Hello,
The Reverend Pierce William Drew had a keen interest in his family history and contributed genealogy articles/family trees to various publications the 1850s. “The Royal Families of England, Scotland, and Wales” Volume 1, by J B Burke published 1851 contains a pedigree of the Rev. Pierce William Drew (Pedigree 14). I suspect that Rev. Drew submitted this pedigree to Burke.
The Rev Drew claimed that John Downing had married Catherine Browne and that she was the daughter of Sir Valentine Browne (1st Baronet of Mohaliffe and Ross) by his second wife Juliana McCarthy. Drew claimed direct descent from Edward I through ancestor Sheely/Shelly/Sheila (otherwise known as Julia/Juliana/Julian) McCarthy.
However, there is problem with Drew’s claim. There are documentary sources that say that Catherine Browne was a daughter by Sir Valentine’s first wife Ellis/Ellice/Elizabeth Fitzgerald rather than his second wife.
Evidence of Ellis being Catherine’s mother can be found in:
a. Sir Valentine Browne’s (1st Baronet) funeral certificate from 1633 held in the Pockocke Collection in the British Library (Add MS 4820, volume 10, folio 32 recto). The funeral certificate says:
“Sr Valentine Browne of Mollahoff in the County of Kerry Baronett deceased 7th 7br 1633 he had to his first wife Elizabeth daughter of Gerratt Earle of Desmond (that was atainted) by whom he had issue, Sr Valentine Browne Baronett, James Browne, Nicholas Browne, Ellenor, Mary and Katherin Browne, his second wife was Shelly Daughr of the Right Honble Sr Charles McCarty Knt visc Carty of Muscree by whom he left issue Thomas Browne, Margarett and Mabel Browne he was buried in the Church of Killarny.”
b. “The Kenmare Manuscripts” by MacLysaght published in 1942. This publication contains several pedigree charts of the Browne family based on original documents held in the PRONI. On page 474 are pedigree charts showing the 5 youngest of the 6 children of Sir Valentine Browne by his first wife and all his children by his second wife. Catherine is shown as his third daughter and the youngest child by his first wife.
Rev. Drew further claims that this same Catherine Browne married John Downing. However, there is also a problem with that claim. The problem is that several publications state that Sir Valentine’s daughter Catherine married Sir Terence/Turlough Magrath 2nd Baronet of Allevollan, Co. Tipperary. Those publications are:
a. Lodge’s “The Peerage of Ireland” volume 7 page 55 (as revised and enlarged by Archdall in 1789).
b. “Complete Baronetage”, Volume 2 (1625-1649) by G. E Cockayne, published 1902 - pages 259-260.
c. The Browne family pedigrees published in 1942 in “The Kenmare Manuscripts” on page 474.
I haven’t discovered anyone before Rev. Drew making the claim about the Catherine Browne/John Downing marriage or claiming that Catherine’s parents were Sir Valentine Browne (1st Bart) and Julia/Juliana/Julian McCarthy. Circa 1905 Colonel James Grove White in his “Historical and Topographical Notes” Book 3 page 44 says his (Grove White’s) ancestor John Downing married ”Catherine, dau of --- Browne, Esq of Mollahiffe”. Significantly, he does give a first name for Catherine’s father.
This begs a question. If Sir Valentine Browne’s daughter Catherine married Sir T Magrath, Bart then Rev. Drew has incorrectly identified the person who became John Downing’s wife. Is there another woman called Catherine Browne who could have become John’s wife? I have not yet discovered any source earlier than the pedigree in “The Royal Families of England, Scotland, and Wales” that says John’s wife was called Catherine Browne. It raises the possibility that John’s wife might not have even been called Catherine Browne.
In addition, the Rev. Drew’s claim that he himself had a direct link to Edward I via Julia/Juliana/Julian McCarthy would be erroneous if his ancestor was Ellis FitzGerald rather than Julia/Juliana/Julian McCarthy.
I have not been actively researching the Drew and Downing families since my posts in 2017 but I remembered from my prior searches that there was documentary evidence that contradicted Rev. Drew's identity of Catherine Browne. The recent new posts caused me to dust off my notes to make sure that this new post of mine was an accurate summary of what I had discovered earlier.
In my previous post in 2017 (reply #50) I quoted as a reference the Lismore Papers , Series 1, Volume 4, page 256 when I was discussing Thomas Downing. That reference should have been Series 2, Volume 4, page 256. Sorry for the confusion caused.
Paul
