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Bridget Duffy
Bridget Duffy was born in 1818 at Trim, County Meath, Ireland, the daughter of James and Margaret Duffy. On 2 April 1839 Bridget, a child’s maid, was convicted at Trim on a charge of stealing from a person and sentenced to 7 years’ transportation. Much new fascinating information about Bridget's life has become available is included in the second edition of From Meath to Balmain now available. t
The convict indent describes her as 5 feet tall with ruddy and freckled complexion, brown hair and grey eyes. In the 1821 Census of Ireland the Duffy family is shown to be living in the Townland of Manorland, Trim. James’ occupation is tinker, stock and sharemaker (i.e. smith) and he is aged 56, placing his birth year as c.1765. Margaret, his wife is aged 36 (born c.1785). Little Bridget is aged 4 and her sisters are Catherine, 12, Elenor, 11 and Gudeth, 1. All the names, save Gudeth, reappear in the naming of Bridget’s own children. In Manorland also, but not in the same household, is Patrick Duffey, 16, a house servant. Bridget later named a son James Patrick and the general naming pattern in Walter and Bridget’s family would at least suggest that Patrick Duffey may have been a son of James and Margaret.
Bridget Duffy was born in 1818 at Trim, County Meath, Ireland, the daughter of James and Margaret Duffy. On 2 April 1839 Bridget, a child’s maid, was convicted at Trim on a charge of stealing from a person and sentenced to 7 years’ transportation. Much new fascinating information about Bridget's life has become available is included in the second edition of From Meath to Balmain now available. t
The convict indent describes her as 5 feet tall with ruddy and freckled complexion, brown hair and grey eyes. In the 1821 Census of Ireland the Duffy family is shown to be living in the Townland of Manorland, Trim. James’ occupation is tinker, stock and sharemaker (i.e. smith) and he is aged 56, placing his birth year as c.1765. Margaret, his wife is aged 36 (born c.1785). Little Bridget is aged 4 and her sisters are Catherine, 12, Elenor, 11 and Gudeth, 1. All the names, save Gudeth, reappear in the naming of Bridget’s own children. In Manorland also, but not in the same household, is Patrick Duffey, 16, a house servant. Bridget later named a son James Patrick and the general naming pattern in Walter and Bridget’s family would at least suggest that Patrick Duffey may have been a son of James and Margaret.
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A second edition of my 1989 book, From Meath to Balmain (Patricia Stemp) with greatly expanded detail on Bridget's and Walter's lives is now available. CLICK FOR DETAILS