John Brennan's life came to abrupt end Nov. 11th 1916 when he died in France in service in the Leinster Regiment in the British Army. He was survived by his wife Mary Anne Duncan Brennan. John Brennan married Mary Anne Duncan in St Catherine's RC Church in South Dublin in 1894. John's father was Patrick Brennan, a carpet layer and Mary's father was Edward Duncan, a stoker. Mary Anne Duncan was born in 1872 at Marrowbone Lane, Dublin, daughter of Edward Duncan & Ellen Merry.
John and Mary Anne's children were;
Mary born 1896, family resident at 7 Brown St.
Margaret born 1898, family resident in Brab? St.
Patrick born 1899, address illegible
Ellen born 1901, family resident 138 Francis St.
John Leo born 1903, family resident in Brewery lane
Kathleen born 1907, family resident 30 Chamber Street
Anne Harriet born 1910,
By 1911, the family had moved yet again to Cork St., off Merchant's Quay where all 8 of them were living in one room. Clearly they were one of the many Dublin families of the time who had no security of tenure in their rented rooms. Mary Anne had given birth to 8 children by then of whom 6 were still living. Mary the eldest of their 6 surviving children was aged 15 and working as a factory girl. John Brennan, her father was a general labourer.
Mary Ellen Brennan married Peter McDonnell, a van driver, at St. Andrew's RC Church in 1917 just 10 short months before her father's death.
Mary Anne's widow's pension was awarded in May 1917. She applied for an allowance for her children Ellen, John Leo, Kathleen & Ann Harriet which implies that they were still unmarried at the time. She was refused an allowance for Ellen because Ellen was over the age of 16.
All the above information was gleaned from Mary Anne Brennan's Widow's pension Form.
Sources
Birth of Mary Anne Duncan 1872
civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1872/03262/2195803.pdf
Marriage 1894
civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1894/10580/5854414.pdf
Birth of Mary 1896
civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1896/02184/1826734.pdf
Birth of Margaret 1898
civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1898/02085/1795463.pdf
Birth of Patrick 1899
civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1900/02008/1771819.pdf
Birth of Ellen 1901
civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1901/01955/1754853.pdf
Birth of John Leo 1903
civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1903/01851/1721505.pdf
Birth of Kathleen 1907
civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1907/01688/1670712.pdf
Birth of Anne Harriet 1910
civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1910/01583/1637371.pdf
1911 Census
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Dublin/Merchant_s_Quay/Cork_St_/57857/
Marriage of Mary Ellen Brennan 1917
civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1917/09737/5533162.pdf
British Armed Forces, First World War, Widow's Pension Form 1917
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