Bridget Kidney

Hello Bridgett,

The Surname Database has some interesting information about the surname Kidney in Ireland, including the alternate forms of the name, such as Dwane, Devane, Duane, and Downes. See: https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Kidney

Also see the Irish Surname Index from the duchas.ie website link at: https://www.duchas.ie/en/nom?txt=Kidney

John Grenham in his website, notes that “Duane is a more "normal" anglicization,” of the surname Kidney in Ireland. See: https://www.johngrenham.com/findasurname.php?surname=Kidney

To find the baptism records for Bridget and her sister Ellen/Eleanor, you’ll need to know the maiden name of their mother, Mary, and then search for the baptism records for Bridget and Ellen/Elleanor under the surname Kidney and also alternate surnames of Dwine/Dwyne/ Dwane/Devine//, etc.

Do you know what Mary’s maiden name was?

In the 1860 census for Kansas City that you referenced, I see that Edward Blake is a 25 year old Teamster born in Ireland, with a “Personal Estate” valued at $200. His wife Bridget, a “Housekeeper,” is also 25 years old and born in Ireland, while their 1 year old son Richard was born in Missouri. Mary Dwyne, who is 50 years old in the census, was also born in Ireland. I found the census at ancestry.com.

If Bridget’s age of 25 is correct in the 1860 census, she would have been born circa 1835. If Mary Dwyne’s age of 50 is correct in the census she would have been born circa 1810, and perhaps married in the late 1820s and early 1830s.

I know that Edward Blake and Bridget Kidney were Roman Catholic, as I found their handwritten marriage record at the free FamilySearch website. They were married in Kansas City, Jackson County Missouri on 8 August 1858 by a Catholic priest named Bernard Donnelly. The marriage appears to have been recorded by Samuel D. Lucas, the clerk for Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri. A copy of the original marriage record is attached, though I realize you may already have a copy of the original.

Have you found the death records for Bridget and her sister Ellen? One of these death records may tell you what the maiden name of their mother Mary was.

Mary Dwyer was still alive in 1870, as I found her in the 1870 census residing in Kansas City’s 1st Ward. She is in the household of her son-in-law, 35 year old Laborer, Pat Cronin, and her 32 year old daughter Ellen. In the 1870 census however, Mary is 70 years old, but in the 1860 census she was 50 years old, and so it is not possible to tell when she was actually born in Ireland, based on the 1860 and 1870 U.S. census enumrations.

There’s the possibility that Mary’s death record will tell you what her maiden name was.

Were your ancestors from the Civil Parish of Tracton? If so, the Catholic Parish is called Tracton Abbey. According to the National Library of Ireland, the Tracton Abbey Catholic baptism registers are available from 12 December 1802 to 29 January 1881. Marriages however are available from 6 June 1840 to 10 February 1880. The alternate name for the Tracton Abbey Catholic Parish is Kinalea. See: https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0098

Have you found the surname or maiden name Scannell anywhere in your research?

With Kind Regards,

Dave Boylan

ATTACHMENT:
Edward Blake and Bridget Kidney 1858 Marriage

SOURCES:
Surname Database: https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Kidney
Irish Surname Index: https://www.duchas.ie/en/nom?txt=Kidney
John Grenham: https://www.johngrenham.com/findasurname.php?surname=Kidney
Ancestry.com 1860 Census
FamilySearch: Marriage of Edward Blake and Bridget Kidney, 1858
Ancestry.com 1870 census
National Library of Ireland

Dave, thank you for this! You have found what I have found and you ask good questions. I have not been able to get my hands on a death certificate for Ellen; death certificates in Missouri were not required until 1910. She was living, widowed, with her son David on the same street as her married daughter Margaret in Kansas City MO in 1900 but I cannot find her in 1910. I have checked the Kansas side of KC as well. Bridget is also elusive. I have a record for a Bridget Blake's death in 1904 in an Illinois suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, but I am only mostly confident it is her, and the information does not include parents' names. There is also no record of Mary's death, probably between 1870-1880 since she's in the 1870 census but no longer the 1880. Church records have not been fruitful either on the burial side--I am sure they were all very poor and are buried in potters' fields. 

I have found the Mary Scannell/David Kidney records you suggest--Ellen's son's name is David, and Bridget's son Edward's middle name is David, which made me hopeful, but I can't find confirmation at this stage. 

This couple (Bridget Kidney/Devine and Edward Blake) and their family is THE tricky one for me. Other Irish ancestors of mine came together to the United States, or found their way together to more established communities, remained near each other until death, have graves that are clearly documented, and so forth. 

Thank you for the information on the surname Kidney, which seems to deepen the mystery for me--I am puzzled by why Bridget would use this name but her mother and sister did not. Fascinating!

I appreciate your time!

Bridgett Blake

Hello Bridgett,

Many thanks for your reply.

I had meant to ask in the last post if you had previous knowledge that your ancestors had specifically come from Tracton, or near Tracton, in County Cork, before embarking on serious research for the Kidney ( and related surname) ancestors.

One of the common denominators I see in the records between America and Tracton, Cork, Ireland is the name David, where Ellen had a son named David and where the middle name of Bridget Blake’s son was also David, compared with the Tracton Abbey, Cork baptisms of Ellen (1828), Bridget (1831), John (1834), and Mary Kidney (1840), whose parents were David Kidney and Mary Scannell.

Have you obtained the death records for all the children of Richard Blake and Bridget Kidney, and all the death records for the children of Pat and Ellen Kidney/Dwyne/Dwayne, etc? The death record of these children may give a clue as to where their parents were born in Ireland, such as a county, parish, or town.
I realize how much of a challenge it is looking for Irish ancestors. After 30 years of research I still have not found the Parish in County Cavan where my great grandfather was born circa 1828.

If there are any records you’d like me to look for, don’t hesitate to ask.

Thank you again for writing Bridgett,

Dave

Hi Dave--That side of my family always said that the Irish immigrants to the United States came from Cork and Galway. My dad did a DNA with y-chromosome test and it placed his ancestry in County Mayo, which still seems like a decent match to the Galway story (last name is Blake and there are Blakes in both counties). So the family story says Cork, and that's where I started, but Tracton got my focus when I found that specific family with dates that matched ok and the name David. In the end, it may have to be enough to have an approximation, and frankly, this summer is the furthest I've ever gotten in Ireland on any side of my family. Until I found the baptismal records online I had dead ends everywhere!

I will sift through what else I have and what my aunt has to see if there are hard facts and not just stories--thank you for your attention to this, and I will likely post again in a few days.

Bridgett

Thank you Bridgett, Looking forward to any new information you may find.

Dave

Dave, wanted to get back to you--I'm a teacher and school is starting up this week so it's been a lot of hustling on my end. But I did reach out to my aunt who confirmed the family story of her father's family (she is my dad's sister) reaching back to Galway (Blake) and Cork (Kidney). She was also confused by the Dwyer/Dwyne/Kidney situation and so I was able to give her your information which was very helpful. She did not have any other specifics, unfortunately, with a specific location. Just the names Mary Dwyne, Ellen Devine, and BRidget Kidney/Bridget Devine (she used both names). 

With the David's in the family like they are, and it being not as common a name (compared to Bridget or John etc), I might take it on faith. Almost all the Kidneys are from Cork according to what I can find, and I am going to have to be ok with the uncertainty for now! Thank you so much for your help and information!

Bridgett

You're welcome Bridgett.

Best of luck with this school year.

Dave