WDYTYA Live Requests

To all who have offered help, thanks so much. It would appear that the Australian connection was completely wrong and that the family were on the Isle of Wight and that my Great Grandfather was probably born in Wexford in Ireland and Great Grandmother in Waterford. Still need to try and get confirmation, possibly from Parish records or something. Have certainly discovered that my Father had another brother who died in his first year, but I knew nothing about him.

I really do appreciate everything and hope I can take the records back even further if I can get birth certificates etc.

:-) Sally

Sally I do not want to confuse you so please read this carefully.
This is what may have confused your Australian contact.

There is another John Breenof the same age. married to another Mary in Greenwich.

1841 Address: George Street, Greenwich
BREEN, Hugh M 45 1796 Ireland
BREEN, Catherine F 40 1801 Ireland
BREEN, Hugh M 15 1826 Ireland
BREEN, James M 15 1826 Ireland
BREEN, Ellen F 10 1831 Ireland
BREEN, John M 7 1834 Ireland


1871: Marsh Lane Batchelor's Terrace, Greenwich
BREEN, John Head M 40 1831 Ireland
BREEN, Mary Wife F 38 1833 Ireland
BREEN, Michael Son M 18 1853 Ireland
BREEN, Bridget Daughter F 16 1855 Ireland
KIRBY, John Lodger M 34 1837 Ireland

1881 Address: 1, Edith Terrace Marsh Lane, Greenwich
BREEN, John Head Married M 48 1833 General Labourer
Carry, Ireland
BREEN, Mary Wife Married F 50 1831
Carry, Ireland

We have tracked yours through these censuses so we know they are not yours. They may relate to your tree but they are not your direct line John and Mary.

"Not sure about Mary Ethel Breen, although Dad did have a sister Ethel. The mother's name does not tie in with the others, although it is the same area etc, and the address is not one I am aware of."

Maud Mabel and Gertrude also have the baptism address of 172 Powis street. Sometimes people went by a middle name. It seems her mother did too.

1871 Address: Barnfield Rd Rose Cottage, Plumstead
O NEIL, Thomas Head M 24 1847 Canada VIEW
O NEIL, Mary Wife F 22 1849 Kent VIEW
O NEIL, Frances Emily Daughter F 3 1868 Kent VIEW
O NEIL, Thomas Lewis Son M 2 1869 Kent VIEW
WILLIAMS, Margaret Visitor F 48 1823 Kent

London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906 about Mary Ethel Breen
Name: Mary Ethel Breen
Record Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 17 Dec 1893
Father's Name: John Breen
Mother's name: Frances Grinley Breen
Parish or Poor Law Union: Woolwich St Mary Magdalene
Borough: Greenwich
Register Type: Parish Registers
172 Powis st
father labourer

London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906 about Clara Emily Breen
Name: Clara Emily Breen
Record Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 22 Oct 1902
Father's Name: John Breen
Mother's name: Emily Breen
Parish or Poor Law Union: Woolwich Holy Trinity
Borough: Greenwich
Register Type: Parish Registers
13 Union Street
father labourer in Royal Arsenal

Interesting as there was a John Patrick Breen married to Emily who died june 3 1946 cheshire so that could a source of the confusion

England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2006 about Maud L Breen
Name: Maud L Breen
Birth Date: abt 1900
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1946
Age at Death: 46
Registration district: Dartford
Inferred County: Kent
Volume: 5b
Page: 434

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966 about Maud Lily Breen
Name: Maud Lily Breen
Probate Date: 11 Feb 1947
Death Date: 21 Oct 1946
Death Place: Kent, England
Registry: London, England
80 west heath rd abby wood
to john breen retired furnaceman

john breen of the same address died 11 mar 1947

London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906 about Maud Lily Breen
Name: Maud Lily Breen
Record Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 7 Jan 1900
Father's Name: John Breen
Mother's name: Emily Breen
Parish or Poor Law Union: Woolwich St Mary Magdalene
Borough: Greenwich
Register Type: Parish Registers
175 Powis Street.
father noted as a labourer.

London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906 about Mabel Elizabeth Breen
Name: Mabel Elizabeth Breen
Record Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 12 May 1897
Father's Name: John Breen
Mother's name: Emily Breen
Parish or Poor Law Union: Woolwich St Mary Magdalene
Borough: Greenwich
Register Type: Parish Registers
172 Powis Sstreet. Father is labourer in the Royal Arsenal

London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906 about Gertrude Emily Breen
Name: Gertrude Emily Breen
Record Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 1 May 1892
Father's Name: John Breen
Mother's name: Frances Emily Breen <<<<<< 1st mention of Frances.
Parish or Poor Law Union: Woolwich St Mary Magdalene
Borough: Greenwich
Register Type: Parish Registers
172 Powis Street.
father noted as a labourer.

London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965 about John Breen
Name: John Breen
Year: 1890
County or Borough: Greenwich
Ward or Division/Constituency: Greenwich
Street Address: 7 Batchelor place Marsh lane


On the marriage cert did it say if his father was deceased.?
What was the address of the bride and groom?
Who were the witnesses?

London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906 about John Alfred Breen
Name: John Alfred Breen
Record Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 18 Mar 1906
Father's Name: John Breen
Mother's name: Emily Breen
Parish or Poor Law Union: Woolwich Holy Trinity
Borough: Greenwich
Register Type: Parish Registers
born feb 20 1906
father is noted as a fireman.

This is another candidate for dad in 1871.

1871 England Census about John Breen
Name: John Breen
Age: 35
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1836
Gender: Male
Where born: Ireland
Civil parish: Portsmouth
Ecclesiastical parish: St Thomas
County/Island: Hampshire
Country: England
Registration district: Portsea Island
Sub-registration district: Portsmouth Town
ED, institution, or vessel: Cambridge Barracks
Name Age
Christopher Barron 36
Henrietta Barrow 22
Christopher Barrow 2
Samuel Blackmun 33
John Breen 35
Fredrick Coe 35
Hugh Collins 33
James Coomer 30
Christopher Connors 34
Charles Curtin 19
Willm Berdes Dawkins 25

The marriage certificate for John Breen and Emily O'Neil only shows those names, not the John Patrick or Frances Emily so have inadvertently misled you. I do not have that John Breen's birth certificate (25.12.1865) as I was not sure where he was born. That information came from Australia. It would now appear that he was born in Gosport and when I get the reference number, I will order the birth certificate. My father did say that John Breen,his grandfather, born c1830 "was in the Royal Artillery, so was a gunner, and I know he served some time in India".

Thanks so much to you all for your help.
Sally :-)

Please look at the 1911 census i posted earlier then compare with 1901. I think you have made some assumptions from what you have been told
there is more than 1breen in woolwich. you need to start with yorself and work back.

Sally, please would you tell us what details are on the birth certificate for your grandfather John Patrick Breen born 25.12.1865 in Isle of Mile. Thank you.

This must be the record that Beverley refers to:

British Army Service Records 1760-1915 Transcription

First name(s): John
Last name: BREEN
Calculated year of birth: 1830
Parish of birth:
Town of birth: Cash
County of birth: Leitrim
Age at attestation: 24 years 6 months
Attestation date: 14 October 1854
Attestation corps:
Attestation soldier number:
Discharge rank: Private
Discharge corps: Grenadier Guards
Discharge soldier number: 2071
The National Archives reference: WO97 / 1365 / 157

He was discharged 1866 as no longer fit to be a soldier. The reason was intermittent mania largely due to drink. He was, however, deemed able to earn a living.

There is no mention of any family.

Thank you for the message.

Re "John Breen born c1830 and Bridget Learoklin born c1832. I understood from my Father, who is now deceased, that they were Irish." -

As civil registration for births in Ireland began in 1864, it is possible that you will never be certain as to the places of their origin unfortunately.

The surname Breen comes from various parts of Ireland. For example, a James Breen was a witness to the marriage of my great-great-grandparents in 1848 in Co. Tyrone; I was fortunate with that marriage record because it was on the BVRI (British Vital Records Index) CD.

No doubt you will have seen online the family tree by Margaret Kennedy.

Familysearch shows a John Breen born in Leitrim in 1830 as having an entry in the Chelsea Pensioners Service Records.
Perhaps someone with a FMP subscription could check it.