Fitzsimmons/Allen

[baltibluebird]

Hi

I have a gt grandmother who was born around 1844/46 in Newtonstewart, Co Tyrone.

Does anyone know, please, where the birth/marriage records are held for this area and if they are available on line?

Is there an Irish equivalent to free bmd please?

Her name was Catherine Ann Fitzsimmons (nee Allen) and her husband was William Fiztsimmons.

Thanks in anticipation ...

[shanew147]

Civil registration started in Ireland in 1864 - so you will need church records to locate birth details. Do you know what religion your Fitzsimmons family were ?


Shane

[baltibluebird]

Hi Shane

This is a difficult one!

William & Catherine Ann's daughter, also Catherine was married in a Church of England, but to my mind that doesn't necessarily mean that they were originally C of E, they could have been originally Catholic.

To be honest, I don't know the answer to this but hopefully if I can find perhaps the marriage record of William & Catherine then that may ched some light.

I am currently trying to trace the family back from the 1901 census.  I know for a fact that in 1892 when their daugther was married, the father was dec'd, from the marriage entry.

Thanks in anticipation...

[baltibluebird]

Hi again

From the 1891 census (which I know is the correct family as it is the address given on the marriage cert) Catherine Ann is a widow.  She has 5 children living with her, one is Sarah A Fitzsimons (note the spelling) and her birth is abt 1864 Newtonstewart.  The other 4 children are all born in Preston, Lancs.

I wonder whether her birth falls within the civil registration and if so, how do I go about searching for it please; I have already checked the IGI but there is nothing that I can see.

Thanks in anticipation ...

[aghadowey]

May have found some information. There's a widow named Catherine Fitzsimmons at Preston, Lancs. in 1881 census (www.familysearch.org)-
13 Inkerman St., Preston, Lancashire, England-
Catherine A. FITZIMONS, wid., 37, Ireland
dau. Sarah A. FITZIMONS, 17, Ireland, Cotton Weaver      
dau. Isabella FITZIMONS, 16, Ireland, Cotton Weaver      
dau. Margaret FITZIMONS, 14, Ireland, Cotton Weaver      
dau. Catherine FITZIMONS, 9, Preston, Scholar      
son William FITZIMONS, 6, Preston, Scholar      
son Thomas FITZIMONS, 3                  
dau. Maria J. FITZIMONS, 1, Preston

Fits in with following children found in IGI with parents William Fitzimons and Cath(e)rine Allen:
1. Bella born 29 Jan.1865 Gortin district, Co.Tyrone (page 151 in civil register)
2. Margaret born 2 Oct.1866 Gortin district, Co.Tyrone (page 125 in civil register)
3, Maria Jane born 17 Mar.1869 Co.Tyrone

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   A parent search on the IGI gives the following children born to William Fitzsimmons and Catherine Allen in Gortin Tyrone. Spelling for children is Fitzsimons.

29 Jan 1865  Bella
2   Oct 1866  Margaret
17 Mar 1869  Maria Jane

Regards

[aghadowey]

Judging by age of children in 1881 census William was probably not long dead- sure enough, there's a death for William Fitzsimmons (age 40) July/Sept.1879 quarter Preston district- http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

[baltibluebird]

Hello again

Many thanks to you both for your replies; I had just come across the 1881 ensus on the IGI and was looking for the Irish children's births, but thanks to you I have them.

I had also just come across the death entry for William in 1879 Preston.  This fits in nicely as Maria Jane (the 2nd child so names, presumably the 1st one on the IGI died in childhood) was born  and baptised 1879 St Mark, Preston (according to the Lancashire Online Parish Clerk Project).

I still haven't found Sarah Fitzsimmons' birth entry abt 1864 (from the 1881 census) and am also looking for an Annie Fitzsimmons born abt 1890 (she is 1 on the 1891 census in Preston).

Does anyone have any ideas as to how I may trace William and Catherine's marriage at all please?

Will now see if I can track them back to the 1871 census.

Thanks ...

[kingskerswell]

hi,
   If they were Roman Catholic then Civil Registration did not start until 1864 and you will have to rely on Church records. Protestant Registrations started in 1845. I have found a record of a marriage in the Record Search Pilot site of www.familysearch.org for a William Fitzsummons (sic) in Gortin Tyrone in 1861 but I cannot match it to a Cath(e)rine Allen.

Regards