This 1870 carving is the oldest extant epitaph bearing the Laughrea name (Loughry, Loughrey and Loughery in Ireland) in Canada. This epitaph is in the church of St Patrice, QC, because Margaret Mullavey, wife of my great-granduncle Owen Loughrea, was buried inside the church, a rare honor.
Owen Loughrea was born in Tyrone in 1831. He lived in St Elzéar, QC from 1832 to 1856, St Sylvestre and St Patrice, QC from 1856 to 1881, Bethlehem, NH from 1881 to at least 1910, and Medford, Mass., a suburb of Boston, in 1918.
Because it is inside a church, this oldest stone reminder of Laughrea immigrants in Canada, has good chances to be preserved for centuries to come.
Margaret Mullavey was a godmother of the bell of the St Patrice church. She is the daughter of Edward Mullavey (1815 Ireland — 1889 St Patrice, QC) and Catherine Purcell (1818 Mayo, Ireland — 1862 St Sylvestre , QC), while Owen Loughrea is the son of Patrick Loughry (1800 Tyrone, Ireland — 1886 St Séverin, QC) and Mary Patton (1802 Donegal, Ireland — 1854 St Elzéar, QC).
