From: Fran
To: Jan
Subject: Firth-Gilmore Family
Hi,
Upon doing some research on family heritage I have stumbled upon your interesting article which mentions Sam Firth as well as this information regarding the Firth-Gilmore line.
I hope that we can link the two.
This is all of interest to me as a ‘Samuel Charles Gilmore’ is my great grandfather.
Thanks so much,
Fran Shepherd
From: Barbara (from archive link)
Subject: Firth-Gilmore Family
Hi all Happy new year.
Well after 27 years trying to find information on my Gilmore line. I got an email just before Christmas it was from a lady in the UK researching her Firth line and had just received Samuel Firth’s Will. Goodness me if when transcribing it she came across my Gilmore names and using my website sent me an email. What a shock and excitement for me.
Here is a part of that email
You will now be wondering why I am telling you all this, and here comes the more insensitive bit, for which I have thought long and hard as to whether to contact you. My sister and I have discussed it and we feel if it was the other way around any information regarding our ancestors would be welcomed, whether it would change things dramatically or not.
In Samuels will dated 5th July 1886 (Samuel dies 20th August 1886 aged 62) there are 3 executors, one being Anne Gilmore of Papatu. It goes onto mention that he leaves a portion of his real estate “in trust for Lottie Gilmore daughter of the said Anne Gilmore and of whom I am the father” another portion “in trust for Ada Gilmore of whom I am the father, daughter of the said Anne Gilmore”. And remaining portions of his estate “in trust that if Samuel Charles Gilmore son of Anne Gilmore and of whom I am the father”.
So as my Gt Gt grandmother was Ada Gilmore I guess she wasn’t a Gilmore after all though all through her life she was known by this name.
When trying to work this out I got a map of Ormondville in the early days only to find the Gilmore Farm and Firth farms were beside each other.
Now I have bored you can anyone tell me how I can find out if the bequests were honoured and as Ada and her husband lived on a farm in Ormondville all their lives how can I find out if it was the same piece of land.
Cheers Barb
NZ Genealogy
www.nzgenealogy.rootschat.net
From: Jan
To: Fran
Subject: Firth-Gilmore Family
Hi Fran,
Thanks for your email.
Gee – Samuel Firth was an interesting character! I didn’t know about these children but it doesn’t surprise me when you look at everything else he got up to… sometimes wills can be very interesting documents… and I would love to see it.
Did you get the will from Barbara or Judith who have emailed me about Samuel Firth?
Regards
Jan
From: Fran
To: Jan
Subject: Firth-Gilmore Family
Thank you Jan for your reply.
I came across the information on the will online. It was included in an article written by Barbara, and I have emailed her too, to check if she knows any more. I am now waiting for her reply.
I don’t know Judith though, is she involved in this story too?
Thanks again for all your help.
From Fran
From: Jan
To: Fran
Subject: Firth-Gilmore Family
Hi again,
Judith was the first person to contact me last year via www.waipawa.com about Samuel & Abraham Firth who had a small landholders block next to my great, great Grandfathers (Edward Bibby). A lot of those early settlers found making a living off a very exposed ridge close to the Ruahine mountain range fairly impossible and after a while they nearly all sold up and their little blocks were incorporated into larger farms such as the Bibby estate (which later was made smaller again as it got split between sons and grandsons etc. A large area still belongs to a number of Bibby families up on Blackburn ridge.
Because of Judith’s email I found out about Samuel Firth and some of his early endeavours around Te Aute including the store and his time in jail for bootlegging.
So there have been a number of emails between Judith and I as you can see on the website – Her sister is Barbara, and both seem passionately seeking information about their ancestor Samuel Firth.
You probably might have made contact with Kerry who is another Firth descendant living here in Hawkes Bay. He’s a descendant of Samuel’s brother Abraham… He also has been researching Firth history and although descendant of Abraham he is very interested in his more wayward brother, Samuel.
Would you like me to send you their email addresses? Maybe they could help you with your research?
Jan
From: Fran
To: Jan
Subject: Samuel Firth
Hi again,
Thanks so much for your quick reply!!
All of this research is very new to me, actually I only started looking at the information related to the Firths and their possible relationship with the Gilmores at the beginning of this week 🙂
At this time, you are the only person I have contact with.
I would love Kerry and Judith’s email addresses if you think that would be ok, and I will let you know if anything develops further.
Thanks so much again.
From: Judith
To: Jan
Subject: Samuel Firth
Hi Jan
Belated New Year greetings
Well what a day, having just read your e-mail, would you believe it I had another enquiry further down in my in box, about Samuel Charles Gilmore. The second e-mail was from a lady called Trish Gilmore she is his granddaughter. I have replied to her mail and was about to e-mail Fran, when I wondered if they new each other. This lovable rogue has caused some excitement. I will let you know the outcome.
Judith