Cemetery: MAINHAM CHURCHYARD
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Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives
Kildare Index
Copyright
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File contributed by: C.Hunt & Carol Hughes
CEMETERY: MAINHAM CHURCHYARD
[From Lord Walter FITZGERALD]
'The churchyard of Mainham is situated close to a remarkable
moat near the entrance gate to Clongowes Wood College the
former residence of a family named BROWNE who in their day
called the place Castle Browne which reverted to its present
ancient name when this well-known Roman Catholic College was
founded there. Extensive remains of the old church and
buildings in connection with it still exist. By the side
of the little tre-foiled-headed window of the chancel is a
small circular mural table with the following inscription':-
+
IHS
Here lieth ye body of Margrate DILON who deceased
February ye 7th 1816 aged 68 years.
& also ye body of Danniall BYRN who deceased
May ye 30 17_8 aged 77 years.
Erected by Barnaby BYRN
'A small coat-of-arms, of the O'BYRNE family is cut
in relief below the inscription':-
____________________________
THE WOGAN-BROWNE MAUSOLEUM
'To the south of, and just outside, the churchyard wall is a
small slated building, now falling to decay, which contains
a vault in which members of the BROWNE family (of Castle
Browne or Clongowes Wood) are buried. Against the east wall
is built a Limestone altar, on the front face of which is
sculptured the Crucifixion, while on either side of it is a
kneeling figure. That on the left (as you look at it) is a
man : over his head are the two letters S. B. ; and the
figure on the right is a woman, with the letters I. B. als
W.. These letters. as we shall see later on, stand for
Stephen Browne and Judith Browne, alias Wogan (his wife).
The sculpturing is in relief, and the letters are incised.
'
On a holy-water trough beside the doorway is incised---S. B.
1748 'Against the north wall stands an altar-tomb, with an
elaborate mural monument over it, bearing crests, a shield
with various coats-of-arms, and the motto "Qui mon cocpmoa
tegros" (who will not the stork defend?). The crest over
the shield is a wolf-like animal's head. At each of the
four corners of the shield is a circular panel for a crest:
three are occupied, and the fourth is plain. In the
heraldic right top corner is the Wogan crest---"a lion's
jamb, couped and erect, gules." On the opposite one is a
dog-like animal's head, with a snake in its mouth.
In the right bottom corner is the FitzWilliam crest---" out
of a decal coronet or a triple plume of ostrich feathers
argent." 'The shield is "quarterly of fire"" that is, its
upper half is divided into three compartments, and the lower
half into two. The coats-of-arms sculptured in them are in
the following order :---
'First . "Argent, a chevron between three cranes
sable," for Browne.
'Second. "Or, on a chief sable, three martlets of the
first." for Wogan.
'Third. "------------, semi of cross crosslets and a
lion rampant --------." for an unidentified family.
'Fourth. "Quarterly, 1st and 4th lozengy, or and
gules: and 2nd. gules, on a bend cotised argent,
three popinjays vert, beaked and legged gules, "for
FitzWilliam.
'Fifth. (This compartment is plain, like the crest
panel below it.)
'The unidentified coat-of -arms cannot be that of the
Stephens family (with whom the Brownes intermarried as
mentioned further on). as their coat is---" Per pale ermine
and gules, a saltire courter-changed," as is given over a
Funeral Entry in Ulster's office
Below the shield is incised the following inscription' :-
D. O. M.
Here lye interred ye Bones of Thom Browne
of Castle Browne in ye County of Kildare Esqr.
Council & Barrister at Law, who deceas'd Apl
ye 2nd 1628---And of Begnet his wife, onely daughter
& heiress of Nicholas Stephens of ye City of Dublin
who deceas'd Decemr ye 22nd 1665 :---
& of Iohn Browne Esqr onely son & heir of sd
Thos' & Begnet who deceas'd Ianuye 25th 1693 said
42, & of Mary his wife, eldest daughter of ye Rt
Honble Willm Fitzwilliam Lord Viscount Fitzwm of
Merion. who deceas'd May ye 19th 1698; which Bones
with several others of s' Browne Family wee removd
from their burial-place in St Audeons Church,
Dublin, by direction of Stephen Fitzwm Browne Esq',
St Iohn & Mary's oldest son, who wth Iudith his wife,
Daugh' to Iohn-Wogan of Rathcoffy in sd County Esqr
Erected this Monument Anno Dom. 1789
------------
'The altar-tomb portion of this monument has plain sides,
but the covering slab, or lid, has, along one half of its
length an inscription, while the remainder is occupied by a
deeply cut representation of a coffin in the upper end of
which is seen the head and shoulders of a clad male figure.
On the breast-plate of the coffin is inscribed :-
Christopher Browne Esqr
died decemr ye 23rd 1736 aged 53
'The inscription, mentioned above as running the length of
the lid, is as follows' :-
Here lyes Interred ye Body of Christopher Browne
Esqr, 2nd son of ye above named Iohn & Mary
Who deceas'd decemr ye 23rd 1736, aged 53 ; who left
a summ of money at ye request of his Brother
Stephen Fitzwm Browne, "of Castle Browne, in ye
County of Kildare Esqr for ye erecting ye Monument
In Memory of whom his s' Brother hath caus'd this
his figure to be here placed & also ye Body of Anne
Browne youngest daughter of sd Iohn & Mary, who
deceased 2 days before her Brother the sd
Christopher, aged 65. R.I.P. Here also lyes the
body of the above named Iudith who deceas'd Febry ye
17th 17467 [sic] aged 66.
------------
'An incised inscription on a tablet placed just above the
door-way on the outside, explains why this
mausoleum was erected out-
*His death took place on the 3rd of July, 1767.
-----------------------
On page facing page 100 is a picture of an altar.
under the picture it says:
THE BROWNE MAUSOLEUM AT MAINHAM
[From drawing by Mr. A. C. Michelmore.]
... inside the precincts of the Mainham Churchyard. It is
to the following effect :-
The within Monument was prepared By ye directions
of Stephen Browne Esq'.
ye day it bears date wch he design'd~
Putting up in ye opposite church or ad-
--ioning to it & sd Browne apply'd server-
--times to his Parishminister ye Revd Iohn
Daniel for his consent wth he refused ~
him unless sd Browne would give him
Five Guineas for soe doing. A gentleman
whose character is remarkably well kno-
--wn, as well as his behaviour (sic) on several
occasions to sd Browne, & ye only~
Clergyman in ye diocese whose passi-
-on would prevent their Church to~
be Imbelished or Enlarged & to de-
prive [sic] themselves & their successors
From ye burial fees, & he has been
ye occasion of oblidging sd Browne [sic]
to insert here to shew it was
not by choyce he did it.
My ye 1st 1748
W. FitzG.
Source:
Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the
Memorials of the Dead in Ireland (FHL # 0258795)