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Thompsons in County Kilkenny

KilkennyAghaviller (Kilkenny)Knocktopher (Kilkenny)Thomastown (Kilkenny)

My ancestor, James Thompson, emigrated to Canada from Kilkenny Circa 1830.  He was born in Ireland, likely County Kilkenny, possibly Thomastown or Ballyhale, circa 1809.  James and his known family members were practicing Roman Catholics.

James had at least three siblings, Thomas (1806-1893), Mary (1809-1899) and John (1831-1889).  James and his three siblings are all related to me, confirmed through DNA testing of their known descendants.  All of the siblings emigrated to Canada to Madoc, Hastings County, Ontario.  The boys emigrated 1825-1832. 

Mary married George Welch/Walsh in Ireland and raised her family with him.  Mary remained in Ireland until George died circa 1865.  Mary emigrated to Canada in 1865 with her two grown children and two grand children.  Mary's children were Anastasia Tobin (Welch/Walsh) (1847-1911) and John Welch/Walsh (1848-1911).  Mary's two grandchildren were from the union of her daughter Anastasia and son-in-law Joseph Tobin in the names of Patrick Tobin (1863-1952) and Jack Tobin (1865-?).

I (and several family genealogists before me) have worked for several generations to identify the birth townland or parish of James Thompson and his siblings.  The only clues found to date are an entry in a family bible written long after James Thopmson's birth indicating County Kilkennny.  The Canadian marriage record of Patrick Tobin also indicates that his mother Mary Thompson was born in County Kilkenny.

Any assistance as to where they may have been born, baptized or lived would be greatly appreciated.  Similarly, I'd be forever grateful for whatever assistance you might have for where to start a search within county Kilkenny to find where they may have been born or lived..

Mark Thompson

Victoria, BC, Canada.

familymarkdtho…

2 replies

Mark:

I did a number of searches on the subscription site Roots Ireland and failed to find the baptismal records for the Thompsons and also the children of Mary Thompson and George Welch/Walsh. I also did not find the marriage record for Anastatia Walsh and Joseph Tobin. I did find the 1863 baptismal record for Patrick Tobin in Thomastown RC parish but no record for Jack and no civil record either since civil birth registration started in 1864.

I did locate a November 24 1865 death record for a George Walsh age 54, a carpenter, in Glenpipe townland in Jerpoint West civil parish which is not far from Thomastown. The informant was Anastasia Walsh. This may be the record for your George Walsh. Anastasia was married at that time but maybe she reported her name as Walsh for this record.

What confuses me is that many of the Co. Kilkenny RC parishes have reocrds that go far back including Thomastown but yet I was unable to find any records.

Roger McDonnell

 

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Mark, both Thompsons and Tobins are part of my ancestral lines in County Kilkenny. 

 

My g-g-grandparents were Valentine Ryan (1811-1881) and Bridget Tobin (1818-1873), who married 21 September 1836 in Kilmacow parish. After the couple married, they lived just outside Mullinavat until they emigrated to America in 1852 (Valentine) and 1854 (Bridget with Val and Biddie's children, to join Val).

 

Valentine was born in the townland of Belline and Rogerstown in Fiddown civil parish in what's now Piltown. His parents were John Ryan and Margaret Oates. The Thompson connection comes in through Margaret's parents, who were John Oates and Eleanor Thompson. Eleanor was daughter of Henry Thompson (1731-1820) of Tybroughney, also in what's now Piltown.

 

I have been unable to determine Bridget Tobin's parents. I'm fairly sure she was from Kilmacow Catholic parish, whose records do not go back far enough for me to find her baptism and parents' names. I think her family lived around Mullinavat at the time she and Valentine Ryan married and that this is why they settled there after marrying. 

 

I've found what I think are likely three siblings of Bridget's living in or near Mullinavat, and with them, there are ties to the Walsh family, which you also mention: Daniel Tobin (married Bridget Walsh), Catherine Tobin (married John Walsh), and Edmond Tobin (married Mary Comerford).

 

I wonder if perhaps your Thompson ancestors were from Tybroughney.

WmLindsey

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