Henry O'Brien (abt. 1620 - 1691)

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 2 May 1691 at about age 71 in Great Billing, Northamptonshire, England

Biography

Henry O'Brien was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Henry O'Brien is Notable.

Numbering Discrepancy: Some historians refer to this Henry as The 7th Earl of Thomond.^[1][2]

The location of Henry's birth is undocumented and the date is said to be around 1620.^[3][4]

Henry O' Brien was the son of Barnabas O'Brien, 5th Earl of Thomond and Mary Fermor and Henry later became the 6th Earl of Thomond. Mary Fermor was the daughter of George Fermor and Mary Curzon and was born in 1592. She had previously married Robert Crichton in London on 16 Apr 1808 and by whom she had a son, William Crichton. Robert had been executed in 1612 for murder.

The O'Brien family owned Billing Hall a manor house set in Great Billing, Northamptonshire. ^{[5] [6]}

Henry had one sister Penelope O'Brien whose place of birth is also unknown. Henry was styled Lord Ibracken, after the Barony of Ibrickan in County Clare.

Henry matriculated Exeter College, Oxford in 1736 aged 15.^{[4] [7]}

Little has been written about Henry's working life but it is noted that he was Governor of Co. Clare and of Thomond and was also a member of the Privy Council for both King Charles and King James.^[4]

Henry married, firstly his cousin, Lady Anne O'Brien, daughter of Henry O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond and Mary Brereton, in 1641.

With Anne, a son Henry O'Brien was born in 1642. Anne died in Sep1644.^[4]

Henry married, secondly, Sarah Russell, daughter of Sir Francis Russell 2nd Bt and Catherine Wheatley in 1660. Sarah was the widow of John Reynolds who had died in 1757. ^[8]

Together they had at least 4 children

* Elizabeth O'Brien d1688

* Aubrey Anne Penelope O'Brien 1670-1703

* Henry Horatio O'Brien 1670-1690

* Mary O'Brien 1673-1735

On the death of his father Barnabas, Henry not only inherited the title but also the lands owned by the family in Munster, Ireland. ^[9]

Henry, Earl of Thomund died on 2 May 1691 and was buried on 7 May 1691 in St Andrews, Great Billing, Northamptonshire, there is a family burial vault under the chapel for the Tholmonds and Sarah, now the Dowager Countess erected a monument to her husband inside the church. ^{[4] [10]}

The monument to Henry O'Brien, Earl of Thomond, is probably the last work of of John Bushnell , a Noted English Sculptor. ^[11]

Henry left a will and this was proved in Oct 1693.^[4]

Research Notes

It is said that the Earls of Thomond are descendants of King Boru of Ireland, 1002AD.

Henry's father had left Bunratty Castle in 1646 and took ownership of the Billing Estate 4 years later. ^[9]

Sarah Russells sister, Elizabeth Russll Elizabeth was married to Henry Cromwell Protector of Ireland and son of Oliver Cromwell

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia; Earls of Thomond Earls of Thomond (accessed 14 Jun 2022).
2. ↑ House of O'Brien Earles of Thomond (accessed 17 Jun 2022) .
3. ↑ Wikipedia: Henry O'brien 7th Earl of Thomond accessed 11 Jun 2022).
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5} Cokayne, George Edward, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Volume 7, page 392, Google Books (accessed 13 Jun 2022).
5. ↑ Wikipedia Billing Hall Billing Hall (accessed 10 Jun 2022)
6. ↑ Billing Parish Council Billing Manor (accessed 14 Jun 2022).
7. ↑ "Oxford University Alumni, 1500-1886"
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 8942 #164501 (accessed 13 June 2022)
   Name: Henry O'Brien.
8. ↑ The Dictionary of National Biography Marriage of Sarah to John O'Brien (accessed 14 Jun 2022)
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Rental of Thomond Property Thomond Estate accessed 17 Jun 2022)
10. ↑ British Listed Buildings, Church of St Andrew , Great Billing St Andrew (accessed 10 June 2022)
11. ↑ Wikipedia.org John Bushnell John Bushnell Accessed 10 Jun 2022]]

Acknowledgements

This profile has been improved by a member of the England Project's Orphan Trail