My Favorite Find: The Probate of Bernard Brady of Greenwich, Connecticut, 1894

 

My Favorite Find: The Probate of Bernard Brady of Greenwich, Connecticut, 1894

 

My mom’s cousin had a family Bible, which was owned by her grandmother, Mary Doris McDonagh. In it, she just recorded deaths in the family. On entry was the death of a Bernard Brady: “Bernard Brady died April 8^th, 1894.” [1]  

 

 

My mom and I did not know who he was, but assumed that he was related to her Doris family. Many years later, when records became digitized, I came across a probate record on Ancestry for a Bernard Brady of Greenwich in 1894. I had almost forgotten about him. He died intestate and had no children; the whole probate packet was digitized and what a treasure!  Not only were we wrong that he was of the Doris family (he was of the McDonagh family), but his probate listed a number of family members that we had no idea about and even provided where his sister was still living in Ireland. [2]

 

The probate record for Bernard Brady provided confirmation and identity of various relatives of the McDonough family living in Greenwich indicating that a number of related families travelled to, and settled in, Greenwich since before 1860. The probate record identified not only McDonough relationships (and providing the residence in Ireland of the family), but also allied and collateral families: Duffy, Smith, Doran, McGlynn, O’Donnell, and others.  The probate record identifies Bernard Brady as the brother of Eliza Brady (my g.g..grandmother), wife of John McDonough (my g.g.grandfather)  and mother of Frank (my g.grandfather), James, John (not mentioned in the probate), and Annie McDonough and that Eliza was still living in Ballinalee, Co. Longford, Ireland at the time of the probate. No children of Bernard Brady are recorded in the probate record corroborating the census enumerations that Bernard and Bridget did not have any children (or at least none that survived).

 

Probate of Bernard Brady of Greenwich, CT

An analysis of the various names in the Doris Bible revealed much circumstantial evidence of the Irish origins of the McDonough and Doris families. However, it wasn’t until the discovery of the probate record of Bernard Brady (his death written in the Doris Bible record has having died 8 April 1894) that confirmed the Irish origin of the McDonough family and the connection between various collateral families. The Estate of Bernard Brady dated 8 September 1894, Volume 16, page 352, probated in Hartford, CT (Probate Estate Files, 1881-1915; Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT) clearly identifies the relationships of the Duffy, Brady, McGlynn, Smith, O’Donnell and McDonough families.

 

Bernard Brady of Greenwich, CT, died 8 April 1894 (confirming the date in the Doris Bible) at or about age 68 and having a real estate valued at approximately $1,200 and personal property valued at approximately $200.

The probate record attests that “according to her [i.e. widow Bridget Brown Brady] best belief and knowledge, the below named are the only persons interested in said estate and in the settlement thereof, viz:” [highlighted notes are annotations of the record].

• “Bridget Brady, widow of Greenwich”, Connecticut. [In 1894, Bridget is Bridget Brown, 2^nd wife of Bernard. His first wife was Bridget Doran, having died 7 April 1881 in Greenwich]. The Doran family is mentioned in the Doris Bible and the extended Doran family were neighbors of the McDonough’s in Greenwich and Bernard Brady.
• “Annie McSweeney, Niece” [Annie McDonough, sister of Frank McDonough, married to Eugene McSweeney]
• “Francis McDonough” [husband of Mary Doris and my g.grandfather]
• “James McDonough “[brother of Frank McDonough. Note: there is no mention of brother John McDonough that was mentioned in the Doris Bible].

 

[Note: the record says the following about the above three: “children of Eliza Brady. Eliza Brady living and wife of John McDonough, Balinilee [sic], County Longford, Ireland”]

[Note: The record parenthetically states: “Children of John Duffy & Mary Brady his wife, Sister of deceased”.] These are all first cousins to Frank McDonough.

• “Bridget Duffy” [later wife of Peter Donohue]
• “Sarah Smith wife of W.J. Smith” [Sarah Jane Duffy, sister of Bridget]
• “Mary Duffy wife of [not mentioned] named [sic?] in Scotland” [wife of John McGlynn: note this family was known to have been residing in Scotland prior to 1896].
• “Edward Duffy married and living in England” [since 1881, was living in Lancashire, England; his son Lawrence Joseph Duffy, born 1889 in England, came to the U.S. and lived with his Aunt Bridget Duffy Donohue].
• “Annie Duffy named in Edgerton, Ireland” [married to Bernard Masterson, deceased and living with the McGlynn family in Greenwich].
• “Jane Duffy “Deceased” in Ireland”
• “Patrick Duffy married and living in England”
• “Michael Duffy married and living in England”

 

The probate further attests to the administration and distribution of settlement to:

“1^st: Bridget Brady, widow of deceased”

“2^nd: John Doherty – Son of Ellen O’Donnell, who was a daughter of Bridget Brady O’Donnell, a sister of the deceased”

“3^rd: John O’Donnell…………..Children of Michael O’Donnell, son of Bridget Brady

        James O’Donnell                O’Donnell, a sister of the deceased

        Mary O’Donnell

        Lizzie O’Donnell

        Bridget O”Donnell”

“4^th: James McDonough ……………Children of Eliza Brady, a sister of the deceased

       Annie McDonough McSweeney”        

“5^th: Sarah Duffy Smith…………Child of Mary Brady Duffy, a sister of the deceased”

“6^th: Bartholomew Brady……     Brother of deceased supposed to be dead leaving          issue some  where [sic] in this Country, there [sic] whereabouts  of same are not known, and they have never been heard from.”

 

In conclusion, the probate record of Bernard Brady, brother of Eliza Brady McDonough (and uncle of Frank McDonough) clearly establishes the relationship between the Brady, Smith, and Duffy families mentioned in the Mary Doris Bible and confirms the origin of the McDonough family as in Clonbroney Parish, County Longford, Ireland

References

[1] The Holy Bible. New York: Thomas Kelly, 1880. ‘Deaths,” Bernard Brady (1894); copy privately held by Gene R. Major (Original in Ruttkamp/O’Connor family).

[2] Connecticut Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9049/ : accessed 1 January 2020), Estate Files, Barnes-Brown, E.; Estate of Bernard Brady, 8 September 1894, Volume 16, page 352; citied in Probate Estate Files, 1881-1915; Connecticut State Library, Hartford, Connecticut.