The Kiberd Family in Ireland
Compiled by Larry O'Neill
The first Kiberds arrived in Dublin from Liverpool about 1840. They were Henry Kiberd, his wife Christina Jane and their children Henry (born 1830), William Archibald (b. 1832 ), Phoebe Jane (b. 1835) and Christina Margaret (b. circa 1836).
Henry's family had a shop at Burlington Street, Liverpool, described in the commercial directories as Grocery, Provision Dealer and Beer House.
Henry was a hatmaker by trade. Gore's Commercial Directory in 1832 has the following entry:
Henry Kiberd: Silk Hat Manufacturer. Park Lane, Shop 100, ...Lord St, & manufacturery: 6 Upper Frederick St. Liverpool.
This seems to suggest that he was reasonably well established in business at that time. His reason for emigrating with his young family to Ireland is still a mystery. Dublin and Liverpool had very close economic ties at the time, and travel by ship between the two cities was relatively easy. It may be that Henry exported his hats to Ireland and saw an economic opportunity in transferring his business to Dublin.
By 1845 the Kiberds were living at 5 Bell Villa, New Bride St., Dublin, moving three years later to 31 Heytesbury Street.
In 1851, curiously they moved next door to No.30 Heytesbury Street, remaining there until 1859. In 1857, aged about 20, Christina Margaret married a tailor named John West. They lived at 47 Kildare Street, where 'Boon and West - Tailors and Military Clothiers' ran their business. John and Christina moved home to 59 Dawson Street, and later moved in with her father Henry when he left Heytesbury Street in 1866 and relocated to 2 Holles Street. Henry and his son-in-law John also had a premises at 54 Grafton Street in 1868 and '69.
In 1858 at age 26, William, who had followed his father's trade of hatmaking, married Maria Christina Ford. She was the daughter of James Frazer Ford who was an umbrella maker, tailor, oilskins and cap maker. [Addresses for James Ford: 34 Sackville Street (now O'Connell Street) (1834-46), and 1 Grafton Street (1841-46). By 1845 the Fords were at 11 Sackville Street.] This marriage is very significant event in our family history because William and Maria and later, their descendants, were making, repairing and selling umbrellas until about 1948.
Both William and Maria, on their marriage certificate, below, give their address as 75 Gt. Britain Street (now Parnell Street). It is likely that this house was in the Ford family and that the newly married couple took it over as their family home. (In 1863-64 William is recorded as having a commercial premises at 27 Parliament Street as a hatter). In 1881 William and Maria moved to 73 Gt. Britain Street. It was this building that was the main Kiberd home and shop until it was sold in the late 1940s.
We believe that this premises was referenced in The Sisters, a short story by James Joyce: "The next morning after breakfast I went down to look at the little house in Great Britain Street. It was an unassuming shop, registered under the vague name of Drapery . The drapery consisted mainly of children's bootees and umbrellas; and on ordinary days a notice used to hang in the window, saying: Umbrellas Re-covered."
In 1859, Henry and Christina Jane's daughter Phoebe married Ernest Scarlett, a coachmaker, of 3 Digges Street. In 1865 they had a daughter Anna Maria Christina. They lived from 1867 to 1876 at 77 Phibsboro Road.
Additional Material from John Kiberd
It is believed that the
first Kiberd to be born in Ireland was William's sister, Christina
Margaret Kiberd, who was born in 1836 or 1837. Christina married John
West in St Mary's of Donnybrook, Dublin on the 9th of September 1857.
Christina's younger brother, Robert Kiberd,
born in 1838, was the first male Kiberd to be born in Ireland. Robert
is also most likely to have been the first Irish-born Kiberd to die as
he passed away in February 1840. His burial record states that he was
just one year and six months at the time of his death..
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"Why should I care about
posterity? What's posterity ever done for me?"
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If you can provide any relevant information about the Kiberd clan please email Groucho Kiberd
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