Back to the marriage and baptism records at the Abbey Centre, Graiguenamanagh.
The second Fitzhenry marriage was as follows and I believe this was the eldest daughter of Martin Fitzhenry and Judith Doyle
:
16 August 1865
Martin Farrell Clohasta
Mary Fitzhenry Clohasta
(Register 3, page 132)
The following three children were baptised at Graiguenamanagh but the family resided on the south bank of the river Barrow in Tinnahinch, spelt in 3 different ways in the register: These are baptism dates rather than birth dates.
1 August 1869
Martin Farrell
Martin and Mary Fitzhenry
Tinnehinch
16 August 1870
Mary Farrell
Martin and Mary Fitzsimons
Tinnahinch
(I think Fitzsimons is a mistake by the priest - in all other respects the details fit. There are no more Martin and Mary Farrell couples in Tinnahinch)
23 April 1873
Bridget Farrell
Martin and Mary Fitzhenry
Tennahinch
From an old message left on the Ancestry website some years ago, this family emigrated to New South Wales in 1883. If there are any descendants out there who have more information on this family, please get in touch.
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Monday, 6 December 2010
Sunday, 5 December 2010
St Mullins Graveyard, County Carlow - 1
The Abbey Centre at Graiguenamanagh also has some reference books about the locality. There is a series of books recording gravestone inscriptions from the graveyards from the surrounding areas.
The graveyard at St Mullins has six Fitzhenry gravestones. So I went to take a look for myself.
St Mullins is the site of dissolved abbey about 5 miles south of Graigue. St Mullin himself was a local saint who is a patron saint of the area. As you can see on the Wikipedia map, it is on the cusp of three counties: Kilkenny, Carlow and Wexford. It's a lovely area and well worth a visit. One of the most famous people buried in the graveyard is General Thomas Cloney, one of the leaders of the 1798 rebellion.
There were 3 Fitzhenry stones in a row, and 3 others with Fitzhenry "mentions". I'm going to discuss the 3 stones in a row as a group. If you click on the picture, it opens a larger version.
The transcripts are from the book "St Mullins and St Michaels Tombstone Inscriptions" pub St Mullins Muintir na Tir 1988
The oldest stone is on the right as you face them.This was elaborately carved in late 18th century script with religious carvings at the top of the stone.
Stone 2 on the left is now so covered with lichen that it can't be read. To remove the lichen would damage the stone and what remains of the carving, so I can't confirm the dates, but here is the book transcription.
The Michael Fitzhenry added to the stone is the murdered schoolteacher from the Rathgarogue school - I do not know at present how he links in with this family.
And did you notice the Martin Fitzhenry died 1848 aged 46 on the second stone. Could this be our elusive husband of Judith Doyle?
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The graveyard at St Mullins has six Fitzhenry gravestones. So I went to take a look for myself.
St Mullins is the site of dissolved abbey about 5 miles south of Graigue. St Mullin himself was a local saint who is a patron saint of the area. As you can see on the Wikipedia map, it is on the cusp of three counties: Kilkenny, Carlow and Wexford. It's a lovely area and well worth a visit. One of the most famous people buried in the graveyard is General Thomas Cloney, one of the leaders of the 1798 rebellion.
There were 3 Fitzhenry stones in a row, and 3 others with Fitzhenry "mentions". I'm going to discuss the 3 stones in a row as a group. If you click on the picture, it opens a larger version.The transcripts are from the book "St Mullins and St Michaels Tombstone Inscriptions" pub St Mullins Muintir na Tir 1988
The oldest stone is on the right as you face them.This was elaborately carved in late 18th century script with religious carvings at the top of the stone.
This stone was erec'd in mem'ryThe carving "Lambay in Newfoundland" is quite indistinct and I have relied on the book transcription for this. However, I can only find Lambay as an island off the County Dublin coast. There is no Lambay that I can find in Newfoundland.
of Nicholas Fitzhenry dep'd
This Life Sep'ber 12th 1763 ag'd 78 yrs
Also his wife Bridget Byrne dep'd
March 15th 1756 aged 56 yrs
& Edward Fitz'ry dep'd Dec'ber 21
1796 Aged 72 yrs Also the Body
of Nancy Fitzhenery who died
At Lambay in Newfoundland Feb'y
19th 1807 aged 85 yr.
Stone 2 on the left is now so covered with lichen that it can't be read. To remove the lichen would damage the stone and what remains of the carving, so I can't confirm the dates, but here is the book transcription.
IHSStone 3 is in the middle and is very easily read. The last name has been added to the stone since the book was compiled in 1988.
In memoriam.
Erected by the Rev. James Fitzhenry (Missionary South Africa) in memory of
James Fitzhenry died in 1847 aged 73 yrs.
Margaret Fitzhenry Nee Gorman died in 1840 aged 65 yrs.
Edward Fitzhenry died 1847 aged 40 yrs.
Patrick Fitzhenry died 1888 aged 84 yrs
Martin Fitzhenry died 1848 aged 46 yrs
Nancy Ryan died 1895 aged 71 yrs
John Ryan died 1879 aged 73 yrs
Judy Ryan died 1852 aged 74 yrs
Edward Ryan died 1891 aged 92 yrs
In Sad and loving Memory ofI have featured this family before as I found the Rev. James Fitzhenry in a book about Templeudigan. This now gives us 3 generations of this family and the information that James Fitzhenry himself died out in South Aftrica. As yet I do not know how the Ryans are related, but the Gormans crop up again very soon.
Michael Fitzhenry
Died 4-3-1904 aged 93
Rev James Fitzhenry
Died Grahamstown South Africa
30- 4 -1919 aged 73
Margaret Fitzhenry
Died 6 - 5 -23 aged 73
Martin Fitzhenry
Died 19-4-1927 aged 75
Patrick Fitzhenry
Died 1-11-1931 aged 76
Walter Fitzhenry
Died 14-3-1939 aged 82
(late of Monamolin Rathnure)
Michael Fitzhenry N.T.
Poulpeasty
Died May 17th 1863 aged 28 years
The Michael Fitzhenry added to the stone is the murdered schoolteacher from the Rathgarogue school - I do not know at present how he links in with this family.
And did you notice the Martin Fitzhenry died 1848 aged 46 on the second stone. Could this be our elusive husband of Judith Doyle?
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Ireland Road Trip part 2 - Judith Doyle
The children of Martin Fitzhenry and Judith Doyle were born in Clohasta (Mary, 1838) and Stackley (all the rest 1840-1847).
When I asked Mary in the Abbey Centre where Stackley was, she was very sure of the directions she gave me to the townland, a couple of miles north of Graiguenamanagh, out past Mooneen on one of the minor roads.
When I looked for Stackley on the map, it didn't seem to exist, and neither did it appear when I googled it.
However Mooneen was previously known as Moneen (that led me a merry dance trying to find that in modern Ireland), so I started some creative phonetic searching and found the townland of Stakally. I had noticed the tendency to spell the townlands phonectically in the registers, but as Stackley was spelt consistently the same throughout, I thought this at least was the proper spelling!
In Griffith's Valuations (the register of who owned property and who was renting it in Ireland), in 1850 a Judith Doyle was renting land in Stakally (no buildings attached) from James Brophy, who was sub-letting the land from Sir Josiah C. Coghill, Baronet. Sir Josiah owned all the land in Stakally.
Stakally is the next townland north of Moneen (Mooneen in modern spelling), where a Judith Fitzhenry was renting a house and garden from her joint landlords Anthony Wellman, John Flood, Mrs Rebecca Creane and Mrs Elizabeth Walsh. Again, these four people owned all the land in Moneen.
Were these two women one and the same person? It was common for married women to continue to use their maiden names. What wasn't usual however was for married women to rent property in their own right. It would have expected that if Martin was still part of this family, then the property would have been in his name. Sometime between 1847 and 1850 I expect Martin left the family either through migration, desertion or his death. This was the time of the Irish famine, so the death of a young man would not have been uncommon. This may have also been when Judith's child died.
Nowadays, the old buildings of Moneen and Stakally have gone, but there are what I believe are the remains of an old church at Stakally... in a cow field. Here's the best picture I could get of it. It could of course be just an old cow shed.
Here is a picture of the grand gates leading to the farm at Stakally - they look like they were built after 1850, but these were the landmarks given to me so that I knew that I was in the Stakally townland area. If there's one thing that I found on this trip, it is that townlands aren't signposted in the conventional way... it was more a concept of where you were rather than a marked area.
Here is the excellent Griffith's Valuation website so you can have a look at the entries and see how close the two townlands were, on maps used at the time for the Valuations.
Admiral Sir Josiah C. Coghill, 3rd Baronet Coghill of Coghill, County York, resided in Belvedere, County Dublin.
He owned extensive lands in County Kilkenny.
He died 20 June 1850.
Ref: The Peerage.com and Griffith's valuations
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When I asked Mary in the Abbey Centre where Stackley was, she was very sure of the directions she gave me to the townland, a couple of miles north of Graiguenamanagh, out past Mooneen on one of the minor roads.
When I looked for Stackley on the map, it didn't seem to exist, and neither did it appear when I googled it.
However Mooneen was previously known as Moneen (that led me a merry dance trying to find that in modern Ireland), so I started some creative phonetic searching and found the townland of Stakally. I had noticed the tendency to spell the townlands phonectically in the registers, but as Stackley was spelt consistently the same throughout, I thought this at least was the proper spelling!
In Griffith's Valuations (the register of who owned property and who was renting it in Ireland), in 1850 a Judith Doyle was renting land in Stakally (no buildings attached) from James Brophy, who was sub-letting the land from Sir Josiah C. Coghill, Baronet. Sir Josiah owned all the land in Stakally.
Stakally is the next townland north of Moneen (Mooneen in modern spelling), where a Judith Fitzhenry was renting a house and garden from her joint landlords Anthony Wellman, John Flood, Mrs Rebecca Creane and Mrs Elizabeth Walsh. Again, these four people owned all the land in Moneen.
Were these two women one and the same person? It was common for married women to continue to use their maiden names. What wasn't usual however was for married women to rent property in their own right. It would have expected that if Martin was still part of this family, then the property would have been in his name. Sometime between 1847 and 1850 I expect Martin left the family either through migration, desertion or his death. This was the time of the Irish famine, so the death of a young man would not have been uncommon. This may have also been when Judith's child died.
Nowadays, the old buildings of Moneen and Stakally have gone, but there are what I believe are the remains of an old church at Stakally... in a cow field. Here's the best picture I could get of it. It could of course be just an old cow shed.
Here is a picture of the grand gates leading to the farm at Stakally - they look like they were built after 1850, but these were the landmarks given to me so that I knew that I was in the Stakally townland area. If there's one thing that I found on this trip, it is that townlands aren't signposted in the conventional way... it was more a concept of where you were rather than a marked area.Here is the excellent Griffith's Valuation website so you can have a look at the entries and see how close the two townlands were, on maps used at the time for the Valuations.
Admiral Sir Josiah C. Coghill, 3rd Baronet Coghill of Coghill, County York, resided in Belvedere, County Dublin.
He owned extensive lands in County Kilkenny.
He died 20 June 1850.
Ref: The Peerage.com and Griffith's valuations
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Saturday, 4 December 2010
Ireland Road Trip part 1 - Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny.
Every so often I take off on a road trip which allows me to do some more focused and in-depth local research, find stuff that just isn't out there on the internet, and meet some remarkable people.
The first place I visited was Graiguenamanagh in County Kilkenny, near the borders with both County Wexford and County Carlow. Kilkenny isn't a county which has native Fitzhenrys apart from one family which we have featured before. We have had previous contributions from Matthew Fitzhenry and Alan Hagenson who are both members of this family group.
What we knew already from descendants of this family:
Martin Fitzhenry (family unknown) married Judith or Julia Doyle of Clohasta, County Kilkenny (marriage date unknown).
Julia Doyle stated at her second marriage in 1857 that she had 5 children living and one dead, but up until now, only 4 of the 6 had been identified.
These wereMary (1838, Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny)
Martin John (1845 Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny)
Bridget (1846 Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny)
Michael Herbert (1854, Australia)
In the 1850 Griffith's Valuations of Ireland, a Judith Fitzhenry was renting land in her own name in Moneen, a townland of Graiguenamanagh.
In 1854 she emigrated to Australia, apparently on her own, leaving her children in Ireland and gave birth to another son Michael Herbert "while she was still in the immigrant's depot".
She married a Patrick Bourk in 1857.
Her daughter Bridget came to Australia in 1863 and died in Sydney in 1865 aged 19.
Her son Martin John came to Australia in 1871 after spending some time in India in the British Army.
Graiguenamanagh is a small town on the north-west curve of the River Barrow. In days past, the town was centred on Duiske Abbey, which was dissolved in 1536, the ruins taken over by the Protestants and returned to the Catholic community in the 1800s. The main church was rebuilt and completed in the 1980s.
The present day town surrounds the rebuilt church and old buildings from the abbey can still be found dotted around the town.
On the inner bend of the river on the South-East bank is the town of Tinnahinch, which is in County Carlow, although parochially it still comes under Graiguenamanagh.
The Abbey Centre is one of the old Abbey buildings on the northern perimeter of the Abbey church grounds, which now sits next to a modern local library and health centre. The Abbey Centre sells religious books and artworks as well as books focusing on local history and personalities. And... they hold transcripts of the Baptism and Marriage records for the Parish of Graiguenamanagh, transcribed by the Graiguenamanagh Local History Society back in 1984. Bless you, Local History Society for this, and thank you to Mary who was manning the Centre that Tuesday when I went there.
The Graiguenamanagh marriage records covered the period 1818-1910 and also gave the townland (the outlying farming area) where the bride and groom came from. There were two marriages of interest.
27 February 1838
Martin Fitzharris - Clohasta
Judy Doyle - Clohasta
(Register 1, page 62)
16 August 1865
Martin Farrell - Clohasta
Mary Fitzhenry - Clohasta
(Register 3, page 132)
Although Martin had styled himself Fitzharris rather than Fitzhenry, there is no doubt that this is our Martin-Judy couple. We have seen previously that the variant Fitzharris was used interchangeably in the Irish Fitzhenry families. Clohasta is a townland just to the west of Graiguenamanagh.
Amendment 15 August 2012: Clohasta (Spelt Cloghasty in Griffith's Valuations in the 1850s and spelt Clohastia today) is upriver of Graiguenamanagh, a few miles north-East, on the West bank of the graceful curve of the River Barrow.
Who is Mary? I believe that this is the eldest child of Martin and Judy, who was 15 years old when she was left in Ireland while her mother went to Australia.
The Baptism registers covered July 1818 to December 1910 and again gave the townland. Remember that these are baptism dates, not birth dates.
8 December 1838
Mary daughter of Martin Fitzhenry and Judith or Judy Doyle
of Clohasta
22 October 1840
Bridget daughter of Martin Fitzhenry and Judy Doyle
of Stackley
This means that when Bridget died in Sydney in 1865, she was 25 years of age rather than 19.
13 November 1842
Martin son of Martin Fitzhenry and Judy Doyle
of Stackley
4 February 1845
James son of Martin Fitzhenry and Judy Doyle
of Stackley
16 May 1847
Ann daughter of Martin Fitzhenary [sic] and Judith Doyle
of Stackley
This now accounts for all six of Judith Doyle's children,along with Michael Herbert born in 1854. We know that Mary (married in 1865), Bridget (died in 1865), Martin (emigrated to Australia in 1871) and Michael (1854-1910) were all still alive in 1857. Either Ann or James died before 1857.
Tomorrow - Judith Doyle in the Griffith's Valuations, and Mary and Martin Farrell's family
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The first place I visited was Graiguenamanagh in County Kilkenny, near the borders with both County Wexford and County Carlow. Kilkenny isn't a county which has native Fitzhenrys apart from one family which we have featured before. We have had previous contributions from Matthew Fitzhenry and Alan Hagenson who are both members of this family group.
What we knew already from descendants of this family:
Martin Fitzhenry (family unknown) married Judith or Julia Doyle of Clohasta, County Kilkenny (marriage date unknown).
Julia Doyle stated at her second marriage in 1857 that she had 5 children living and one dead, but up until now, only 4 of the 6 had been identified.
These wereMary (1838, Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny)
Martin John (1845 Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny)
Bridget (1846 Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny)
Michael Herbert (1854, Australia)
In the 1850 Griffith's Valuations of Ireland, a Judith Fitzhenry was renting land in her own name in Moneen, a townland of Graiguenamanagh.
In 1854 she emigrated to Australia, apparently on her own, leaving her children in Ireland and gave birth to another son Michael Herbert "while she was still in the immigrant's depot".
She married a Patrick Bourk in 1857.
Her daughter Bridget came to Australia in 1863 and died in Sydney in 1865 aged 19.
Her son Martin John came to Australia in 1871 after spending some time in India in the British Army.
Graiguenamanagh is a small town on the north-west curve of the River Barrow. In days past, the town was centred on Duiske Abbey, which was dissolved in 1536, the ruins taken over by the Protestants and returned to the Catholic community in the 1800s. The main church was rebuilt and completed in the 1980s.
The present day town surrounds the rebuilt church and old buildings from the abbey can still be found dotted around the town.
On the inner bend of the river on the South-East bank is the town of Tinnahinch, which is in County Carlow, although parochially it still comes under Graiguenamanagh.
The Abbey Centre is one of the old Abbey buildings on the northern perimeter of the Abbey church grounds, which now sits next to a modern local library and health centre. The Abbey Centre sells religious books and artworks as well as books focusing on local history and personalities. And... they hold transcripts of the Baptism and Marriage records for the Parish of Graiguenamanagh, transcribed by the Graiguenamanagh Local History Society back in 1984. Bless you, Local History Society for this, and thank you to Mary who was manning the Centre that Tuesday when I went there.
The Graiguenamanagh marriage records covered the period 1818-1910 and also gave the townland (the outlying farming area) where the bride and groom came from. There were two marriages of interest.
27 February 1838
Martin Fitzharris - Clohasta
Judy Doyle - Clohasta
(Register 1, page 62)
16 August 1865
Martin Farrell - Clohasta
Mary Fitzhenry - Clohasta
(Register 3, page 132)
Although Martin had styled himself Fitzharris rather than Fitzhenry, there is no doubt that this is our Martin-Judy couple. We have seen previously that the variant Fitzharris was used interchangeably in the Irish Fitzhenry families. Clohasta is a townland just to the west of Graiguenamanagh.
Amendment 15 August 2012: Clohasta (Spelt Cloghasty in Griffith's Valuations in the 1850s and spelt Clohastia today) is upriver of Graiguenamanagh, a few miles north-East, on the West bank of the graceful curve of the River Barrow.
Who is Mary? I believe that this is the eldest child of Martin and Judy, who was 15 years old when she was left in Ireland while her mother went to Australia.
The Baptism registers covered July 1818 to December 1910 and again gave the townland. Remember that these are baptism dates, not birth dates.
8 December 1838
Mary daughter of Martin Fitzhenry and Judith or Judy Doyle
of Clohasta
22 October 1840
Bridget daughter of Martin Fitzhenry and Judy Doyle
of Stackley
This means that when Bridget died in Sydney in 1865, she was 25 years of age rather than 19.
13 November 1842
Martin son of Martin Fitzhenry and Judy Doyle
of Stackley
4 February 1845
James son of Martin Fitzhenry and Judy Doyle
of Stackley
16 May 1847
Ann daughter of Martin Fitzhenary [sic] and Judith Doyle
of Stackley
This now accounts for all six of Judith Doyle's children,along with Michael Herbert born in 1854. We know that Mary (married in 1865), Bridget (died in 1865), Martin (emigrated to Australia in 1871) and Michael (1854-1910) were all still alive in 1857. Either Ann or James died before 1857.
Tomorrow - Judith Doyle in the Griffith's Valuations, and Mary and Martin Farrell's family
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Thursday, 2 December 2010
DNA testing - End of year offer from FamilyTreeDNA
Long term subscribers to the Blog will know that here at the Fitz(-)henry Surname project, we are using modern DNA analysis techniques to find links between the Fitzhenry / Fitz-Henry families, as well as using the traditional documentary and oral history resources.
We use the FamilyTreeDNA laboratories to host our project, and every so often they have a "special offer" price. Here is the text of the message which I was sent yesterday as the Surname Study Co-ordinator.
We are looking for more Fitzhenry men to take the test (only men have the Y-chromosome) and to help break down some of our brick walls. Remember the fantastic result we had last year when we linked the numerous descendants of Enoch Fitzhenry in the USA with one of the big Australian families which showed that Enoch originally came from County Wexford?
If you want any more information, please have a look at the Fitz(-)henry study page at the FamilyTreeDNA website. Or drop us an email here at the Blog using the link below.
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.
We use the FamilyTreeDNA laboratories to host our project, and every so often they have a "special offer" price. Here is the text of the message which I was sent yesterday as the Surname Study Co-ordinator.
Seasons Greetings!I've highlighted the prices for the 37 and 67 marker Y-chromosome DNA tests, as these are the ones that are of most use for surname study purposes.
It's time once again for Family Tree DNA's annual end-of-year promotion.
Starting tonight, and until December 31st, we will reduce the price of our YDNA37, YDNA67, mtDNAPlus, and Family Finder tests.
Price for NEW KITS: Regular Price Promotional Price
YDNA37 $149 $119
YDNA67 $239 $199
mtDNAPlus $159 $129
Family Finder $289 $249
Price for UPGRADE:
Family Finder $289 $229
Orders must be in and paid for by Dec. 31, 2010, to receive this offer.
IMPORTANT: since this promotion will run through the month of December, we encourage you to spread the word starting now, as the natural tendency is for people to order at the last minute, and we will not extend it beyond 12/31/2010.
We are looking for more Fitzhenry men to take the test (only men have the Y-chromosome) and to help break down some of our brick walls. Remember the fantastic result we had last year when we linked the numerous descendants of Enoch Fitzhenry in the USA with one of the big Australian families which showed that Enoch originally came from County Wexford?
If you want any more information, please have a look at the Fitz(-)henry study page at the FamilyTreeDNA website. Or drop us an email here at the Blog using the link below.
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.
What I've been up to recently...
Dear All
You may wonder why there has been a derth of posts in November. Work has been hectic (as usual) and then I took a short break in Ireland.
The first stop was in Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny. I was following up the only Fitzhenry family in County Kilkenny who emigrated to Australia back in 1854, and found some very interesting new leads and met some really lovely people.
The second stop was in Cornamona / Clonbur / Cong in County Galway, meeting the real life Fitzhenrys who are still living in the area. And I met some more really lovely people!
This Irish Road Trip will be immortalised in the next Road Trip series which I hope to start posting over this coming weekend.
Declan Fitzhenry has found us and the post we wrote about his match-winning bowling in the Ribblesdale Twenty-20 cup final this summer. He is now spending the winter in New Zealand, playing cricket for the Hawkes Bay club. We hope that he will continue to send us updates on how he's getting on. (See, I mentioned cricket and conspicuously didn't mention the first Ashes Test...)
And FamilyTreeDNA are doing their end of year offer for DNA testing for family history and surname studies. More about this in the next post.
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.
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Private Peter Fitzhenry (continued) and Rifleman Patrick Fitzhenry
I've been very fortunate to be able to speak tonight with the son of Peter Fitzhenry, who we featured in the last post.
Apart from confirming that we indeed had the right man, I also learned that Peter was granted his Silver War Badge after losing his arm at the Battle of Arras on the Western Front in France.
Peter was one of four brothers. His eldest brother James came to St Helen's, Lancashire, England in 1890, with Patrick and his wife and the young Peter joining them some years later. All three of these men were coal miners. The second son, John, emigrated to Canada.
When the First World War broke out, Patrick Fitzhenry enlisted for the Royal Irish Fusiliers. He was killed at Gallipoli on 6 August 1915 and is remembered on the Helles Memorial. He left a wife Catherine and 5 children.
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Sunday, 7 November 2010
Lest we forget - Private Peter Fitzhenry of the RAMC
On this Remembrance Sunday, I'm going to revisit the story of one Private Peter Fitzhenry of the Royal Army Medical Corps, a soldier that I wrote about here. I now have some more information to continue his story.
To recap... Peter Fitzhenry wasn't killed in the Great War, but he did receive wounds so severe that he was granted a Silver War Badge and discharged from further service in the Army. As his records had been destroyed by fire during the London Blitz in World War 2, at the time I could not positively identify him out of the several Peters who may have been serving in the British Army at the time.
The Silver War Badge registers at the National Archives at Kew are not yet digitised or on file, but the original register is open to view.
The register showed that SWB number 454414 was granted to Private Peter Fitzhenry of the RAMC. He enlisted on 3 November 1915 and was discharged in 9 December 1919 due to "Wounds" (the alternative reason being "sickness"). He was 35 years and 7 months at discharge, which makes his birthday around May 1884. He served overseas, but the register does not say where.
What is odd is that all the men from the RAMC who were being awarded the SWB on this page of the register in November or December 1919, over one year after the War had ended.
So where does this place Peter Fitzhenry in the wider Fitzhenry family?
The only man in my database that fits his profile is a Peter Fitzhenry who was born in County Wexford and who emigrated with the rest of his brothers to work in the coal mines in the industrial North-West of England. If my guess is correct, then Peter lost at least one and maybe two brothers in the War.
I only started writing this posting this afternoon, made the link and now I will have to consult with one of my correspondents to see if she does indeed recognise him as an ancestor. If so, I'll be able to tell you more about him soon.
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Friday, 5 November 2010
In memoriam - Anne Elizabeth Fitzhenry (nee Carty)
We at the Blog wish to send our condolences to the family of Anne Elizabeth Fitzhenry (nee Carty), who died on 27th October 2010 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Anne's obituary from the Glasgow Evening Times is posted online here.
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Thursday, 14 October 2010
Fitz-Henry entries in the Kilbride parish registers (County Wicklow)
Bev Kronk has sent us these register entries from the LDS microfiche of the registers of the burial grounds of Old Kilbride and New Kilbride. We have featured these cemeteries before in the series about the Cantwell memorial transcriptions.
The fiche comes with the bonus of also including the baptism register.
Bev's text is in normal font, and my notes are in italics. I've put hyphens in their names as this was how they spelled it.
BURIALS – FITZHENRY
Name – Where born – Date of Burial – Register Number - Age
Ann Maria Arklow 5 Apr 1844 157 4 ½ years
This girl would have been born in 1839. She isn't mentioned in the Cantwell transcriptions, but her year of birth may make her the daughter of Robert Edward and Elizabeth Fitz-Henry and hence the elder sister of Susanna Fitz-Henry who married George Wilson, and Wilhelmina Fitz-Henry who is mentioned below.
Elizabeth Dublin 15 Aug 1848 290 61 years
The mother of Robert Fitz-Henry 1819-1857 mentioned below.
Elizabeth Arklow 26 Jun 1862 559 51 years
Wife of Robert Edward Fitz-Henry and mother of Susanna and Wilhelmina (and maybe Ann Maria) Fitz-Henry.
Henry Joseph Arklow 24 Oct 1841 107 2 weeks - Infant
Again, not mentioned in the previous Cantwell transcriptions, but the right age to be another child of Robert Edward and Elizabeth Fitz-Henry.
Johanna Arklow 3 Apr 1844 156 38 years
Born in 1806. She may be another child of William and Sibella (see this post) but the adult children seem well accounted for in the gravestone memorials. She may be a sister of Robert (1819-1857) or a wife of someone that we haven't met yet.
Mary Jane Arklow 16 Dec 1849 313 2 ½ years – Infant
The first child of the marriage of William Fitz-Henry and Mary Jenkinson.
First Name not stated Arklow 19 Jan 1890 186 Not stated
The only candidate for this entry is Mary Fitz-Henry nee Jenkinson, the second wife of William Fitz-Henry.
Robert Dublin 2 Oct 1857 460 38 years
Robert's death date and age in the Cantwell transcriptions didn't match up with the dates for his mother. His age in Cantwell was transcribed as 58, rather than the 38 given here. This makes far more sense, as now his mother Elizabeth's dates are 1787-1848 and Roberts are 1819-1857.
Robert Arklow 2 Feb 1848 264 32 years
Born 1816. I've no idea how he fits in!
Robert Edward Arklow 8 Apr 1854 398 4 years
The third child of William Fitz-Henry and Mary Jenkinson.
Wihemina Arklow 20 Sep 1860 524 17 years
[the Christian name is how it was recorded – no letter l]
The sister of Susanna Fitz-Henry - here's her memorial.
William Arklow 24 Oct 1859 498 71 years
The patriarch of the family. He was married firstly to Sibella, and then Mary Jenkinson.
William Arklow 9 Jan 1843 133 23 years
The third child of William and Sibella Fitz-Henry
BAPTISMS – FITZHENRY
All are children of Charles J and Charlotte Elizabeth FITZHENRY. Charles and Elizabeth and two of their infant children were buried at St Bridgid's churchyard and we have featured this family in a previous post.
Name – Date of Baptism – Reference Number
John Joseph – 5 Sep 1886 – 87 A
Josephine Emily – 15 Feb 1888 – 101 A
Kathleen Jane – 8 Oct 1887 – 93 A
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Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Enoch Fitzhenry's stone in the Veteran's Park, Dublin, Ohio
In May 2009, we featured the unveiling ceremony of the memorial stones to Enoch Fitzhenry and many other American revolutionaries, in this blog posting.These are in the Veteran's Park in Dublin, Ohio.
Sharon Ambrose (herself a descendant of Enoch) was kind enough to send us this photo of the actual memorial stone to Enoch Fitzhenry. Thanks Sharon!
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Saturday, 2 October 2010
Professor Terrance Fitz-Henry 1939-2010
The Blog wishes to mark the passing of Terrance R. Fitz-Henry, retired professor of English and theatre at Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY., who has died at the age of 71.
Terry was hiking at Franconia Notch, New Hampshire when he died, where he was scattering the ashes of a close friend.
We would like to send our condolences to his family and friends.
Here is his on-line obituary
From the family members mentioned in the obituary, it appears he was the grandson of John Joseph Fitz-Henry of the Fitz-Henry family orignally of Arklow, County Wicklow.
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Thursday, 23 September 2010
At last - the grave of Captain William Fitz-Henry of Ashtead, Surrey
Please excuse what had become a bit of a personal obsession, but I've finally found the burial place of Captain William Fitz-Henry of Winchester and Ashtead, Surrey.
Actually, that isn't strictly true. Ann Williams, who runs the Ashtridge one-name study, found it. Her Ashtridge ancestors bought land in Ashtead adjacent to Oakfield Lodge from William Fitz-Henry.
She was over on vacation from Calgary doing some family research and popped into the Hampshire record office in Winchester. On the fiche for West Hill Cemetery, Winchester she found:
William FitzHenry of Astead (sic), SurreySo William was buried in the same cemetery as his first wife Barbara Morrison and their infant children. William did not specify his final resting place in his will. I have yet to find the burial place of Martha Eagles his second wife, but now I'll look to see if she was buried there too.
December 1 1885 aged 55
Entry no. 10,017
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Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Marriage of George Hamilton and Ellen Fitzhenry, Waterford 1868
Bev Kronk also sent this marriage certificate:
1868 marriage solemnised at the Roman Catholic chapel of St Patrick in the Registrar's district of Waterford in the Union of Waterford in the County of WaterfordIf you think that you've seen this couple before - you have - as witnesses at the marriage of William Henry Taylor and Mary Fitzhenry in 1867 also in Waterford.
January 11th 1868
George Hamilton aged 22 bachelor
Tradesman
Father John Hamilton - Professor of music
Ellen Fitzhenry aged 21 spinster
Dressmaker
Father Thomas Fitzhenry Tradesman
Both parties resident at 22 Stephen Street
Both parties signed
Ellen signed herself Ellen Hamilton
Witnesses Robert Wedges, Mr. Seville
However at least one of the sisters had a change of familial religious inclinations. Mary was married in the Church of Ireland cathedral, and as you can see, Ellen was married in St Patrick's Catholic chapel.
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Monday, 20 September 2010
Birth of Johanna Frances Fitzhenry 1902 Wexford city.
More certificates have been sent to us by Bev Kronk. Here's the first:
1902, 29 October, Selskar Street, WexfordWhat else do we know about this family?
Johanna Frances Female
[father] Charles Fitzhenry, Main Street, Wexford, Shopkeeper
[mother] Mary Ellen Fitzhenry, formerly O’Connor
[informant] Charles Fitzhenry, Father, Main Street, Wexford
Registered 26 November, 1902
Charles and Mary Ellen Fitzhenry appeared in the1901 Irish census.
All of the family were born in County Wexford, and all were said to be "Roman Cathorlic"
Residents of a house 24 in Selskar Street (Wexford Urban, Wexford)However, all the family is missing from the 1911 census. As yet I haven't found them on emigration records, but this is what I expect had happened.
Fitzhenry Charles 30 Male Head of Family Grocer and Spirit Merchant
Fitzhenry Mary Ellen 24 Female Wife
Fitzhenry Robert Edward 3 Male Son
Fitzhenry Charles Herbert 2 Male Son
Fitzhenry Mary Ellen 1 Female Daughter
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Sunday, 5 September 2010
Annie Eliza Fitz-Henry - Winchester to Japan to Surrey (1867 -1958)
Annie Eliza Fitz-Henry was the one remaining daughter of Captain William Fitz-Henry of Winchester, Hampshire and Ashtead, Surrey who I hadn't been able to track down during her adult life... until now.
She was born on 4 October 1867 at the Winchester Peninsular barracks, the last of six children to William and his first wife Barbara Morrison and was christened at the parish church of Week (a small village near Winchester) on 22 October 1867.
William was posted overseas to the East Indies the following month (from his army service records at The National Archives) and was abroad during the 1871 census. What isn't clear is whether he was allowed as an officer to have his wife accompany him. However, I can't find Barbara in the 1871 census of England and Wales, nor can I find Annie Eliza or her older brother Norman Edward (1865 - 1901), so perhaps they were all living together in officers' quarters.
William's older surviving children - his stepdaughter Henrietta and son William George - were at boarding school in Winchester.
In the 1881 census, Annie was a 15 year old pupil at the Ellesmere College boarding School at Eastbourne Sussex, while William and his new wife Martha Eagles were setting up home in Ashtead with their two young children.
When William died in 1885, he left her £1000 and any items of furniture that she may have in her possession. She seems to have been the second favourite child - the oldest boy William George got all the family heirlooms, Norman Edward only received £300 and Henrietta wasn't mentioned at all.
Annie was a witness at the marriage of her brother William George to Isabella Cooper at the church of St George Hanover Square on November 1886.
And that was the last I had seen of her, until this weekend while I was going through the passenger lists on Ancestry. Obviously the wanderlust that had taken Dr William George to New Zealand and Norman Edward to Oregon had also infected her.
In 1928, she was a 60 year old woman travelling on her own on the packet steamer from Lisbon, Portugal and arriving in Southampton. Her destination address was given as The Cedars, East Dulwich Road, Dulwich, the address of her brother Dr. William George Fitz-Henry.
Even more remarkably in May 1935, she arrived in London having travelled from Yokohama in Japan
Her occupation was given as a secretary and her last country of permanent residence was Japan. Again she was heading back to her brother's house in Dulwich.
But just what was she doing in Japan?
Annie Eliza's death was registered in the 4th quarter of 1958 in Surrey aged 90. If anyone has any information about what she was doing between 1886 and 1958 please let us know!
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She was born on 4 October 1867 at the Winchester Peninsular barracks, the last of six children to William and his first wife Barbara Morrison and was christened at the parish church of Week (a small village near Winchester) on 22 October 1867.
William was posted overseas to the East Indies the following month (from his army service records at The National Archives) and was abroad during the 1871 census. What isn't clear is whether he was allowed as an officer to have his wife accompany him. However, I can't find Barbara in the 1871 census of England and Wales, nor can I find Annie Eliza or her older brother Norman Edward (1865 - 1901), so perhaps they were all living together in officers' quarters.
William's older surviving children - his stepdaughter Henrietta and son William George - were at boarding school in Winchester.
In the 1881 census, Annie was a 15 year old pupil at the Ellesmere College boarding School at Eastbourne Sussex, while William and his new wife Martha Eagles were setting up home in Ashtead with their two young children.
When William died in 1885, he left her £1000 and any items of furniture that she may have in her possession. She seems to have been the second favourite child - the oldest boy William George got all the family heirlooms, Norman Edward only received £300 and Henrietta wasn't mentioned at all.
Annie was a witness at the marriage of her brother William George to Isabella Cooper at the church of St George Hanover Square on November 1886.
And that was the last I had seen of her, until this weekend while I was going through the passenger lists on Ancestry. Obviously the wanderlust that had taken Dr William George to New Zealand and Norman Edward to Oregon had also infected her.
In 1928, she was a 60 year old woman travelling on her own on the packet steamer from Lisbon, Portugal and arriving in Southampton. Her destination address was given as The Cedars, East Dulwich Road, Dulwich, the address of her brother Dr. William George Fitz-Henry.
Even more remarkably in May 1935, she arrived in London having travelled from Yokohama in Japan
Her occupation was given as a secretary and her last country of permanent residence was Japan. Again she was heading back to her brother's house in Dulwich.
But just what was she doing in Japan?
Annie Eliza's death was registered in the 4th quarter of 1958 in Surrey aged 90. If anyone has any information about what she was doing between 1886 and 1958 please let us know!
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Saturday, 4 September 2010
The Fitzhenry - Jenkinson - Manning connection in Arklow
Apart from the Heath surname, there are two other surnames that crop up in the Fitzhenry records from the Arklow district. These are Jenkinson and Manning.
I've put these events in date order.
In 1835 Robert Fitzhenry and Elizabeth Manning were granted a marriage license*.
I don't know where they subsequently married, but if this is the Robert Edward Fitzhenry whose gravestone we discussed in this post,
then Elizabeth Manning is the mother of
Susanna Fitzhenry (born 1840) who married George Wilson.
*Reference: "Index to the Act or Grant Books and Original Wills of the Diocese of Dublin 1800-1858, 30th report"
Bev Kronk sent me this one:
Marriage in the parish of Rathdrum 15 May 1845
William Fitzhenry, widower, shopkeeper in Arklow (father not alive) to
Mary Jenkinson spinster, shopkeeper, Rathdrum (father not alive)
The witnesses were John Jenkinson and William Manning
A wonderful collection of Manning records has been compiled by D J Griffiths at this site. The Mannings appear to have been in the Arklow area from at least 1600 and probably before. This following entry comes from this site:
Marriage in the parish of Rathdrum on 15th December 1852,
Samuel Manning of Ballyteigue to Sarah Jenkinson of Rathdrum,
William Fitzhenry - witness for the groom and John Jenkinson - witness for the bride.
Sarah could be Mary Jenkinson's sister.
This marriage is from the Irish Genealogy site (highly recommended!).
A Manning - Fitzhenry match here is probably coincidental, as the parish is Aghold much further inland, and is here on the map
30 June 1856 at Aghold Parish church
JOHN MANNING of MUNNY, bachelor aged 24, a servant
Son of JOHN MANNING a labourer
MARY FITZHENRY of AGHOLD, spinster aged 21, a servant
Daughter of GEORGE FITZHENRY, a labourer
Witnesses WILLIAM MANNING (WITNESS FOR HUSBAND) and RUTH DAGG (WITNESS FOR WIFE)
Are there any Mannngs or Jenkinsons out there with a Fitzhenry connection? Drop us a line!
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Friday, 3 September 2010
More about the siblings of John Joseph Fitz-Henry of Wicklow and Canada
The obituary of John Joseph Fitz-Henry, (1887-1957) said that he was survived by two sisters: Mary Fitzhenry and Mrs Lottie Wicklow.
With the help of two excellent free genealogy sites which are always worth another plug - Familysearch.com and The National Archives of Ireland - I was able not only to find these two women but another two sisters as well.
Starting with the National Archives of Ireland website for the 1901 and 1911 censuses, I found Lottie (Charlotte) Fitzhenry working as an 18 year old draper's shop apprentice in 1901 (although incorrectly transcribed as Latty) in Drogheda Town, County Louth.
Her surviving sisters were all at the Church Home Boarding School in Dublin
Fitz Henry Mary Raymond 17 Church of Ireland Ovaca, Co Wicklow Teaching Assistant
Fitzhenry Josephine 12 Church of Ireland Ovaca, Co Wicklow Pupil
Fitzhenry Kathleen 13 Female Church of Ireland Ovaca, Co Wicklow Pupil
Mary we knew about from the obituary, but the other two were new discoveries.
I couldn't find Mary in the 1911 census, and John Joseph had already emigrated to Canada.
Lottie had married Joseph John Wicklow in the 3rd quarter of 1903. He was in the 1901 census as a "merchant's assistant", a Quaker by faith and born in Dublin. I could find neither of them in the 1911 census.
Josephine Fitzhenry was working in the same draper's shop in Drogheda (as a draper's assistant) as her sister Lottie had been 10 years previously. Some of the same staff were still there from the 1901 census.
Kathleen Jane Fitzhenry had been incorrectly transcribed as Fitzhkenny and was living in the household of Norman and Rebecca Allen in Eaton Square Dublin as a companion and help.
Now working from the Familysearch website, I found the births of all these children registered in the registration district of Rathdrum:
Charlotte Elizabeth Fitzhenry registered 3rd quarter 1882
Mary Raymond Fitzhenry birth registered 1st quarter of 1886 according to Familysearch, but in the census her birth year would have been 1884. Also it would have been too soon after the birth of the twins for Mary to have been conceived and born by March 1886.
The twins Harriet Jane and William Henry who were born 6 September 1885 and died within 2 weeks. Both registered in the third quarter 1885.
John Joseph Fitzhenry registered 4th quarter 1886
Kathleen Jane Fitzhenry registered 1st quarter 1888
Josephine Emily Fitzhenry registered 1st quarter 1889
Charles Joseph Fitzhenry married Charlotte Elizabeth Raymond in the 2nd quarter of 1880 in the registration district of Longford, County Longford, and hence Mary Raymond Fitzhenry's middle name.
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Fitzhenry stars in Ribblesdale Cricket League Twenty-Twenty final
Back to the present briefly. Regular readers will know of my penchant for the odd game of cricket, so I couldn't let this moment of Fitzhenry cricketing glory pass me by.
Declan Fitzhenry of Whalley cricket club in the Ribblesdale League was instrumental in the team's epic Twenty-twenty final victory over rivals Read. His bowling figures of 3 for 20 helped restrict Read to 87 runs, a target which was easily reached with the loss of only one wicket.
A full match report is here with a photo of Declan thrown in for good measure. For our overseas readers here is Whalley in Lancashire.
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Thursday, 2 September 2010
Robert Heath Cooper (not William Heath Cooper)
Bev Kronk very rightly pointed out that I had made an error in the last posting with the name of the uncle of John Joseph Fitzhenry, who was looking after the orphan in his own family.
The uncle's name was Dr. Robert Heath Cooper not William Heath Cooper.
Since the last post, both me and Bev had found his marriage to Susan Frances which shows that she was indeed a Fitzhenry.
Robert Heath Cooper / Susan Frances FITZHENRY Jul-Sep Qr 1880 Rathdrum Vol 2 Page 769.
Robert died in 1909 at the age of 73, and Susan died in 1912 aged 61, both in the registration district of Wexford (from the Irish Civil registration indexes).
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