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Information on Patrick Brien and Mary Parle from Courtnacuddy

WexfordRossdroit (Wexford)

Hello,

I am looking for information on my great grandparents Michael Brien (1839-1889) and Jane Brien (1846-1909). I know Jane was born in County Wexford and I am fairly certain her maiden name was also Brien, like her husband Michael.  Through DNA matching, I am closely related to the descendents of a Mary Brien (1849-1923) and Patrick Howlan (1850-1923) who were both from Courtnacuddy, so I started my search in Courtnacuddy. I came across a church baptism record for a Mary Bryan in the Davidstown NLI Catholic Parish Registers on June 9 1849 and her parents are listed as Patt Bryan and Mary Parle. The descendents of Mary Brien and Patrick Howlan that I am related to list Mary Bryan's parents as Patrick Bryan and Mary Parle, so I believe this is a match.  I then searched the Davidstown NLI Catholic Parish Registers for a Michael Brien who would have been born about 1839 and found a Michael Bryan baptized on 3 April 1839 with parents Patrick Bryan and Mary Parle.  I think this is my great grandfather Michael Brien but not 100% certain.  Michael Brien and Jane Brien had three children born in Ireland before they emigrated to the US and settled in Utica, New York. Their first three children were Patrick born July 1866, Mary born Dec 1868 and Catherine (Kate) born July 1872. I searched the Irish Civil Records on civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ in Enniscorthy and found birth registrations for a Patrick born in Ballyhighland on 14 July 1866 to a Michael Brien and Jane Brien (witnessed by a Mary Brien from Courtnacuddy), a Mary Brien born in Courtnacuddy on 14 Dec 1868 to a Michael Brien from Courtnacuddy and Jane Brien, and a Kate Brien born in Courtnacuddy on 20 Jul 1872 to a Michael Brien from Courtnacuddy and Jane Brien.  Michael Brien's profession in the US was a carpenter. On all of these civil birth records the father Michael Brien's profession is listed as a carpenter. The names and dates line up, so I am inclined to believe this Michael and Jane Brien are my great grandparents and the three children here are my grand uncle and aunts. 

I assume for now that my great grandfather Michael Brien's father was Patrick Bryan from Courtnacuddy given the close DNA relationship to decents of Mary Bryan and father Patrick Bryan. I found a Patrick Brien listed in Griffith's Valuation in Rossdrooit/Courtnacuddy leasing a house, offices and land from a Patrick Anraghan: http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/z/zoomifyDynamicViewer.php?file…   

Since Courtnacuddy looks like it was a small township in the mid 1850s and only one Patrick Brien is listed in Griffith's Valuation in Rossdrooit/Courtnacuddy I'm assuming for now this Patrick Brien could be my great great grandfather. Question is are there other documents or records I might want to check that list the children of Patrick Brien (and Mary Parle) from Courtnacuddy?  A census type document would be ideal, but unfortunately I read there was none dating back to that time there. The Griffith's Valuation shows Patrick Brien's residence was quite close to "The Well" which is not far from St Carthages Church. I guess it's possible Patrick Brien's family went to this church since it was so close to where they lived. I suppose I can email the church to check if they have any records for Patrick Brien or his family. 

I did some more posing around the church records for Enniscorthy and found two other daughters born to a Patrick Brien and Mary Parle in Courtnacuddy, after Michael Brien was born in 1839 and before Mary Bryan was born in 1849; a Johanna Brien born 1841 and Bridget Brien born 1843. Seems like they are all part of the same family.

Here are the birth registrations for Michael Brien and Jane Brien's first three children born in Ireland:

Patrick Brien birth registration: efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/viewer.html?pdfurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcivilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie%2Fchurchrecords%2Fimages%2Fbirth_returns%2Fbirths_1866%2F03516%2F2293231.pdf&clen=150793

Mary Brien birth registration: efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/viewer.html?pdfurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcivilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie%2Fchurchrecords%2Fimages%2Fbirth_returns%2Fbirths_1868%2F03417%2F2253423.pdf&clen=134596

Catherin/Kate Brien birth registration: efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/viewer.html?pdfurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcivilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie%2Fchurchrecords%2Fimages%2Fbirth_returns%2Fbirths_1872%2F03231%2F2184588.pdf&clen=206343

Best Regards,

Kyle Gayton Welch, San Francisco Bay Area, US

     

KyleGaytonWelch

4 replies

Kyle:

You have done great work in your researching your family. I searched the subscription site FindMyPast.ie to see if I could find any additional records. I located the marriage record for Patrick and Mary 

February 26 1838 Davidstown marriage Patrick Brien and Mary Parle

I also found the likely baptismal record for Mary Parle

Mary Parle baptized April 30 1809 Thomas Parle and Bridget Doyle Davidstown

I was unable to find a marriage record for Michael and Jane.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Kyle:

The Mary Parle I located in 1809 also had two younger sisters who were also baptized at Davidstown.

Catherine Parle baptized June 13 1813

Ellenor Parle baptized February 20 1815

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Hello Roger,

Thank you very much for the help and for locating the marriage record for Patrick Brien and Mary Parle, February 26 1838 Davidstown and the likely baptismal record for Mary Parle and her two younger sisters; Catherine and Ellenor.  

I've searched for a marriage record for Michael Brien and Jane Brien but haven't found anything yet either. Jane's obituary said they were married on 28 August 1864. I am pretty sure I've searched all of the marriage records from the NLI Catholic Parish Registers for County Wexford.  There were about 10 parishes that didn't have marriage records for that year or month, so maybe the records were lost or just not recorded.

Best Regards, Kyle Welch

 

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KyleGaytonWelch

Kyle:

I went back to FindMyPast.ie and searched for the Jane Brien/Michael Brien marriage record and failed to find the record. 

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

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