Monday, February 16, 2015

A Bishop in the Family

In my last post I mentioned finding the grave of my great-great-grandmother Julia Cullen. Her maiden name was Browne, and my Mum remembers her Aunt Maggie always claiming that "there is a Bishop in the family" - Bishop James Browne of Ferns (Co Wexford plus parts of Co Carlow and Co Wicklow). The Bishop was born on 28th August 1842 and died on 21st June 1917. He was Roman Catholic Bishop of Ferns from 6th July 1884 until his death. He was ordained a priest on Christmas Day 1865. There is an entry for him in Wikipedia here.

The photo of the Bishop to the right is scanned from the "Atlas and Cyclopedia of Ireland" by Joyce, P.W., Sullivan, A.M., Nunan, P.D. (1900). I have a copy of this book which has been in our family for a long time, and which I have stolen from my Mum!

How Bishop Browne is related to us I do not know. My great-great-grandmother Julia (Browne) Cullen died on 21st May 1878 aged just 37. James Browne was a priest at this time and, if related, must have officiated at her funeral.

Both my Mum and I think he is the image of my brother Joe!


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