Thomas Gethings : Short Biography

Family records have recorded the surname as Giddens, Geddins, Gittens, Gethins, Githens and Gethings. We've noticed that they predominantly recorded GIDDENS throughout much of the 19th century and GETHINGS didn't get used until much later. For this reason, I'll use the documented surname of GIDDENS.

Thomas was baptised in MUSKEAGH on 9th September 1809 to parents John GIDDENS and Winifred LACY. His sponsors were Thomas KEHOE and Sarah GIDDENS. Thomas was the second youngest of 5 known children - John (1802), Catherine (1804), Mary (1807) and Margaret. Margaret never married and continued living with Thomas and his future family for the remainder of her life (she died in Dublin on 25th January 1892). I have no information on Thomas's other siblings. Thomas's father John co-farmed 34 acres in Muskeagh with (likely brother) Richard, who was 10 years older than him, although Richard appers to have survived his younger brother. When John died sometime between 1839 and 1843 (Fitzwilliam Survey of Tenants), Thomas took over his half of the farm and continued co-farming with his uncle Richard. Richard eventually died and his son-in-law Patrick O'TOOLE (married to his daughter Catherine) took over his half of the farm. Patrick himself then died and his wife Catherine and their children were swept up in the Fitzwilliam clearances and they emmigrated to Canada in 1852/54. Thomas then took over the entire 34 acres and co-farmed additional land in the northern part of Muskeagh with Andrew BYRNES (Griffith Valuation). Thomas married sometime mid to late 1850 to Winifred DOYLE (birn circa 1830, cannot locate marriage) and had 4 children - Catherine (1859), John (1864), Mary (1868) and Joseph. John is my Great-Great Grandfather.

Thomas eventually died in Muskeagh on the 29th October 1879. His burial place is unknown. His wife and children relocated to Dublin within a few years of his death. Winifred died in Dublin on 23rd August 1892. His children John and Mary immigrated to Queensland, Australia in 1887 and the youngest, Joseph, followed in 1891. Catherine married James SINNOTT in Dublin in 1882, had 6 (surviving) children. She too along with her family, followed her siblings to Queensland in 1902. Thus ends the family of Thomas Gethings in Ireland.