BRENNEN FAMILY CHRONICLES

© Christopher Earls Brennen

Appendix 2D. BRENNANS OF CARRICKFERGUS

BRENNANS OF WOODBURN:

The following genealogy of the Brennans of Woodburn, Carrickfergus, County Antrim was largely constructed by Jenny Brennan of Larne. Other information provided by Margo Robertson (margotrobertson@hotmail.com).

  1. Robert Brennan was living in Woodburn, Carrickfergus, County Antrim in 1802. The children of Robert Brennan:
    1. John Brennan of Woodburn was a son of Robert, born about 1810. He had at least four children listed below. He is reputed to have worked as a bleacher. John's wife's name may have been Euphemia since a Euphemia Brennan was present at the birth of some of John's grandchildren. The children of John Brennan (born c.1810):
      1. Robert Brennan was born in 1836. On Jul.19, 1862, Robert Brennan, a 22-year-old farm servant of S.W.Ballycarry, parish of Templecorran, whose father was labourer John Brennan, was married in the Larne Registry Office to Margaret Townsley (or Townsend), an 18-year-old farm servant from Beltoy, the daughter of labourer James Townsley/Townsend. Robert and Margaret Brennan had at least eleven children:
        1. John Brennan was born in 1863 and married Sarah Wilson. John died in 1904.
        2. William Brennan was born in 1865 and died unmarried in 1904 as a result of an accident fixing a water wheel.
        3. Agnes Brennan was born in Duncrue, Carrickfergus, on Jun.22, 1867. She married a man named Greer.
        4. James Brennan was born in Beltoy on Dec.10, 1869. He emigrated to Australia and died in 1952.
        5. Robert Brennan was born in 1872 and lived in Belfast.
        6. Hugh Brennan was born in 1874 and died in 1941. Hugh had six or more children among them:
          1. Martha Brennan
          2. Jeanie Brennan married a man named Thompson and had two children, Margaret and Anne.
          3. Mary Brennan married a man named Murray who died in 1954 in the "Princess Victoria" disaster. They had 3 children, Fred Murray (born 1937, married Linda? and had five children, David, Jimmy, Katherine, John, and a girl), Peggy Murray (married Thomas Magill and had a son Thomas killed in an accident) and Richard Murray.
          4. Hugh Brennan died in 1954 in the "Princess Victoria" disaster.
        7. David Brennan was born in 1876 and died in 1960.
        8. Alexander Brennan was born in Beltoy on Feb.28, 1879. He went to live in Scotland and had two children, Tina and Gretta Brennan.
        9. Elizabeth Brennan was born in 1881.
        10. Annie Brennan was born in 1883 and died in 1898.
        11. Thomas Andrew Brennan was born on Jul.27, 1887. On Mar.30, 1923, he married his cousin Martha Townsend, the daughter of Hugh Townsend and Elizabeth Milliken (Hugh was Margaret Townsend's brother), born on Nov.3, 1902. Thomas Andrew Brennan died in 1961. The children of Thomas and Margaret Brennan:
          1. Martha Brennan was born on Apr.2, 1924, and married Norman Semple, born on May 14, 1913. Norman died in 1967 and Martha on Apr.20, 1998. They had three children, Margaret, Norman and Elizabeth Semple.
          2. Elizabeth Brennan was born on Nov.19, 1925, and married John McCamley.
      2. David Brennan may have lived in Belfast.
      3. James Brennan may have lived in Belfast.
      4. John Brennan was born in 1846 and became first a shoemaker and later a carter. In 1867 he married Annie Haveron in Raloo Presbyterian Church and they had at least seven children. John died in 1917 and Annie in 1923. Their children:
        1. David Brennan was born in Woodburn, Carrickfergus, on Sep.12, 1867. Euphemia Brennan attended his birth. He died in 1932.
        2. James Brennan was born in Ballyrichard, Raloo, in 1874. He was married twice. His first wife, Annie McMichael, had two children, William and Annie Brennan. Annie McMichael Brennan died in 1906 and James was married for a second time in that same year. He married Jeannie Steel (nee Lennox) in Magheramorne Presbyterian Church. Jeannie was born in 1882. James and Jeannie had at least eight children listed below beginning with Agnes Brennan. James died in 1949 and Jeannie in 1958.
        3. Agnes Brennan was born in 1876 and died in 1934.
        4. Annie Brennan was born in 1878.
        5. John Brennan was born in 1881.
        6. William Brennan was born in 1883 and died in 1906.
        7. Henry Brennan was born in 1889 and died in the 1940s.

FAMILY OF TIMOTHY BRENNAN:

Some of the information below was provided by Richard and Roger Murphy of 34 Chestnut Grove, New Malden, Surrey, England (rogermurphy@rmdesign.co.uk), great great grandsons of Timothy.

  1. Timothy Brennan a sergeant in the Royal Antrim Artillery Militia married Elizabeth Gallacher or Gallickar. They lived in Antrim Street in Carrickfergus and later in the Carrickfergus Court House. Their children:
    1. Theresa Brennan was born in 1853 and married Charles Maguire on Dec.18, 1871.
    2. Ellen Brennan was born in 1856 and married Joseph Dean on May 7, 1877.
    3. Agnes Brennan was born in Antrim Street on Mar.22, 1864.
    4. Emily Brennan was born in the Carrickfergus Court House on Jan.31, 1866.
    5. female Brennan was born in the Carrickfergus Court House on Apr.12, 1867.
    6. Elizabeth Brennan was born in the Carrickfergus Court House on Jun.13, 1869.

Christopher E. Brennen