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The
Hon. John Brabazon (1743-1809) lived at Midleton. County Cork. Ireland |
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Kevin Brabazon |
Joseph Grandson of Hon. John Brabazon |
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The
Hon. John Brabazon (1743-1809) lived at Midleton. County Cork. Ireland |
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Kevin Brabazon |
Joseph Grandson of Hon. John Brabazon |
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There
is no documentary evidence regarding the birth or parentage of the Hon. John
Brabazon. Differing theories have been considered as follows
It has been written that John was the youngest
son of Edward, the 7th Earl of Meath, whose children were:
1.
Anthony
1721
2.
William
1723
3.
Juliana
1725
4.
Barbara
1727
5.
John
1743.
If
this is correct, then there was a sixteen-year gap between the last two children,
the wife nee Martha Collins would have been in excess of 40 years of age and
Edward would have been about 52 years of age.
2.
Another
possibility is that John’s Father was the youngest son of Chambre (1645-1715),
whose two sons both became Earls of Meath. Chaworth (1686-1763) the sixth
Earl and Edward (1691-1772) became the Seventh Earl. There does not appear
to be any record of another son. Chambre’s wife Juliana died in 1692, yet
Chambre lived until 1715.
Is
it possible that he remarried or formed another liaison that could have produced
a son born about 1705-1710? This son could then have been the father of John,
born in 1743
3.
Another
theory is that the 6th Earl of Meath, Chaworth (b.1686) married
a housemaid (of the household) when quite young and may have fathered a son
about 1704? (This first wife died in 1731) and Chaworth remarried in the same
year to Juliana Prendergast. She died in Dec 1758, having had no children.
The unacknowledged son born about 1704 was not recognised and the 7th
Earldom passed to Chaworth’s brother Edward.
The son possibly born about 1704 may have later become the father of
John in 1743.
The
item of interest is that in Chaworth’s will dated 1747; he Justify a sum of
£200 from his personal estate to Mr William Brabazon of Wicklow. Who was this
William Brabazon? Could he have been the son from the first marriage to the
housemaid? It seems likely that Chaworth would have recognised his son in
this way. If this is correct, then this William could possibly be the father
of John (b.1743).
4.
There
have been theories that the Hon John Brabazon may have descended from the
Brabazon/ Ponsonby line by a change of surname from Ponsonby to Brabazon.
Chambre, the 5th Earl had a daughter Frances (1675-1751) who married
a Henry Ponsonby (1689-1745) and one of her descendants may have assumed a
name-change to Brabazon?
As
can be seen, considerable research is still required to determine the true
family connections of the mysterious Hon. John Brabazon (1743-1809)
Several
simple items need to be addressed:
·
Did
Edward, the 7th Earl of Meath have a son John, born in 1743?
·
Did
Chambre, the 5th Earl of Meath have a son born about 1705 who could have been
the Father of John?
·
Was
the William Brabazon of Wicklow named in the will of Chaworth (6th
Earl of Meath) a son from Chaworth’s first marriage?
Perhaps
we will never know!
Note.
·
The
above was prepared by Kevin Brabazon from information obtained from Jan Barnes
of New Zealand, who had notes and research from Rebecca Brabazon, wife of
Joseph Brabazon NZ (1823) and from Ernest Brabazon,(1863,his son).Information
also came from Beryl Hogan of Fremantle W Australia and many years ago from
Myrna Hooker (Brabazon). Each of these (and I) are descended from Joseph and
Rebecca Brabazon who settled in N Zealand in 1860. Shauna Flynn has recently
contributed some missing names of siblings
·
I
also have a copy of a letter and hand-drawn family tree from the late Eunice
Wilton (nee Brabazon b1894) written in 1966. She was a grand-daughter of Thomas
Wakeham Brabazon, a brother to our ancestor Joseph (1823 NZ).The family tree
shows John as being a son of Edward 7th Earl of Meath. I could
send a copy of this as an attachment to an email should anyone require it.
Details
of the will of Chaworth were originally obtained from the website of the late
Peter Brabazon Walker of UK. The site was originally brabazon.org.uk,
but has now been discontinued
Peter was descended from Rev. John Ellis
who was an associate and Estate Manager for Chaworth Earl of Meath. This Rev
Ellis was named as a beneficiary in the will of Chaworth and as Lady Juliana
had died childless in 1758, the bulk of the estate was willed to Rev.Ellis.
However as was previously noted on the website of Peter Walker, a legal dispute
with Edward (7th Earl) continued on even after the death of the
Rev Ellis.
The
name Brabazon has continued to be used as a Christian name by the Ellis family
ever since that origin with Chaworth.
Here
follows a transcript of the will of Chaworth Brabazon, Sixth Earl of Meath
as prepared by Peter Brabazon Walker, a
descendent of the Rev Dr. John Ellis, an acquaintance (and estate manager)
of Chaworth,and who was named in the will as a beneficiary.
The
Disputed Will
“Chaworth
the 6th Earl of Meath made a will in 1747 which was to cause a great deal
of litigation after he died in 1763. I have copies of all the documents still
held by the Public Record Office in London about this Chancery Case and the
following is extracted from my reading of copies of this material taken from
enormous sheets of vellum up to four feet by two feet.
The
form of the investigation required a set of questions or Interrogatories,
which were compiled by the Commissioners conducting the case, the Defendants
or the Complainants. These were then given to various people who might know
the answers called Respondents. The respondents answered under Oath and all
this was entered by Clerks with very variable handwriting. It is often repetitious
but you can come across helpful comments on occasion.
The
first set of interrogatories were concerned with Chaworth's Will and also
that of the Rev. John Ellis who died soon after Chaworth and sort(sic) to
establish whether the Wills were genuine”.
Chaworth's
Will
“This
is the disputed Will which I have laid out in a more intelligible form”.
I
Chaworth,
Earl of Meath, do make this my last Will and testament. Hereby revoking and
annulling all former Wills by me made.
Imprimis
I give and bequeath to my wife Juliana, Countess of Meath, all my real estate
in Great Britain and Ireland of what nature or kindsoever whether in possession,
reversion or remainder to have and hold the same to her and her assigns during
her natural life and from and after her death, I give and devise my said real
Estates to my Lord Baron of Howth, the Reverend Dr John Ellis, Vicar of St
James's Parish Dublin and Mary Tisdall, wife of Reverend William Tisdall now
living in Athlone and their heirs.
Item
I devise to Mr William Brabazon of Wicklow £200 payable out of my personal
estate only.
Item
I devise to Mr Henry Preston £100 payable out of my personal estate only.
Item
I devise to Eleanor Grove for her attendance on me in my sickness £100 from
my personal estate only.
And
as to all the rest and residue of my personal estate of what nature or kindsoever
I give and bequeath the same to my said wife, Juliana, and do constitute and
appoint her sole executrix of this my Will.
In
witness thereof
I have hereunto fixed my hand and seal the 17th day of September 1747, Meath,
Signed
sealed and published by Chaworth, Earl of Meath, as his last will and testament
in our presence who have subscribed the same as witness Sir Samuel Cooke,
John Goodwin, John Curtis.
Please
note, any comments can be directed to ………..
Kevin
Brabazon
45
Admiralty Crescent
Halls
Head
Mandurah
Western Australia 6210
Tel/Fax:
(08)9535 5158
E-mail:
brabazon2@bigpond.com
