My ancestors - O'Rahilly - Contents
Wren
- References:
- Wren family research by Jenny Wren.
- Wren family research by Jimmy Kelly.
- Wren genealogy (and here) by Alison Tate.
- LETTER HOUSE in [Houses of Kerry]
- Sources yet to be consulted:
- WREN in [Smith, 1756]
Littor House. 1887 to 1913 period.
From OSI.
Capt. Thomas Wren,
of Golmoylestown, Co.Meath [Alison Tate],
later of Littur (also spelt Littor and Letter), pronounced "Litter", Aghavallen par, on the coast a few miles W of Ballylongford, Co.Kerry (see OSI map),
some Wren researchers say he was of Hinton, Cambridgeshire (must be Cherry Hinton), was 2nd cousin of the father of the architect and scientist Sir Christopher Wren, and settled in Ireland after the 1641 Rebellion,
but [Alison Tate] convincingly gives his parentage as Irish,
settled in Littur,
mar pre-1655 to Mary Blennerhassett [descendant of Edward III],
died 1662,
had issue:
Charles Wren,
mar Ellen Blennerhassett
[descendant of Edward III],
had issue:
John Wren,
of Littur House, Littur, Co.Kerry,
High Sheriff of Co. Kerry 1732 (or 1745),
mar 1733 to Honora Ponsonby,
died 1769,
had issue:
Thomas Wren, of Littur, Co.Kerry,
mar 1770 to
Alice Leslie,
he must be Thomas Wren who was High Sheriff of Co. Kerry 1777-78,
died 1792,
she mar 2ndly 1811 to George Gunn,
had issue:
- (dau) Wren,
mar at Littur, 1807, to John Blennerhassett,
see Limerick Gazette, 9 Oct 1807. - John Wren,
[Alison Tate] gives the descent down to him. - Honoria Wren, born 1786 or 1788, NOT 1792,
or poss. Honora,
mar 1814 to William Carrique Ponsonby and had issue,
Limerick Gazette, 11 Feb 1814, says they married recently at Littur,
it describes her, must be in error, as "daughter of the late Leslie Wren",
notes of Rev. T.E. Lindsay say there was an entry in Aghavallen parish register (possibly now lost) which said they married 13 Feb 1814 at Aghavallen.
[Jimmy Kelly] says Thomas Wren below is the son of John Wren above.
[LR] records should be able to prove it.
Thomas Wren,
born 1824, Protestant,
of Littur,
apparently of Littur House,
his son John's obituary
says he [John] was born
"at his ancestral home at Littor House, County Kerry, Ireland, on June 24, 1855",
mar Mary Enright [NOT "Enight"],
children Catholic, she must have been Catholic,
his name and his wife's name are correct,
see RC marriage of his dau
Johanna Wren,
and also both RC marriages of his son
Edward Wren,
listed as farmer, living, at son's 1st mar 1871,
listed as farmer, deceased, at son's 2nd mar 1898,
had issue:
-
Edward Wren,
Catholic, born Sept 1849, Littur, Co.Kerry,
signed "Edward J.J. Wren" at 2nd mar.
- Johanna Wren, of Littur,
mar 1872 to William Edgeworth [Ballylongford RC par records].
- John Wren, born 1855,
emigrated 1873 on the ill-fated Atlantic (from Queenstown to New York), survived its sinking,
the Atlantic planned a stop at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, to take on board coal, but it sank on rocks off the coast near Halifax, with the loss of hundreds dead, then the worst ever civilian loss of life in the Northern Atlantic,
he was one of the several hundred survivors, see his name in the list of survivors,
died Springfield, Ohio, 1930,
see obituary.
Tomb of George Wren (unidentified), born 1805, died 7 Dec 1848, age 43.
Aghavallen Protestant church, near Ballylongford, Co.Kerry.
Photo 2010. See larger and full size.
