Mary Ward (1859 to )
Written bu Ann Dolan
"Mary Ward was born in about 1859 in Tuam, County
Galway, daughter of Michael Brennan carpenter of Tuam ,Co. Galway.
At this stage little is know about Mary, Mary was Catholic and literate. She married Patrick Brennan on June 19th 1880 in the Tuam Chapel, the sponsors were Thomas Trayers and Bridget Milligan, Patrick was twenty years her senior and an army pensioner. The priest that conducted the ceremony was Joseph Carter C.C.
They had ten children together but four of them died as young children. We assume that Patrick and Mary lived the remainder of their natural lives in Tuam town. Patrick had an army pension and may also have supplemented the income utilising his former trade as a shoemaker.
Mary's father was still alive at the time of her marriage and a native of Tuam and an address of Tirboy Rd. As a carpenter he may have assisted the family with furniture and general home improvements
- life may have been fairly comfortable for the family.
According to the records Mary Ward could read and write and her Father was a tradesman,
- this in my opinion would dispute the theory that this Ward family were of the itinerant
class although the area Tirboy Rd in Tuam was home to many Ward families and many of these were
itinerants.
We understand that Mary and Patrick sent at least several of their children to St Jarlaths College on Bishop Street, and seemed to have valued the benefits of education."