Kirchner in Limerick

[Phil Goater]

I am looking for any information relating to Louisa Kirchner who was born in Limerick about 1829 and moved to South Wales sometime between 1841 and 1848. It's possible that she had a brother Benjamin who was born about 1821.
Any evidence of the Kirchner name in Limerick would be helpful.

Regards,
Phil

[heywood]

Hi,
unusual name for Ireland- IGI has some entries for Limerick -baptisms of children to Simon and Mary Kirchner - you can check these if you haven't already done that. These are extracted from church records so there is a 'proof' there. There are other Kirchner entries but these are provided by members of the church so there is an element of doubt with those.
This site: http://www.irishgenealogy.ie/csi/csi_main.cfm  lists a Benjamin Simon (all the boys have Simon as a second name) for 1818.
I don't know if such early records would give much information but it might be worth seeing if you could order the Church records through a local LDS centre.
This site http://www.familia.org.uk/services/eire/limerick_city.html has the details of Limerick city library - maybe they could help if you contacted them. 'Googling' for the library gives an email address.
good luck
Heywood

[Phil Goater]

Thanks,
Louisa Kirchner was the only Louisa on the marriage page with Samuel Parker and in the census Louisa is shown as born in Limerick. I am now satisfied that I've got the right surname because I've also found on FreeBMD that 6 out of 9 names are in bold and include Samuel and Louisa - otherwise there might have been a mystery Louisa not listed.
So the quest is on for her parents! Simon and Mary are clearly in the frame. I've had a look at the LDS site and have noted the two entries relating to a Kirchner b.Ireland 1819 d.Australia 1943!!!
It's clearly a name of German origin though the mother may well be Irish. I had been teasing my wife, who regards herself as Welsh, by wishing her the 'top of the morning' but it would seem I now need to find a suitable German expression!

Regards,
Phil

[Shaztoni]

Hi Phil,
I checked the Trade Directories between 1769 - 1850 for Kirchner in Limerick, but there weren't any their (only a minority of the population mainly protestant were recorded them though)

Sharon

[Phil Goater]

Thanks Sharon,
The male Kirchners were most likely foreign nationals. Is there any way of tracing German immigration?
Phil

[heywood]

Hi again,
I have tried searching for German Immigration to Ireland with little success. I wonder if you emailed the library there - there may be some documentation/ explanations.

[Phil Goater]

I have e-mailed the library and they clearly went to a lot of trouble to help, but could find no trace of the name and couldn't suggest a way forward.
Were there any Britsh regiments quartered in the area at that time? ( I'm clutching at straws here!)

Phil

[Shaztoni]

Yes, they would have mostly been British regiments posted in Limerick during the period your looking for, I don't know which ones they were. Ask in the army board they might be able to help you.

Sharon

[Phil Goater]

Thanks Sharon,

No joy yet on the army board. However I have received news of a wonderfully fancifull piece of family folklore from an aged relative that Louisa Kirchner was related to Lord Kitchener!
 They did both come from south-west Ireland! Is it possible that there has been a transcription error at some point?
Was Lord Kitchener's father in the area around 1829? Somehow I doubt it! It seems more likely that one of the ancestors kissed the Blarney stone!

Regards,
Phil