INDEX

Carlow County - Ireland Genealogical Projects (IGP TM)


Bunbury Papers in the Pat Purcell Papers


Benjamin Bunbury 1707

By kind permission of Michael Purcell


Benjamin Bunbury 1707.

Note among Bunbury Papers in the PPP.

The oldest recorded tombstone at Saint Mary's Church of Ireland, Castle Street, Carlow is in memory of Benjamin Bunbury of Killerig, Carlow who died in April 1707 at the age of 44. He was the grandson of Sir Henry Bunbury.

It is believed the stone was moved from its original grave to make way for the building of the Frenchman's rectory for Reverend Benjamin Daillon at the western side of the churchyard. According to Mr Bunbury of the Dowager House, Strawhall,

The above Benjamin Bunbury had 5 sons, Joseph of Johnstown, Benjamin of Killerig, Thomas of Cloghna, William of Lisnavagh and Michael of Tipperary.

The above is a true and accurate transcript of the original document.

Transcribed by Jean Casey, November 2009.


Footnote:

John Ryan claims the inscription reads as follows:

'IN : HOPE : OF : A : BLESSED : RESURRECTION : HERE : LIETH : THE : BODIES : OF : BENJAMIN : BUNBURY : THE : FATHER : AND : BENJAMIN : BUNBURY : THE : SON : BOTH : OF : KILLERIG : ESQRS : THE : FORMER : DEPARTED : THIS : LIFE : APRIL : YE : 4TH : 1707 : AGED : 44 : YEARS : THE : LATER : JANY : YE : 3 : 1715 - 16 : AGED : 39.' (2d)

Source: "Journals for the Preservation of the Memorials for the Dead", Vol, Issue 1916, CARLOW, page 18; John Ryan's "History & Antiquities of the County of Carlow" - Page 331.

However, I think there must be an error with the reading of 44 years as it is my belief Benjamin Bunbury was born in 1642, probably in Cheshire. His grandfather, Sir Henry Bunbury, was thrown in prison and stripped of his lands some years later for supporting the Royalists. His mother was probably a sister of Henry Birkenhead (1617-1697), known as the Founder of the Oxford Chair of Poetry. His older brother Thomas Bunbury made his career as a tobacco baron in Virginia where he became ancestor to the Bumbrey's, one of the oldest black families in the United States today. Benjamin moved to Ireland after the Restoration and seems to have settled in Carlow since 1669 when he took a lease on lands at Killerig from the Earl of Arran, younger brother of James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde. Curiously there is a Bunbury Suite and Sir Harry's Bar in the present day hotel at Killerig. 340 years after Benjamin took the lease at Killerig, the Bunbury family continue to live in Co. Carlow.

Footnote sent in by Turtle Bunbury 2009


INDEX Pg 1 1773

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