From William Fitzsimons
Bonny Hills
Australia

Like Linda Mc Dowell, I am finding this forum extremely interesting. I also grew up thinking that Fitzsimons was an unusual name. As I read through this forum I am finding out that there is much more to the family's history that passed on to me by my father. About twenty years ago when I was a member of
the New South Police I met a woman who upon learning my name asked me if I was from a Dutch background. When I informed her that my father had come from Belfast she informed me that she had a grandmother in Holland by the name of Fitzsimons, and that the family had resided in Holland for many generations. Does anybody know anything about this?.
Once again thanks for the great forum.

Regards
William (Bill) Fitzsimons

< replied-to message removed by QT >

I have found most of the family in Canada. I even know where some of the graves are .
I actually found out what my great grreat grandfathers first name was through the archiver at St James
Cathedral's (Anglican)in Toronto. She looked up the registration of my Great great grandfather's wedding. His parnets names were there. My problem is finding information from Ireland. I am quite sure they lived in Northern Ireland but am not
sure where. Isaac was apparently a remittance man so the family in Ireland paid him to stay away. They supposedly didn't have anything more to do with him. The family story is that he married the governess and was banished, but who
knows if that is even the truth.
 I know his name was Isaac Fitzsimons and his wife's name was Isabella. Their oldest son James had the second name Biggs so I think that may have been his mother Isabella's surname- but it is a guess. I Know James Biggs went to school in Ireland because he and his wife went to Ireland to get one of his paintings that was in his school.

Isaac, Isabella and their 6 children ( James Biggs (10 yrs old) ,George - 10, John -7. Ann -6, Thomas -2 and Isabella -infant); sailed from Liverpool in 1856 and arrived in New York on July 6 1856. They sailed on the Antarctic. They somehow got to Toronto or York as it was then know and lived there until their deaths. Isaac on Dec. 11,1917. Isabella Feb.29,1904. I have no idea how to find out whotheir families were or where they lived.
 My own family lived in Barrie Ontario just North of Toronto.
Thanks for your help.

Linda
< replied-to message removed by QT >

MacLysaght is a very good source. Very comprehensive.

Reply to William (Bill) Fitzsimons.

G’day Bill,

It wouldn’t surprise me of a Fitzsimons family in Holland. The Irish moved around a lot and they could have gone there for any number of reasons. You quite often find Irish, English and Scottish names on the continent, and the reverse.

When I was young, I thought that Fitzsimons was a rare name too. There were only a handful in the Melbourne telephone directory and most were related to me. There has since been an influx from Ireland and I have several Irish Fitzsimons families where I now live.

 G’day Linda,

Did your Isaac and Isabella live in St. David’s Ward, Toronto, York, Ontario?

Mick.

yes they did.

Linda
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Linda, they were Church of England, so most probably came from the North of Ireland. Looks like a few of the children died young as some of the names have been repeated in later years. Also puzzling is Isaac’s date of birth (1843), so he must have been born before James Biggs. Isaac Snr. must have been absent when the 1881 census was taken.

Mick.

Well you can add another Fitzsimons to the Toronto area - I started working in Toronto in June 2009. Moved here from Florida. But I am actually Irish Irish - parents still live in Ireland still - Co Weatmeath. I just been relocating around the world following IT Projects.

Paul

I think he was the second oldest son.
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Linda, are you a member of Ancestry.com. There is some member submitted data on there, including an obituary for James Biggs, photos and documents. Are these yours, if not, you may have a relative out there doing the same research.

Mick.

yes I am on Ancestry.com and they are documents I have found.

Linda
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< replied-to message removed by QT >

Linda, it's a shame the obituary didn't mention where he came from as they quite often do and are a great source of information. I collect Fitzsimons Family Trees, as I get contacted regularly to do research for people (I do this for free), and through cross referencing can sometimes direct people to other distant members of their family researching the same line. I also do this to see if various families connect up, as some families spread far and wide when they left Ireland. If you'd like to send me some more data on your early family, I'll compile a chart to keep on record and send you a copy. ( mickfitzsimons@hotmail.com )

Mick

I will send you an invitation to my ancestry.com tree. It has most of the information I have right there. Thanks for all your help.

Linda
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< replied-to message removed by QT >

Thanks Linda, I'll look forward to it.

Mick.

Yea accurancy is rather in the hands of the graph, the search the topic etc.

Variations of the name etc make it difficult.

Old history is difficult to correlate.

To make life easier for those looking for relatives in 2 or 3 generations removed maybe we could put together some details of old graveyards etc ...

A second theme could be the dna of fitzsimones ...which could help develop links to other names accurately..

Im not sure who best company is, or what best prices are, or even if its y genome needed but here is an example

http://www.oxfordancestors.com/



example check out simons simmons etc they could all be variations of fitzsimons.

http://www.publicprofiler.org/worldnames/Default.aspx
simmons

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