Bickford married Kathleen Dore on the 16 April 1868 in the parish church of Queenstown (Cobh).[5] She was the daughter of Dr. Patrick Dore of Skibbereen who had died in 1847 from inflammation of the lung during the Irish famine.[6][7] The mortality rate amongst physicians in Ireland at this time was in the order of 25%, due to the outbreak of deadly infectious diseases contracted by many of the weakened famine victims.[8] Kathleen's mother, Catherine Power, was sister of Maurice Power, Member of Parliament for Cork 1847-1852.