My ancestors - O'Rahilly - Contents
Edward Wren
Edward Wren.
Edward Wren [poss. descendant of Edward III],
Catholic, born Sept 1849, Littur, Co.Kerry,
worked for Cannock, Tate and Company, a dry goods house of Limerick, c.1867-73,
mar 1stly, 22 Oct 1871, to Maggie Kinnane [Margaret M., born 1849, dau of James Kinnane of Co.Tipperary],
(todo) see mar of Edward Wren and Margaret Kinnane in [GROI], Glin, 1871, vol 20, p 171,
they went to US 1873, landed New York,
moved first to Lancaster, Ohio, there as at 1874, he started dry goods business with a partner, partner took over this business,
he settled in Springfield, Ohio, 1877, started dry goods business with new partners 1877, in the Commercial block in South Limestone street, Springfield,
ran a successful dry goods business and general store, "Wren's", Springfield, Ohio,
became very wealthy,
Maggie died Columbus, Ohio, Mon 27 July 1897, age 48 yrs,
bur Springfield, Ohio,
see obituary, Weekly Republic, Springfield, Ohio, Wednesday, July 29, 1897,
had issue by 1st wife:
- 13 children, Wren.
mar 2ndly, in Ireland, 1898,
to Josephine Hickie
[born 28 May 1876],
(todo) see mar of Mary Josephine Hickie and Edward J.J. Wren in
[GROI], Listowel,
3rd or 4th qr 1898, vol 5, p 231,
Littur is not far from Killelton,
she moved to his home in Springfield, Ohio,
living (must be 1115) North Limestone St, Springfield, at dau's death 1900,
he built "The Cliff House" in Ballybunion, Co.Kerry,
for her father,
their wealth helped a number of
her siblings move to US,
the Edward Wren company's store moved 1903 to new building,
East High St, Springfield,
this was Springfield's first large
department store,
they moved late 1911
[Lucev, 2006]
to
Rockaway, Long Island, New York
and in 1912 he built there a new house at the beach,
he still ran business in Springfield and on E coast,
obituary 1917 still lists the Wren residence at 1115 North Limestone St, Springfield, Ohio
(see map),
he worshipped at St. Raphael
Catholic church, Springfield,
he also had summer home in the
White Mountains,
New Hampshire,
he died evening of Thur 25 Oct 1917 (NOT Fri 26 Oct) at his home,
Rockaway, Long Island, New York,
age 68 yrs,
see obituary,
Daily News, Springfield, Ohio, Friday, October 26, 1917,
describes him as
"merchant prince, former resident of Springfield
and founder of the Edward Wren company's dry goods store in this city",
see obituary,
New York Times, October 28, 1917,
Daily News
obituary says
body brought from NY back to Springfield,
funeral St. Raphael church, Springfield, Mon 29 Oct,
he must have been bur temporarily in Springfield,
and then the body taken back to NY in Feb 1918,
he was bur 26 Feb 1918 in the new
Wren Mausoleum
that Josephine built in the
Gate of Heaven Cemetery
(Catholic),
Hawthorne, NY,
the Wren Mausoleum is
nr grave of Babe Ruth,
Josephine's obituary says
the business was sold c.1920,
it was apparently sold for
$1 m,
this is $10-50 m in today's money,
Wren's merged into
Block's,
which later merged into the
Allied Stores chain,
Josephine's obituary says
"she left Springfield about 1925", and travelled widely,
living at times in Washington, D.C., in London, and in Ottawa, Canada,
she apparently is much mentioned in the society pages of the day,
family called her "Brammy",
house in Rockaway, New York
was sold 1930,
[Lucev, 2006]
says she
took up residence in the Blackstone Hotel, New York City,
and summered in Southampton, Long Island,
she lived in her last years at the
New Weston Hotel
(Madison Ave and 49th or 50th St), New York
(see map),
she died New York, Sun 4 Sep 1949,
age 73 yrs,
see obituary,
Daily News, Springfield, Ohio, Monday, September 5, 1949,
funeral Wed 7 Sept in St. Patrick's Cathedral,
New York,
bur 7 Sept, Wren Mausoleum,
Gate of Heaven Cemetery, NY,
had issue by 2nd wife:
- Genevieve Wren,
or "Mary Genieve", born May 1899,
died an infant, Springfield, Ohio, Sun 5 Aug 1900, age 15 months,
see death notice, Daily Morning Sun, Springfield, Ohio, Monday, August 6, 1900,
there was a family story that she choked on skin of a peach, though death notice says she died of "congestion of the brain",
funeral Tue 7 Aug, bur Lagonda avenue cemetery, Springfield.
- Angela Wren,
born 24 Apr 1902, Springfield, Ohio,
think educ in England and France,
mar 25 Jan 1922 to Brendan Quin [John Brendan Quin, NOT Quinn, born 1889],
they lived internationally, summer in Dublin, winter in France,
lived in New York during WW2,
she is listed as "of London" at mother's death 1949,
he died England, 1959, age 70 yrs,
she took great interest in ancestry, did lot of research, [O'Rahilly family tree] was drawn up for her by Ann O'Rahilly 1961,
she was good friend of Sighle Humphreys,
she died England, Aug 1965, age 63 yrs, NOT 1964,
bur August 31, 1965, Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY,
had issue:- Hilary Quin,
Angela Hilary, think NOT Josephine Angela Hilary,
born 16 Jan 1923, New York City,
mar pre-1947 to Peter Vaughan-Fowler and had issue. - Wren Quin,
Brendan Edward Wren Quin,
born NYC, 24 Oct 1924, NOT 1925,
didn't marry,
died NYC, Mar 1967, age 42 yrs,
bur March 14, 1967, Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY.
- Hilary Quin,
- Ursula Wren,
Pauline Ursula, think NOT Ursule, born 24 June 1904,
had Down syndrome,
died unmarried 1920, age 16 yrs, NOT 1919,
bur August 27, 1920, Gate of Heaven Cemetery, NY. - Malcolm Wren,
Malcolm Edward, born USA, 1 July 1905, NOT 1904,
didn't marry,
he is described as living with mother at New Weston Hotel, New York, at mother's death 1949,
died Dublin, Jan 1969, age 63 yrs, NOT 1974,
bur January 8, 1969, Gate of Heaven Cemetery, NY.
Josephine Hickie.
The Wren family.
(Left to Right): Edward Wren, Josephine Hickie,
Ursula, Angela, Malcolm.
Photo c.1915.
At the house in Rockaway, New York.
The Wren Mausoleum, Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY.
Photo courtesy of Jenny Wren.
See full size.
The house in Springfield, Ohio
Edward Wren's house, 1115 North Limestone St, Springfield, Ohio.
Edward Wren's house, 1115 North Limestone St, Springfield, Ohio.
From Google Maps.
Click to rotate.
