Looking for Ancestors: Fitzsimmons

My great grandmother was the daughter of Joseph  Ashe and Bridget Fitzsimmons from Greenan in Oldcastle. She was baptised in the Moylagh church in that parish. Joseph died in 1864 and the children emigrated - to Newark, NJ. I don't know who went first, but Anne was there by 1870 - she married John McCormack. My great grandmother, Mary Ashe, her brother Patrick and her mother Bridget arrived in 1872. Patrick was a horseshoer and eventually opened a business in East Orange, NJ. My great grandmother married John Colbert who lived in New York City.  I would love to know more about your family. Have you checked the Oldcastle microfilm? Do you know the names of Patrick's parents?

Mary

Mary,

My cousin and I have looked at the Old Castle records and believe that Patrick's parents are Bryan Fitzsimmons and Bridget Farrelly. If we're correct about this, than Patrick was born in 1808. This Patrick had at least two sisters, Catherine born 1806 and Anne born 1816. These are the three found in the records. There was also a Mary born 1812 with parents Bridget Ferravy (could be Farrelly) and Bernard Fitzsimons (Bernard is the Anglicized from the Irish Bryan). This is as far back as I could go with the Old Castle records.

Do you see anything that might connect us?

Thank you for your message.

Cheryl

It's hard to tell. I think my great great grandmother was the daughter of Patrick Fitzsimmons and Mary or Margaret Fox and that she was born in May 1815.

What townland did your family live in? I know there were a lot of Fitzsimmons in that area. I also see a Patrick born in 1813 who was the son of Patrick and Mary/Margaret. It's hard because there are so few records and the Oldcastle records are hard to read.

From baptism records it also seems my family was somehow connected to Carrols and Curans. Griffiths and the cancelation books confirm this. How they are connected I don't know - neighbors definitely, relatives maybe.

I copied a lot of the Fitzsimmon records, but it was hard and I stopped. I have the film rented now and want to go through it again, but it's a challenge.

Where in Newark did you family live? I've always wondered why my family went to Newark and suspected it was because they already had relatives there.

Mine lived at 279 Warren Street and 89 Bruce Street.

I'm attaching a picture of Patrick Nash - for some reason he change his name to Nash around 1877. I don't have any pictures of any other people in that area.

Mary

Hi Mary, there is an easier way. The parish has a book called Husband and wife family book index (parents and children): 1798-1955. The actual name may be slightly different. It covers Oldcastle, Moylagh and Loughcrew.

It is indexed by last name and has all the Baptisms to that family. I am attaching a sample. I was in Oldcastle in August and they let me go through all the books and copy or take photos of anything I wanted.

You can contact Father Ray Kelley at 049-8541142. Be sure to add country code (not sure where you are located). The housekeeper is Esther. I can't recall the name of the lady who runs the office.

You can also write them. I find it really helps when I enclose a 5 or 10 Euro note as a donation!

Father Ray Kelley

Parochial House

Oldcastle

County Meath

Best of luck!

Jack McCabe, jmccabe51@gmail.com, cell 847-778-3473

Mary, Father Ray has email:

revraykelly@eircom.net

Thanks - I had no idea. I am trying to get more information on my Ashes - there weren't too many.

Mary

I don't know the townland where Patrick and Ann Fitzsimmons lived in Ireland, only the parish, Old Castle. 

In Newark the Fitzsimmons lived on various streets, but some of them did live on Warren Street along with the Coughlins. Patrick's son, Bernard (Bryan in Ireland) married Maria Coughlin. In Newark, I found records in both St. Johns Church and St. Patricks Pro-Cathedral for the Fitzsimmons.

As was mentioned in another message, there are indexes for Old Castle parish. They give indexes for marriages by both husband's name and wife's name, and also baptisms.   I have copies of those for Fitzsimmons and Farrelly, but no others. I do find a Patrick Fitzsimmons married to a Margaret (sometimes Peggy or Mary) Fox.  They have children: Christopher bapt. 1804,  Mary bapt. 1808,  Catherine bapt. 1810,  Patrick b. 1813,  Bridget b. 1815,  Barth (?could be a misreading) b.1818,  Anne b. 1820,  and  Margaret b. 1823.  

There is also a Mary Fox married to a James Fitzsimmons.

I have no photos of my early immigrants.

Cheryl

Barth would be short for Batholomew

My great Grandfather, Edward Kelly, married Mary Fitzsimmons from Old Castle, Meath (date unknown). Mary was born in 1812.  They emigrated to America in 1846 and 1847 (Edward in 1846, followed by Mary and kids the next year).  They settled in Massachusetts in Abington. Mary may be the daughter of Bridget and Brian (Bernard) Fitzsimmons mentioned in Cheryl's post.