Benjamin Bunbury 1707.Note among Bunbury Papers in the PPP.
The oldest recorded tombstone at Saint Mary's
Church of Ireland, Castle Street, Carlow is in memory of
Benjamin Bunbury of Killerig, Carlow who died in April
1707 at the age of 44. He was the grandson of Sir Henry
Bunbury.
It is believed the stone was moved from
its original grave to make way for the building of the
Frenchman's rectory for Reverend Benjamin Daillon at the
western side of the churchyard. According to Mr Bunbury
of the Dowager House, Strawhall,
The above Benjamin Bunbury had 5 sons,
Joseph of Johnstown, Benjamin of Killerig, Thomas of
Cloghna, William of Lisnavagh and Michael of Tipperary.
The above is a true and
accurate transcript of the original document.
Transcribed by Jean Casey, November 2009.
Footnote:
John Ryan claims the inscription reads
as follows:
'IN : HOPE : OF : A :
BLESSED : RESURRECTION : HERE : LIETH : THE : BODIES :
OF : BENJAMIN : BUNBURY : THE : FATHER : AND : BENJAMIN
: BUNBURY : THE : SON : BOTH : OF : KILLERIG : ESQRS :
THE : FORMER : DEPARTED : THIS : LIFE : APRIL : YE : 4TH
: 1707 : AGED : 44 : YEARS : THE : LATER : JANY : YE : 3
: 1715 - 16 : AGED : 39.' (2d)
Source: "Journals for
the Preservation of the Memorials for the Dead", Vol,
Issue 1916, CARLOW, page 18; John Ryan's "History &
Antiquities of the County of Carlow" - Page 331.
However, I think there
must be an error with the reading of 44 years as it is
my belief Benjamin Bunbury was born in 1642, probably in
Cheshire. His grandfather, Sir Henry Bunbury, was thrown
in prison and stripped of his lands some years later for
supporting the Royalists. His mother was probably a
sister of Henry Birkenhead (1617-1697), known as the
Founder of the Oxford Chair of Poetry. His older brother
Thomas Bunbury made his career as a tobacco baron in
Virginia where he became ancestor to the Bumbrey's, one
of the oldest black families in the United States today.
Benjamin moved to Ireland after the Restoration and
seems to have settled in Carlow since 1669 when he took
a lease on lands at Killerig from the Earl of Arran,
younger brother of James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde.
Curiously there is a Bunbury Suite and Sir Harry's Bar
in the present day hotel at Killerig. 340 years after
Benjamin took the lease at Killerig, the Bunbury family
continue to live in Co. Carlow.
Footnote sent in by Turtle Bunbury
2009
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