Bilbo in the USA
Depending upon your Branch there are French Huguenots, African/Caribbean and Scottish-Irish decadency from about 1700.
We are seeking male Bilbo volunteers to undertake Y-37 DNA testing to help discover the origins of the branches.
In 2021 Kevin Merrison published his research on this website, capturing the documentary history of the Bilbo families in the USA, including previous works BILBO AND KIN (1982) by Polly Ray. Her objective was to locate all Bilbo males born before 1820, in so doing she identified many later generations up to and including the 1880 US Census. In her introduction she captures the spirit of our research; to make it available to interested descendants and add to the data presented. Her research is included and expanded upon in this online form of publication, synthesizing records for both male and female Bilbo up to and including the 1950 US Census (and many more recent ones), while creating a digital repository for documents and stories for all the Bilbo families.
In turn we are aware that Polly Ray research was in part based upon of research by Mrs Annie Mims Wright (1876-1935) of Jackson Mississippi (commissioned by the Senator Theodore Bilbo 1877-1947), but have not as yet been able to find where it may be held. Estimated to have been undertaken about 1930, please make contact if you have any clues as to the whereabouts of this important element of research for that Branch. Both Polly Ray and Mrs Annie Mims may have been aware of the Bilbo family bible of James Bilbo (1779-1849), for which a transcription of the contents is held by the LDS and included and fully crossed referenced in this research. It includes details of the descendants of James Bilbo who were living in 1819 and therefore probably the key document that Polly Ray used to start her locating of all Bilbo males born before 1820.
Contact from descendants is always appreciated. We take stories and images in almost any format, it all helps to add depth and preserve the legacy of our families. The site is designed to enable groups or individuals to be able to manage their interests directly; all you have to do is ask, it is and always will be free, access and permissions can be tailored to meet you needs.
Emigrating from Gravesend, England in 1700 Jack Billbo
(possibly Jaques Bilbbeu from France) and his descendants settled into
Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana and beyond. If anyone has clues as to where his passport dated 1699 may be held, or an image of it, please make contact.
Many Bilbo descendants in the USA can trace their ancestors back through Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. There are several references to the Bilbo families including Bilbo St.
The site includes Bilbo families of African or Caribbean decent. Branches from Carolina and Mississippi circa 1830 are also detailed below.
Jaques
Bibbeau / Bilbaut / James Bilbo circa 1700, France, England, King William Parish
USA.
Hiram
Bilbo (1829-1919) & Hester Ferrell (1827- ), 1870 Ocean Springs, Jackson,
Mississippi.
Warner
Bilbo (1831- ) & Elisa , 1870 Ocean Springs, Jackson, Mississippi.
Frank
Bilbo (1831- ) & Sophia, 1870 Ocean Springs, Jackson, Mississippi.
Nathaniel
Bilbo (1837- ) & Easter (1847-1937), 1870 Vancleave, Jackson, Mississippi.
Edward
‘Ned’ Bilbo (1848-1925) & Caroline Emily Fairley ( -1931), 1880 Jackson,
Mississippi.
