April 2, 2015 – B is for Bridget Trainor

Bridget Trainor was one of my gr gr grandmothers.  She was born in Grangegreeth, County Meath in Ireland.  She was one of at least seven children of Peter Trainor and Catherine McGuiness.  One of my cousins recently visited Ireland and found the baptismal records for the children and it turns out Bridget was born around 1812 not 1815 like we had thought.  This is important because forever we have thought that Bridget was 15 when she married and not 18 as it appears she was.  It seemed weird for a 30 year old to be marrying a 15 year old but of course back in those days many woman married very young.

Denis and I also visited there and went to a cemetery to see a stone of one of the Trainors who lived there.  We also learned that the family had a mill on the river there and the foundation is still there.  Trainor was an important family in that little town.  Again I wonder why they left when they did. We have speculated that they went to work on the Eric canal and then to Canada to work on the Rideau Canal, but we have not been able to find any paperwork to help us figure that out. So, in the mean time we just sit and wonder and search.

All we know of Bridgets parents is that her father is listed in Canadian Census records after their arrival in the 1820’s.  Peter eventually lived with one of his sons but always no mention of a wife.  No mention anywhere of a mother.  It could be that Catherine died on the way over or he was widowed and decided it was time to leave Ireland. Bridget appears to have had a sister Catherine but we don’t know what happened to her.

Bridget married Daniel O’Connor in 1830 and moved with him to land he had been granted by the Crown at Long Point near Lyndhurst Ontario.  They had 11 children. only 9 of whom grew to adulthood.  I have searched and searched for records of the deaths of his two daughters who died at age 9 and 15 five years apart to no avail.

Daneil and Bridget worked very hard on the farm and were highly respected in  their community.   Daniel was well educated but we are not aware of whether Bridget could read and write or not.  We have no letters from her but several from Daniel to his children and his handwriting is in the school records.  Bridget lived to an old age for those days and saw many grandchildren and great grandchildren. She died at Long Point in 1884 and is buried in the Phillipsville Cemetery about 10 miles from the farm.

Here is a picture of Daniel and Bridget when they were obviously getting on in age. And a copy of her obituary.