Belfry

[nicolet]

I am looking for help/suggestions for my 2 x great grandmother Bridget BELFRY who immigrated to Australia in 1853 on the ship Statesman which left from Southhampton, UK.  The passenger list has her age as 20 (born c1833) and her nationality as Irish and Scottish. 

On her first Australian marriage certificate she lists her place of birth as County Limerick, her occupation as a servant and her parents as William BELFRY, farmer and Bridget MALLEY/MAILEY.  Her death certifcate also lists her place of birth as County Limerick. 

She was married twice, first to Edward GILL (my 2 x great grandfather) and secondly to James DEVLIN who arrived in Australia from Ireland.  Bridget's death certificate lists her as Roman Catholic (same as James DEVLIN) however her first marriage was Church of England. 

I have no other information about this lady..so I have hit a brick wall.   

[t mo]

hi nicolet
forgive me but don,t really know what info your looking for , it doesn,t matter that she was married in both a catholic and protestant church  ,my own mum was a catholic but married my dad in a protestant church , the catholic ch of that era had more strict rules on who could marry in there churches .
trevor

[nicolet]

Hi Trevor

Sorry if I wasn't clear, I am really looking to try and trace Bridget's family in Ireland but I wasn't sure where to start with such limited information. I've tried ancestry.com.au and only got 4 hits (3 to do with her marriages and 1 about her immigration) which leaves me with a bit of a brick wall.   

I have had no experience with what records are available in Ireland and if anything can be found online so I was hoping for some suggestions/ideas of where I could possibly start my search, if it is at all possible.

As to the where she was married/religion I only added it as I am unsure if this would play a part in church records like it can do in England ie. Church of England records vs Catholic Church records.   

[t mo]

hi nicolet
if you google irish  geneaology  lots of sites come up i,ve tried a couple but with no luck for bridget or the surname belfry , these marrriages of hers were they both in aus ?

trevor

[trish1120]

Also on Ancestry is this;
Ireland, Index to Griffith’s Valuation, 1848-1864
Name:    Bridget Balfry
Location:    Limerick, Kilteely, Kilteely Village Kilteely

Possibly her Mother was Widowed by the time this was done.
Also this in 1850;
http://www.connorsgenealogy.net/LIM/KilteelyGV.htm

Trish

[nicolet]

Also on Ancestry is this;
Ireland, Index to Griffith’s Valuation, 1848-1864
Name:    Bridget Balfry
Location:    Limerick, Kilteely, Kilteely Village Kilteely

Possibly her Mother was Widowed by the time this was done.
Also this in 1850;
http://www.connorsgenealogy.net/LIM/KilteelyGV.htm

Trish

Thanks Trish...I look into this. 
Nicole

[jaybeedee]

Re Bridget Belfry I have located her on the Balfry/Belfry tree, and communicated the info directly to nicolet.
For those that might be interested here it is
Bridget had a brother William (b 1819 in Cahairconlish, Limerick) who became a surveyor and schoolteacher in England and is my g-grandfather. Their father was William Balfry (b 1793) who married Bridget O'Mealy or Mally. This William's parents were in all probability George Balfry (b 1760-1770 and Eleanor O'Donnell.  George's father was probably Philip Balfry (b 1738). The links between the last two generations require documentary confirmation, but are the most likely relationship.