Chartres Brew of County Clare, Ireland

Back to One Name Study Index

The following information has been submitted by Rita Vohnout, of Taft, California, U.S.A., and is an edited pedigree for Chartres Brew of Prospect, Killaloe and Applevale It is extracted from LDS film no.150 which shows the notes of Philip Gossle, dating from 1921-22. The notes have not been verified as fact and should be accepted with care; please double check all information. Rita is contactable by clicking on her name.

Chartres Brew of Prospect, afterwards of Killaloe and subsequently of Applevale, died in Applevale 14 July 1819, aged 63. He married Rebecca Adams 7 February 1782 (Killaloe Marriage License Bond, 30 January 1782). Rebecca was elder daughter of Charles Adams of Killaloe, and his wife Alice, who was daughter of William Adams of Killaloe and his wife Anne, nee Blood. Rebecca Brew, nee Adams, died in Applevale, Corofin, 19 October 1802, aged 38. (Clare Journal, Thursday, 21 October 1802, and inscription on a tomb in the churchyard in Corofin). Chartres and Rebecca's children were:

  1. Tomkins Brew
  2. Charles Brew
  3. William Adams Brew
  4. Alice Brew
  5. Jane Brew
  6. Anne Brew
  7. William Adams Brew
  8. Ellinor Brew
  9. Richard George Brew
  10. Chartres Brew

1. Tomkins Brew of Applevale, afterwards of Riverston, Co. Clare, was born 11 March 1783, died in Church Street, Ennis, 25 December 1843 and was buried at Dromcliffe, Ennis. He was J.P. for Co. Clare and was for many years a Stipendiary Magistrate in Co. Clare and at Tuam, Co. Galway. He married Jane, daughter of William Smith (or Smyth) of Co. Limerick, on 29 September 1813. She died in Dublin around 1865. Their children were:

  1. Chartres, born 31 December 1815, who was Inspector of Police at Cahir, Co. Tipperary, and volunteered for service in Crimea, where he obtained a commission. In 1858 he was appointed Chief Inspector of Police for British Columbia, Canada, and afterwards Gold Commissioner at Caraboo. He was a Magistrate in the Colony and possibly acted as Deputy Governor for a while. While traveling out to British Columbia, he was a passenger on board the ship "Austria" from Southampton to New York. The ship burned at sea and he was one of the few survivors. As there was not enough room for him in the boat, he and another passenger took turns swimming with one hand on the stern. He died unmarried at Richfield, Caraboo District, on 31 May 1870 and buried 2 June 1870 in the cemetery there. In the Vancouver newspapers his death notice states the "Honourable Chartres Brew". He was engaged to Dilliana Molony when he was young, but it was broken off. [See also the separate database on Chartres in Canada]
  2. William, who went to America and is reputed to have died there unmarried
  3. Charles Adams, who was a Doctor [? - Not sure if this is correct] in Monmouthshire, Wales. He married Rachel Conway James on 27 September 1853 and lived at Ashford House, Pontrhydrum, Monmouthshire. He died 29 June 1882, aged 62, and was buried at All Saints Church, Llanfruha, Monmouthshire

[Notes added by Steve Brew: Phillip Gossle's notes state that Charles Adams' "only child, Rachel Eveline Brew, married Harold Ellenshaw Head" and that "their only child, Lieutenant Commander Charles Harold Evelyn Head R.N., was killed in a railway accident 22 May 1915 at Gretna, Scotland", but I am not sure where Rachel Eveline fits in. A daughter, Eveline, was born to the couple in 1859, and a still-born daughter, Rachel, additionally in 1861, both in the registration district of Pontypool, Wales in 1861. The "Free Press of Monmouthshire" lists, on 22 June 1861, the birth of a "girl, still born, [father] C. A. Brew" of Pontrhydrum House, followed by a death listing for "Brew, Rachel" for 13 June 1861, "Pontrhydrum House [reported by] Wife of Mr. C.A. Brew". Just over a year later the "Free Press" listed Charles Adams' death on 29 June 1882 as "Brew, Charles A., 62 Ashford House, Pontrhydrum" ("Pontrhydrum" is welsh for "Bridge on the Ash Ford", and therefore the interchangeable "Pontrhydrum House" and "Ashford House") Rachel Evelyn must have been born between Rachel's birth/death on 13 June 1861 and Charles Adams' death on 29 June 1882. She did, however, exist as she is mentioned in Charles Adams' Will in the separate database for Wills in England and Wales. It is, however, interesting that the "Free Press" mentions Rachel and Charles Adams, but not Rachel Eveline. Was she born elsewhere?]

Return of Owners of Land 1873, Volume 1, County of Monmouth (Printed 1875):

Name: Brew, C.A.
Address: Newport
Area of Land: 1A 2R 24P
Gross Estimated Rental: £8 10s.

The document is divided into Counties, and the beginning of the Monmouth chapter states that, in 1871, the County had a population of 195,448 people, 36,169 inhabited houses, and 147 parishes. I checked all the other counties of England and Wales and there were no other Brews owning land at this time, which additionally meant having the right to vote.

The Register of Persons Entitled to Vote

Charles Adams is listed several years long in different volumes but with the same information, except the registration number which changed each time:

He doesn’t appear in the 1866 volume, and also not in the January 1882 volume, though he didn't die until June that year. These are the details from the 1872 Volume, page 78:

"The Register of Persons Entitled to Vote at any Election of a Member or Members to serve in Parliament for the County of Monmouth, during the year commencing on the FIRST DAY OF JANUARY 1872.
CROES-Y-CEILOG POLLING DISTRICT
Parish of Llanvrechva Lower
No. 2787, BREW, Charles Adams
Place of Abode: Pontrhydyrum
Nature of Qualification: Freehold houses & gardens
Name of Property: Pontrhydyrum tin works"
  1. Tomkins, who was a civil engineer, and went out to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
  2. Richard, who died of consumption in Kingstown around 1866-67. He remained unmarried
  3. Rebecca, who married Henry Blake, youngest son of Walter Blake of Dronmore Castle, Dronmore, Co. Galway, in June 1830. Henry and Rebecca emigrated to California around 1847
  4. Charlotte, who died unmarried in Limerick on 7 April 1838 on her way to Mallow
  5. Alice, who married Andrew Paterson, of Abbotsford Road, Edinburgh, in Tulla, Co. Clare. She died about 1874, leaving children Alexander, Chartres, Frank, Frederick, Andrew, and one daughter, Charlotte Jane, who married John Molony
  6. Jane, who travelled out to British Columbia to join her brother Chartres. She married Augustus Pemberton, and left a son, Chartres, and a daughter, Evelina, when she died 14 June 1889
  7. Maryanne ("Minna"), who was Matron of the London Homeopathy Hospital, Great Ormond Street, Bloomsbury, for a great many years. She died at Bramblewood, Holt, Norfolk, on 21 May 1913 and was buried at Kelling near Holt

2. Charles Brew, who, when he was older, always called himself and signed his name as "Charles Adams Brew". He was born on 20 July 1784, died unmarried in Ennis on 29 October 1852, and was buried at Dromcliffe. He was a great oddity in many ways, but very clean and well read and had a great taste for mechanics. The old people used to say he could do anything that required brains and skilful handling. He and Mr. William Burton were leading members of the sect called "Walkerites" which was possibly founded by a Mr. Walker of Corofin.

3. William Adams Brew, who was born on 8 August 1785 and died in infancy.

4. Alice Brew, who was born 28 October 1786 and married Patrick Malony J.P. of Cragg at Corofin Church on 2 October 1808. Alice died in Ennis on 17 March 1847 and was buried in Tulla. In some deeds etc she is called "Alicia" but Alice was her real name.

5. Jane Brew, who was born 29 July 1788 and married Michael Greene of Ennis, son of Henry Greene of Ennis and his wife Anne (daughter of William Adams of Killaloe), on 4 November 1817. Jane died at Tulla on 17 June 1854 and was buried at Dromcliffe with her husband Michael, who died 19 November 1837.

6. Anne Brew, who was born 24 September 1790, and died unmarried at Applevale on 3 September 1809. There is a tomb on Corofin Churchyard. She and some other young people were romping and a chair was pulled out from under her. The fall brought on concussion of the brain, of which she died.

7. William Adams Brew, who was born 14 May 1792, died at Brookville, Ennis, in April 1878, and was buried in Dromcliffe. He was heir to his granduncle William Adams of Willbrook, Corofin. He married Lucy, widow of Walter Lysaght, and daughter of George Stackpoole of Cragbruin. She died at Clowood on 8 March 1856. Their children were:

  1. William Andrew, who was born in George Street, Limerick, on 14 October 1825, and died when only a fortnight old.
  2. William Stackpoole, who was born 19 March 1827 at Willbrook and entered Trinity College Dublin on 13 October 1843, but had died by 1853.
  3. Lucy Jane, who was born in Thomas Street, Limerick, on 21 October 1824, and was the only surviving child. She married her first cousin, Henry Greene of Ennis, in Ennistymon, Co. Clare, in December 1853. Henry later became Sub-Sheriff of Clare, a position he held for many years. He died at Brookville on 9 November 1869 and was buried in Dromcliffe. Lucy Jane died in Savannah, Georgia, U.S.A., on 9 January 1893. Their children were:
  1. Possibly another son, Charles, who died young.

8. Ellinor "Ellen" Brew, who was born 5 November 1796, died unmarried at Harmony Row, Ennis, on 24 November 1886 and was buried at Dromcliffe.

9. Richard George Brew, who was born 20 February 1800. He became a Sub-Inspector of Police at Mountrath, Queens County, and afterwards at Shiffereen, where he died of fever after an illness of five days on 25 December 1844. He married Barbara Jane Lysaght, daughter of the late Christopher Lysaght of Woodmount near Ennistymon (High Sherrif of Co. Clare in 1803) and his wife Jane, by special license at Cahirnelly House, Co. Limerick (Cashel and Emly License Bond), on 15 November 1838. Richard George and Barbara Jane had four children. The three eldest all died unmarried, and the youngest, Richardetta Georgia, was born after her father's death. She married a man by the name of Graydon between 1860-70, who was owner or Master in a school in Dublin.

10. Chartres Brew, who was born 26 September 1802, and died of cholera in Ennis, unmarried, in March 1834. He was a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin.

Back to Top