John McBrien married Elizabeth Johnston on 31 March 1859 at Slavin Church [source: Enniskillen Town Hall Marriage Index, per Bill Barber (25sep2001)]. According to the marriage certificate, John's father was Roscor farmer EDWARD McBRIEN . John and Elizabeth were the parents of:
It appears that Elizabeth
McBrien was the daughter of JAMES JOHNSTON and MARY ANN LONG, and that she had
a sister Catherine Johnston, born circa 1840 at Fassagh, Co Fermanagh.
Catherine died 15 February 1916 aged 76 in Brisbane, Queensland, and is buried
with her niece Dorinda McBrien.
[In 1999, Johnston's grandson Edward Johnston McBrien, resident of Belfast,
had several photographs which appeared to have been taken in Brisbane during
the latter half of the nineteenth century. These included photographs of Dorinda
McBrien (Edward's daughter Fiona could have been her double), Mary Ann McBrien,
“Harry one of Mary's boys now in Canada” (a tall man in relatively
modern dress), and “Joe Miller's sister Lizzie”, “Thomas Ernest
Bullcock” [or perhaps Bullick - difficult to decipher] as well as other
unidenified photographs.]
James McBrien
of Roscor, son of JOHN McBRIEN and ELIZABETH JOHNSTON of Roscor, Fermanagh,
married Elizabeth Donaldson on 8 August 1885; at the residence
of the officiating minister James Stewart in Arthur Street, Fortitude Valley,
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, according to the rites of the Presbyterian
Church; witnesses at the marriage were Margaret Stewart and Fanny Donaldson.
James had emigrated to Queensland when aged 22 years aboard the Nowshera,
departing Plymouth to arrive in Cooktown, northern Queensland, on 14 September
1883. He had been accompanied by D McBrien, aged 19, and they followed James'
sister Dorinda who had arrived in Cooktown aboard the Scotland on 4 September
1882. Perhaps D McBrien (born circa 1864) was a younger brother of James;
perhaps he was the David McBrien who married Ann Elizabeth Balfour ("Eliza")
on 21 February 1889 in Queensland prior to moving to Melbourne where they raised
their family [see Lineage
L-21.3][was
Lineage A-7 prior to 21feb2004].
Elizabeth was born at Belleek, Fermanagh, c.1862, descendant of ANNE McBRIEN
(McBREEN) who married GEORGE DONALDSON, mill owner from Clyhore (Belleek) [great-great-grandparents
of Judy Manyweathers] in the Slavin chapel of Erne, Parish Innismacsaint, Co.Fermanagh
on 18 March 1858, by license and according to the rites of the United Church
of England and Ireland, witnessed by Robert Donaldson and Robert Johnston —
this Anne McBrien , of Drumlasaleen? Inishmacsaint, was the daughter of farmer
Edward McBrien, and George Donaldson the son of John Donaldson. Anne Donaldson
of Clyhore, widow aged 50 years, farmer, died 16 May 1885; present at death
was Margaret Owens [Judy Manyweathers (November 2002) is pretty sure she is
a daughter as a Margaret Ovens nee Donaldson was the mother of Ellen
Ovens, a cousin of Fanny Donaldson who was born Belleek in 1903. Ross Beattie
wonders whether Anne McBrien's father Edward was also the James' grandfather.]
Several of Elizabeth's siblings also emigrated to Brisbane (see below). Judy Manyweathers had an “Aunty Nellie”
in Brisbane whose marriage certificate shows she was the daughter of Margaret
Donaldson and John Ovens and born in Belleek in c.1903: Judy (July 2002) suspects
Margaret was the daughter of George Donaldson and Anne McBrien.
James and Elizabeth were parents of:
The birth of each of the
children was registered in Queensland. James, a Protestant, Orangeman and Mason,
hailed from “Enniskillen”, Northern Ireland. He apparently emigrated
in 1883, sailing from Plymouth on 18 June and arriving in Cooktown, North Queensland,
about three months later on 14 September, aboard the ?M.V. Newshare??.
Employed by the Post Office, he married in Sydney (living at Bondi) before returning
north to Brisbane. He was a keen and accomplished cyclist.
Judy Manyweathers (2001) found a Queensland post office record indicating that
a J. McBrien was a dairy-man at Corinda in 1895-1896 (James and Elizabeth's
daughter Frances May was born in 1893 at Oxley where all the Donaldsons lived),
A 1896-97 directory records Jas McBrien, Longlands Street, The Valley (the address
shown on the documents related to James and Elizabeth's family) and also James
McBrien, off Sandgate Road at Nundah. A 1900 directory shows Jas.McBrien, Longlands
Street, Valley, and also James McBrien, Buckland Road, Nundah [Buckland Road
is off Sandgate Road in Nundah so actually the same entry as previously]. Judy
commented: "It sounds as if James may have perhaps farmed at Nundah and
lived "in town" at the Valley".
James*
was visited at his home at New Farm in Brisbane by his grandson Colin circa
1933. According to grandson Alan McBrien, James is buried with his mother, father,
wife and daughter Elizabeth at Lutwyche Cemetry, Brisbane, about 5km from where
Alan's house. [* Judy Manyweathers believes
these comments relate to James Edward the son not James the father: “…my
mother stayed with Aunty Lizzie circa 1928/29 to help out because she
was ill. She died in 1930. Mum recalls that "Jim" was a keen cyclist
and rode a bike everywhere. There was also some connection with a bike shop
she thinks. Also a Mr McClelland who boarded with Aunty Lizzie. At this stage
James the father would have been about 68/69 years old.]
Judy Manyweathers reports Elizabeth McBrien nee Donaldson died in Brisbane
on 19 November 1930; her husband James died 8 August 1936 aged 76 years; they
are buried together at Lutwyche Cemetery with their baby daughter Edith Isabel;
the inscription reads:
In loving Memory of Elizabeth, beloved wife of James McBrien (Liz) died 19/11/1930 aged 68 years. Deeply regretted.
Also our dear Father James McBrien died 8/8/1936 aged 76 years. At Rest.
Also our little daughter Edith Isabel, died 22/11/1893 aged 5 years
And son, James Edward McBrien, Passed away Sydney 20/11/1959 aged 54 years.
Judy Manyweathers [per eMail, 26feb2002 ] wrote:
My main quest is for info on my GGGrandmother Anne McBrien but I wonder now if perhaps James McBrien husband of Elizabeth and Anne McBrien her mother were related? Were Elizabeth and James perhaps cousins and could James lead me to my GGGrandmother. Any assistance … would be greatly appreciated.
My mother is now 85 years of age and has memories of Aunty Lizzie and youngest son James, in Brisbane. Last year I took her on a brief visit to Donegal where we searched many church yards in and around Pettigo, Belleek and Ballyshannon. Unfortunately I didn't know about James and Elizabeth then or our visit may have been more fruitful. That was her first and probably only trip to Ireland. It was a wonderful experience for us both and although it is unlikely she will be able to make such a journey again I would like to find Anne and George for her if I can.
The following
information was sent by Judy Manyweathers [July 2002] :—
Several of Elizabeth Donaldson's siblings emigrated to Brisbane, Queensland.
Those known were:
Fanny Donaldson —
born 29 September 1866 at Clyhore (Belleek) Fermanagh; married Hugh Magee/McGee
(son of Samuel Magee and Ellen Strong of Brownhall, Ballintra, Donegal) in St
John's Church, Brisbane, according to the rites of the Church of England on
6 April 1887; witnesses at the marriage were Robert Donaldson and Isabella Donaldson.
Hugh and Fanny had one child Annie Aileen (Eileen) who was born on 29 February
1888. Fanny died on 17 June 1889 aged 22 years and was buried at Toowong Cemetery,
Brisbane: her headstone was the victim of mass vandalism at the cemetery some
years ago.
Annie Eileen married David Connelly (son of Samuel Connelly and Annie McCreedy
of Comber, Down, Ireland) at the residence of Mr. J McBrien, Longland Street,
Bulimba, Queensland, according to the rites of the Joyful News Mission on 15
July 1914; witnesses at the marriage were David Simms and Frances May McBrien
(daughter of James McBrien and Elizabeth Donaldson; Frances later married David
Simms). David and Annie had nine children. Annie died on 7 September 1945 aged
57 and David died on 29 October 1946 also aged 57. They are buried at Lutwyche
Cemetery Brisbane. [Note: Johnstone McBrien, aged 17 years, had arrived in Brisbane
on the Bulimba on 22 August 1887].
Judy Manyweathers corresponded with Heather Hunter who put her in touch with
a family in Queensland researching Donaldsons. Judy noted:
The Donaldsons in Qld are descendants of William Donaldson and Catherine Strong
daughter of Hugh Strong and Jane Porteus of Carnhugh. My GGGrandmother Ellen
Strong was the daughter of Hugh Strong of Glasskeragh. Heather forwarded me
a BDM listing of Strongs by Tom Strong and I noticed in the middle of it all
we have a Beattie marriage. Sarah Elizabeth daughter of Henry Beattie of Ballintra
from whence came Fanny Donaldson's husband Hugh Magee son of Ellen Strong.
Jane Donaldson —
born Belleek circa 1870, died Brisbane 1953; married Andrew McAnally
(born c.1865, died 9 July 1940; son of Andrew McAnally and Martha McComb - Carrick-on-Tyne)
on 25 May 1891 at the residence of the officiating minister, James Stewart,
in Arthur Street, New Farm, according to the rites of the Presbyterian church;
witnesses were James McAnally and Isabella A Donaldson. Andrew and Jane had
at least two daughters [Isabel (“Ise”) and “Dorrie”] and
one or two sons [Eric Andrew and perhaps “Sid” and “Willie”
– as recalled by Judy Manyweather's mother in 2002]. Jane (known as Jennie)
is buried at Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane with her husband, daughter Isabel (Ise)
and son Eric Andrew. The inscription reads as follows:
In loving Memory of our dear Mother Jane McAnally died 11/8/1953
In loving Memory of my dear Husband Andrew McAnally died 9/7/1940
Isabel McAnally died 21/3/1970
Sacred to the memory of Eric Andrew dearly beloved son of Andrew and Janie McAnally
who died 19/10/1920 aged 22 years.
Also Michael Thomas Dalrymple, beloved husband of Dorothy
William Donaldson — born Belleek, c.1870, died Brisbane 1934;
never married. William is buried at Lutwyche Cemetery Brisbane. The inscription
reads:
In memory of our dear Brother, Trooper William Donaldson, 2131 AVC A.I.F.
who passed away 9/10/1934. Resting.
Isabella Anne Donaldson — born Belleek, c.1872, died Brisbane
1 December 1945; married (1) John Robert McCullagh in Brisbane 1896, (2) James
Robertson in Southport Queensland 1913; no children. Isabella is buried at Lutwyche
Cemetery Brisbane.
Possibly a Margaret Donaldson.
Maud Donaldson may have been another sibling in Brisbane.
Note also the following baptisms from Upper Inishmacsaint:
Willm. (baptised 5 February 1804, parents Jno. Donaldson and Jane Johnston of Drumresk),
Mary (23 November 1806, parents Jno. Donaldson and Jane Johnston of Dromreask),
George (13 August 1809, parents John Donaldson and Jane of Drumreask,
Gustavis (18 October 1812, parents John Donalson and Jane of Drumreask) and
Gustavis (17 October 1813, parents John Donaldson and Jane of Drumreask).Could George born 1809 be he who married Anne McBrien?Could John and Jane have been the John Donelson and Jean Johnston whose marriage was registered in Middle and Lower Inishmacsaint on 1 May 1803?
Heather Hunter in Edinburgh [heather@mccaskie.org.uk, http://www.mccaskie.org.uk, 25feb2002] wrote:
“I was born Donaldson and my father came from Cloghore in Donegal but 5 minutes from Belleek and near Slavin Fermanagh … where is Elizabeth Donaldson from? … As a child I used to play with the McBrien girls who lived near my grandmother's house”.
On my pages there is:-
BELLEEK entry in Belfast and Ulster Directory of 1900 has:-
McBrien, Charles, Callagheen
McBrien, George, Callagheen, Belleek
McBrien, James Ardees
McBrien, John, Roscor
McBrien, John, Lower Ardees
McBrien, Thomas L., Ardees
McBrien, Thomas, Carrenbeg
McBrien, William, Drumgrow
Henry George McBrien (“Harry”) (an accountant with the Brisbane Tramways) married Ida Emma Horn in Queensland on 26 April 1919. Harry, born in the Brisbane area on 13 June 1886, was the son of JAMES McBRIEN and ELIZABETH DONALDSON. Ida, born in the Brisbane area on 29 December 1891, daughter of MICHAEL HORN and JOHANNA LOUISA KOWITZ, trained as a registered nurse. Harry and Ida had two children:
Harry died aged on 2 August 1929. Soon afterwards (?circa 1932) Ida began operating a boarding house at Oakey to provide for herself and her two sons. Ida died in November 1968.
Alan McBrien,
born 1922 in Brisbane, the son of HENRY GEORGE McBRIEN and IDA EMMA HORN. In
Brisbane on 1 February 1942 Alan enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force,
noting as his next-of-kin his mother Ida. A Warrant Officer, he received his
formal discharge from the RAAF at 94 Squadron, a Mosquito fighter-bomber unit
operating from Castlereagh airstrip adjacent to the Nepean River west of Sydney,
in November 1945. Alan had earlier been with Catalinas and the 107 General Reconnaisance
Squadron which operated two-seater Sikorsky Kingfishers from Rathmines, just
south of Newcastle NSW, and patrolling the coast from Coffs Harbour to Jervis
Bay.
.Alan's death on 14 May 2012, just seven weeks after his younger brother Colin, was announced in Brisbane's The Courier Mail on Thursday May 17, 2012:
McBRIEN, Alan, Late of Kedron. Passed away peacefully on 14th May, 2012. Aged 89 Years Dearly loved Brother and Brother- in-law of Colin and Shirley (decd). Adored Uncle and Great-uncle of Wendy, Derek, Robert, Kerri-anne, John, Bernadette, David, James, Duncan, Lachlan, Cameron, Leeanne, Liam, Emma and Georgia. Family and Friends are invited to attend Alans Funeral Service, to be held at the Pinnaroo Cemetery and Crematoria Chapel, Graham Road, Bridgeman Downs, on Monday, 21st May, 2012, at 11 a.m..
Colin James McBrien was the son of HENRY GEORGE McBRIEN and IDA EMMA HORN. Colin was born in 1928; his father died shortly thereafter. Colin married Shirley Margery Atwell; they had three children:
The NSW Electoral Rolls shew Colin James McBrien [co[mpan]y director] and Shirley Margery McBrien [home duties]at 7 Wongalee Avenue, Wahroonga in 1963 and Colin James McBrien [sales], Shirley Margery McBrien [home duties], Wendy Susan McBrien [student] and Robert James McBrien [student] at 32 Evelyn Avenue, Turramurra in 1980.
Shirley died at Neringah
Hospital at Wahroonga in Sydney's northern suburbs on Friday 18 ?November 1998,
survived by Colin, their children and grandchildren.
A notice regarding death of Colin James McBrien was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday 31 March 2012:
MCBRIEN, Colin James.
March 27, 2012. Dearly loved husband of Shirley (deceased). Much loved father and father-in-law of Wendy and Derek, Robert and Kerri-anne and John and Bernadette and much loved grandfather of David, Duncan, James, Lachlan, Cameron, Liam, Emma and Georgia.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend COLIN'S funeral service to be held in the Garden Chapel, Castlebrook Crematorium, 712 Windsor Road, Rouse Hill, at 2 p.m. on Monday (April 2, 2012).
No flowers by request. In lieu, donations to Alzherimers Australia would be sincerely appreciated..
Frederick John McBrien, born February 1891, married Delia Kearney, 26 August 1916. They were the parents of [order uncertain]:
Frederick John McBrien, born 1891, died 31 January 1968 aged 77 years; Delia McBrien nee Kearney died 28 August 1974 aged 83 years: they are buried together at Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane.
Frederick John McBrien,
born March 1919 at Gympie QLD, son of FREDERICK JOHN McBRIEN and his wife DELIA
KEARNEY, married Sarah McLaughlan circa 1943; there was
no issue to their marriage. Frederick resided at Ashgrove in Brisbane when he
enlisted at nearby Kelvin Grove into the Australian Army on 4 March 1940, noting
his next-of-kin as Frederick McBrien. A Bombardier, he was discharged from 5
Field Regiment on 28 October 1941, returning to Ashgrove. On 4 December 1942
in Brisbane he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force, discharging from
1 Flying Boat Maintenance Unit as Corporal on 16 October 1945.
Fred worked for the Australian Taxation Office for 45 years in the investigation
staff, becoming Chief Investigator for Queensland and an Assistant Deputy Commissioner,
a tough job from which he retired aged 60 years.
[Posted
by Glen Hall [ bushpigs@bigpond.com
] to http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/
29 July 2001]
James Edward McBrien, born 12 March 1905 in Brisbane, married
Violet May Saunders. Violet had been born 27 October 1907 in
Queensland, daughter of JOHN HENRY SAUNDERS (born 1873 in Sebastopol VIC) and
JENNY LOUISE BLACK (born 1 March 1872 at Gympie QLD). James or Violet
died circa January 1990 on Queensland's Gold Coast.
James Edward McBrien served in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War
II (service number 139529), enlisting in Sydney on 28 January 1944 while residing
at Bondi, and noting his next-of-kin as Violet McBrien. A Leading Aircraftman,
he was discharged from 8 RAAF Postal Unit on 18 March 1946.
Dorinda McBrien, Johnston's sister, emigrated to Australia, arriving aged 20 in Cooktown, northern Queesland, aboard the Scotland on 4 September 1882, and settled in Brisbane, the Queensland capital. Dorinda died in Brisbane on 4 July 1936 and is buried at Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane, with her Aunt Catherine Johnston of Fassagh. Queensland death records show Dorinda as the daughter of JOHN McBRIEN and ELIZABETH JOHNSTON, and Catherine Johnston as the daughter of JAMES JOHNSTON and MARY ANN LONG. The inscription on their headstone reads:
In memory of Catherine Johnston, late of FASSAGH, Co.Fermanagh, Ireland who departed this life 15/2/1916 aged 76 years. At Rest.
Erected by her neices.
Also her neice DORINDA McBRIEN who departed this life 4/7/1936 aged 75 years.
Peacefully resting.
was
Lineage A-7 prior to 21feb2004
[John] David
McBrien married Anna Elizabeth Balfour ("Eliza")
on 1 March 1887 in St Paul's Church of England, Maryborough, Queensland. David,
a bachelor labourer aged 23 years, residing at Maryborough, had been born at
Rosco[r], Fermanagh, Ireland, the son of farmer JOHN McBRIEN and ELIZA JOHNSON.
Eliza, a spinster resident of Maryborough aged 21 years and a native of Enniskillen,
Fermanagh (born circa 1867), was the daughter of farmer JOHN BALFOUR
and ELIZA NIXON. David was almost certainly the D McBrien who emigrated to Australia
aged 19 years aboard the Nowshera, arriving in Cooktown, northern Queensland,
on 14 September 1883, accompanied by James McBrien aged 22 years who was a son
of JOHN McBRIEN and ELIZABETH JOHNSTON of Roscor, Fermanagh [Lineage
L-21]. David and Eliza seem to have emigrated to Victoria where they had
at least two children:
Eliza McBrien née Balfour died in Victoria in 1913, aged 46 years.
David John McBrien, born 1890 at West Melbourne, son of DAVID McBRIEN and his wife ANN ELIZABETH BALFOUR, and Margaret Mary Justice appear to have been the parents of:
David John Joseph McBrien, born 25 June 1917 at West Melbourne, son of DAVID JOHN McBRIEN and MARGARET MAR[Y] JUSTICE, enlisted into the Australian Army on 30 May 1940 at Caulfield VIC; he named his next-of-kin as David McBrien. The death of David John Joseph McBrien aged 45, son of David John McBrien and Margaret Mar[y] Justice, was registered at Fitzroy, Melbourne, in 1963.
Johnson McBrien, whose birth was registered in 1896 at West Melbourne, son of DAVID McBRIEN and his wife ELIZA BALFOUR, apparently married twice. His later marriage was to Ann(e?) Brown (born 1921 and some 23 years his junior). By Ann he was the father of:
Johnston McBrien, labourer
aged about 73 Years, died in 1972 in Melbourne and was buried at Footscray;
his parents were noted as JOHNSON [McBRIEN] and LIZA [UNKNOWN]. He was not remembered
fondly.
Edward John McBrien, born at Belleek FER on 28 February 1867, was a son of JOHN McBRIEN and his wife ELIZA JOHNSTON; he emigrated to Australia circa 1887. Edward, of [Iped.] Victoria, aged about 34 years, married Florence Lillian Palmer of Melbourne in 1902 in Victoria. Florence was the daughter of FREDERICK CLARK PALMER and MARGARET LONERGAN. Edward and Florence were the parents of:
Edward McBrien, retired
railway employee, died aged 67 at Carlton North VIC, on 22 October 1935; he
had been in Victoria for 48 years. Florence Lillian McBrien nee Palmer
died in 1951 aged 76 years, her death registered at Chelsea in Victoria .
An infant Helen Dawn Fraser, daughter of Arthur Ferd. Fraser and Flora Lillian
McBrien, died aged 0 at Carlton VIC in 1953 . Flora Lilian McBrien may have
been a daughter of Edward John McBrien born 1903.
Johnston McBrien, baptised 24 August 1869, Rosscor, Inishmacsaint, Co Fermanagh, appears to have married Isabella Robinson at the Slavin Church on 15 October 1895 [it is known that she was called Robinson; and seems that he was called Johnston after his mother's family's surname]. Johnston was the father of:
Isabella died about 1906,
when Edward was about eight. Johnston re-married on 26 February 1907 in Garrison
Church of Ireland, his second wife being Elizabeth Jane Brock
["Lizzie"] whose family lived in the Garrison district.
Lizzie, born March 1886 in Killymore, was a daughter of WILLIAM BROCK and his
wife CATHERINE née BROCK from Killymore.
Catherine Brock, born in Leglehid near Garrison in February 1857, was a daughter
of Francis Brock and Eliza McBrien. Catherine's siblings were Fanny (baptised
9 February 1849), William (baptised 18 May 1850) Mary Ann (baptised 28 February
1855) and Margaret (baptised 1 July 1858). Maurice
Mckimm (pers comm, 4 February 2004) believes Eliza was buried in
Garrison on 7 May 1891 aged 72, and says that William Brock was a son of John
Brock of Killymore who was probably a cousin of Francis Brock's father.
[For further details of Elizabeth Jane Brock's
ancestoral family refer to Lineage
L-77].
By Lizzie, Johnston was the father of:
Maurice
McKimm (pers comm, 04Feb2004) provided details of Lizzie's birth,
ancestry and marriage, adding:
"The 1911 census for Carnmore shows [Johnstone] to be 42, [Lizzie] 26 married
5 years with 2 children. Children from first marriage, Edward(14) and John A.(12)
and Lizzies children Ethel Annie(4) and Harriet Jane(2)."
[Note: a Johnstone McBrien, 17, arrived in Brisbane, Queensland, on 22 August 1887 in the Bulimba as an assisted immigrant. This Johnstone would have been born circa 1870, similar to Johnston McBrien above. Could they be the same person, an assisted immigrant to Australia in 1887, perhaps repatriating and then marrying aged 26 in Ireland?]
A correspondent who wished to remain un-named wrote (20 March 2001):
I was born in 1915 and grew up in the townland of Leg, near Roscor and Slavin. I knew Mr Johnston McBrien who was an official known as 'the process server'. He was a neighbourly man who, when he once brought a summons to our house, he went past our house and called casually on his way back so that neighbours would not know about the summons.
He was middle aged when I was a child and I remember Ethel dancing at the dance/concerts which were held in Drumbad school. She was a big girl and made the rickety old floor rock.
Going further back, Johnston McBrien's first wife was a member of Slavin church choir which was trained by Kate Elliott of Gortnalea. Mr Johnston was a notoriously severe husband and did not allow his wife too far out of his sight. He locked her in the house when he had to go away for the day. Mrs McBrien got [Kate Elliott] to ask him for permission for her to go with the choir to Bundoran to a choir festival. She was allowed to go and had a wonderful day.
Sadly she died young and her three children were farmed out to relatives who returned them because they ate too much - left them at the gate at the end of the lane to make their own way home. Johnston McBrien then remarried and his second wife was not so easily dominated. However she was not kind to the children of the first wife and fed them on potatoes while her own daughter had a dinner with bacon.
The two boys used to look at the sky and talk about their mother being up there. One of them refused to believe that they could get that big box, the coffin, up there.
The correspondent wrote again (22 March 2001):
I have seen great changes in my lifetime - the cinema, the talkies, the gramophone, the wireless, T.V. and now the internet.
We walked 2 Irish miles from Leg to Drumbad school which had about 16 pupils when I attended there from 1920 to 1935- my maiden name was Ovens.Some other McBriens - there were two McBrien families in Belleek. One had a drapers shop and their children were called Victor, Ernie, May and Gladys. I arrived into the world earlier than expected and my father had to go on his bicycle in the middle of the night to call a midwife and to rouse up Mrs McBrien who opened her shop to make up a parcel of baby clothes for me. Mr McBrien was stationmaster in Belleek at that time.
The other family lived on the island opposite Belleek pottery and were in charge of raising and lower the sluice gate there which, when it was first installed, was the biggest sluice gate in the world. One of this family was Maud McBrien who taught for a short while in Drumbad school and later married a policeman. This family has now died out in the area, I think, although they were a very large family. [Probably this was the family if John McBrien (“John of the Island'), brother of Johnston b1851. –ed.]
When my mother was young there was a McBrien family who were gentry and lived in a Big House in Roscor. The father was Ebeneezer and the family made a splendid entrance to church every Sunday with alum on their boots to make them squeak, which was fashionable at the time. They had their own pew on the right hand side of Slavin church with velvet covered kneelers. The ladies jingled with jewellery and carried rugs to keep them warm during the service. The country people ironically commented on the sound of their arrival - "the cavalry are coming". [“when my mother was young” would approximate 1900. –ed.]
When Fred McBrien, a relative of these McBriens was asked about their kinship with other McBriens in the area he explained, "There is a blue and a better blue".
Florrie Dundas, of this family, was at school with my mother in Roscor School. It was a Catholic school but Protestant children attended there partly for convenience of attending the nearest school and also because the master, Mr Duffy was a very fine teacher.
Florrie married a servant boy called Dundas and her daughter Sidney was my classmate in Drumbad. They covered the distance from Roscor by taking a shortcut to school through the fields. She and her sisters Florrie and Henrietta, also I and my sisters, all got new fangled Wellington boots when they first became available. The local mobile shop was a lorry driven by a man called Barton who bought eggs and sold groceries to farmer's wives. When he saw the Ovens and Dundas girls all wearing their new Wellingtons, he commented "Well, Wellingtons needn't care who wears them now."
If you are accustomed to Fermanagh humour, you will recognise that the fondness for ironic remarks is purely for fun and in no way malicious.
Now another McBrien family - their house overlooks Slavin church from the hill nearby. Mary Funston married Thomas McBrien - this branch were known as the “miller McBriens” because they had a mill at one time. They had children, Lily, Meta (Margaret Christina) and Bobby. I was at school with Meta and Bobby. Bobby is still alive, I think, in a home in Enniskillen.
Back to Johnston McBrien's family - he was very strict with his children. One night Ethel and Flo sneaked to a dance when he was away from home.
When he came home, their mother covered up for them, pretending they were in bed. She and her husband were in bed when he suddenly remembered he had to wind a clock in the girls' room. Disaster! He took a big stick, went to the place where the dance was being held and marched the girls home.
Some general details - the area from Leg down to Slavin was a small community because we were confined on one side by Lough Erne and on the other by the steep cliffs of the Bar of Wehalt. The entire area, Slavin, Drumbad, Roscor, Leg, was called Wehalt.
My grandfather [Ovens] came into Wehalt as a servant boy, and married Maggie Dundas, the daughter of the house where he worked. He was a very successful farmer and built two fine houses, one for himself and later one for my father and mother. The Ovens's were one of the leading Orange families in the district and the Twelfth of July was held in my grandfather's field until the Twelfth became centralised in towns. My grandfather's barn was the venue for revivalist meetings conducted by itinerant preachers. I remember being at a meeting when the Wehalt band was organising its Twelfth performance and enjoy the quarrel between Eddie Beattie who left in a huff because he didn't want Jim Cowan to lead the band - Jim Cowan was bow legged, Eddie Beattie described him "you could put a wheelbarrow between his legs".
I've enjoyed reliving these memories. I hope you enjoy a little of the flavour of life in Wehalt long ago.
Maurice Cassidy < mcass@connect.ie , 18mar1999 > whose mother was an Ovens born near Whealt [Fweealt or Faoi Alt – “under cliff/mountain”] is perhaps a son of Maud Cassidy.
Edward McBrien
married Mary Smyth in June 1928 in County Antrim. Mary's father
was a farmer in Lisnamurrican in County Antrim, the youngest of ten children.
Her siblings included Annie, Sarah, Ena, William and Samuel Smyth; the others
had grown up and emigrated long before 1929 .
Edward and Mary were the parents of (at least):
Edward Johnston McBrien, born 1929, living in Belfast in 1999, was the father of:
As a child in 1940, Edward Johnston McBrien lived at Rosscor, attending Slavin Church. In the district were many McBriens at that time (Tom, Fred, Albert et cetera; by 1999 all had moved away from the area). In 1999 Edward Johnston McBrien living on the outskirts of Belfast in a district called Knock near Stormont and the Northern Ireland Houses of Parliament , reminisced in two eMails [edited as follows ]:
In 1940, during World War 2, my sister Rosemary and I were sent to my Grandfather, Johnston McBrien's farm at Rosscor for safety from the bombing of Belfast by Nazi Germany - Belfast … has a large shipyard and aircraft industry and at that time had important engineering and textile industries also. Johnston's farm was about five minutes on foot from Slavin Church, up the hill towards Belleek and on the left hand side of the road, opposite Rosscor National School.
For a year or so I attended Rosscor National School: this was a two teacher, one roomed Catholic school, situated a short distance away from my Grandfather's farm. It has now been converted into a private dwelling. Even then, being a lazy individual with no political or religous hang ups, and with an eye for the best opportunity, I opted for Rosscor School rather than Drumad Protestant School, two miles or so away on the road towards Enniskillen. A bonus was, when the local Parish Priest came in to give religious instruction at twelve noon, we of the Protestant persuasion were excused classes. The half dozen or so of us then went out to play whilst our classmates swotted over their Catechism. This was partially off-set on Sundays when the Protestants attended Sunday School at their local church.
With your back to Rosscor School, looking up over my Grandfather's hill meadow, if you walked down the other side to close by the river, you would come to a deep depression surrounded by trees, this place was known as "the poteen hole" where at a time the "hard stuff" for drinking was distilled illegally.
I attended Slavin Church on Sundays and when I was twelve was Confirmed from there. This was unusual, as the age for confirmation was 14. As numbers going for confirmation were relatively small at Slavin, and as my appearance of "piety" on the right occassions must have been outstanding I was probably included to make up the numbers. … being one of the few males in attendance, I was given the honour of taking up the collection. The ladies, even then were better church attenders than their menfolk. In Slavin Church Graveyard the remains of quite a number of my ancestors lie.
Nearby is a two storey farmhouse set back from the road which was known as "the Earl's place". Part of my daily chores was bring two enamel pails of water from the Spring Well in the field in front of the house, up the hill to my Grandfather's house. No laid on plumbing in those days. Kerosene Oil or Gas Lamps were used for illumination. Nowadays it is electricity and indoor plumbling and of course, one, two or three cars for transport.
Whilst in 1940 there were a lot of families named McBrien living within a few miles of Slavin, this is not now the case. As far as I know there are no McBriens living in that district now. Some time ago when I visited I was told they were all dead or had left. A pity, because there were a lot of McBriens living in that area when I lived there. However, economically, the land is poor and I suppose up to a point relatively isolated with the mountains on one side and Lough Erne on the other.
When I lived there, in the 1940's, after the modern facilities and large schools in Belfast, it was like moving into another time and era. Houses and cottages still used oil lamps for lighting. Modern bathroom and toilet facilities were yet to come. Thatched roofs were common. The horse was king as a means of power and transport. Poorer people used donkeys.
Ceildheing was then common as a means of socialising and communication. That is visiting your friend's home and engaging in talk of the day, dining, singing, fiddle playing and even dancing. Simple homespun entertainments were the norm.
Wakes were held for the dead. Neighbour helped neighbour whether Protestant or Catholic. They supported each others festivities. I attented my first Fermanagh "Harvest Home" Social Evening in Drumbad School some two miles or so up the road from Rosscor, towards Enniskillen. Cake, Sandwiches, Tea and Buns were the order of the day for refreshment. Lemonade for the young people. After refreshments. the chairs were put in place in theatrical auditorium fashion and a make shift stage was set up with the tables. Budding artists and performers entertained for an hour or so. Then once again the chairs were moved to the sides of the Schoolroom and the musicians took over with fiddles, accordians, flutes etc. At the time it was a magical experience.
In the bright moonlit clear evening, we had walked the Shore Road along the side of Lough Erne up to Drumbad. Dined, done our party piece and danced the night away returning tired but happy to the family farm.
I was fortunate to spend the year or so at Rosscor. I realise now that I experienced and witnessed the end of an era of what is now thought of as traditional Ireland. There were the whitewashed stone cottages with granite floors and thatched roofs. Turf fires on the floor over which cooking was carried out with cast iron bellied pots and flat round iron griddles suspended from iron cranes at the side of the hearth.
Turf was dug in the local peat bog as fuel, spread to dry, clamped and stacked for use. I have done it myself. Whilst there were tractors, horse drawn implements were more common. Hand tools such as scythes, bill hooks, spades, hoes, shovels, rakes , grapes and wooden wheelbarrows were in everyday use. Milking of cows was done by hand, not by machine as in the high tech parlours as now. Donkeys and carts were a common sight. I remember them passing my Grandfather' place bringing the Milk Cans to the little creamery nearby Slavin Church.
Things have changed. Now Milk is collected by 2000 gallon Milk tankers which call at the farm. Farms now are highly mechanised industries. Farmers have to apply for a licence to produce milk and are given a quota. If they produce above this they are penalised. Farmers have been known to pour away the excess production to avoid penalties. Rosscor and Slavin being remote from the bustle and change of the cities withstood change and development. Now Radio, TV, inexpensive International Travel, etc have changed all this. Fermanagh today is a bustling County. Lough Erne is regularly invaded not by Vikings although some of their descendants may come but by Dutch, German and other continental visitors wishing to enjoy the tranquility of the fishing and boating on Lough Erne. Fermanagh has caught up with the twentieth century. TV's, telephones, computers, cars, tractors, highly mechanised farm machinery, modern farming methods, flying, global travel are commonplace.
Although a laid back place compared to the city, the old intimacies have gone. Thatched cottages are no longer commonplace. The telephone, the car and the TV have replaced visiting as means of socialising. Whilst to a degree Rosscor is still isolated being on the one Road from Enniskillen to Belleek on the lower shore, it too has moved on. People living there give me the impression that life there too has become more self centred with less communication between neighbours. When I was there some time ago, there was an Army Security checkpoint close by Slavin Church at the cross roads that leads to Rosscor Bridge over Lough Erne. This would not be very conducive to socialisation.
……
When I was in Fermanagh as a boy of 11, nearby lived Tom, the Miller, and Tom's Earl etc. I did not realise then that they were all McBrien's and this was the way that they distinguished the different families. My father's, Uncle John, who was the engineer at the Floodgates on Lough Ern at Belleek was known as John of the Island. One of the things which fascinated me in the old churchyard at Slavin was the number of headstones with the name "McBrien" on them.
The schoolhouse was believed in 1999 by Bill Barber to be owned by Leslie Gregg and painted yellow. Leslie's mother, Katie Gregg nee McBrien was still alive. Charlie McBrien was Leslie's uncle.
Edward later reminisced in two eMails [26 and 27 July 1999, edited as follows ]:
I came across an old letter written to my mother when I was going up for Confirmation. In those days boys wore short legged trousers, men wore the long leg trousers I felt that I should have long trousers , after all, I was a young man of twelve, no less. The family at Roscor were split 50/50 on the vote so I wrote to my mother, the power behind the throne for a decision. I got my long trousers.
In those days clothes were rationed in Northern Ireland (UK) but in the Republic of Ireland they could be freely purchased. A bus travelled down the shore road from Enniskillen to Ballyshannon in Donegal (RoI) on a few days each week passing my Grandfathers farm at Roscor on the journey. After the arrival of my Mothers letter of approval, arrangements were made to travel to Ballyshannon on the bus to purchase the much desired suit with the long legged trousers.
On the next due date for the passing of the Enniskillen/Ballyshannon bus my Granny McBrien dressed in her Sunday best, as did my sister and yours truly. We all went out to the main road and waited for the bus which seemed as if it would never come. Eventually it arrived. We all boarded, seated ourselves and I remember looking out the window at the farms, cottages and houses from my new vantage point.
On past Belleek with its famous pottery. The bus stopped at the Customs Post at the Border.
A large red faced Customs Officer got on board. Anything to declare? Nobody had. With a prefunctory look around he waved the bus on. The bus rattled and shook on the remaining miles down to Ballyshannon.
Off the bus at Ballyshannon I could barely wait to reach the old fashioned drapers shop with its plain wood floors , dark hardwood counter, mirror and that peculiar smell old fashioned shops had and modern shops do not.
My Grandmother explained what I wanted. Out came the tape. Waist measurement, inside leg and chest measurement were quickly and expertly obtained. Over we went to the rail of navy blue suits. Alongside were black ones. I understand that the Protestants wore navy blue and the Catholics wore black. I will not swear to it but that is what I have been told. I proudly chose my first navy blue suit with long legged trousers which I kept on for the return journey.
Soon it was time for the return trip by bus.
Out of Ballyshannon we rattled on to the Customs Post at Belleek.
The bus stopped.
The big Customs man boarded the bus. Anything to declare?
I do not remember anyone speaking. He looked around the bus.
Was he looking enquiringly at me and the parcel of my old clothes at my feet?
My heart was in my mouth. My long trousers, so soon after getting them was I going to loose them?
He seemed to stand there for ever.
Then with a nod he waved the bus on.
Back on the farm I proudly showed off my new clothes. I revelled in the polite complimentary comments before I had to change back into my mundane day clothes with the hated short legged trousers. It is odd how a long forgotten piece of paper can trigger old memories.
...
Talking of the Bundoran Railway. I travelled on it a few times.
As it was during the War, my father was unable to get leave to accompany my sister and me to Fermanagh.
I remember the trip well. In those days the trains were pulled by great big lovely steam engines. They were real trains not the diesels of to-day.
At that time there was a fairly good network of trains covering Ireland. In the 1950's many were disbanded.
The main train service covering the west of the province was the Great Northern Railway travelling out from Great Victoria Street in Belfast.
On that morning long ago my sister Rosemary and I travelled by electric tramcar from our home in East Belfast accompanied by our parents, little sister Hilary Dorinda, two suitcases and two gasmasks which were held in little square boxes slung around our shoulders.
The Germans having used mustard gas in World War I were expected to use gas again and we were prepared by having this hideous respirator which was constructed from rubber with a filter , contained in a circular metal container at the nose and a celluloid visor above, through which one was supposed to see. The contraption had straps which passed over ones head to hold it in place.
I am not sure how effective they would have been if put to the test. In use they were claustrophobic. The visor steamed up rendering it practically useless as far a visibility was concerned. The rubber caused the skin to perspire and as you breathed you made rude sounds similar to those made by joke cushions when sat upon.
On arriving at the station, there were tears and hugging and I was put in charge, not bad for an eleven year old.
No doubt, as a sign of the gravity and importance of the occasion, Rosemary and I were put into a first class railway carriage.
I was given strict instructions that I had to change trains at Omagh Junction, get on another train and change again at Bundoran Junction for yet another train to Castle Caldwell where our Grandfather McBrien would meet us with a horse and trap. This type of "trap" is an open, well balanced and sprung two wheeled carriage, usually built to a high standard, entered through a little door at the rear. It seats four people on upholstered seats.
All too soon the Railway Guard's whistle blew, last farewells were said. Then the banging and slamming of doors. There was a roar of steam escaping, a grinding of steel wheels on metal rails, and with the piercing warning from the train steam whistle we were on our way.
I still remember the views of the backs of houses as we left the city, then the gardens of suburban dwellings giving way to the patchwork of small fields with crops, or cows and other animals. The smell of the smoke from the train chimney as it was forced backwards down around the carriages as we went under bridges
Soon we were passing Lisburn, Lurgan, Portadown and so on. It must have taken about three hours to reach Omagh Junction stopping at the many stations and halts.
I t is odd but I do not remember what we had to eat or whether we carried a picnic with us. We probably did. The passing scene kept us interested.
At Omagh Junction another train was on the other side of the platform. We boarded for Bundoran Junction where we arrived relatively quickly after leaving.
I remember being anxious not to miss Bundoran Junction. I am not sure but I think the train I was on was en route to Enniskillen. However we reached Bundoran Junction without mishap except that there was no connecting train there and it was a very small station.
I waited very anxiously for some time until with some relief I saw the little train slowly chugging its way towards us.
Seated in the little straight through carriage without corridors we enjoyed the differences with the larger trains which we had just left.
Soon we arrived at Castle Caldwell, there to be met by Grandfather Johnston McBrien, a tall heavily built grey bearded man who I noted enjoyed his pipe.
He smoked Condor and sometimes Walnut Plug. Not at the same time I hasten to add.
I knew, you see, because on occasion, I would help my Dad to make up little presents of Pipes and Pipe tobacco and these were the brands that were sent. My Father never smoked. Sensible man.
Granda as we called him helped with the cases and we all piled into the trap and soon were trotting off in the direction of Roscor.
Sadly the Bundoran train no longer runs, neither does the one to Enniskillen.
You mention Trillick. They used to have a horse drawn tram operating from the railway station. I remember seeing it too, although I never travelled upon it as far as I can recollect.
Edward Johnstom McBrien died in 2007.
John Alexander McBrien,
born May 1899 in County Fermanagh, son of JOHNSTON McBRIEN and his first wife
(probably ISABELLA ROBINSON), emigrated to Brisbane where stayed the rest of
his life; John probably never married. He enlisted in the Australian Army on
24 November 1939 in Brisbane QLD; at the time he was residing at Morningside
QLD, and noted his next-of-kin as Johnston McBrien. A Private, he was discharged
at HQ 1 District Command four days later on 28 November 1939.
John McBrien
[John of the Island], Johnston's brother, was the Engineer, in charge of the
Floodgates on Lough Erne, at Belleek at that time and lived in a house that
was known as the Island about 1940.
John had a family of nine children (not necessarily in the following order):
Only one of the male children married; his five children lived in or around Belfast circa 2001.
Edith McBrien, daughter of John of the Island, married James Deacon, a fishery inspector, ?who died circa 1965. They had at least one son:
Mary Ann McBrien is thought to have been another sibling of Johnston's, and another emigrant to Brisbane.
Denis McBrien
(born circa 1815 in Callagheen or Ardees, Roscor, Co. Fermanagh,) married
Anne Likely (born circa 1820) of Kinlough, Co. Leitrim
about 1843. Denis McBrien widower age 86 appears on the 1901 census at Callagheen,
establishing his year of birth about 1815. [Note: Prior to July 2002 he had been thought to have been
born in 1823, the son of EDWARD and MARY McBRIEN, and part of Lineage L-14. He may have been a son of Denis McBrien born 1775 and
brother to the aforementioned Edward of neighbouring Ardees]. There are descendants
of this lineage living in Fermanagh and Sligo.
Denis and Anne had five children:
Bill Barber (2001) notes
that Denis was a farmer and in The Black Watch (army regiment). Bill noted (04feb2006)
that Denis "… was recorded in the Census of 1901 as being a widower,
age 86 at Callagheen near Roscor, Parish of Inishmacsaint".
Doug Fletcher [31 January 2000, < dougfletcher@shaw.ca
>] sent Bill Barber the following, a page copied from the census abstracts
(Northern Ireland) 1841/1851. The abstracts were made in support of pension
applications about 1908; the 1841 and 1851 censuses were lost but the abstracts
remained. From 1851:
Denis McBrien head Callagheen
Anne McBrien wife nee Likely
Charles McBrien son 7
George McBrien son 5
Catherine McBrien daughter 1
Mary McBrien daughter 1 month
(George was apparently the pension claimant, and had to prove that he was old enough to obtain a pension. The 1841/1851 census was used to validate his age)
Bill Barber and Doug Fletcher
have collected information on the Dundas and related families of Roscor, Bolusty
and Drumcrow. Bill visited Bolusty, Drumcrow, Roscor and Slavin in 1979, 1984
and 1987, and retained a vivid impression of the magnificent, imposing cliff
and the fields of green leading down to lower Lough Erne. He has photographs
of Slavin and Benmore and information on the McBriens (mostly from Roscor, Slawin,
Ardees Upper and Callagheen) extracted from the Enniskillen Town Hall records,
Griffiths Valuation of 1862, Slavin/Inishmacsaint Registers. According to Griffiths
there was a Thomas McBrien and Thomas, Jr. at Ardees, Upper, and a Denis Maguire
at Tullysranadeega with 16 acres of land, a house and "offices". Bill
noted a Sydney Dundas - Sidney seems to have been a not uncommon female Christian
name in Inishmacsaint.
Bill visited Charlie McBrien of Carigola (near Callagheen), Roscor on 12 May
1981. While a turf fire smoldered on the floor of the hearth in the kitchen,
the soot of the turf colouring his face of 79 years, Charlie said he had a brother
Thomas McBrien who went to Canada (Toronto?) and remembered Bill's father who
emigrated in 1924. He also related that the McBriens came to Co. Fermanagh "with
the Black Watch". Charlie died a year later. While researching the Black
Watch, Bill found in the Encylopedia Britanica that there was an Adam
Ferguson (perhaps one of Doug's ancestors) who was appointed deputy Chaplain
of Scotland's Black Watch Regiment in 1745. He later wrote major works which
proposed peace for the North Americans fighting the Revolutionary War and was
sent to Philadelphia to negotiate the peace. Bill's full account of his meeting
Charlie McBrien follows [with Bill's kind permission]:
"Re Charlie McBrien… My aunt, Ethel Barber Gregg, took me to see him in May of 1981. We stopped at his (great?) nephew (Leslie Gregg's) house in Roscor. Leslie is a farmer with a young family. He took care of his uncle. Leslie said he didn't know if Charlie would see us. He said that Charlie was a bit of a recluse and hadn't seen anyone except Leslie for years! Leslie would pick up groceries for him each week. Anyway, Leslie took me over to Charlie's house. The house was surrounded by a 4 foot wall and a locked gate. Leslie vaulted over the wall and since the front door was boarded up, he went around the back of the house and into the kitchen to tell Charlie about me visiting. A few minutes later, Leslie unbarred the front door and beckoned me in. He said that Charlie would see me!
Leslie brought me into the kitchen and introduced me to Charlie who was seated on a chair in front of the wide hearth that contained a tiny peat fire...a few coals burning. I sat down next to Charlie and he began to ask me about my father, "Willie" in a broad Scottish brogue. I had a difficult time following along, but he vividly remembered my father and his leaving for America in 1924. Leslie had excused himself and said he would be back in an hour. My aunt felt that it was important that I talk to Charlie so she stayed in the car and went off with Leslie to other cousins.
Charlie was huddled in a heavy coat in front of the fire. His hands and face black with the soot of many a peat fire. His voice had the Scots/Irish sing-song rhythm and soon I was decoding it. Just to be sure, I had my microcassette recorder in my pocket. I kept it out of sight, so as not to intimidate him with the technology and break his train of thought.
Charlie asked me if I knew his brother "Tossy" or Thomas McBrien who went to Canada. I responded that unfortunately I had never met him (or ever heard of him). I couldn't decipher whether Tossy was still alive and if he had always lived in Canada thereafter.
I then steered the conversation to try to get back a little further in history...his parents (George McBrien and Margaret Gregg), his aunt Catherine McBrien who married Noah Dundas, his uncle JOHN McBRIEN and his grandparents, Denis McBrien and Anne Likely.
I asked when and why did the McBriens come from Scotland to Northern Ireland. He said "They came with the Black Watch". I take that to mean that they came as soldiers to put down the rebellions during the 1700s. I have to check this in history. A few more miscellaneous questions from both sides and I heard the beep in my pocket indicating end-of-tape. I have preserved that tape and periodically play it to see if I may have missed some other tidbit of history.
Early the next year (1982), my aunt wrote to tell me of Charlie's passing. And now this year in January of 1998 she herself passed away at the age of 94."
A nephew of Charlie McBrien
- Leslie Gregg - now owns the yellow-painted school-house. Leslie was the son
of Katie Gregg nee McBrien.
Barry Brock of Snowie, Ontario, also visited Slavin. In a message to Bill Barber,
Barry wrote:
The RUC border security barrier is just out from the church and the watch tower is back behind a hill at the rear. I spent an hour or so on the laneway, across the next farm to the east, that leads to the barricks/watch tower of said RUC station. Among the cows, cow patties and trees are whiring cameras watching every move. I was in search of the 'old' Slavin cemetary that I had been told about while in Belleek. I asked at the farm house and the lady had her young son take me further east up the road and another laneway to the 'old' Slavin cemetary. (Perhaps this farm is owned by the gentleman that you mentioned).
The stones are all the flat type and moss covered. Gently scraping the moss exposed letters so faint that they could not be read. Not even one date.
However, I would think that the Rector of the church probably has records for both cemetaries in his care. I think he also looks after the Garrison Church. Other Churches that I visited while in Fermanagh, have a complete BMD listings in house. The burial records may be included.
Bill Barber (1999) wrote, as a general description of the area:
Mullaghmore … in County Sligo, Ireland … is west of Bundoran. My father grew up just south of Mullaghmore near Grange. The main road (T18) from Sligo to Bundoran continued on beyond to Ballyshannon, Belleek and on to Enniskillen in Co. Fermanagh. Between Bundoran and Ballyshannon is Finner Camp. This was/is an Army camp. I don't know the history, but perhaps English soldiers were stationed there. Today, the Irish Army is stationed there. … Mullaghmore is a very scenic area overlooking Donegal Bay. There is a harbor there. This was also the home of the late Lord Montbatten who lived at the very visible Castle...called Cassie Bawn. He and his family were blown up in a boat after leaving Mullaghmore Harbor in 1979. … Mullaghmore is in AHAMLISH Parish.
See also Section L-13.
Charles McBrien, born 8 December 1843 at Callagheen, married Minnie Johnston (a sister of Rev. Archie Johnston); they had three known children:
Doug Fletcher [ dougfletcher@shaw.ca , 12 June 2002) wrote regarding the 1901 Fermanagh census index which shewed:
Charles and Minnie McBrien at Callagheen with daughters Florence age 17, Sidney age 21 and son Fred 23. This would suggest a birthdate for Florence of abt 1884 (not 1895). [LDS film # 836598, DED electoral district 06, townland # 16] and find the ages for Charles and Minnie to see if Charles is truly the one born 1843 and therefore should be abt age 58 in the 1901 census.
On the same page appears a Thomas Dundas age 19 (farm labourer?) Is this Thomas John?
Also living at Callagheen were George and Margaret McBrien (Charles brother?) and Denis McBrien widower age 86. That will be on a different page of the census.
There is a Robert Dundas at Carran Beg, age 70 widower.
Florence McBrien, born circa 1884 at Callagheen, married Thomas John Dundas of Carranbeg on 21 July 1915; their children were:
Thomas John Dundas, born 14 July 1881 at Carran Beg, Roscor, was the son of ROBERT DUNDAS [widower aged 70 years living at Carran Beg per 1901 census) and MARGARET HAMILTON. Thomas' siblings included William Robert Dundas (born 11 March 1878 [James McBrien's “Uncle Bobby”]; childless) and Margaret Jane Dundas (born 1883 [James McBrien's “Aunt Maggie”], and possibly two or three more girls.
George McBrien, born 25 July 1845 at Callagheen, married Margaret Gregg (“Maggie”) on 23 May 1899 at Drumcliff, County Sligo. Maggie was born circa 1879 in Cooldrumman, Sligo. Children of George and Maggie were:
George McBrien died after April 1916 at Roscor; Maggie also died at Roscor.
Catherine McBrien, born 25 September 1849 at Callagheen, married Noah Dundas of Bolusty at Slavin Church on 26 November 1868; great-grandmother of Bill Barber; Noah had been born in 1837 at Bolusty, the son of JAMES and ELIZABETH DUNDAS). Children of Catherine and Noah, all born at Bolusty, were:
Noah Dundas died 15 June 1923 at Roscor, Inishmacsaint, Co Fermanagh; Catherine Dundas nee McBrien died 2 July 1930 at Roscor of kidney failure.
Mary McBrien, born 9 February 1851 at Callagheen, Inishmacsaint, and baptised 16 February 1851, the daughter of DENIS McBRIEN and ANNE LIKELY, married John Ross on 25 September 1873 in Slavin Church, Belleek; John had been born circa 1845 in Ballintra, County Donegal. Mary and John were the parents of:
ELIZABETH ROSS (born 1874, died 23 January 1969 at Glen Lake, Glencar, Co. Sligo, Ireland; married John Hudson III (born 12 September 1861 at Lislahelly, Co. Sligo, died 18 February 1932 at Glen Lake?
James McBrien and Catherine Mason of Roscor were, according to research by Bill Barber, the parents of:
cf.
Lineage 21 [Lineage 24 was merged with Lineage
21 in 12 July 2002. Immigration Logs in Australia have established that the
Ocean Empress's Charlotte and Mary Anne McBrien were separate from
Lineages 9 and 21 and Lineage 24 was re-established, May 2003].
John McBrien and his wife Elizabeth —, of
Tiernahad [? Terenagher] in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, were the parents
of [at least]:
When Charlotte and Mary Anne emigrated they noted their cousins Thomas and James Johnston were already residents of Parramatta in Sydney's west: it is a possibility that Charlotte and Mary Anne's mother had the maiden name Johnston. Both John and Elizabeth were alive in 1841.
Charlotte McBrien
and Henry George Whiteman married at Parramatta NSW in 1871.
Charlotte was the daughter of JOHN and ELIZABETH McBRIEN of the parish of
Inishmacsaint [St Saints in the NSW Emigration Deposit Journal] County Fermanagh
Ireland. Charlotte, aged 25 years, emigrated to Sydney NSW with her sister
Mary Ann McBrien, aged 23 years, aboard the Ocean Empress, arriving
on 18 January 1864. The logs of the Ocean Empress note them as houseworkers,
Wesleyean, able to read and write, in good health and with no complaints regarding
their voyage; the native place was Tiernahad [was this Tiranagher townland
in Inishmacsaint parish?] in Co Fermanagh, where their parents John and Elizabeth
were living. Their cousins Thomas and James Johnston were already residents
of Parramatta west of Sydney. Charlotte and Mary Ann each paid £3 for
their passage; an Ellen Gourley [perhaps a sister or cousin] assisted their
emigration, paying a deposit on 8 May 1863, in which she indicated Charlotte's
age as 28 years.
Charlotte and Henry [George] were the parents of:
The death of Charlotte Whiteman, daughter of John and Elizabeth, was registered at Parramatta in 1893. The death of a George H Whiteman, who died aged 75 years at the Coast Hospital (parents not noted), was registered at Redfern NSW in 1922.
Mary Anne McBrien,
daughter of JOHN and ELIZABETH McBRIEN of Tiernahad [? Terenagher] FER, in
the parish of Inishmacsaint [St Saints in the NSW Emigration Deposit Journal],
emigrated aged 23 years to Sydney NSW with her sister Charlotte, aged 25 years,
aboard the Ocean Empress, arriving on 18 January 1864. The logs of
the Ocean Empress note them as houseworkers, Wesleyean, able to read
and write, in good health and with no complaints regarding their voyage; the
native place was Tiernahad [was this Tiranagher townland in Inishmacsaint
parish?] in Co Fermanagh, where their parents John and Elizabeth were living.
Their cousins Thomas and James Johnston were already residents of Parramatta
west of Sydney. Charlotte and Mary Ann each paid £3 for their passage;
an Ellen Gourley [perhaps a sister or cousin] assisted their emigration, paying
a deposit on 8 May 1863 when she indicated Mary Ann's age as 26 years.
It appears Mary Ann McBrien married Henry
Tunks in Sydney on 22 April 1872. Mary Ann was described as a spinster aged
32, born in Ireland and normally residing at Parramatta; Henry was a bachelor
farmer aged 35, born in New South Wales and normally residing at Parramatta.
[It is possible thet Henry's wife was Mary Anne McBrien, born 28 March
1838, daughter of Arthur McBrien and Jane Belford of Tiranagher: rf.
Lineage
L-9]. Mary Ann and Henry were the parents of the following children
(all births registered at Parramatta):
The death of a Henry Tunks,
son of John and Phoebe, was registered at Ryde NSW in 1899. The death of Mary
A Tunks, aged 78 years (parents not noted) was registered at Ryde in 1918.
Patrick Kellagher, a farmer, and his wife Lizzie McBrien were listed on their daughter's Irish birth certificate as the parents of :
Apparently Annie also had a United States birth certificate noting her mother as Anna Kelleher aged 24 years, and adoption papers noting Annie's mother as "Elizabeth" and the name as Kelleher, with arrival in the US in 3/1930. Annie also stated that she was born in Fermanagh, Kinawley County. She had siblings, one of whom she went to live with on Long Island, New York (last known address Brooklyn).
Gustavus McBrien and Isabella Birney of Terenagher married near Slavin, Inishmacsaint, Co Fermanagh on 11 September 1810 . They had two known children:
Ken
Birney (pers comm 16mar2003) has information on Eliza Jane Stewart
on his Birney WebSite http://www3.sympatico.ca/ken.birney
under "Thomas".
An interpretation of Ken's information by this author follows [note Jane McBrine,
married 1804; also, while Ken considers it very likely that James born 1775
is the son of Thomas, he has not yet placed him as Thomas' son]:
It is possible that Jeremiah who settled in Huron county, Ontario before 1850 was related to Gustavus McBrien and Isabella Birney. Jeremiah McBrien, born about 1830/1832 in Ireland, who settled in Huron County, Ontario before 1850 and married Elizabeth Cummings on 25 January 1854 in Goderich, Ontario. Their known children were:
All Jeremiah's children were born in Canada, most probably in Huron County. Jeremiah died in London, Ontario on 9 December 1895 . Jane Rehms (February 2000) has Jeremiah born about 1834 and died in 1895 in Ontario. Jane Rehms also transcribed a wonderful obituary for one William McBrien who turned out to be unrelated: it can be viewed at http://www.rootsweb.com/~nejohnso/obits/mcbrien.htm .
David McBrien and Mary Fowler married 7 March 1811 ; their children were:
According to Valerie Elliott (1999) David McBrien and Mary Fowler emigrated to Ontario from Fermanagh in 1847.
Walter McBrine and Isabella Dunbar were the parents of:
Walter McBrine and Isabella Robinson/Robertson of Drumbad were the parents of:
Walter McBrine/McBride and Elizabeth Robinson of Drumbad were the parents of:
Walter McBrine/McBrien and Anne Johnston of Terenagher, married by licence at Inishmacsaint (Middle and Lower Division) on 3 July 1806, were the parents of:
Johnston McBrien, born 1826 the son of DAVID McBRIEN and MARY FOWLER, married Hannah Christopher in Huron Co., Ontario. Hannah had been born in 1832. They had one known issue:
Johnston McBrien died
on 27 February 1884; Hannah McBrien nee Christopher died in 1905.
Another family associated with Goderich, Ontario, is that of Henry McBrien
and Annie Govier (see lineage C-2).
Bernard and Mary McBrine of Co Tyrone (married ?c1885) were the parents of:
This lineage was being researched by Joanne of Harvard University in July 1998.
Thomas McBride
lived at Crossan, Kilskerry near Dromore in the 1830s-1840s. He emigrated
to Dumfries, Scotland around 1843, then New Abbey and then Carsethorn. He
married Janet Clark. After his death Janet Clark moved to Chicago
in 1902. Some of the McBrides went to New York and some went to Australia
( there was an Ellen McBride who went to Australia). The family may have been
associated with the McDermott's who lived in Michigan.
This lineage was being researched by Martha Parker in October 1999 , who has
a WebPage at:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/1725/mcbride.htm
Francis McBrien, a cab driver in Enniskillen but was deceased by October 1883, was the father of:
This lineage was being researched by David Mason (davidmason3@compuserv.com) who posted a query to http://genforum.genealogy.com/mcbrien/messages, on 20 November 2001.
William McBrien married Sarah Balfour in Co Fermanagh, Ireland in 1840. They immigrated to New York City in 1847 with Moses Balfour, father of Sarah, and the McBrien children:
The McBriens were in the 1860 New York census living next door to Moses Balfour.
Martha Parker (mmparker@ix.netcom.com,
posted this to http://genforum.genealogy.com/mcbrien/messages on 27 July 2000.
Amos McBrien was the father (?or grandfather?) of
Mervyn McBrien was the father of
Gerald McBrien was the father of
John McBrien (john.mcbrien@ntlworld.com)
of Enniskillen posted this information on 23 June 2001 on http://genforum.genealogy.com/mcbrien.
John [or
James?]McBrien, son of farmer JOHN and REBECCA
McBRIEN, was born in Co. Fermanagh, Ireland, about 1843.
[Note that a John and Rebecca McBrien were parents of Ellen McBrien (Lineage
L-59), born circa 1844 in Fermanagh, married William King in Victoria
in 1869.]
According to his death certificate, when about 30 years old [circa
1873] John married in neighbouring Co. Donegal, to Frances Anna Kittson.
John and Frances were were the parents of six children, the first three reportedly
born in Enniskillen and the last three in Victoria, Australia, though that
would imply John and Frances emigrated about 1882. The children were:
John McBrien's death certificate
states he spent some 50 years in Victoria, Australia, indicating that he,
presumably with Frances, emigrated to Australia circa 1874. One source
has Likely Herman McBrien the youngest child in this family and the only one
born in Australia; note however the 1885 Melbourne registration of Ada's birth
[perhaps she was born en route]. John/James reportedly came twice to
Australia. He was a sergeant in the Victorian Police, at one time apparently
involved in the gaoling of Ned Kelly.
John McBrien, ex council inspector, died aged 79 years at 8 Merton Crescent,
South Melbourne on 15 April 1924, and was buried to Anglican rites in Coburg
Cemetery.
Henry Charles McBrien,
born circa 1878, married Louisa Mary Ada Higgins of
Port Melbourne in 1902.
The death of Henry Charles McBrien, aged 70 years, son of JOHN McBRIEN and
FRANCES ANN KITTSON ["Ann" written as "Alma"] was registered
at Parkville VIC in 1948.
The death of Janey Ragg nee McBrien aged 58 years was registered at Hawthorn VIC in 1939 .
James Forbes McBrien, resident
of Melbourne, enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force on 6 July 1943 at
Ormond VIC (service number 143091), he named his next-of-kin named as James
McBrien. A Leading Aircraftman, he was discharged at 1 School of Technical Training
on 18 October 1945.
The death of James McBrien aged 80 years was registered at Glen [Glen Waverley?]
VIC in 1963.
The Hon LH McBrien was awarded the OBE. The death of Likely Herman McBrien aged 64 years was registered
at Richmond VIC in 1957.
In 2002 Bruce was living
in Kooyong and Forbes in Malvern East, Victoria. It is thought that Likely Herman
McBrien was given his first Christian name after his godmother.
From Liber Melburniensis, Centenary Edition, Jukes, R M, 1965 [publisher:
Melbourne Church of England Grammar School]
per
David McBrien [David.McBrien@amsa.gov.au,
3 June 2003]:
Graduation 1944
McBrien, Bruce Likely, son of the Hon Likely Herman McBrien, b 1926, adm Wad [Wadhurst] 1937, Senior Schl 1941, Witherby House; Director L.H. McBrien & Sons, Merchants, Melb; Crichton & McBrien Pty Ltd, Sport Printing and Pub Co; Mgr Diisher & McBrien Pty Ltrd, Mnfrs; Memb Council Brit Meml Foundn 1952 -; Pres Melb Branch LCP 1951-58; Pres ALL LCP Melb Electorate Committees 1952-56; Rep Aust at C'wealth Parliamentary Conf; Paclace of Westminster, London, 1954; Pres R. Overseas League, Younger Gp 1955-59 & Vic Br 1959-; Life Gov Vic & Ear Hosp.
Mary Ann McBrien, 24 years old in 1872, had emigrated to Sydney from County Fermanagh. She was the mother of twins:
Mary Ann, of 23 Mount
Street, Pyrmont (on the western side of Sydney city) registered the births.
Phoebe's 1939 death certificate indicates her mother as Mary Ann and her father
as Henry —.
Thomas Sheridan McBreen from Cavan married Rebecca Alice Boveird (or Bovird) in 1879 in ?Victoria?. They had at least five children born in New South Wales:
At the time of Margaret's
demise in 1887, labourer Thomas McBreen and his family were living in Curlewis
Street, Bondi. A Thomas McBreen, son of James and Margaret, died at Kogarah
in 1903.
Peter McBrien,
aged 51, from Templeport [?or Templepost], Black Lion, County Cavan, emigrated
to New South Wales aboard the Lloyds, arriving on in Sydney on 4 September
1857. He was a literate Roman Catholic agricultural labourer, the son of JAMES
and ELIZA McBRIEN (both deceased by September 1857). With Peter came his wife
Eliza McMagroran, and four of their children; all disembarked
in good health and with no complaint of the voyage. Eliza was described as a
washerwoman, aged 50, the daughter of PATRICK and BRIDGET McMAGORRAN (both deceased),
a Roman Catholic, illiterate, hailing from Templeport. A son, James McBrien,
was already living in the colony, supposedly near Maitland; he had paid a deposit
for the assisted immigration of the family, £5 for each of his parents
and £4 for each of his siblings.
The children of Peter and Eliza included:
Phillip and Rose McBrien of Black Lion, Templeport, Cavan, both alive in mid-1856, were the parents of:
James' immigration papers note that he was a literate Roman Catholic in good health, and that his cousin James McBrien, already resident at Maitland NSW, paid £4 towards the cost of the voyage. It is unclear but likely that cousin James was the above-mentioned son of Peter McBrien and Eliza McMagroran, which would mean Peter (born circa 1806) and Phillip (husband of Rose) were brothers.
Peter McBrien [Peter913@ix.Netcom.com, 7 January 2005] traced his lineage as:
Peter would appreciate any assistance tracing this lineage. Perhaps Terrence McBrien was a close relative of Peter McBrien born c1806 or Phillip McBrien born c1810-1815 — ed.
.