Brett Ancestors from County Mayo

There are records for quite a few Thomas Brett's in the Family Search database who are recorded as living in Sligo at the times you mentioned   Some of the records appear to be duplicates (various people have created records, sometimes unwittingly creating duplicates).  FamilySearch is operated by the LDS church, and is free to use.  The site is located here:  https://www.familysearch.org

You have to create an account to use it, but they don’t ask for much personal info, and no missionaries will contact you or anything like that.  The database does not have separate family trees, and is essentially one huge tree of linked records, in which there is a single record for each person, with a unique identification number (although sometimes people unknowingly create duplicate records for the same person, which you can merge when you spot them).  You can search by name, but also by that number, and once in a record you will see how easily you can move up and down the tree by clicking on the names of other people who are shown (clickable names are shown in blue font).

Once you are in the site, at this link you can see a list of Thomas Brett's who are in the database:

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/find/name?search=1&gender=male&birth=…

I only ganced at a few of them, but there are several listed as being born in the 1837-1838 range.

According to MacLysaght's Surnames of Ireland, the surnam Brett comes from the Norman name le Bret, indicating origin in Brittany (there were many Bretons who came to England with William the Conqueror in 1066).  He says that the name is most numerous in Waterford, Tipperary, and Sligo, and was also sometimes anglicized as Britt.

Roger,

Thank you for your kind assistance.  Charlestown makes sense given that several of Mary's siblings were born in Charlestown.  Thomas the elder b.1797 Sligo, Ireland and his wife Mary (possibly Donley) had six children all born in Ireland.  Most of the family moved to Bowden Close, Crook, County Durham between 1846 and 1851 to work in the coal mines.  I have attached a family group sheet below that details his children and their birth and death dates.  I am hoping to discover who Thomas the elder's parents might have been and if he had any siblings.

Best to you, Theresa

Kevin,

Thank you for the referral to Family Search.  It sounds like an interesting resource.  I will check it out!

Kind regards, Theresa

Hello all: I hope one of the respondents will see this addition to your thread. My name is Bob Brett from the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania. My grandfather was a red head named James Brett, he had a brother named Thomas. Their father, Thomas M Brett (M for Michael?), was born in Rhode Island about 1857 and found his way as an adult to Philly. This Thomas' death certificate states that his father Michael Brett was from Ireland. The mother, Anna Marra, also was from Ireland. Marra often appears also as Meara, and the surname is prevalent around the Louth Derg region, Tipperary. The DNA ancestry.com results consistently match my "Brett" forebears with County Mayo/Sligo. Kevin, your Brett family sheet was very interesting because it matches many of the given names in my Brett family. If any one is aware of a red head strain in their family, it might lock it in further. In ancestry I discovered that a John Brett from Rhode Island was in search of his brother Michael. Signs seem to point to the Charlestown region as the family point of origin before emigration. Michael Brett was born around 1830. DNA also connects my ancestors to the McLoughlin family of which some members emigrated to California. These McLoughlins were also from the Mayo/Sligo region. Any further enlightenment would be greatly appreciated.   Regards, Bob Brett.

My email is foxybrett13@gmail.com 
Phone number nine four nine eight four four one four 38

My family came from Ohio to California and my grandfather was Joseph Patrick Brett brother to philomena among others. I traced the family back to Ireland. 
I would love to have any information,  pictures, history, or any other documents you might have! 
I have been building my own family tree and I would love to see where it goes
 

Hello Bob,

My apologies for a late reply.  I have just read your post.   I agree that there are many similarities in our family trees although I am not sure where they may intersect.

My Thomas Brett 1797-1866 was born Sligo (likely Broher), Ireland and his wife Mary was born in Mayo, Ireland.  They had five sons and one daughter: Patrick born 1823 Charlestown, Mayo, John born 1833, Charlestown, Mayo, Michael born 1836 in Mayo, Thomas born 1837 Charlestown, Mayo, James born 1840 Mayo, and Mary born 1846 Charlestown, Mayo. 

I descend through their son Thomas.  The family eventually moves to Bowden Close in Durham England and where the men worked as coal miners.   Interestingly, the daughter, Mary marries a John McLoughlin.  I thought perhaps Michael born 1836, might be your ancestor.  However, I do not know of any children born to him.  At age 36 Michael is still living with his mother, Mary in Durham, England.  Ten years later he is married and his mother is living with him and his wife Bridget nee Lee or Ryan.  There are no children listed on the census.  In 1891, he and his wife live with 3 lodgers named O’Donnell. 

While my direct Brett family eventually immigrated to Ohio, there are some distant relatives that live in the Philadelphia area.  I may be able to help see if there is a connection through those branches of the family, but would need more info including dates and spouses. 

Kind regards, Theresa

Hello foxybrett13@gmail.com,

I have a number of Joseph Patrick Bretts and Philomenas in my family tree.  I have sent you an email.  I am happy to help you if I can.

Kind regards, Theresa

Hello Theresa: Thank you for your  reply. I am intrigued by the match between John McLoughlin and Mary Brett. My DNA match to a California family that derives from a “Mark McLoughlin” who became a rancher in the Oxnard region is strong. They were Roman Catholic. I could never truly connect them to my family…but it may be though Mary Brett. The reference to a possible “Michael” Brett is based on a death certificate for my great grandfather, Thomas Brett. He was born in Rhode Island, but his father was from Ireland. This “Michael” had a brother John, who earlier emigrated to Rhode Island. I have no idea how my gg father came to Philadelphia. He married in Philly. I know there was a Bartley Brett who emigrated from Mayo to Philadelphia, but I have not found any direct DNA connection to anyone in that family. I am currently compiling a list of all baptisms in Killasser, Mayo and Tubercurry, Sligo to make family connections. We from Philadelphia are also Roman Catholic. Thank you for you assistance. Bob Brett

Theresa: Mark McLoughlin was born in 1843. That would make him 3 years older than your Mary Brett. It is apparent that the McLoughlin/Brett marriage that produced him would be in the previous generation. Do you have any Martin Brett in your family tree? Regards, Bob Brett.

Hello again: More discoveries re: the Brett clan of Mayo. Most of the Mayo Brett's that descended from Patrick Joseph Brett lived in Dromagh, Killasser, Swinford, Mayo. Patrick had two wives during his long life. His first wife was Mary (O')Grady. They had 7 children (Ellen,Catherine,John Thomas, Mary, Thomas (died young), Pat and Thomas. After Mary died Patrick Joseph married Attracta Kildunne with whom he had 4 other children (James, Joseph, Bridget and Bartley). The latter who emigrated to Philadelphia. The marriages both occurred in Kilmacteigue, Aclare, Sligo. The origin of this Brett family was southeast Sligo. I believe that Patrick Joseph's father was John Brett who died in Dromagh, but might have lived in Masshill, Tubbercurry, Sligo. I have discovered a DNA connection to this family albeit a distant one. I believe that John Brett's wife was Mary Ann, but I don't have a maiden name which might be the key to unlocking the mystery. Any help would be appreciated. E-mail dublinwoods@aol.com Regards, Bob Brett

Bob, I am one of Bartley’s grandchildren.  I went to the beautiful Brett family land along the border with County Sligo over a decade ago.  I was unsuccessful in finding anyone in Masshill who knew about John, but it could still be correct.  Many Bretts in that area are unrelated, or believe so.  Closer to Aclare and Kilasser I found many old timers who had fond memories of the Bretts before they dispersed across Ireland with Land Bank opportunities on more fertile land. One remarkably remembered Bartley and my Grandmother Bridget Gallagher Brett (from Stonepark in Sligo on adjacent land) when he was a child on their brief return in 1947.  Larry Brett arizwriter@aol.com

Hello Larry: Thank you for your reply. I am familiar with Bartley. His father was Patrick Joseph Brett, resident of Dromagh, Killasser as well as another brother Thomas. Patrick had two wives, the second one, Attracta, was the mother of Bartley. I believe that the John Brett listed in Griffiths valuation at Crenagh, Killasser may be the father of Patrick and Thomas. He died in 1873. Unfortunately, it is h that the trail goes cold. I have taken a DNA test at ancestry.com and have found matches that are connected to Bartley's family. My great grandfather was apparently a brother or cousin of the John Brett of Killasser. Regards, Bob Brett.