The Brabazon Children [Gen-050-1]

References Page 129 in the original work and The D'Arcys of Fairview and Phibsboro', Dublin

Liam ó Tuathaláin shows Michael D’Arcy as having been born in 1833 (presumably based on his Death Certificate).

Note, however, that his wife, Mary, is shown as having been born in 1823 and a ten year gap between the birth of the wife and that of the husband would have been unusual.

The marriage records of St Andrew’s, Westland Row, reveal the marriage of a Michael Darcy and a Mary Anne Dunn on 19 April 1839. If Michael was actually born in 1833 this could not be our Michael.

A further search of the records of St Andrew’s reveals the marriage of a James Brabazon and an Alice Dunn on 24 May 1857. On the face of it, there is nothing to suggest any connection between this couple and the Mary Anne Dunn mentioned above.

The key, however is the fact, to which Liam refers in puzzlement, that two Brabazon children, James and John, who are buried in our D'Arcy family’s grave in Glasnevin (QE 196 ½).

It is reasonable to assume that these Brabazon children were, in fact, nephews of Mary Anne Darcy (nee Dunn).

Liam could find no record of the baptisms of these children in St Andrew’s but I found the baptism of James Brabason (sic) there in 1858, son of James Brabason and Alice Dunn.

All of this convinces me that Michael D’Arcy’s wife Mary’s maiden name was in fact Dunn or Dunne. It is likely that his age at his death was incorrectly recorded. This was not unusual at the time as family members often had no idea of their parents’ ages. It seems that the Dunns were from Queen’s County (now Co Laois) although where exactly is unknown.

I have assembled a lot of information about this Brabazon family, all of which is now included in my Toolan Family Tree on MyHeritage.com.

I was recently advised by MyHeritage that my DNA matched that of a person who was a direct descendant of James Brabazon and Alice Dunn so this proves that Liam’s mystery about the Brabazons is now solved!