Clare Park, Ballycastle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. July 20, 1968 Dear Mr. Trimble, I have now been able to complete the research up to the limit which you set. This has revealed several things: the main one being that the name which is not a common one taking Ireland as a whole does seem to have survived in many places to a somewhat remarkable extent. Therefore as you asked for any material which was found for the name to be sent even if not of immediate relevance to the people about whom you were enquiring, there is a good deal to send. Firstly, to obtain some idea as to the frequency of the name a search was made in a special report on the surnames of Ireland which was issued in 1894. This report was based on the birth indexes of the year 1890. The report lists all those surnames which appeared in the birth indexes five or more times. The number for the whole of Ireland was given, and this number was then split up into the number for each of the four provinces, and if possible note was made as to any further localisation of the name. The name Trimble did not appear: for the name Turnbull, the figures were five births in the birth indexes of 1890, three of them being in Leinster, and two in Ulster. There were none in Connaught or Munster: and no further comment was made. To give some idea as to the commonness of names, the figures for the name Murphy were 1385, while even Wilson had 366 entries. The name Trimble did not appear in a Guide to Irish Surnames . This was done several years ago by Dr. MacLysaght, who was formerly Chief Genealogical Office at the National Library in Dublin. In 1890 also was published Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland for the Guidance of Registration Officers and the Public in Searching the indexes of Births, Deaths and Marriages . This was by Robert E. Matheson, a barrister, who was Secretary of the General Registration Office. Trimble was not given: nor did it appear as a variant of another name. This does seem to prove that Trimble is not a common name. A reference was found to the name Trimble in O’Hart’s Irish Pedigrees , and a photostat copy is enclosed as it lists various families which are said to have gone to America in the early 18th Century. The two volumes of O’Hart’s Irish Pedigrees ran to several editions to-wards the end of last century. They are now regarded with some suspicion due to their method of compiling; but they are nevertheless useful. O’Hart’s other volume, Irish Landed Gentry When Cromwell Came to Ireland (1884) shows the name spelt Trimbel on page 18, where the name is given in a list (according to Wood-Martin) of Cromwellian Troupers who were disbanded in the county of Sligo. This volume besides some pedigrees much material such as lists of those who were granted lands under various settlements, and a copy of the book Of Survey and Distribution for the county of Mayo . These volumes give the names of the proprietors of land in 1641, the number of acres, both of profitable and unprofitable land, to-gether with the names of those to whom forfeited lands were conveyed. 2 The name Turnbull appears on page 94 of the volume where under the heading of the Kershaw family of South Carolina, records that a daughter of a Thomas Swallow married and had a daughter who on marriage become a Mrs. Turnbull. This appears to have been in the U. S. A. A David Turneball (page 408) is listed as being one of the “Forty-Nine” Officers. These were officers who served either Charles I or Charles II in the west of Ireland prior to 5th June 1649. I should have said regarding the Index to Irish Surnames by Dr. MacLysaght that it has in the back of the volume a bibliography of Irish Family Histories: but the name did not appear amongst the families named. There are in existence two volumes, published by the Irish Manuscripts Commission of wills which for various reasons of land ownership were registered at the Registry of Deeds. The two volumes cover the period 1708-1785: neither the name Turnbull nor Trimble appeared in either volume, the indexes of which cover all names appearing in any will abstract. There is a volume also published by the Irish Manuscripts Commission, Quaker Records, Dublin, Abstracts of Wills . The name does not appear in that volume. Father Clare in 1930 collected a list of wills which still existed in some form or another after the destruction of almost all the original wills in Dublin in 1922, and this list was published under the title of Irish Genealogical Guides, Volume I. It should be noted that in spite of the title it is the only volume. One will of the name or variant is shown:- 1726. Trimble, Michael, merchant. Dublin. W. (at the Public Record Office, Dublin). There is an index of will abstracts in Analecta Hibernica (Irish Manuscript Commision No. 17). These are abstracts to be found at the Genealogical Office, Dublin Castle. The name Trimble does not appear. There are two volumes of gravestone inscriptions compiled by Dr. R. Clarke and recently published. These cover a number of graveyards in county down. The name does not appear in either of these volumes. It is hoped that further volumes will be published of these inscriptions until at least all county Down has been covered. There were published from circa 1888 for about fifty years numbers of a magazine called Memorials of the Dead . These were largely devoted to tombstone inscriptions from all over Ireland. The following entries we found for the name Trimble or its variants:- Volume III, page 251. There is a tablet in Down Cathedral with the name Major Turnbull on it. “This tablet is erected by the Officers, Warrant Officers, N. C. Officers, and Men / 2nd Royal Irish Rifles, To the memory of their comrades / who died while serving in Egypt during the years 1888-9 and 1890.” 3 Volume V, page 33. Kilmegan parish, county Down. Here lieth the body of John Trimble of Monyleane, who deceased ye twenyeth (sic) of October in the year of Our Lord 1682 and in ye eighty fifth year of his aige (sic). Also Jane his Wife aged 73 years, who departed this life Jun (sic) the 23 1710. Here lieth ye Body of Mr. Alexander Trimble, son to Mr. John Trimble who depd. this life Decemr. ye 24 1714 ye XXI year of his age. As also ye Body of Mrs. Catherine Echlin alias Trimble who depd. this life May ye 7th 1717 aged XX ys. Also the Body----Jane Faifield wife to John Trimble of Kilmegan March 1748 aged---also John Trimble dep-- ted 8 of sd Month. It would seem that Alexander Trimble must have been the son of the last named and not the son of the first named John Trimble. When the volume was published a note was made (1901-03) that the lower left hand corner of the stone was broken. Here lieth the Body of Dorcas Shaw, wife to Robert Trimble of Ballylough aged 36 years who departed this life the 25 Sep. 1711. Here lyeth the Body of R. T. Trimble who departed Life--of Agt. 1747 aged ----. Volume 5, page 431. Kilmegan Churchyard. Erected by William Hannah of Castlewellan in Memory of his Mother Elizabeth Hannah who departed this life April the 19th 1854 aged 48 years. Also his sister Jane who departed this life July the 7th 1845 aged 16 years. Also his sister Elizabeth who departed this life July 3rd 1855 aged 23 years. Also his grandfather John Trindle (sic) who departed this life June 29th 1839 aged 66 years. And also his grandmother Elizabeth Trindle who departed this life March the 22nd 1842 aged 66 years. In view of the fact that this name appears in the same churchyard, it must I feel be accepted as a variant of Trimble--perhaps a stonemasons error. Volume XII, page 119. Errigal Trough new graveyard. County Monaghan. Enclosure. Built by ---Graham of Shanco 1860 (?, sic). U. S. Erected by / John Trimble Grahamstown / in loving memory of / his father William Trimble / who died 8th June 1851 / aged 84 years / His sister Eliza Trimble / who died 20th September 1855 / aged 19 years / His mother Mary Anne Trimble / who died 1st January 1880 / aged 85 years. Volume VIII, page 117. Kilrea Churchyard. County Derry. Here lieth the / Body of Daniel / Trimbles (sic) who departed this / life October the / 6th 1793 aged / 58 years. Templepatrick graveyard. County Down. Herelieth the Body of David Trimbel late of Balley Roley how (sic) departed this life May the 20th 1732 aged 63 years. Also his son David Trimbel late of Balley Trenis how (sic) departed this Life September the 25 1727 aged 65 years. Also his dougter (sic) Anna child (sic). It should be noted that the last volume was not searched (volume 13) as it had no index. 4 In 1903 was published the Genealogist’s Guide . This was by George W. Marshall and listed all known printed sources concerning families. The name Thimble did not appear. A name Trimnell which might be a variant was shown as appearing in a Harlein Society’s publication. ii. 176: xxvii, 137. From this source it would be likely to refer to English material.