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Searching full birth date for Annie Mary Brophy from Royal Oak, Co Carlow about 1870

CarlowBagenalstown (Carlow)

My family's great grandmother, Annie Mary Brophy, died in Queensland, Australia in 1926. The familywantsto replace her very weathered headstone with a new one. I hope to discover her accurate birthdate, the day month year, in Royal Oak, Co. Carlow to add to this new headstone. We know thatAnnie was the lastof four children born to William Brophy and Catherine O'Keefe in (or about) 1870.Her siblings were called William, Elizabeth and John, who became a priest and also migrated to Australia. Annie attended the Presentation Convent in Bagenalstown andmigrated to Australia by sailing ship from Cork Harbour in the 1890s and went on to marry William Joseph Hopkins Thomas in Rockhampton, Qld in 1895,having four children and givingriseto our present-day family here in Brisbane. A descendant of her brother, William, is called Anna Mahony and I believe she resides in Ireland and has visited Australia in recent years.I would like to contact Anna Mahony, if possible. With thanks fromMarie Feely.

IrelandXO member

3 replies

Closest match I've been able to locate so far is in the badly faded registers for the RC parish of Leighlinbridge - a Brophy baptism on the 17th November 1867 of a child to William Brophy and Catherine O'Keefe of Royal Oak. The first name of the child is unclear. See here (NLI RC Parish Register) toward the end of the left page. I have not been been able to locate any other baptisms to William and Catherine in this register.

The partial civil records on FamilySearch provide a few better leads with extracted birth records of several children to William and Catherine - including Elizabeth 3rd September 1865, Pierce 14th November 1867 and Anne born 4th November 1869. Several of the entries include references which you can use to order a research cert which will add a few further details, such as occupation of father also date and place of birth, date of registration and name of informant, from the GRO, e.g. the 0462 in the 'address' for Anne is the register page number, which in turn brings you to the full BMD index record :
Name : Anne Brophy
Event Type : Birth
Registration Year : 1869
Registration District : Carlow
Volume : 18 / Page 462

To Order a research cert costing €4 see option 1 on this link on the IrishGenealogy website.

shanew147IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Marie,

I have some details for you, my grandmother was another Annie Brophy, niece of your Annie and Anna is my sister. So here goes, Annie Marie was born on the 4th of November, 1869 at home, her parents were as you already know William Brophy and Catherine O'Keeffe. Annie's siblings were Pierce born on the 15th of November, 1867, Andrew born on the 27th of December, 1863, Elizabeth born on the 13th of September, 1865 and the youngest Rev, Mgr. John Joseph was born on the 12th of October, 1862. I also have a note saying that Anne Sailed from London for Australia on Oct, 1888 - Married Jan, 1895 - Charley Thomas was born Dec, 1895 - Edith Magera(?) was born Nov 17th, 1899, does that make sense to you? I persume they were in contact for many years, hope this helps. 

Catheine

 

IrelandXO member

Dear Catherine,

Thanks for your reply and it helps a lot!  I am thrilled.  The name of Ethel Marjorie is my husband's grandmother! We live in Brisbane but are here in Toowoomba this weekend visiting Aunty Margaret Shaw whose project, along with my husband's, to replace the very weathered plaque on Annie Thomas's (Brophy) grave at Urandangi.  Annie had a very interesting life in the pioneering far central west of Queensland. She married William Joseph Hopkins (Hop) Thomas in Rockhampton in 1895, as you said, and had 4 children called Charles William,  Ethel Marjorie, John Brophy and Francis William.  Annie died at Headingly Station, where her husband was manager, on 11-7-1926. The plaque never had her Irish birth date and it has been a project for about a year to discover this and to place it on her plaque.  I'm glad that I discovered the Ireland Reaching Out website where you have helped so much. After settling on the words tomorrow, John will take the plaque out west and attach it carefully. Again thanks for your help. John has enjoyed discovering these family details.  My family background, Feely and O'Brien, is also Irish but I've not looked into it! I'd like to keep in touch, if you'd like to.  My email address is marie4shaw@gmail.com.

With warmest wishes,

Marie.

IrelandXO member

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