Sunday 30 August 2020

Dr William Joseph Kisby

It's rare that I receive any communication these days from a fellow Kisby. I expect this is because there's so much available online, fellow Kisbys are able to satisfy their curiosity about their ancestors with a few clicks of the mouse.

However, I had a fascinating email last week from the descendant of a line of Irish Kisbys. Well, they were Anglicans, traced back to William Kisby born circa 1755, so may well have come from England via the military or some other route. Coincidently I'd taken out a subscription to RootsIreland in July so already knew of William's descendants, John Gilman Kisby and William Joseph Kisby, but hadn't worked out the connections.

John Gilman Kisby trained as an apothecary and his son William Joseph Kisby studied Medicine in Dublin, becoming a doctor. Dr Kisby moved across Ireland in his job (no doubt to confuse 21st century genealogists). He married twice, his first wife dying of cancer in August 1884 and William subsequently remarrying his cousin's daughter, Elizabeth Larkin, in October 1884. She was 18 years his junior.

Dr Kisby must surely be the most prolific Kisby. Between his two wives and an apparent mistress too, he produced a total of 17 children!!

Unfortunately for his wife Elizabeth and his largely young family, Dr Kisby died suddenly and tragically on 19 November 1895. He was 51 years old. Living in the Lisnafeddally area of County Monaghan, he had been called out at night during a storm to attend a patient a mile away. He set out on foot but managed somehow to get lost, falling into a ditch and fracturing his skull on a rock, which killed him instantly.

His widow, Elizabeth, emigrated to New York in 1920, together with her son Edward.

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