Person:Michael Timlin (1)

From an email from Jean Lampi on 21 July 2005:

In his obituary it tells us he was a School teacher for many years and only entered the Seminary after he came to Canada. He was ordained May 22, 1842 in Montreal and that was confirmed in my letter to the Seminary. He taught school until he was almost 50 and could enter the Seminary.

Letter received from the Archives of the Diocese of Montreal:

According to our register of 1841 it is said about Michel Joseph TIMLIN That he has the authorization of Mgr Thomas Feenay bishop of Ptolemais and administrator of the diocese of Alla in Ireland to be ordained for the diocese of Montreal and it is also said that he was born on September 24 1816, son of Edmond Timlin and of Catherine Nary. I hope that this will help you in your research.

Alain Walhin Adjoint à l'Archiviste archives@@diocesemontreal.org Archevêché de Montréal 2000, rue Sherbrooke Ouest Montréal, Québec, H3H 1G4 514-925-4300 poste 235 (correction followed saying the date was in latin and was actually 1806 NOT 1816)

With these two pieces of information I suspect that the 1806 date was the year Michael finished his formal training in Ireland rather than the year of his birth. He lived about 1/2 a mile from Rev. John McHale and was 6 months younger than McHale........McHale finished his education in Castlebar in 1806 and entered the Maynooth College to study for his Ordination. I suspect the boys were related (through the Uncle & Aunt Martin & Catherine) and perhaps studied together.

I wrote to the Catholic Archives in Toronto and told them I was looking for info on Fr.Timlin. I gave them no information at all but asked if Fr. Timlin's will was in their collection and if it was did he name any family (parents/siblings?) at all.

I received this email back from them:

Dear Ms. Lampi,

Thank you for your e-mail of Thursday afternoon regarding Father Michael Timlin. I am glad to conduct this research for you, considering your location, and there is no charge for this service.

As you suggested, we have a copy of Fr. Timlin's will and he does name family members to inherit. He names his sister, Mary Tobias Kelly, of the Township of Mara, Ontario, and his brother, Patrick Timlin. Patrick's Timlin 's location is very difficult to read - three archivists couldn't make it out! Here's our very closest guess: "of Knockfarwaght, in the parish of Ardregood, County of Mayo, Ireland." We are quite confident about the county and country, but the town and parish are unclear.

I really hope this helps. Please let me know if I can provide any further assistance.

Sincerely,

Michelle Mumford Assistant to the Archivist's Office Archives, Archdiocese of Toronto 1155 Yonge Street, Suite 505 Toronto, ON M4T 1W2 (416) 934-3400 ext. 503 michellemumford@@archtoronto.org

1. ↑ obituary
   Cobourg Sentinal, June 2, 1877.

   QUAY 3 THE LATE REV. M. TIMLIN.
   We briefly alluded in our last week's paper to the lamented death of the good and zealous priest, who for so long a time ministered to the spiritual wants of the Catholics of the Cobourg Mission, an d we this week propose to give a more extended notice of his life and labors amongst us.
   The Reverend MICHAEL TIMLIN was born near Ballina in the county Mayo, Ireland, in or about the year 1791, the exact date being uncertain, and only attainable from the old parish register of his birt h place. He immigrated to this country; in 1828, and remained in Kingston and its neighborhood for a number of years, engaged as teacher in the Grammar or High Schools, before entering the Grand Semin ary at Montreal to complete his studies and prepare himself for the office of the holy priesthood, which had ever been the object of his fondest hopes,
   Having completed his studies, he was ordained at the Seminary by Rt. Rev. Bishop Bourget (who still lives) on the 22nd of May, 1842. Every reasonable inducement was held out to him to remain in Lowe r Canada, which he firmly but respectfully declined, and at once repaired to Kingston and placed his services at the disposal of Rt. Rev. Dr. Goulan, then Bishop of this Diocese. Father Timlin was fir st appointed to the charge of Loughbo rough, then a very extended and sparsely settled Mission, where he remained until he received the appointment for Cobourg, arriving here on tne 13th of July, 1844 . We may here be permitted to make a short digression in speaking of this Mission, which had been established only about five years before Father Timlin was entrusted with its charge. The Belleville a nd Peterborough Missions were es-