Ballybrennan inscriptions - "The Raised Flat Stone" and the broken stone next to it

... the first stone so named because it was raised up about a foot by stone blocks at each corner. This was another stone that was absolutley covered in white and grey lichens. This photo gives an idea of what it looked like, but I couldn't get a photo that showed the writing in any detail. The Raised Stone also had the headstone for Ann Fitzhenry resting against it, although the position for this was probably originally next to that of Edward Fitzhenry.

The Broken Stone was just so broken that I needed the transcription from the Bree parish site to make any sense of it. The broken stone appears to be the original stone for this family, with the Raised Stone being the replacement. They both refer to the Fitzhenrys of Gobbinstown

Here's the relative postions of the stones and here are the transcriptions - the Broken Stone first.

Here lies the remains of NICHOLAS FITZHENRY
of Gobbinstown Esq.,
a man that was universally esteemed for his good life unbounded charity,
benevolence and......of the poor
who departed this life on the 27th day of July 1793 aged 61 years.

Also in memory of his son BRYAN FITZHENRY Esq. late of Gobbinstown
who departed this life on the 11th July 1832 aged 66 years.

His grandson MEYLER, son of the above BRYAN
departed this live on the 28th of November 1830 aged 23 years.

And also his daughter-in-law JOHANNA FITZHENRY wife of the said BRYAN
who departed this life on the 16th of December 1840 aged 63 years,.

Also BRYAN FITZHENRY Esq. of Gobbinstown
who departed this life on the 19th of June 1863 aged 62 years.

Also two of his children MEYLER and ELIZA who died young

"Stay reader, weep......mindful of thy condition and pray to God....a devout mind".

Lord have mercy on their Souls

Here is the transcription of the Raised Stone

Beneath the lamb lieth the remains of
NICHOLAS FITZHENRY Esq. late of Gobbinstown
who departed this life on the 27th of July 1793 aged 61 years.

Also his son BRYAN FITZHENRY Esq.
who departed this life on the 11th June 1832 aged 66 years

Also his grandson MEYLER and son to the above BRYAN
who departed this life on the 28th of November 1830 aged 23 years

Also his daughter in law JOHANNA FITZHENRY, wife to the said BRYAN
who departed this life on the 16th of December 1810 aged 63 years

Also BRIAN FITZHENRY Esq., Gobbinstown
died 18th of June 1862 aged 62 years.

Also two of his children MEYLER and ELIZA who died young.

Also his son BRYAN FITZHENRY
who departed this life on the 19th of October 1875 aged 51 years.

Req.’t in pace

The Raised Stone has an extra person - Bryan Fitzhenry who died in 1875 and this suggests that this is the newer stone and it was replicated somewhere between 1862 and 1875, probably at the Bryan's death in 1875.
There is also another of the confusions between one and four in Johanna's death, but looking at the dates when she would have borne her children, I put her death in 1840.
The infant children Meyler and Eliza are a mystery - are they the children of Nicholas, or those of Brian who died in 1862? My thoughts are that they the children of the latter and that the Bryan Fitzhenry who died in 1875 is also the son of Brian Fitzhenry.

And ... considering the strong hereditary naming pattern, I also speculate that Nicholas is another son of Bryan Fitzhenry (1693-1770), the father of William "Billy" Fitzhenry of Ballymackessy (1728-1811) and grandfather of Jeremiah Fitzhenry of Boro Hill.

If anyone has information that confirms or refutes this, please let us know.

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