Looking for info on James CULLEN and Bridget CULLEN (nee JONES)

James CULLEN was born approx 1880 and Bridget JONES c1885. Dad has mentioned that he thinks the Cullens may have come from around the Kilmore area but he did mention Ballyfrory... Rathangan... Carrig on Bannow... sigh.

James father was apparantly - James!

He had sisters Julia (married a John McDERMOTT - moved to the USA?) and Mary CULLEN (died 1950? - married a JORDAN)

There are 3 possible James Cullens in the 1901 Census ie aged about 16/17 yrs old. The 2 I like the best are :
Ballyfrory, Parish of Bannow
* Head - James CULLEN (50) laborer/married also : Alice(50)wife-James(16)-Anne(19)-Matthew Harpur(4months)gs
or but not as good in Ballygoman, Carrick...
* Head - Mary CULLEN (62) Farmer/Widow : also Annie(26) Mary(30)-James(16)nephew
thirdly in Booley, Templetown...
* Head - Mary(52) Farmer/Widow : also Lawrence(20)-James(17)-Michael(15)

Census of 1911, Wexford shows James CULLEN and Bridget CULLEN (nee JONES) living in Houses in Garryrichard (Newbawn, Wexford)”

Surname Forename Age Sex
Cullen James 27 Male
Cullen Bridget 22 Female
Cullen Julia 2 Female
Cullen Thomas 0 Male

The other returns for them show a 1 bedroom house, one window in front etc… and it says married for 2 years – so 1909-ish but where?…. I’ve searched in the Auckland Library awesome family history resources from 1906-1914 and found nothing. Dad jokes and says they were probably too poor to marry. Be interested if anything is ever found.

The closest thing in the BDM registers I could find was a Bridget JONES married in 1909 but at Rathdown - wherever that is? Wicklow? Cert 2, 855. But no matching James CULLEN... Maybe they eloped and changed there names for a week...

They went on to have 13 children including my father Richard in Bryanstown in 1926.

They are buried in Clongeen. Inscription reads "In Loving Memory Of THOMAS CULLEN, Bryanstown, Died 12 March 1968 Aged 57 yrs also his Father JAMES Died 23 July 1968 aged 83 yrs, and his Uncle NICHOLAS JONES, Died 11 March 1954, Bridget wife of JAMES, Died 4 Jan 1974 Aged 84"

Any info would be awesome + happy to share. Searching the internet for Bridget JONES keeps bringing up some silly flick!!! :-)

Rob CULLEN, New Zealand