My great grandmother Mary Kilbride is supposed to have been born in Waterford, Waterford, Munster in 1850. She migrated, at age 10, to Australia with her parents John Kilbride and Ellen (nee Dooley) in 1860.
I wish to find out her exact birthdate and some information about her family and where they lived in Waterford.
The information I have on her NSW death certificate states " County Waterford, Ireland" and the birth year and parents names stated above. She married James Beattie in NSW in 1875. James Beattie was Australian born of Irish immigrant parents from Armagh, Northern Ireland.
Any information or direction as to where to find information will be most welcomely received.
It is my intention to visit Ireland for the first time in the next year or two so I am trying to get as much information prior to then. I also have a fairly comprehensive family history on this line on the Australian side which I am willing to share with other genuine researchers.
Cheers, John Beattie
johnbt
Friday 14th Feb 2014, 08:19AMMessage Board Replies
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Hello John,
I have gone to www.rootsireland.ie to search for Mary but the nearest baptismal record thast I can find is Mary Kilbride, father John Kilbride, mother Ellen ____? in 1860 in Co. Limerick
I looked also at www.askaboutireland.ie at the Griffith valuation but can't find any Kilbrides renting land in Co. Waterford. The must have been urban people and not farmers.
Most people who emigrated were illiterate and undocumented. They didn't know how to spell their names and hadn't a clue as to what age they were. At the port of arrival their names were recorded phonetically, their ages were only guessed, and this is the information that followed them for the rest of their lives.
The proof of this occured in 1909 when the old age pension was introduced into ireland. People had to prove their ages and were forced to go through baptismal records to establish when they were born. That is why there is such HUGE discrepancies between ages in the 1901 census and the 1911 census of Ireland. Dates were found to be out by many many years in some cases.
Another site you could look at is www.irishgenealogy.ie. All that I can suggest at this time is to try and find the passenger list with the family. This will give more conclusive dates.
Above all keep an open mind.
Sorry thast I'm not of much assistance to you. One of the other volunteers may be able to think of something that I haven't.
Good Luck,
Anne Dennehy
kenden
Friday 14th Feb 2014, 01:48PM -
Thank you Anne, I keep getting nowhere with this particular search. I will take your advice and broaden the dates and look at alternate spelling. I have looked at immigration records but probably too prescriptive with dates and spelling.
I think that what you are doing is wonderful and I do appreciate the feedback.
Cheers
John Beattie
johnbt
Friday 14th Feb 2014, 02:37PM