Did Charles O'Brien come from Clonfert?

Charles O’Brien born 1741 -  died 10th November 1816

Please can you advice me if I have found the correct place of origin for my 5 x Great grandfather who came from Galway in about 1767 and settled in Surrey in 1777. I found this settlement examination in the local history centre.

Surrey History Centre

Esher Settlement Examinations Ref: P47/2/255 first M/fiche No 74

The examination of CHARLES O'BRION residing in the parish of ESHER.

Who saith upon his oath that he was born in the parish of CHINFERT/IRT (I can’t make out if it is an E or an I) in the county of GALLOWAY in the provence of CONNAUGH in the kingdom of IRELAND and that he has been in England for about TEN years and during said time he worked by the week for several persons but never as a yearly hired servant to any person since his said coming to England nor never did any other act to join a settlement he .....

He has a wife named Mary now with him at Esher aforesaid.

Sworn 15th MAY 1777 before William Shakespeare and J.W.Waite

Now - I cannot find a CHINFERT anywhere - so could it be CLONFERT? – perhaps it sounds promising if you say it with an Irish accent? It is the closest match I have found after searching all the names in Galway and the Western parts of Ireland.

The Diocese of Clonfert appears to be Cluain Fearta in Irish -  Charles O’Brien would have spoken Irish in the 1770's in Galway I believe  and so I think he would have been well educated to also speak English but an Irish accent might have been a bit difficult for a Surrey parish clerk to get the spelling of the parish correctly.

Please will you let me know if you agree or have other suggestions as to the home diocese of Charles from this information.

With many thanks for taking the trouble of reading this

Denise Thain (Mrs)

denise.thain@btinternet.com