Ann Brown b. circa 1790

Virtually nothing is known about Ann Brown apart from the fact that she married Charles Piper (a farmer) in 1819. He worked for the Butler Stoney family who owned Portland House. Today the Butler Stoneys are long gone, and the house is a ruin, and the local parish records have also disappeared.

Ruins of Portland House in 2007

Richard Falkiner Stoney obtained ownership of Portland House through marriage. He was born in October 1779, the son of Thomas Stoney and Ruth Falkiner. He married Jane Butler, daughter of James Butler, on 10 February 1812. He died on 3 June 1830 at age 50. His son Thomas Butler-Stoney then inherited the estate. He was born on 22 March 1813, married Sarah Eliza Fannin, daughter of Robert Fannin, on 15 November 1837. And he died on 10 March 1893 at age 79. A fire destroyed the house in 1936. It was later rebuilt and used as a hotel, but by 2000 was again derelict.

Griffiths 1850 gives only 7 "Brown" in North Tipperary plus another 31 *Browne". It is much more common in Co. Limerick with 94 mentions of "Brown" and more of "Browne"

• Jane Brown Tipperary, Modreeny, Cloughjordan, Main St.
• John Brown Tipperary, Templemore, Curraduff
• John Brown Tipperary, Uskane, Drumnamahane Island
• Joseph Brown Tipperary, Kilcooly, New Bermingham, Pound St
• Robert Brown Tipperary, Dorrha, Killenaule
• Thomas Brown Tipperary, Thurles, Thurlestown Parks, Main St
• William Brown Tipperary, Uskane, Drumnamahane Island

Given that I believe that her husband, Charles Piper, was a descendent of the Palatines of Rathkeale, Co Limerick, then it is perhaps possible that her birth and marriage could have taken place in Co. Limerick, rather than Co Tipperary. The lack of records, particularly for Lorrha, makes further searching impossible. Portland House is in ruins. there is a biography for J. Butler Stoney, born at Portland, County Tipperary, on May 13th, 1814. His father was a strict Puritan and his mother (nee Butler) equally strict from a different point of view. Her four sons remarkably answered to her culture in mind, in address, and in manner of life. They had private tutors, and lived in a country home, with only country pursuits and pleasures. The Stoney family appear to have taken the name Butler Stoney after a marriage settlement in 1812 when a Stoney married a Butler.

There is a possibility that her father was called "Richard Brown", given that her daughter MaryAnn Piper, called her 3rd son Richard, without any obvious reason, given the Irish naming patterns. MaryAnn and Stephen called their first son John after Stephen's father John Grant, their second Charles after MaryAnn's father Charles Piper, and their forth son Stephen after his father Stephen, but oddly the third son was named "Richard". A possible explanation is that Richard Brown, the great-grandfather was still alive (He would have been born about 1770, as MaryAnn Piper married at the age of 16, so her grandfather could still have been alive, when the child Richard was born in 1843).

Because only the odd church's records has survived one is back to stating the "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence". One can equally well say that there was an Anne Brown born in Roscea in 1796, daughter of William Brown, who fits the dates.

North Tipperary Heritage centre lists searched birth till 1822, marriages till 1822, death till 1822. Remember that not many registers exist from this period

Family Fan Chart

By Donna Wilson Sarah (Mary) Grant (born about 1780 in "Boulasee", County Tipperary) married Oliver Browne (born about 1770) in 1795, in the Diocese of Cashel & Emly, possibly Church of Ireland. Their 4th son Cooper Crawford Browne, born 1 Apr 1804 who married Deborah Owens in an Anglican church, "in the town of Bess, in King's County, Ireland by Rev. Fetherstone 12 Jun 1826" wording from family Bible. Church of Ireland; Marriage License Bond Index has her name being "Mary Grant") Cooper Browne, Deborah his wife and 3 children immigrated to NY,US in 1852.

I strongly suspect Cooper's older brother, John, married Deborah's sister, Elizabeth. The Bible had several notes tucked inside the pages and one read: John Browne b. 13 Aug 1798 Elizabeth Owen b. 15 Sep1805. There was a child, Elizabeth Jenny Browne. There was no other information about this family but I suspect John is brother to Cooper. Both John and Cooper can be found living in the town of Kiltillane according to Griffiths Valuation 1848-1864. Cooper Crawford Browne, immigrated from Ireland to the US in 1852, probably Church of Ireland since the Browne's kept a family Bible. He stated his occupation was a gold beater. The sons were born between 1795 and 1804. I have John b1798 and Cooper b1804. Possible names: William, Richard, Charles, Oliver.

I sent off to the North Tipperary Genealogy Services, sold my first born (!) in order to pay for a handwritten copy of Cooper and Deborah's baptismal records of their first 6 children but the researcher didn't include a church name. I should ask again.

I also received information from Dr. Raymond Refausse who is from the RCB Library. He stated "In 1826, Cuthbert Fetherstone was appointed Rector of Nenagh, County North Tipperary." And at one time he was Rector of Birr in "King's County" where Cooper and Deborah were married. Dr. Refausse states the parish records of Birr are in the custody of the Ven. Wanyne Carney. His email: archdeacon@killaloe.anglican.org. I wrote to him but received no reply.

From Hugh Browne My great-great-grandfather William Brown was born (1796-) 1800 possibly around Borrisokane or Aglish. His marriage to Sarah Darcy is recorded in the Diocese of Killaloe in 1832, most likely in the Parish of Borrisokane since Sarah resided on the townland of Gaulross. I have no reliable knowledge of William's birth, parents, siblings, family connections or where they may have lived. William and Sarah with children Maria, Edward, Margaret Ann, Sarah, Jane and John left Ireland for Canada about 1847.

The William Brown recorded on Drumnamahane Island in Griffiths Valuation is another family. This William Brown b. 1898, married Mary Doolan in 1829 and had children John, William, Mary, Catherine, James Anne, and Richard. I have not found a relationship between these two William Browns. Your Ann Brown may have been a sister of either of these William Browns.

I did meet a living Brown in Borrisokane. She insists we are related even though she is a descendant of William Brown and Mary Doolan. I would like to believe we are related, there is a physical resemblance, but I can not confirm the connection. The two Williams may have been cousins but I doubt brothers with their birthdates so close together.

It appears to me that "Boulasee" is probably "Boolaree" about 1 mile south of Templetouhy, and in an area where the Moyne Grants were living. Kiltillane is about 4 miles away. There is also a "Boolaroe" about 2 miles west of Nenagh, but there were no Grants living anywhere near there in 1780, when Sarah Mary Grant was born. The An Index to Freeholders’ Registers of County Tipperary 1775-76 gives for Brown

• BROWN, Samuel, Fethard
• BROWN, Michael, Thurles
• BROWN, Thomas, Mount Rath, Queen’s Co, Ballinderry
• BROWN, John, Gaulross
• BROWN, Mark, Boolaree
• BROWN, Ignatius, Ballycanane, Lisnagonoge

Memoirs of the different rebellions in Ireland. By Richard Musgrave