Jane Ward, b. 1776

Was Jane's the baptism  20th August? Mother looks like Mary Kelly. Sponsors John McLaughlin (or similar). Female sponsor's surname Brangan. I can't decide if her first name was Jane or Sarah.

Ann Brangan was godmother to Laurence Donnelly, baptised 16th Aug. 

Mary Ward, parents James & Anne (Beck?) was baptised on15th. 

I looked at the page from the baptism register again on NLI website as I find it easier to adjust size etc. Still unsure of female sponsor's first name, may be Sara. Surname of male sponsor seems to be spelled without a small c after M. I noticed that Laurence Donnelly's mother was also a McLaughlin. One of his sponsors was Brangan. I wonder if there was a Brangan-McLaughlin connection or if it was coincidence that they were the surnames of Jane Ward's sponsors.

Whilst browsing the marriage register (1763-1777), I saw a note after the marriage of Judith Branagan "they were clandestinely married by imposing upon one of the curates of Liffey St. Chapel". Another thing I noticed was that the priest was in the habit of not writing the name of a witness if he was the bride's father, although he wrote the name of one groom's mother when she was a witness. 

There's a big gap in Swords' baptism registers 1778-1801. There are several Ward baptisms in Swords parish during the years of the earliest baptism register (1763-1777).  There were also Ward baptisms at adjacent parishes Donabate, Finglas and Lusk.  

Hi Maggie,

Thank you for taking the time to review. I'm not certain but I tend to see Sara as the sponsor's first name. Not positive though. I think McLaughlin was a family friend, but that's based on passed down information and not records. Interesting observation about the priest. I know Jane's husband, but there's no written record in Swords. I'm almost positive he was born in or near Swords, but believe the record was lost.

For Jane Ward, I would love the chance to go deeper into her tree with her grandparents. With Arthur as her father, Mary her mother, nothing else seems to be documented from what I can find.