Michael O' Brien

Abt 1844 - Abt 1889  (~ 45 years)

• Name	Michael O' Brien
  Born	Abt 1844  [1]
  Michael's headstone says he was 45 when he died, however this age is believed to be an estimate, since his headstone was erected many years after his death.
  Gender	Male
  Research Overview	Caplin Bay, Newfoundland
  Michael (O') Brien is the earliest traceable ancestor of the Caplin Bay O'Briens. His birthplace and date of birth are unknown, but according to information passed down by his son Denis, Michael was not born at Caplin Bay. This assertion gives rise to speculation as to his origin, but some references suggest that he may have been related to the Ferryland and/or Aquaforte (O')Briens. In the Surrogate Court Records for Nov. 16, 1815, Dennis and Murth Bryan, identified as Caplin Bay residents, are mentioned as owing money to Matthew Morry and Co. Both of these individuals were listed in 1799/1800 at Ferryland, not Caplin Bay. It is possible they may have lived at the extreme north end of Ferryland, i.e. west of Scoggins Head, in an area that was at times recorded as being a part of Caplin Bay. There was no mention of these individuals in the Voter's Lists of 1840 onward. Indeed, the only O'Brien listed at Ferryland was Timothy (aka Teague, Thaddeus, Theodore, etc.) Bryan/Brian/Brine. In 1800, Teague was listed as the youngest brother of Murth (Mortaugh). Denis was not listed as a resident of this family, but he was listed at Ferryland as a servant of different masters in 1799/1800. It is hard to draw conclusions, but Michael's naming his son as Denis may suggest a possible connection to this earlier Denis. At Aquaforte, by the 1840s, there were two to three families of O'Briens, who also appear to have had earlier connections to the O'Briens of Ferryland. Research indicates that one of these families also had a direct connection to Caplin Bay. A death notice in The Evening Telegram in 1891 for Mary, the wife of Terrence O'Brien, identified her as being the daughter of Patrick Clancy of Caplin Bay. Later evidence of an Aquaforte connection came from a chance meeting in the USA between Robert O'Brien, son of Patrick O'Brien, of Aquaforte, and Eugene O'Brien, grandson of Michael O'Brien of Calvert. Upon learning that they were both from the same area in Newfoundland, Robert stated to Eugene "if you're an O'Brien from Calvert, then you're related to me". Unfortunately the details of this purported kinship were never pursued, so it is unclear how they were related. The only listing of the surname, in the surviving 1840 - 1859 Voter's Lists for Caplin Bay, was for "John O. Brien" in 1840. Although the (O') Brien surname disappeared from the Voter's Lists after 1840, there is some evidence that people of that surname still lived there. While a widow "Bryan" is noted in the Journal of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland as living at Caplin Bay in 1847, this may be a spelling error that should have read "Bryne". Michael did not appear as the head of a household at Caplin Bay in either Lovell's or McAlpine's 1870/1871directories. His absence could lend credence to some family lore/speculation that his mother may have been married twice. It appears there was some close ties to the Barry and Maher families, but there is no strong evidence that there was actually any kinship with either one. It doesn't appear that Michael actually left Caplin Bay since he married in 1877 and lived there until his death in 1889.
  Residence	1861	Caplin Bay, Newfoundland   [2]
  Michael "Brian" was noted as living at Caplin Bay in an entry in the Journal of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland - 1862, Page 114 - Shipwrecked Crews Relief, "1861 - April 12: Swift, Callahan master, lost at Point of Feather, 7th April: Thomas Foley, Andrew Haley and Michael Brian to go home to Caplin Bay from St. John's. £0 15 0". Given the time of year, the Swift was likely returning from the annual seal hunt. Point of Feather probably refers to Feather Point which is the south headland at the entrance to Harbour Grace.
  Died	Abt 12 Apr 1889	Caplin Bay, Newfoundland   [3]
  Although a Michael Brien was listed as a godfather at Thomas Maher's baptism on Sept. 22, 1892, a 1911 court document indicates this Michael Brien had died "on or about the 12th day of April AD 1889". This explains why no matching death record was found for Michael in the surviving Ferryland District Vital Statistics. Thomas Maher's godmother was Michael's daughter - Ellen Frances Brien. There was no listing for any Brien family at Caplin Bay in McAlpine's 1894-97 Directory. However, McAlpine's 1898 Directory verified that Michael was dead by that time since an entry for his household lists his wife as: Bridget Bryan - widow of Michael.
  Buried	Abt 14 Apr 1889	Holy Trinity RC Cemetery, Ferryland, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, Canada   [4]
  	Michael O'Brien Bridget (Aspell) O'Brien
  Person ID	I1805	Families of Calvert (Caplin Bay), Newfoundland
  Last Modified	20 Jan 2021

  
  

  Family	Bridget Aspell,   b. Abt 1852, Harbour Grace, Newfoundland ,   d. 9 Nov 1910, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 58 years)
  Married	25 Apr 1877	Holy Trinity RC Parish, Ferryland, Newfoundland   [5]
  Children	1. Ellen Frances O' Brien,   b. Abt Jul 1879, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland ,   d. 14 Feb 1913, Admiral's Cove, Cape Broyle, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 33 years)   2. Mary Anne "Mary" O' Brien,   b. Abt Oct 1880, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland ,   d. 25 Nov 1950, Calvert, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 70 years)   3. Caroline "Carr" O' Brien,   b. Abt Apr 1884, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland ,   d. 16 May 1960, Corner Brook, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 76 years)   4. Denis John "Din" O' Brien,   b. Abt May 1886, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland ,   d. 1971, Calvert, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 84 years)
  Last Modified	9 Jun 2015
  Family ID	F651	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Research Overview - - Caplin Bay, Newfoundland Residence - 1861 - Caplin Bay, Newfoundland Married - 25 Apr 1877 - Holy Trinity RC Parish, Ferryland, Newfoundland Died - Abt 12 Apr 1889 - Caplin Bay, Newfoundland Buried - Abt 14 Apr 1889 - Holy Trinity RC Cemetery, Ferryland, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, Canada  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S90] Approximate date based on another recorded event, Reddigan, Kevin, (A date calculated by using a recorded date and a person's age, or by estimating the most likely date, based on other recorded life events). [S93] House of Assembly of Newfoundland. [S29] FamilySearch™ - LDS, ([online database] copyright (c) 2008, Intellectual Reserve, Inc.), Newfoundland Supreme Court Estate files, 1824-1930; index to estate files, 1830-1996, Film #008301669, images 1154 to 1165. [S7] Headstones - Ferryland RC Cemetery, Newfoundland's Grand Banks, (Online database: http://ngb.chebucto.org/Cemetery/cem-ferryland-rc-fer.shtml). [S8] Holy Trinity RC Parish (Ferryland) Marriages 1870 - 1910, Newfoundland's Grand Banks, (Online: Transcribed records of photocopied parish records held at The Rooms Archives for Brigus South to Aquaforte, Ferryland District).