contacted him and he was really helpful but he also had no link to the Kimmons surname so that didn't help much.

As Maria & Patrick lived in Ferbane could there possibly be pariah registers there? Would the children of been baptised and buried in the church in that area?

Best wishe and thank you,

Josielou

Monday 27th July 2020 06:02PM

Cont...

As Maria & Patrick lived in Ferbane could there possibly be pariah registers there? Would the children of been baptised and buried in the church in that area?

Best wishe and thank you,