Brigid Theresa Harte : Short Biography

My Great Grandfather on my mother's side was Thomas Harte, a farmer from Lurgancullenbuoy, Creggan Lower.

Thomas Harte married Mary McArdle (a farmers daughter from Shelagh, Louth) and they were married in Crossmaglen on 20/05/1898 at St Patrick's Church in Crossmaglen.

Their best man was Thomas Shorte and the brides maid was Kate McArdle (Sister?). The priest was Father Quinn. They had four daughters (including my Grandmother Brigid Hart -some documentation spells the name as Brigid and others Bridget)

(1) Their first child was Catherine born on 22/09/1898. The sponsor was Thomas Short and Kate McArdle. The priest at the baptism was Fr. PJ McArdle.

Catherine was later married in Crossmaglen to Matthew Hoey on the 15/06/1925.

(2) Margaret Harte was born on the 30/12/1899. The sponsors were Patrick Griffin and Annie Conlon. Margaret married Francis Hughes on 21/07/1921 in Crossmaglen.

3) Brigid (as spelt on the register, and my Grandmother!) was born on the 30/11/1902. The sponsors were Patrick McArdle and Brigid Murphy. The priest was Father Sherin. 

Brigid Theresa Harte (my Grandmother) appears to have aquired a 'middle name' as registered on her marriage certificate - (or, perhaps, it was just left off the Birth Register?) married my Grandfather Harry Victor Hull on 31/08/1926 at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Leicester, England. On 29/05/1927 my Mother Eileen Bridget Mary Hull was born and baptised at St. Peter's.  My sister Sherry, brother Johnny and I are the three children of my Mother following her marriage to Syed Ashfaque Husain in the mid-1950's in Karachi, Pakistan. My mother flew with BOAC (the precursor to BA) and met my father in Karachi who was a pilot in the Pakistan Airforce. My father's family were originally from Nagpur, India but moved to Pakistan in 1947 following partition.

(4) Mary Harte was born on the 20/03/1910. Michael and Kate McCourt were the sponsors. Fr. Peter Sherrin was the priest. On 27/11/1941 Mary married Owen Hamill in Crossmaglen.

I would wish to thank Fergus McArdle from Dundalk with heartfelt thanks for helping to put together all these details which, without the help of Fergus, would have taken an enormous amount of time. Full respects!

My wish, once the current pandemic has been stabilised, is to visit Crossmaglen with my brother and sister. My Great Grandfather Thomas Harte's farm - if it still exists at 17 Lurgancullenbuoy- would definately be on the agenda. We would also wish to touch base with cousins, second cousins etc. that we have no knowledge of let alone met! Some 35 years ago or so I met a Patrick McConville in Leicester who was visiting my Grandfather Harry Hull (sadly my Grandmother Bridget 'Cissie' had passed away in the early 1970s with Cancer). I have an inkling that Patrick may have been a cousin. Patrick was studying Law in Birmingham, and was staying with an Uncle Barney who, if my memory serves me right, was in the building trade.

I would also wish to connect with my Great Grandmother Mary McArdle's descendents in Shelagh Creggan Upper, County Louth if they are in the area. I believe that my Great Grandmother's brother Patrick McArdle inherited the farm after my Great Great Grandmother (Catherine McArdle?) died in approximately 1903-1905.

These are mere fragments of memory from talking to my late Grandfather many years ago. Sadly I did not ask all the questions that I would ask today!

If any people can support our search for our Irish side of our family that would be gratefully appreciated. I am also trying to trace my 'Indian' roots as my parents were divorced when I was 5 years old and all contact was lost with my father, especially as my mother relocated to England.