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McBreen Family in Drumeague

CavanKnockbride (Cavan)

My wife's grandmother, Mary Anne McBreen, was born and raised in Drumeague, until she left for America in 1908.   According to the civil birth registration records, she was born in 1891 to John McBreen and Rose (Reilly) McBreen, and had 5 siblings: Philip (b. 1886) John  (b. 1888), Catherine (b. 1893), Patrick (b. 1897), Bernard (b.1900), and Maggie (b. 1904).   Their father, John, according to the civil death registration records, died in 1905.   Their mother, Rose, is said to have died in Drumeague in 1939, though I cannot find any death record online.  We visited the area a few weeks ago, and were able to locate some McBreen gravestones in the old Knockbride church graveyard, though not appear to mention John or Rose.  We believe most, if not all, of the siblings went to America, though we believe that Philip reportedly died in 1958 in Bailieborough.

While some people in Bailieborough recognized the McBreen name, we were unable to locate anyone who knew of this specific family, and we were unable to locate the house in Drumeague (listed as #12 in the 1901 census).  If anyone has further information, your help would be greatly appreciated.

skelsky

12 replies

Looking at Griffiths Valuation, 3 McBreen properties were all close to each other in 1856. Charles (plot 2a) had a 27 acre farm and John & Andrew rented labourer’s cottages from him (2b & 2c). You can see where they were using the maps on the Griffiths site. Looking at the farm today on Google Earth, I can see what looks to be the ruins of the farmhouse, but the 2 labourers cottages are long gone.

Using the information in the house & buildings return part of the 1901 census, you will see that house 12 was a 2 roomed property with 2 windows at the front. The roof was probably thatch (could be wooden tiles too but thatch is more likely). So a typical labourers cottage for that period. Agricultural labourers aren’t needed on farms anymore and those buildings have mostly fallen into disuse, or just collapsed, and often the local farmers demolish them to use the land for something else. (Sorry!).

The John who married Rose Reilly was only born around 1859 so clearly he isn’t going to be listed in Griffiths but possibly John or Andrew are related to him.

There were 2 Andrew McBreens in Drumeague (Griffiths mentions a 3rd but that was land only, no house, so there were just 2. Probably father & son as it refers to Andrew senior..

One died in 1873 aged 88:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_retu…

The other died in 1875 aged 73:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1875/020634/7239517.pdf

John McBreen death 1877 aged 63:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1878/020522/7201613.pdf

I looked for John & Rose’s civil marriage certificate c 1886 but could not find it. That should have given his father’s name.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you Patricia

 

 

skelsky

Thank you Elwyn.  I went through the same civil records myself and noted that the civil marriage record for John and Rose wasn't there, so I guess that's as far as we can go.

 

skelsky

Steve,

All I can suggest is that you search the church records in case the marriage is there. (It wasn’t unknown for the marriage not be reported to the civil registrar, so in the church records but not in the civil ones).  The Knockbride parish priest should still have the originals, but Cavan genealogy (subscription) also appear to have marriages up to 1920.

Although earlier catholic marriage records have little more than the couples names, the date and 2 witnesses, by the 1880s you do sometimes get parents names, townlands and occupations.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks for the suggestions.  I'll keep you posted as to what I discover.

 

skelsky

Elwyn:

I contacted the priest at the RC church in Knockbride, but he didn't have any information that was relevant.   However, I subscribed to the Cavan Genealogy site, and found a little more information.   They had the church marriage record for John McBreen and Rose Reilly on 27 November 1884, and even showed the father's (not mother's) names for the Groom (Philip McBreen) and Bride (Hugh Reilly).   Unfortunately, there are no relevant records for the father's names, so I can't connect them to other McBreens or Reillys.

Meanwhile, we were able to piece together from notes and a photo the following inscription on a headstone (attached) that we discovered in the old churchyard in Knockbride:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE MCBREEN FAMILY, BAILEBOROUGH, DRUMEAGUE, TACHART, KNOCKBRIDE

Thanks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

skelsky

Hi Steve

The reason you cannot find the death record of Rose (nee Reilly) McBreen is because she remarried in 1913. Here is her Death Record: Rose McDonald of Drumeague (1869–1939). On 07-Jan-1913 Rose McBreen married Patrick McDonald of Drumeague. Her father is recorded as Hugh Reilly on the marriage record.  

John & Rose McBreen's godparenting selection include a Philip McBreen Jr and Mary A McBreen (most likley his siblings). 

As for Philip McBreen Sr of Drumeague (John's father) his wife Catherine died age 53 in 1883. This record confirms they were labourers and that Philip was unable to write. 

Here's a bit more about the McBreens of Drumleague. 

Looking at the 1901 Census House & Buildings Return for Drumleague you'll see that the labourer's cottages John and Thomas McBreen were living in were owned by Matthew Lynch. The Lynch farm was further south-east on the boundary with Cornavilla townland so you may want to keep an eye on that address as well. 

 

Hope this helps!

Rua

Hi Rua:

That's a lot of information.   I was able to pull down the church marriage (from Roots Ireland) and civil death records for Rose.   

Regarding the site of the cottages you mention, when we were in Cavan about a month ago, we did not know where to look in Drumeague for any of the labourer's cottages (or remnants) that you mentioned, though I had information from the 1901 census.  Do you know of anyone who might be close enough to see if the cottages (or one similar) are still standing.  I wonder if we could get a picture of them.

Thanks

Steve

 

 

 

skelsky

Hi Steve

 

As Elwyn said, such cottages were unlikely to have survived at all. Here is a link to the Google Street View of the location of Lynch's in Drumeague (plot 11) as you can see, nothing remains. However, this is the crossroads I believe Rose McBreen would have lived in close proximity to. 

https://www.google.com/maps/drumeague    Co-ordinates:  53.97587949137271, -6.978800002669021

For an idea of what the cottages may have looked like, here's a snap of a similar 19th century building near Drumeague. This is a farmhouse. A cottage would have been half that size (e.g. the brown corrugated iron roof only)  with a thatch roof of course!

Hope this helps!

Rua

Hi Rua:

Given that the cottage had only two windows (according to the census), might it have looked something like the attached?  

Thanks

skelsky
Hello Steve, I have belatedly just seen your query on the Drumeague McBreen's. I am related to the McBreen's from Drumeague and the adjacent townland, Drumamuck. I have been busy since seeing your message, trying to assemble a family tree from your information. I have found many Certificates for the family on www.irishgenealogy.ie and have put them on my Ancestry tree (Other McBreen Tree). My larger tree with the best reconstruction of the McBreen Tree is on my Tom O'Driscoll's Family Tree. My Ancestry username is tomodriscoll1 1) I too can't locate the Marriage for John McBreen and Rose Reilly (m 24 Nov 1884). Do you have a copy of the Church record? 2) I have found many Certificates, but I can't find the Birth Certificate's for a)John McBreen b C 1888 b) Mary Anne McBreen b C 1891 c) Catherine McBreen b C 1893/4 Maybe, the family didn't Register them, or they have a different spelling for their names? 3) For the last few years I have been trying to reconstruct the McBreen tree on my Tom O'Driscoll Family Tree (on Ancestry). If you look into my tree, then your can view my results. 4) I am also interested in finding the full name of Philip McBreen's b C 1830, wife, Catherine? Do you know her maiden name? Philip and Catherine were the parents of John McBreen 1857-1905. 5) Can you contact me on my email address tom.odriscoll51@hotmail.com All the best. Regards, Tom O'Driscoll Collie Western Australia
tomodriscoll

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