Limerick Family Heritage

WHAT THIS RARE SURNAME MEANS TO ME

by McRae Limmerick (deceased)
 
To me it is more than just a name common to all of us. To me it is growing up with your kin that such precious memories linger with us. It is the stories told to us of our ancestors -who they were and where they came from. It is the thrill of discovering other people that are directly related to us.

We must keep our faith in the love of God, and those we love so dearly. Our memories of our ancestors whose supreme sacrifice of leaving the Country of their birth, and coming to a land unknown .

to them. We must keep our admiration of the hard times some of them encountered to perpetuate the LIMERICK heritage.

I would like to dedicate this poem to our heritage. It was written by my Uncle Thomas Sidney Limerick, who died a few months afterwards.

THINGS TO KEEP By T. S. Limerick

All things of Nature shed and renew, As the cosmic Seasons flow;
And to grow we must follow her cue And shed that which we outgrow.
The thoughts that warmed our hearts yesterday, Today are growing cold,
And so doth our ideas pass away-- The new replace the old.
But there are things to which we should hold If we would enrich our lives.
We must keep our ideals as of old--
Clean minds, wherein beauty thrives,
And we must keep our loves, to smooth The paths we daily tread;
Our love of God--our love of truth-- To us as spiritual bread.
We must keep our faith--God's gift supreme-- For without faith, hope is dead;
And hope to us is a bright-hued dream, Woven of silken thread-
Our memories, too, we must keep To illume a darkened day;
A blessed heritage that we reap When all else is swept away.
This is a summary of the research for the first Limerick clan that we can relate to. We know that other Limericks have immigrated from Ireland, but we are not sure of their relation to us before coming to America.
 
William Limbrick Transported to Maryland in 1680 by Captain Peter Sayer of Tabot County,Maryland. In 1724 William was listed as a "Tobacco Tender", in Stafford County, Virginia. He was born in Ireland. Date unknown.
Francis Limbrick Imported into the Royal Virginia
Colony by Adam Woffensall on November 5,1687 from Ireland in order to farm the land.
The Limbrick Family The name was originally"de 1 Ambtoux" taken from the name of a French town (Ambtoux). The name reached Ireland via Scotland, and by 1665 had become Limbrick. This surname is found in County Derry, Ireland Limbric, Limrick, and Limbrick then later Limerick were later versions.

LIMERICK A toponymic taken not
from the Irish city, but from a French place. This rare surname
is found in County Derry, Ireland. * See supplement to Irish family surnames, page 106.

Taken from a guide to Irish surnames by
Edward Maclysaght D. Liti M.R.I.A. From the Meridian Public Librarv.  
The first Limericks that we can prove that immigrated to the shores of America was William Limbrick transported to Maryland in 1680 by Captain Peter Sayer of Tabot County, Maryland. The second one being Francis Limbrick who was imported to the Royal Virginia Colony from Ireland to farm the land. No other record of the families of these two could be proven. We did find that they voted in the election of The House of Burgess in Virginia. Through the search of marriage records we were able to establish the family of William Limbrick and his wife Catherine whose surname was unknown. These records dated from 1700 to 1740 so we could not be sure of the date, but since their first child was born in 1738 it would be in the late 1730's. Now if the original William was 25 when he reached these shores he would be 83 years old-too old to be William's father. Now since he was born in Ireland his Grandson William and Catherine would be the first generation born in America and their children the second. Now it could have been Francis, but all indications that our lineage was with the original William. William and Catherine's children were 
1.- Francis born in 1738. 
2.- Susannah born Oct. 12th,1739 
3.- Elizabeth born in 1740. a twin of John. 
4.- John born in 1740,and married Sarah Snipe, Daughter of Nathaniel and Mary Snipe. Info. from the will of Nathaniel. John bought 69 acres of land 8 miles SW of the Courthouse near Fall Run, Virginia. John died in 1826 naming all 11 of his children in his will. 
5.- Thomas born May 10th,1744. 
6.-Vinson born April 28th,1749. He was a twin of Rachel and died at birth. 
7.-Rachel born April 28th,1749. Married Thomas Porch in Over- Wharton Parish Stafford County, Virginia. 
8.-William date of birth not known we believe William died at birth.
There is lots of information yet to be researched, but it is my opinion that it will not change the fact that William and Catherine was the first generation born in America.
I am reluctant to try to name all that helped to put all the information together, because of the chance someone will be left out. So I will acknowledge my appreciation to each and everyone that helped. William and Catherine being generation No.1, so I have recorded each family by generations. The family of John Limbrick and Lucy Mahorney was, to say the least an interesting family to research. They were married February 15, 1814 in Spotsylvania County Virginia. Lucy Mahorney was definitely an Irish name. We have no information on her family. John was born and lived in Stafford County, so since they were married in Spotslyvania County we suppose that was her home County. It has been said that John was a Veteran of the war of 1812. They seemed to have been prosperous, having raised a family of 9 children causes us to wonder why they left Virginia. All the family did not leave Virginia- Landon and James and their families are listed on the 1850 Virginia census. On the 1850 Autauga County, Alabama census are listed William, John, Alexander, and Sidney. We believe they all come together. Even though Mary was not listed on the Autauga County census she did come to Alabama and married Stokley F. King. Also listed as living in the household of William was 70 year old John. There is no doubt that this was the Father of this family. What happened to Lucy their Mother is not documented. Did she die in Virginia are on the way to Alabama? I have found no information on Lucy. What happened to her? It is established to my satisfaction that they came to Alabama in 1849, because William's 3rd child was 6 months old in the 1850 Autauga County census as being born in Virginia.

In 1849, as you know you don't go down and get on the train or bus or get a u-haul to move. It was a wagon, either mules or oxen most likely oxen, for the simple reason oxen could take care of themselves by grazing at night and along the way. Can you imagine how long it would take to come from Virginia to Alabama?

Now we come to Thomas M., why did he come to Mississippi? I was told by my Grandpa that he came to Winston County by himself. He married Elizabeth Gordon and then came to Kemper County. Why we do not know. Could have been that was the only land available. He homesteaded 160 acres in the Blackwater community and named the place Buckhorn springs, because of it's familiarity with his home in Virginia.

It is my belief that it was the pioneer spirit that caused the restlessness to move on. We can see that in William that eventually moved his family from Alabama to Texas and a new Frontier, and made a name for himself and his family.

I am not sure of all the dates, but the dates that are there have had some documentation. Those noted Date not known might have been figured out approximately, but I have chosen to list as unknown.

This particular family had a scattering effect on the family name. After Thomas M. the name has been Limerick and so has the other branches of the family at different times. I feel to have been very fortunate to be a part of this Clan and think I might have inherited some of the pioneer spirit from having been out of the Country for about 6 years. 3 years before I was married and 3 years with my family. Then being fortunate enough to have a job that carried me to every State in the Union with the exception of 3.