In Triangulation, Part 2 (1), I wrote about how I have Irish DNA matches despite not having any known Irish ancestors. I’m super excited that I have discovered my first Irish ancestor! Her name is Mary Cassidy and she was my 4th great-grandmother, the great-grandmother of my great-grandfather, Harold Hilliar. I don’t know much more about her than her name, but given how scarce the records are for that time period, a maiden name is a pretty big accomplishment!

Mary Cassidy was from Longford, Ireland. On 8 October 1831, a marriage bond was drawn up between her and William Bremble in what was then the Province of Lower Canada (currently Quebec). Bremble, “late of the city of Dublin,” was described in a letter in the bond file as “one of the out-pensioners of Chelsea Hospital who have lately commuted their pensions with the view of settling in Canada.” (2)

I have more questions than answers here. Given the distance between Longford and Dublin, as well as the fact that it would have made more sense for them to be married before they left Ireland rather than in Canada, I’m guessing they met after they both separately came to Canada. Did she come to Canada by herself? How is it that she came to decide to marry this man? I imagine they were both pretty adventurous people, not only for leaving their country of origin but also for deciding to start a farm in the middle of nowhere in Canada.

While I don’t have the Bremble family on the 1851 census, I do have Mary, age 60, a widow, on the 1861 census, living with her daughter Hannah, who was born in 1834 (3). Hannah married William Gordon in 1851 (4). This 1860 map of Brock Township shows that the land on concession 12, lot 3, belonged to Mrs. Bramble. Take note of those Nugents next door! For some reason I have a pile of DNA matches who go back to that family, but I haven’t quite figured out how they fit into my family tree.

I don’t find Mary on the 1871 census with her daughter’s family, suggesting that she passed away prior to that (6). You can see in this 1877 map of Brock Township that the property on concession 12, lot 3, passed to her son-in-law.

I know that the science behind DNA ethnicity estimates (8) is always changing, but my current Ancestry estimate is giving me 15% Irish. That’s a lot of Irish given that this is my only known Irish ancestor. My Scottish estimate is also quite low considering I have more and more recent known Scottish ancestors. I’m guessing Ancestry has a ways to go sorting out the DNA from the various Celtic groups.

At any rate, maybe one day I will be brave enough to delve into my Cassidy family from Longford, Ireland. I understand that Irish research is not for the faint of heart. I hope I will be blessed by some Irish luck!

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Many thanks goes to Lorine McGinnis of Olive Tree Genealogy for finding the marriage bond and the maps. She was a talented genealogist and she will be missed.

Also thanks to the members of the Facebook Group Genealogy à la carte who always know how to find what im looking for —in this case the original map information for the images sent to me.

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1) Jennifer Wiebe, “Triangulation, Part 2,” Jennealogie (https://maltsoda.wordpress.com/2018/02/25/triangulation-part-2/ : accessed 7 March 2023).

2) “Marriage Bonds, 1779-1858 – Upper and Lower Canada,” images, Library and Archives Canada (https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/vital-statistics-births-marriages-deaths/marriage-bonds/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=1159& : accessed 7 March 2023), BREMBLE William – CASSIDY Mary, bond number 1159; citing LAC RG 4 B28, volume 34-B, microfilm H-1130. Bremble has also been written as Brimble, Bramble and Bramwell. Chelsea hospital is a veteran’s hospital. The hospital was responsible for the pensions of the veterans. See https://www.chelsea-pensioners.co.uk/what-chelsea-pensioner. I hope to write more about William Bramble and how he commuted his pension!

3) Census of Canada, 1861, image, Library and Archives Canada (https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1861&op=img&id=4391563_00655 : accessed 7 March 2023), entry for Maria Bramble (age 60), Brock, Ontario, Canada West; citing p. 74, line 40, LAC microfilm C-1056.

4) Anglican Church, Marriages Diocese of Toronto, page 109, William Gordon and Hannah Bramwell [Bramble], 13 Nov 1851; image, personal files of author, emailed from diocese 12 Mar 2019; citing Anglican Church, Diocese of Toronto, Ontario.

5) University of Toronto, Ontario Historical Counties Map Project (https://utoronto.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=8cc6be34f6b54992b27da17467492d2f : accessed 7 March 2023); John Shier, “Tremaine’s map of the County of Ontario,” (Ontario, 1860), digital image, (https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record?app=fonandcol&IdNumber=3972344 accessed 7 March 2023); Library and Archives Canada, “Tremaine’s map of the County of Ontario, Upper Canada [cartographic material] / drawn by John Shier, Esq. P.L.S. & County Engineer,” Archives / Collections and Fonds, Local class no.: H2/420/Ontario/1860, Box number: 2000220879, Item ID number: 3972344.

6) Census of Canada, 1871, image, Library and Archives Canada (https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record?app=census&IdNumber=42042463 : accessed 7 March 2023), entry for William Gordon (age 50), Brock, Ontario North, Ontario; citing district 49, sub-district e, p. 31, line 7, LAC microfilm C-9976.

7) McGill University, “Township of Brock,” The Canadian County Atlas Digital Project (https://digital.library.mcgill.ca/countyatlas/ont-m-brock.htm accessed 7 March 2023); Illustrated historical atlas of the county of Ontario, Ont (Toronto, Ontario : J.H. Beers & Co., 1877).

8) Jennifer Wiebe, “Are DNA tests accurate?,” Jennealogie (https://maltsoda.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/are-dna-tests-accurate/ : accessed 7 March 2023).

9) Jennifer Wiebe, digital photo, Ancestry DNA ethnicity estimate, March 2023 author’s files.