John Bray [1818-1872]

John Bray was born on the 7^th of December 1818 the son of Luke Bray of Ballycarrane, Thurles, County Tipperary and Ellen Ronayne. He was a twin, his sister was christened Johanna. Their baptismal sponsors were Luke Bray, Mary Ann Lalor, James Bray and Mary Kearney

On the 7th inst .the lady of Luke Bray Esq. of Ballycurrane of twins a son and a daughter. About a year back this lady had the same good fortune.[1]

John Bray was involved, with three cousins, in the accident at Cabra Bridge on the River Suir which resulted in the drowning of John Bray O'Brien, J.P., of Turtulla, 31^st of July 1839.

Tipperary North Riding Summer Assizes 1839. Thurles 1st August: John Bray O'Brien J.P. of Turtulla drowned. With his two brothers and his cousin german, John Bray Esq., went boating on River Suir, very swollen after recent heavy rain, on Wednesday 31 July. At bridge of Cabra, the boat struck a concealed weir and capsized. The other three scrambled ashore but O'Brien was cast headlong into the water and drowned. He merited high esteems (sic) and affection. Considerate and indulgent as a landlord: friend and benefactor to all in neighbourhood: upright and impartial as a magistrate.[2]

In 1860 John Bray was found to be of unsound mind.[3] He had been unwell for the previous 18 years – possibly since the year after the drowning at Cabra Bridge.

From 1860 he lived in residential care in Hartfield House, Dublin. He had a farm of 138 acres from which he derived an income. He was single.

John Bray died in 1872. His place of residence on the death certificate was given then as Westmoreland St., Dublin. Charles Toole had a seed merchants at 41 Westmoreland Street, Toole and Mackey, nursery and seedsman and florists.[4] He was married to John Bray’s first cousin Mary Bourke. This was later changed in the death record to Ballycurrane, Thurles. The informant was Denis Bray O'Brien, Ardfort House, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

He is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.

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[1] Southern Register Thursday 17 Dec. 1818

[2] Tipperary Free Press, Saturday 3^rd August 1839.

[3] The Evening Freeman, 12^th June 1860.

[4] Pettigrew and Oulton's Dublin Directory 1842

Ellen Mary Clare Bray [1817-1900]

Ellen Mary Clare Bray was born about 1817, the daughter of Luke Bray of Ballycarrane, Thurles, County Tipperary and Ellen Ronayne of County Waterford. She never married.

She died in 1900 aged 84, and is buried at Holy Cross Abbey with her parents and sisters.

Bray, Ellen, 31 August. Probate of the will of Ellen Bray late of Thurles, Co. Tipperary, spinster, 11 August 1900 granted at Dublin to John B. O'Brien gentleman. Effects £5,707.4.2d. [520][1]

John Bray O’Brien of Ardfort House, Thurles, was her nephew, son of her sister Frances who had married Francis Bray O’Brien. He was married to Mary Desmond Power.

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[1]  www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie

Catherine Johanna Bray [1815-1902]

Catherine Johanna Bray was born in 1815, the daughter of Luke Bray of Ballycarrane, Thurles, County Tipperary and Ellen Ronayne of Ballindad, County Waterford.

Cat Johanna, of Luke Bray, gent, and Ellen Ronan, Ballycarrane, sponsor Mary Ronan.[1]

Catherine Bray sponsored her nephew Daniel Jennings, son of her sister Johanna, at his baptism in Tuam Cathedral on 27th May 1853.[2]

She was also a witness at the marriage of her cousin Ann Ronayne to Walter George Mansfield in 1853 in the Catholic Cathedral, Waterford.[3] After the death of Walter Mansfield in 1873, Ann married again, to Thomas Paul Sherlock, in Dublin, in 1874.

In 1877 Catherine was a beneficiary of her sister Mary’s will.

Ellen and Catherine Bray, the two remaining sisters after Mary’s death, are mentioned in both the newspapers and in Directories.

Concert in Thurles... The Misses Bray.[4]

As they grew older they lived in the Main Street of Thurles and not at Ballycarrane.

Bray, Miss Catherine, Main St., Thurles. (Gentry and Clergy).[5]

Thurles Misses Bray farmers residents Main St. Thurles.[6]

Ellen died in 1900 aged 84. Catherine’s brother Luke died in 1855, and her brother John in 1872. Her married sister Frances died in 1874. Johanna, married to Daniel Corley Jennings, was the only sibling still living.

Catherine does not appear in the 1901 Census. On October 22^nd 1902 Catherine Bray died aged 87. She was buried with her parents and sisters at Holy Cross Abbey, Co. Tipperary. Her nephew, Daniel Jennings, whose baptism she had sponsored in Tuam in 1853, was to be the last member of the family buried in Holy Cross in 1915.

Catherine had been the last surviving unmarried sister. Henrietta E. Jennings, Catherine’s niece and daughter of the last married sister Johanna, noted in her Private Account Book in 1903 ‘Ballycurrane title deeds can't be found.’  

Ballycarrane House no longer exists.[7]

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[1] Catholic Church Registers, Thurles, 02489/05 P. 86. 1815 [www.nli.ie]

[2] Baptisms Tuam Cathedral Register. NLI Pos 4222.

[3] Walter Mansfield and  Ann Ronayne Sps. Edward Mansfield and  Catherine Bray. 1853. Holy Trinity, Waterford Mf. HT02445/02. [www.nli.ie]

[4] Freeman's Journal, Jan 13, 1879.

[5] Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory 1881. Irish Origins.

[6] Bassett's Directory 1889

[7] www.buildingsofireland.ie

Mary Bray [1815-1877]

Mary Bray, second daughter of Luke Bray of Ballycarrane, Thurles, County Tipperary and Ellen Ronayne of Ballindad, County Waterford was born in Thurles in 1815. 

In 1850 she was a sponsor at the baptism of her sister Johanna’s son Ignatius Loyola Ronayne Bray Jennings in Tuam Cathedral, County Galway.

August 25th 1850: Ignatius Loyola of Daniel Jennings and Johanna Bray. Sponsors Charles Jennings and Mary Bray.[1]  

Mary died in 1877 aged 62. She was buried at Holy Cross Abbey, County Tipperary, with her parents and three sisters. Her name is recorded on the grave of her uncle James Bray who died in 1825 aged 44.

   Mary second daughter of Luke, niece of James, d. 1877 aged 62.[2]

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[1]  Catholic Church Records [www.nli.ie]

[2] A picture of the gravestone can be seen on www.findagrave.com.

Anna Bray [abt 1812 – 1873]

Anna Bray was the eldest daughter of Luke Bray of Ballycarrane, Thurles, and Ellen Ronayne.

Anna was not listed in the surviving fragments of the 1821 census with the family in Ballycarrane, Thurles.  She is listed with her grandmother Ann (Anstace) Ronayne (nee Power) in Waterford.[1] Ann Ronayne was aged 60 and a widow in 1821. Anna Bray was then about ten years old.  Her grandfather William Ronayne had been dead since 1815.

Anna died unmarried in 1873. She is buried at Holy Cross, Co. Tipperary with her parents and three of her sisters.  

Luke d. 1837 aged 57.

Luke's widow Ellen Ronayne 1864 aged 76   

and their daughters Anna Bray d.1866, Mary Ann d. 1876, Ellen Mary Clare d. 1900 aged 84, Catherine 1902  aged 87

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[1] 1821 Census extract City of Waterford, Parish of Trinity Within