North Street, Newry, County Down

North Street, Newry, County Down
North Street, Newry, County Down

Sunday 27 October 2019

Eleanor Bray [about 1767 - ], Thurles, County Tipperary.

Eleanor Bray was the daughter of Luke Bray of Galberstown, County Tipperary, and his wife Mary Phillips.
Nothing further is known of Eleanor Bray.

Tuesday 22 October 2019

Edmond Bray [1761- ]

Edmond Bray was the third son of Luke Bray of Galberstown, County Tipperary and his wife Mary Phillips.
Part of the Will of 1777. Will of Thos Max of Killough -made 14 Mar 1777. Codicil.:
…Edm Bray & his heirs, son of Mrs Mary Bray, to have profits of Carrow subject to £21p.a willed to Mrs Mary Bray, by my brother James Max.
Edmond’s grandmother was Sarah Max of Gaile.
He married Mary Keating in 1781.[1]


[1] Ireland Diocesan and Prerogative Marriage Licence Bonds indexes 1623-1866

Sunday 13 October 2019

Mary Bray and Biddy Bray [1795 - ], Ellen Bray [1797 - ], John Bray [1800 - ], Thurles, County Tipperary

 Mary and Biddy Bray were born and baptised  in Thurles, County Tipperary in 1795, twin daughters of Luke Bray and Anstice Cormack. Sponsors at their baptism were  Alice Bowe, Thomas Cormac and Biddy Cormac.[1]  Their sister Ellen Bray was born in 1797. Ellen’s sponsors at her baptism were John Bray and Bridget Gleeson.[2]  Their brother John was born in 1800. John’s sponsors were John and Bridget Cormac.[3]
Their parents died in 1801, Luke Bray in June. Anstice three months later in September. They are buried at Holy Cross Abbey.
Mary and Biddy would have been only six years old at the time. Their siblings Ellen and John  were even younger.
What became of them after they were orphaned?
A Mary Bray married John St. John in 1824 in the presence of John Bray and Mrs Bray. Could this be Mary, one of Luke Bray’s daughters??
An Ellen Bray married John Meghan in 1828. Was this Ellen, daughter of Luke Bray?


[1] Catholic Church Records. Thurles. Baptisms. 02489/04. P. 3. 1796. [www.nli.ie ]
[2] Catholic Church Records, Thurles. Baptism 26 December1797. Mf 02489/04. Page 10. [www.nli.ie]
[3] Catholic Church Records, Thurles. Mf. 02489/04. Baptism 2 September 1800. [www.nli.ie].

Mary Bray, Thurles, County Tipperary

 Mary Bray was the daughter of John Bray, of Thurles, County Tipperary, and his wife Mary Fogarty.
She married Denis O’Brien. They had two sons.

1. John Bray O’Brien [1805-1839]
John [Luke?], of Denis O'Brien and Mary Bray, Main Street, sponsors John Bray, Elizabeth Bray. [1]
John Bray O’Brien died by drowning in 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. Francis Bray O’Brien [1806-1870]
Francis, son of Denis O'Brien and Mary Bray, sponsors Thomas Lanigan of Castle Fogarty and Margaret O'Brien wife of Ml. Ryan of Abington.[2]
Francis Bray O’Brien married his first cousin Frances Agnes Bray, known as Fanny, the daughter of Luke Bray and Ellen Ronan, in Thurles on the 24th of November 1840. They had six children.  Francis died in 1870. Fanny died in 1874.
O'Brien, Jan 12, at Ardfort House, Thurles, after a long and painful illness, Francis Agnes, relict of Francis Bray O'Brien, Esq., J.P. [3]
Both are buried in St. Mary's Graveyard, Thurles, along with other members of the Bray O'Brien family.

Denis O’Brien died on the 26th April 1812.  

His widow Mary Bray married again, to John Burke. They had three children. Mary Helena Burke [1813-1889] also found as Bourke, Emily Burke, and William Burke.
Mary Bray’s granddaughter Mary Helena Bourke married Charles Laurence Toole on the 8th of October 1839 in St. Andrew’s Church, Westland Row, Dublin. They had nine children. Their fourth son, Edmund Toole, born in 1848, was a recipient of the Victoria Cross in 1879, in recognition of his services at Ulundi, Zululand, South Africa.


[1] Catholic Church Registers, Thurles 02489/04 P. 6 1805 [www.nli.ie]
[2] Catholic Church Registers. Thurles 02489/04 P. 14. 1806 [www.nli.le]
[3] The Belfast Newsletter, Jan 16, 1874.

Monday 7 October 2019

Edmond Bray, New Road, Thurles, County Tipperary

Edmond Bray was the son of John Bray [1755-1826] of Thurles, County Tipperary, and his wife Mary Fogarty [1756-1799].
He married Mary Purcell. They had one daughter, Mary Bray, born in 1809.
Mary, daughter of Edmond Bray and Mary Purcel, New Road, sponsors John Dwyer and Anne Fogarty.[1]
Anne Fogarty was probably a cousin of Edmond's. His mother was Mary Fogarty.


[1] Church Records, Thurles, Baptisms, 02489/05 P. 31 1809  [www.nli.ie]