The first twelve markers are in!
Unfortunately, the two FitzHenrys in the study are not related.
However, the results tell us that there are at least two unique instances of the FitzHenry surname.
I'll have more on the subject once the DNA results are complete.
In the meantime, encourage your FitzHenry male relatives to consider DNA testing. Please click on the Fitz-Henry DNA Project on the sidebar for more information.
Who knows what we might discover!
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Sunday, 9 November 2008
"Orphan Entry" Patrick Fitzhenry marriage 1750
While searching for other things I came across this lone entry for a Fitzhenry marriage...can anyone claim him or know anything about the couple??
Married at St George's Chapel Mayfair, Hyde Park Corner
3rd January 1750 Patrick Fitzhenry and Mary Burt, of St Giles in the Field, Middlesex
Married at St George's Chapel Mayfair, Hyde Park Corner
3rd January 1750 Patrick Fitzhenry and Mary Burt, of St Giles in the Field, Middlesex
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Lest we forget - the Fitzhenrys who fell in the Great War
As we approach Remembrance Sunday, we remember with gratitude those Fitz(-)henrys who died in battle and as a result of wounds received in the First World War. Each Remembrance Sunday, we will publish the story of another soldier and their name will link to their story on this blog.
My source for the first thirteen casualties is the excellent Commonwealth War Graves website with extra details referenced. The names are in alphabetical order.
Sapper Arthur Fitzhenry 18684 of the Australian Engineers ( 8th Field Company) died 14 October 1920 aged 25, buried at Sydney Waverley General Cemetery.
Private Charles Edward Fitzhenry 1126, of the Australian Infantry,A.I.F died 21 August 1918, buried at Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport. He served as DOYLE. Son of Michael Herbert and Elizabeth Fitzhenry. Native of Richmond River. New South Wales.
Serjeant Charles Joseph Fitzhenry 5905 of the Royal Fusiliers, died 14 November 1916 aged 26. Commemorated at the Thiepval Memorial for the missing soldiers of the battle of The Somme. Son of Harry and Martha Mary Ann Fitzhenry, of 7 Satanita Rd., Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex.
Sister D A Fitzhenry of the South African Military Nursing Services died 1 December 1918. Buried at the Dodoma Cemetery.
(From the "Great War Forum" website, her forenames were Daisy Aletta)
Private Edward Fitzhenry 10285 of the 4th Battalion of the Worcester Regiment died 28 April 1915 at Gallipoli and commemorated at the Helles Memorial, Turkey.
Private E Fitzhenry 41581 of the Yorkshire Regiment died 5 April 1917 and is buried at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood, Belgium.
Private John Fitzhenry 9956 of the King's Shropshire Light Regiment died 25 September 1916 aged 26. Commemorated at the Thiepval Memorial for the missing soldiers of the battle of The Somme. Son of John Fitzhenry, of Welshpool, Montgomeryshire; husband of Elizabeth Lila Smith (formerly Fitzhenry), of 6, Southalls Buildings, Willow St., Oswestry, Salop
Sapper J Fitzhenry 5964 of the Canadian Railway Troops died 4 April 1917 and buried at the Highland Cemetery, Roclincourt, France.
Gunner James Fitzhenry 13140 of the Royal Field Artillery died 5 April 1917 aged 30 and buried at Faubourg D'Amiens Cemetery, Arras, France. Son of Thomas and Mary Fitzhenry, of Fair Gate, New Ross, Co. Wexford.
Private Michael Fitzhenry 4423 of the Royal Irish Regiment died 8 May 1915 aged 21. He is commemorated at the Menon Gate Memorial at Ypres, Belgium. The son of Edward and Margaret Fitzhenry, of Kilmannon, Cleariestown, Co. Wexford.
Rifleman Patrick Fitzhenry 7395 of the 6th Royal Irish Rifles died 6 August 1915 at Gallipoli and is commemorated at the Helles Memorial. Husband of Catherine Fitzhenry of 11, Banner Street., St. Helens, Lancs. (He is mentioned in the Wexford casualty list as being from New Ross Wexford.)
Private Peter Fitzhenry 7246 of the Australian Infantry AIF, died 4 October 1917 and is commemorated at the Menon Gate Memorial at Ypres, Belgium.
Private T Fitzhenry 7110 of the Irish Guards died 18 August 1918 aged 22, and buried at Vevey (St. Martin's) Cemetery, Switzerland. Son of Annie Carty (formerly Fitzhenry), of 3, Johns Gate St., Wexford, and the late Robert Fitzhenry. Under an agreement with the neutral Swiss government, some wounded prisoners of war from Britain, France and Germany were interned in Switzerland. A total of 88 British and Dominion service personnel are buried there. (From the "Irish Guards in the Great War" website, his forename was Thomas)
And from the United States (American Battle Monuments Commission)
Lewis F. Fitz-Henry 1st Sergeant US Army 101st Infantry Regiment
Entered the Service from: Massachusetts Died: November 6, 1918Buried at: Plot A Row 19 Grave 12 Suresnes American Cemetery Suresnes, France
If there are any other Fitzhenrys that I have missed, please let me know so I can update this posting before Sunday.
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Sunday, 2 November 2008
Ann Fitzhenry - convicted at the Old Bailey and transported to Australia
So far all the Australian Fitzhenrys I've met have been descendants of British or Irish emigrants who went to Australia of their own free will.
I've now also found Ann Fitzhenry who was transported to Van Diemens Land (Tasmania) in 1826 at the direction of Her Majesty.
.
Ann was convicted of being a pickpocket at the Old Bailey (officially called the Central Criminal Court) in London. The Old Bailey website has a great searchable index and the information about her case is here.
On 6th April 1826, she stole:
At her trial on 26th April, she said in her defence that her husband gave her the money (but no husband is recorded as speaking up for her) and her age is given as 40 years. She was sentenced to seven years transportation.
Ann had previous "form" - she was up before the judge on the same charge in 1809, but was acquitted at this trial.
She was transported on the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" which sailed on 31st August 1826, and until then was held in Middlesex Gaol. Some of the women transported with her had been waiting almost a year in prison before transportation.
Her fate is recorded in the "Nominal Return for Female Convicts shewing how each is appropriated for the year ending 31st December 1832" and similarly for 1833.
Ann Fitzhenry is convict number 53, and in the "How appropriated" column is written "Married to Joseph Burns". Married seems to have been a fairly common fate awaiting these women. The other options listed are died, freed (rare!), missing, "House of Correction" and the most common "assigned to (insert man's name here)" presumably as a servant.
I've not found the record of Ann's marriage to Mr Burns yet, nor her death. Can anyone help out with this?
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I've now also found Ann Fitzhenry who was transported to Van Diemens Land (Tasmania) in 1826 at the direction of Her Majesty.
.
Ann was convicted of being a pickpocket at the Old Bailey (officially called the Central Criminal Court) in London. The Old Bailey website has a great searchable index and the information about her case is here.
On 6th April 1826, she stole:
1 half-crown, 13 shillings, and 6 sixpences, the goods of Thomas Ashton , from his person.
At her trial on 26th April, she said in her defence that her husband gave her the money (but no husband is recorded as speaking up for her) and her age is given as 40 years. She was sentenced to seven years transportation.
Ann had previous "form" - she was up before the judge on the same charge in 1809, but was acquitted at this trial.
She was transported on the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" which sailed on 31st August 1826, and until then was held in Middlesex Gaol. Some of the women transported with her had been waiting almost a year in prison before transportation.
Her fate is recorded in the "Nominal Return for Female Convicts shewing how each is appropriated for the year ending 31st December 1832" and similarly for 1833.
Ann Fitzhenry is convict number 53, and in the "How appropriated" column is written "Married to Joseph Burns". Married seems to have been a fairly common fate awaiting these women. The other options listed are died, freed (rare!), missing, "House of Correction" and the most common "assigned to (insert man's name here)" presumably as a servant.
I've not found the record of Ann's marriage to Mr Burns yet, nor her death. Can anyone help out with this?
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Edward and Mary Fitz-Henry (Ireland to London)
Bev has also sent me the details of a couple of letters she received from a Mrs Betty Volante back in 1998 who was also researching the Fitz-Henrys. It turns out she was looking for information on my branch, so if Mrs Volante is still researching this tree I would be very pleased to hear from her (or from any other person who recognises these Fitz-Henrys).
Edward Fitz-Henry was born in Ireland in about 1788, place unknown. He is my great-great-great-great-grandfather. He was a labourer according to the marriage certificate of his son Michael (my great-great-great-grandfather) or a carpenter according to the death certificate of his wife. He died in the Whitechapel workhouse (London) in 1833 and was buried in St Mary's graveyard in Whitechapel according to the Findmypast.com website parish records collection.
Edward married Mary (surname unknown) some time between 1804 and 1816 according to Mrs Volante's letters. Mary apparently was born in about 1790 and came from County Kilkenny. Mrs Volante was looking for the death of Mary in Australia, as family legend had it that her son Thomas went to Australia and was shot dead there.
I have Mary in the 1841 census living at Fives Court in Mansell Street, St. Mary's Whitechapel with two sons James (a gunmaker) and Thomas (a cigarmaker). Both sons are born in Middlesex and Mary is recorded as being Irish. She is a charwoman and has a given age of 45 years, although in this census the age was rounded down to the nearest 5 years. This would give her birth year from 1791 to1796.
In the 1851 census I have a Mary Fitzhenry, a servant unmarried aged 53 born Sligo Kilkenny.
She is living at 22 Craven Street, St. Martins in the Fields in the house of Rebecca Loosnig (widow) lodging house keeper. This is gives her year of birth as 1898. This may or may not be the correct Mary but it would fit with her previous occupation as a charwoman and her assumed place of birth. She may have told her employer she was younger to make it more likely she got the job!
Mary died in the Wapping Workshouse on 6 May 1859, the widow of Edward Fitzhenry, carpenter. Her age was given as 73, which puts her birth year around 1786.
There are four sons from this marriage that I know about:
John born before 1810.
Michael born 1813-1816 - my ggg-grandfather. At least 12 children!
James the gunsmith born 1818 died December 1858 - one son James survived infancy. I don't know what happended to James junior.
Thomas born about 1823 - emigrated to Australia - a Thomas Fitzhenry fitting his description was admitted to the Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum in 1881 - no known marriage or children.
It would be great to hear from anyone who has these people in their tree, or has any more information about them . Edward and Mary are my brick wall!
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Edward Fitz-Henry was born in Ireland in about 1788, place unknown. He is my great-great-great-great-grandfather. He was a labourer according to the marriage certificate of his son Michael (my great-great-great-grandfather) or a carpenter according to the death certificate of his wife. He died in the Whitechapel workhouse (London) in 1833 and was buried in St Mary's graveyard in Whitechapel according to the Findmypast.com website parish records collection.
Edward married Mary (surname unknown) some time between 1804 and 1816 according to Mrs Volante's letters. Mary apparently was born in about 1790 and came from County Kilkenny. Mrs Volante was looking for the death of Mary in Australia, as family legend had it that her son Thomas went to Australia and was shot dead there.
I have Mary in the 1841 census living at Fives Court in Mansell Street, St. Mary's Whitechapel with two sons James (a gunmaker) and Thomas (a cigarmaker). Both sons are born in Middlesex and Mary is recorded as being Irish. She is a charwoman and has a given age of 45 years, although in this census the age was rounded down to the nearest 5 years. This would give her birth year from 1791 to1796.
In the 1851 census I have a Mary Fitzhenry, a servant unmarried aged 53 born Sligo Kilkenny.
She is living at 22 Craven Street, St. Martins in the Fields in the house of Rebecca Loosnig (widow) lodging house keeper. This is gives her year of birth as 1898. This may or may not be the correct Mary but it would fit with her previous occupation as a charwoman and her assumed place of birth. She may have told her employer she was younger to make it more likely she got the job!
Mary died in the Wapping Workshouse on 6 May 1859, the widow of Edward Fitzhenry, carpenter. Her age was given as 73, which puts her birth year around 1786.
There are four sons from this marriage that I know about:
John born before 1810.
Michael born 1813-1816 - my ggg-grandfather. At least 12 children!
James the gunsmith born 1818 died December 1858 - one son James survived infancy. I don't know what happended to James junior.
Thomas born about 1823 - emigrated to Australia - a Thomas Fitzhenry fitting his description was admitted to the Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum in 1881 - no known marriage or children.
It would be great to hear from anyone who has these people in their tree, or has any more information about them . Edward and Mary are my brick wall!
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Yet another Jumnetta!
Bev's "Jumna" passenger list for that maiden voyage has turned up another baby girl born on board.
A baby girl was born to Samuel and Agnes McKinstry on 23 September 1886, two days after the Jumna left port in London.
This child must have been the one that was mentioned in the cutting from the Brisbane Courier, as (you've guessed it) she was also named Jumnetta by the time the family embarked.
Her birth registration was sent back to London in an earlier report than the other three babies that we've already found.
That's three Jumnettas from one voyage.
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A baby girl was born to Samuel and Agnes McKinstry on 23 September 1886, two days after the Jumna left port in London.
This child must have been the one that was mentioned in the cutting from the Brisbane Courier, as (you've guessed it) she was also named Jumnetta by the time the family embarked.
Her birth registration was sent back to London in an earlier report than the other three babies that we've already found.
That's three Jumnettas from one voyage.
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Friday, 31 October 2008
More on Jumnetta Fitzhenry and naming your children after ships ...
In the last post, I mentioned how Bev's grandmother had been named Jumnetta after the ship "Jumna" that she was born on during the family's migration to Australia.
I found the record of three babies born on that sailing:
An unnamed girl to James and Mary Roberts on 15 October 1886
An unnamed boy to Charles and Louisa Searle on 30 October 1886
And our Jumnetta (as yet unnamed) born to Samuel and Margaret Fitzhenry on 7 November 1886
Bev sent me a cutting from the Brisbane Courier of the 18 November 1886, about the arrival of the Jumna in port which included the following:
It appears so - when I put in Jumnetta Roberts into the Ancestry search engine, it gave me Jumnetta Seva (or Sieva) Roberts resident in Brisbane and on the electoral rolls in the 1910s.
A few years ago when I was going through the "British Births at Sea" Registers at the National Archives (in the pre-digital days), I was struck by just how many of these children had been named after the ship that they were born on. If anyone knows whether there was an incentive to the parents, made by either captain or the shipping line, to name the baby after the ship, I would be most interested to hear about it.
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I found the record of three babies born on that sailing:
An unnamed girl to James and Mary Roberts on 15 October 1886
An unnamed boy to Charles and Louisa Searle on 30 October 1886
And our Jumnetta (as yet unnamed) born to Samuel and Margaret Fitzhenry on 7 November 1886
Bev sent me a cutting from the Brisbane Courier of the 18 November 1886, about the arrival of the Jumna in port which included the following:
A few days after leaving London, the first birth, that of a girl, occurred and it was announced that she was to be christened Jumnette in honour of the ship.Bev asked: Her gran was born in Australian waters at the end of the voyage, but surely there couldn't have been two Jumnette/Jumnettas born on this trip?
It appears so - when I put in Jumnetta Roberts into the Ancestry search engine, it gave me Jumnetta Seva (or Sieva) Roberts resident in Brisbane and on the electoral rolls in the 1910s.
A few years ago when I was going through the "British Births at Sea" Registers at the National Archives (in the pre-digital days), I was struck by just how many of these children had been named after the ship that they were born on. If anyone knows whether there was an incentive to the parents, made by either captain or the shipping line, to name the baby after the ship, I would be most interested to hear about it.
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Wednesday, 29 October 2008
More Irish-Australian links
I've three reasons to be eternally grateful to Bev Kronk in Australia who has sent us several emails over the last week.
Firstly she's sent us lots of good stuff, which she has given permission to reprint here in the hope that she will discover some more links to her family.
Secondly there's some fantastic Anglo-Irish items which I've added to our database.
And thirdly (which made me jump up and down in a very un-English sort of way), she found one of my very own strays - Thomas Fitz-Henry, my great-great-great grandfather's brother, who emigrated to Australia in 1852, worked as a shepherd, and ended up being committed to the Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum in 1881. Up until now I had no idea that I needed to look for him in Australia.
Back to Bev's family. Here's what she wrote, starting with her great-great-grandparents:
Frances [c1851-1921]
Maria [1852-1920]
Daniel [1854-1924]
Samuel [c1855-?]
James [c1860-1940]
Susan [c1862-1934]
Henrietta [1864-1867]
The six surviving children immigrated toQueensland
Samuel FITZHENRY married Margaret Jane NELSON in Manchester in 1881. Their daughter Jeanetta FITZHENRY was born in 1886 on board ship in Australian waters near Thursday Island close to Cape York, the most northern point of the state ofQueensland JUMNA ”.
Jeanetta/Jumnetta Fitzhenry is Bev's grandmother. Bev would be very pleased to hear from any other researchers linked with this family, especially if they knew any family link between her great-great-grandparents James Andrew Dobbin Fitzhenry and Frances Fitzhenry (apparently nee Fitzhenry). You can leave information in the comment section below, or send an email via us and we'll pass it on to Bev.
Why not subscribe to this blog and get the updates sent to your inbox? Or send us an email about your Fitz(-)henry family links.
Firstly she's sent us lots of good stuff, which she has given permission to reprint here in the hope that she will discover some more links to her family.
Secondly there's some fantastic Anglo-Irish items which I've added to our database.
And thirdly (which made me jump up and down in a very un-English sort of way), she found one of my very own strays - Thomas Fitz-Henry, my great-great-great grandfather's brother, who emigrated to Australia in 1852, worked as a shepherd, and ended up being committed to the Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum in 1881. Up until now I had no idea that I needed to look for him in Australia.
Back to Bev's family. Here's what she wrote, starting with her great-great-grandparents:
James Andrew Dobbin FITZHENRY and Frances FITZHENRY. Not sure if this couple would have been related or not. They appear in the index to the Marriage Licence Bonds for Ossory and Ferns – LDS Micro Film No. 0100870, for the year of 1818.
Frances [c1851-1921]
Maria [1852-1920]
Daniel [1854-1924]
Samuel [c1855-?]
James [c1860-1940]
Susan [c1862-1934]
Henrietta [1864-1867]
The six surviving children immigrated to
Samuel FITZHENRY married Margaret Jane NELSON in Manchester in 1881. Their daughter Jeanetta FITZHENRY was born in 1886 on board ship in Australian waters near Thursday Island close to Cape York, the most northern point of the state of
Jeanetta/Jumnetta Fitzhenry is Bev's grandmother. Bev would be very pleased to hear from any other researchers linked with this family, especially if they knew any family link between her great-great-grandparents James Andrew Dobbin Fitzhenry and Frances Fitzhenry (apparently nee Fitzhenry). You can leave information in the comment section below, or send an email via us and we'll pass it on to Bev.
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Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Participants flood in to the Fitz(-)henry DNA study
I'm very pleased to announce that the number of participants in the Fitz(-)henry DNA study has doubled.
Ann's husband has joined the fun, and we're waiting with baited breath to see if his Irish American Protestant line has a common lineage with my Anglo Irish Catholic line.
The results are due next month. Subscribe to the blog to be among the first to see the results.
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Ann's husband has joined the fun, and we're waiting with baited breath to see if his Irish American Protestant line has a common lineage with my Anglo Irish Catholic line.
The results are due next month. Subscribe to the blog to be among the first to see the results.
Why not subscribe to this blog and get the updates sent to your inbox? Or send us an email about your Fitz(-)henry family links.
Friday, 3 October 2008
Eliza and George Fitzhenry (Part 2)
About a month ago, I wrote about the strange parallel lives of George and Eliza Fitzhenry.
At the time, I had a theory that they had married in haste as Eliza was pregnant, they parted shortly afterwards their daughter Eliza Harriett was born, and then both made further (presumably bigamous) marriages.
I already had George's second marriage certificate which, although he claimed to be a bachelor, had enough details to confirm he was the same man as married Eliza.
Eliza's second marriage certificate had a couple of surprises.
Here are the bare facts:
September 7 1846
St Mary's parish church of Paddington
Henry Hersey of full age, bachelor, gardener, Harrow Road, father Henry Hersey Toll collector
Eliza Fitzhenry of full age, spinster, Harrow Road, father Samuel Heather Fitzhenry, fisherman.
Eliza had a daughter Eliza Harriett, and in the 1851 census she was part of this family. So Henry Hersey must have known that Eliza senior had had a previous relationship to produce Eliza junior. Did he know that she was previously married and that Fitzhenry wasn't her maiden name?
And if Henry was in league with Eliza's deception, why didn't they take the option of telling the vicar that she was a respectable widow with a daughter, instead of a spinster?
The second surprise was how she styled herself and her father. Why didn't Eliza revert to calling herself Eliza Heather instead of Eliza Fitzhenry once she had parted from George?
If I had started my research into this family group with this particular certificate, I would have been looking in vain for Eliza's family as Fitzhenrys rather than Heathers. I wonder how many more of my unlinked Fitzhenrys have a story like this lying behind them?
Here's an interesting fact - according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1911), bigamy was a felony until 1828 and was reinstated as a felony in 1861... which was convenient for George and Eliza should they have ever been found out.
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At the time, I had a theory that they had married in haste as Eliza was pregnant, they parted shortly afterwards their daughter Eliza Harriett was born, and then both made further (presumably bigamous) marriages.
I already had George's second marriage certificate which, although he claimed to be a bachelor, had enough details to confirm he was the same man as married Eliza.
Eliza's second marriage certificate had a couple of surprises.
Here are the bare facts:
September 7 1846
St Mary's parish church of Paddington
Henry Hersey of full age, bachelor, gardener, Harrow Road, father Henry Hersey Toll collector
Eliza Fitzhenry of full age, spinster, Harrow Road, father Samuel Heather Fitzhenry, fisherman.
Eliza had a daughter Eliza Harriett, and in the 1851 census she was part of this family. So Henry Hersey must have known that Eliza senior had had a previous relationship to produce Eliza junior. Did he know that she was previously married and that Fitzhenry wasn't her maiden name?
And if Henry was in league with Eliza's deception, why didn't they take the option of telling the vicar that she was a respectable widow with a daughter, instead of a spinster?
The second surprise was how she styled herself and her father. Why didn't Eliza revert to calling herself Eliza Heather instead of Eliza Fitzhenry once she had parted from George?
If I had started my research into this family group with this particular certificate, I would have been looking in vain for Eliza's family as Fitzhenrys rather than Heathers. I wonder how many more of my unlinked Fitzhenrys have a story like this lying behind them?
Here's an interesting fact - according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1911), bigamy was a felony until 1828 and was reinstated as a felony in 1861... which was convenient for George and Eliza should they have ever been found out.
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Tuesday, 16 September 2008
FitzHenry Footnote
It's fitting that I'm following Jo's post about variants and deviants. I'm being a bit deviant by writing about someone who wasn't a FitzHenry. His mother-in-law, however, was a FitzHenry so I think that counts for something. :-)
Hiriam Cunningham is pictured on the right with his 1st cousin by marriage, Edwin Sawtell FitzHenry. Link to the photo here. Hiriam came into the family by marrying Enoch's granddaughter, Sarah Wilson, in April 1849. Enoch's daughter, Susanna, was Sarah's mother.
We know what happened to Edwin. What happened to Hiriam? Did he survive the Civil War? My research shows that Hiriam died in 1860. However, considering that Edwin Sawtell didn't enlist in the Calvary until August 1861 something doesn't add up. (Hiriam looks pretty good for someone that's supposed to be deceased.) I also can't find any online evidence that either man served in the Civil War. Unless the men pictured in the photograph were going to a costume party, I don't find that credible either.
I've explored the message boards and family trees on Ancestry.com and Hiriam seems to be a bit of a mystery. If anyone has information on Hiriam's fate and family, please stand up and be counted. I would like to make him more than a FitzHenry footnote.
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Monday, 15 September 2008
Deviants and variants
It turns out that the transcription errors in the 1841 and 1881 censuses that I called "variants" are in fact "deviants".
What's the difference?
A variant is a local change of surname spelling. It may start out as a spelling error when a member of the family or a clerk spells a name wrongly, but if it becomes the accepted local or family spelling, then it becomes a variant. The surname Fitzhenry started out with a hyphen after the Norman conquest, but lost it in most cases. There is a family in the US called Fitzsenry which undoubtedly started out as Fitz(-)henry, but got spelt that way during the immigration process in the 19th century and the spelling stuck.
A deviant is a mis-spelling. It's just plain wrong. Just like those census transcription errors. Speaking of which, I was emailed today by Val from Liverpool who had spent ages looking for her Fitzhenry family in the 1841 census, only to find them indexed as Fitzhenay!
And we've also been contacted by Kim, whose Fitzhenry line in the US dropped the Fitz several generations ago and are now officially just Henrys. Which does make them an extreme variant.
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Monday, 8 September 2008
Edwin Sawtell FitzHenry: After the Civil War
After “meeting” Edwin Sawtell FitzHenry in the pages of a notebook, I wondered what happened to him after the Civil War. Luckily for this branch of the FitzHenrys, Edwin’s story didn’t end on the battle field. On October 30, 1866, he said good-bye to the single life and married Sarah Jane Burns. It was a classic May to December romance with 14 years between them. In their 17 years of marriage, they had seven children. All lived past infancy, married and had children of their own. Edwin and Sarah spent most of their married life on a farm near Gibson City, Illinois.
In 1883, for unknown reasons, Edwin and his family moved to Fairbury, Nebraska. They lived in Nebraska six months until Edwin’s death on January 12, 1884, at the age of 48.
After burying her husband in the Fairbury cemetery, Sarah moved back to her home in Illinois. At the age of 34, she was a widow with children ranging in age from 5 
months to 15 years. Mrs. FitzHenry lived on her home place until her death from pneumonia on March 21, 1911. She was survived by 16 grandchildren, her mother and a sister. According to her obituary, a large crowd gathered at the church to pay a last tribute to the memory of the aged citizen and a long line of carriages and buggies followed the remains to their last resting place in the Gibson cemetery.
months to 15 years. Mrs. FitzHenry lived on her home place until her death from pneumonia on March 21, 1911. She was survived by 16 grandchildren, her mother and a sister. According to her obituary, a large crowd gathered at the church to pay a last tribute to the memory of the aged citizen and a long line of carriages and buggies followed the remains to their last resting place in the Gibson cemetery.Blessed be their memories.
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Sunday, 7 September 2008
More "extreme variants" from the 1841 census
On the Findmypast.com website, members of my own family are variously named Fitzberry and Fitzhoney. If I hadn't known they were there, I never would have found them. These names go right under the variant radar....
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The English 1881 census - the "extreme variants" named
So here are those twelve Fitz(-)henrys that take a bit more effort to find and my thoughts about where they fit in.
Miles FITZ HENRY OR HENRY Lodger U Male 20 Bham, Warwick, England
11 Garrison Lane, 3 Ct 3 House, Aston, Warwick, England
Family History Library Film 1341722
Public Records Office Ref. RG11 Piece / Folio 3022 / 95 Page 4
This man is likely to be the son of Miles FH of Albion Street, Yardley, Worcester.
Henrietta Fitz HENRY Lodger U Female 26 Jersey, Channel Islands Schoolmistress
High St, Carisbrooke, Hampshire, England
Family History Library Film 1341288
Public Records Office Ref RG11 Piece / Folio 1176 / 104 Page 8
This is the eldest daughter of William Fitz-Henry of Winchester, Hampshire and Ashtead, Surrey. Although the county is given as Hampshire, Carisbrooke is on the Isle of Wight. Carisbrooke was a very trendy place in this era as Queen Victoria had her summer retreat there.
John FITZHEURY Patient U Male 22 Grimsby, Lincoln, England Seaman
Dreadnought Seamens Hospital Greenwich S E Kent, England
Family History Library Film 1341169
Public Records Office Ref RG11 Piece / Folio 0727 / 116 Page 2
This may be the future husband of Tasmania Palfrey. Grimsby was a busy fishing port but is not a town that has "native" Fitzhenrys. On the marriage certificate of Tasmania and John FH, his father is also noted as a seaman, so this may be the reason he was born there.
William FITZHENNY Lodger U Male 34 Pimlico, Middlesex, England Music Librarian
29 Gt James Street London, Middlesex, England
Family History Library Film 1341074
Public Records Office Ref RG11 Piece / Folio 0339 / 77 Page Number 64
This man is a member of Lesley Champion's family.
John W FITZHENNY Head M male 25 Middlesex St Pancras Solicitors general clerk
Honoria J. FITZHENNY Wife M female 24 Middlesex Hoxton
Emily M. FITZHENNY Daug U female 8 mon Middlesex St Pancras
9 Warner Street, Islington Middlesex
Family History Library film 1341052
PRO ref RG11 Piece / folio 241 / 100 Page 4
Edward FITZHEURY Head M Male 41 Liverpool, Lancashire, England Coppersmith
John R. FITZHEURY Son Male 13 Liverpool, Lancashire, England Scholar
James FITZHEURY Son Male 9 Liverpool, Lancashire, England Scholar
Daniel FITZHEURY Son Male 6 Liverpool, Lancashire, England Scholar
Matthew FITZHEURY Son Male 4 Liverpool, Lancashire, England
18 Back Blake St, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Family History Library Film 1341867
Public Records Office Ref RG11 Piece / Folio 3621 / 33 Page 28
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Miles FITZ HENRY OR HENRY Lodger U Male 20 Bham, Warwick, England
11 Garrison Lane, 3 Ct 3 House, Aston, Warwick, England
Family History Library Film 1341722
Public Records Office Ref. RG11 Piece / Folio 3022 / 95 Page 4
This man is likely to be the son of Miles FH of Albion Street, Yardley, Worcester.
Henrietta Fitz HENRY Lodger U Female 26 Jersey, Channel Islands Schoolmistress
High St, Carisbrooke, Hampshire, England
Family History Library Film 1341288
Public Records Office Ref RG11 Piece / Folio 1176 / 104 Page 8
This is the eldest daughter of William Fitz-Henry of Winchester, Hampshire and Ashtead, Surrey. Although the county is given as Hampshire, Carisbrooke is on the Isle of Wight. Carisbrooke was a very trendy place in this era as Queen Victoria had her summer retreat there.
John FITZHEURY Patient U Male 22 Grimsby, Lincoln, England Seaman
Dreadnought Seamens Hospital Greenwich S E Kent, England
Family History Library Film 1341169
Public Records Office Ref RG11 Piece / Folio 0727 / 116 Page 2
This may be the future husband of Tasmania Palfrey. Grimsby was a busy fishing port but is not a town that has "native" Fitzhenrys. On the marriage certificate of Tasmania and John FH, his father is also noted as a seaman, so this may be the reason he was born there.
William FITZHENNY Lodger U Male 34 Pimlico, Middlesex, England Music Librarian
29 Gt James Street London, Middlesex, England
Family History Library Film 1341074
Public Records Office Ref RG11 Piece / Folio 0339 / 77 Page Number 64
This man is a member of Lesley Champion's family.
John W FITZHENNY Head M male 25 Middlesex St Pancras Solicitors general clerk
Honoria J. FITZHENNY Wife M female 24 Middlesex Hoxton
Emily M. FITZHENNY Daug U female 8 mon Middlesex St Pancras
9 Warner Street, Islington Middlesex
Family History Library film 1341052
PRO ref RG11 Piece / folio 241 / 100 Page 4
Edward FITZHEURY Head M Male 41 Liverpool, Lancashire, England Coppersmith
John R. FITZHEURY Son Male 13 Liverpool, Lancashire, England Scholar
James FITZHEURY Son Male 9 Liverpool, Lancashire, England Scholar
Daniel FITZHEURY Son Male 6 Liverpool, Lancashire, England Scholar
Matthew FITZHEURY Son Male 4 Liverpool, Lancashire, England
18 Back Blake St, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Family History Library Film 1341867
Public Records Office Ref RG11 Piece / Folio 3621 / 33 Page 28
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The English 1881 census and the "extreme variants".
A bit of a nerdy stats update.
In the English 1881 census there are officially 96 Fitzhenrys using the usual variant spellings (Fitzhenry, Fitz-Henry, Fitz Henry) which are easily picked up using the search engines in Ancestry, Findmypast and Familysearch.
Dig a bit deeper and you find another 12.
I've found two just in as Henry with Fitz as a given name.
Four Fitzhennys
And most bizarrely, six Fitzheurys in two different households.
The twelve "extreme variant" names are all entered correctly as Fitzhenry by the census enumerators (I've looked at the originals). They have just been wrongly transcribed by the genealogy companies.
So if you've lost a Fitz(-)henry, try the "extreme variants" listed above and also Fitzkenny, Fitzkenry, Fitzhenery and Fiteshenry, all of which I've found other indexes.
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Friday, 5 September 2008
A small Fitzhenry family in Chester...
I've been in Chester in Cheshire for the past few days and found the area where a Fitzhenry family lived from 1836-1851.
They lived in an area called Kaleyards, a place that used to be the kitchen garden for the ancient Chester Cathedral in the centre of the city. For a look at how this area still looks all these years later, this is a great web site.
In the 1841 census, Catharine Fitzhenry aged 5 lives with
Thomas Harrison (55, a ropemaker born in Cheshire) and
Harriet Harrison (30, a female servant also born in Cheshire).
In the 1851 census, the family is still living in Kaleyards
Thomas Harrison head, 67 years, widower, ropemaker
Harriet Fitzhenry serv, 40 years, married, housekeeper
Catharine Fitzhenry, neice, 14 years, unmarried, scholar
According to the IGI, Catharine Fitzhenry was christened on 29 July 1836 at St. Mary's Chester. She was the daughter of Henry and Harriette Fitzhenry.
I can't find any record of any of these people after the 1851 census.
I'm working on the supposition that Harriet was Thomas Harrison's younger sister (although there is 27 years between them). This makes Catharine his neice. And explains why Harriet is named Harrison in the 1841 census.
But why did Harriet call herself Harrison in 1841 if she was married to Henry Fitzhenry? Was this the enumerator's error? And why is she called a servant instead of a sister in 1851?
And what happened to Henry?
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They lived in an area called Kaleyards, a place that used to be the kitchen garden for the ancient Chester Cathedral in the centre of the city. For a look at how this area still looks all these years later, this is a great web site.
In the 1841 census, Catharine Fitzhenry aged 5 lives with
Thomas Harrison (55, a ropemaker born in Cheshire) and
Harriet Harrison (30, a female servant also born in Cheshire).
In the 1851 census, the family is still living in Kaleyards
Thomas Harrison head, 67 years, widower, ropemaker
Harriet Fitzhenry serv, 40 years, married, housekeeper
Catharine Fitzhenry, neice, 14 years, unmarried, scholar
According to the IGI, Catharine Fitzhenry was christened on 29 July 1836 at St. Mary's Chester. She was the daughter of Henry and Harriette Fitzhenry.
I can't find any record of any of these people after the 1851 census.
I'm working on the supposition that Harriet was Thomas Harrison's younger sister (although there is 27 years between them). This makes Catharine his neice. And explains why Harriet is named Harrison in the 1841 census.
But why did Harriet call herself Harrison in 1841 if she was married to Henry Fitzhenry? Was this the enumerator's error? And why is she called a servant instead of a sister in 1851?
And what happened to Henry?
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Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Baptism of Thomas Fitzhenry in Clare, County Mayo in 1840
I'm indebted to the EastMayo.org genealogy website for the following entry. This is a fantastic collection of Family history record transcriptions from this locality in Ireland.
Baptism April 7 1840 --Clare--
Thomas of Thomas Edmond FitzHenry and Mary Connally
sponsors -Thomas Walter Bourke, Bridget Lynsky
This family may be related to Andrew Fitzhenry the doctor "of Clare, County Mayo". Andrew had a son called Thomas born in 1811.
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Baptism April 7 1840 --Clare--
Thomas of Thomas Edmond FitzHenry and Mary Connally
sponsors -Thomas Walter Bourke, Bridget Lynsky
This family may be related to Andrew Fitzhenry the doctor "of Clare, County Mayo". Andrew had a son called Thomas born in 1811.
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Tuesday, 2 September 2008
When Family Meets History
Are there any American Civil War buffs out there?Edwin Sawtell FitzHenry, son of Johnson FitzHenry and grandson of Enoch FitzHenry, was born in 1835. He enlisted in the Union Army as a farrier. During his three years of service, he was said to have been in 17 battles including Gettysburg. Over 50,000 people died at Gettysburg. Edwin survived because he was closer to the rear shoeing horses. He was wounded in the hand.
Edwin Sawtell FitzHenry and 1st Cousin by marriage, Hiram Cunningham
His discharge is as follows:
"To all to whom it may concern. Know ye, that Edwin S. FitzHenry a Garier of Captain August V. Kantos Company (B) Sixth Regiment of Cavalry Volunteers, who was enrolled on the fifth day of August 1861 to serve (3) years is hereby discharged from the Army of the U.S. in consequence of the expiration of enlistment. Said Edwin S. FitzHenry was born in Dublin in the State of Ohio, is (25) years of age, 5 feet 6 1/2 inches high, rudy complexion, gray eyes, light hair, and by occupation, when enrolled, a blacksmith. Given at Light House Point, this fifth day of August 1864. J.W. Spangler, 1st Lieut. 6th U.S. Calvary, Commanding the Regiment. Character good."
Filed for record February 26, 1879, in book A, Soldier's Discharge Record, page 264 in Pontiac, Illinois.
"To all to whom it may concern. Know ye, that Edwin S. FitzHenry a Garier of Captain August V. Kantos Company (B) Sixth Regiment of Cavalry Volunteers, who was enrolled on the fifth day of August 1861 to serve (3) years is hereby discharged from the Army of the U.S. in consequence of the expiration of enlistment. Said Edwin S. FitzHenry was born in Dublin in the State of Ohio, is (25) years of age, 5 feet 6 1/2 inches high, rudy complexion, gray eyes, light hair, and by occupation, when enrolled, a blacksmith. Given at Light House Point, this fifth day of August 1864. J.W. Spangler, 1st Lieut. 6th U.S. Calvary, Commanding the Regiment. Character good."
Filed for record February 26, 1879, in book A, Soldier's Discharge Record, page 264 in Pontiac, Illinois.
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Monday, 1 September 2008
Will the real Dr George Fitzhenry please stand up?
Here's an interesting situation. It may be entirely coincidental that I've found two Dr George Fitzhenrys born in London at the same time in the early 1800s ... or there may be an elaborate double life going on.
June 1839. George Fitzhenry (bachelor of full age, surgeon, father "Arthur Fitzhenry of the Civilian ECS" which I believe is the East India Company Service) marries Eliza Heather (spinster, of full age) in St Giles in the Fields London.
September 1839. Eliza registers the birth (in London) of their daughter Eliza Harriett. She gives her own name as "Eliza Fitzhenry, late Parslow, formerly Heather". For the uninitiated, this implies that she has been married to a chap called Mr. Parslow before she married George FH ... although she said she was a spinster.
December 1839. George and Eliza have Eliza Harriett christened at St Mary's Church in Worthing, Sussex. It is noted that they also live in St George Hanover Square in London. George is an "assistant surgeon".
1841 census. Eliza (aged 30) and Eliza Harriett (aged 1) are living in Worthing, Sussex. Unfortunately, marital status wasn't recorded in this census. Eliza the elder's birthplace is Sussex and she is of independent means.
The only adult George FH in this census is living in the house of a Dr William Havins Pope, a surgeon in Wellingborough Northamptonshire. George is aged 25 (born about 1816), a surgeon by trade and wasn't born in Northamptonshire
1846. Eliza the elder marries again to a man called Charles Hersey in Kensington (Third quarter 1846). There have been no deaths registered for a George Fitzhenry in the England and Wales indexes in the meantime.
1851 census. Charles and Eliza Hersey are living in Hampstead, London. Eliza is aged 36 born Worthing Sussex. Eliza Harriett is named as Eliza H. F. Hersey aged 11.
I can't find George FH (but I've only got the Ancestry index to the 1851 census and they missed him in the 1841 census as well.)
1853. A George Fitzhenry, surgeon, bachelor aged 36 (father George Arthur Fitzhenry of the East India Company Service) marries Jane Thomas (spinster aged 23) in the Register Office at Abergavenny in Wales. They have no children. George continues his medical practice in this area of Wales until his death in 1893. In every census his birthplace is given as London, Middlesex.
1864 Eliza Harriett Fitzhenry marries in the third quarter 1864 in Marylebone, London. (GRO indexes)
1893. George FH dies. His obituary in the British Medical Journal says that he was 80 (born in 1813) and gained his Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1844. Jane remarries the following year.
I know I'm one for a good tale, but I can't see any way around this being one and the same George Fitzhenry. Did George and Eliza in the pre-divorce era decide that they just couldn't stand the sight of each other any more, and decided to start again in opposite ends of the country?
And where does Mr Parslow (the alleged first husband of Eliza senior) fit into this tale?
Unfortunately, all the interesting activity is happening just as registration started in 1837 so there is no way to check back further to George FH's birth records to see if there was one or two of them.
There's only one thing for it - to send off for Eliza Heather's second (or even third!) marriage certificate and see what she had to say about her marital status that time ....
Amendment made 5th September: Lesley has pointed out that Eliza married Henry Hersey in 1846. Where did I get the name Charles from?
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