STANTON Brannan Janette Hewitt
Many thanks to Janette Hewit Stanton Brannan who has forwarded on these details of her branch of the line. It is good to see that Janette still has the Stanton surname. Janette is a direct descendant of Margaret Stanton who was the daughter of Edward Stanton and Peggy Grady. Margaret Stanton and our Andrew Stanton were siblings. She is third-cousin of Denis Madigan Stanton.
The linking of our families.
On 20th January 1879 Margaret Stanton married into the Brannan clan who were also from Ireland. His name was John Brannan and their marriage took place in the Cowgate in old Edinburgh in St. Patrick’s church.
The Church’s congregation was at this time made up mostly from the Irish community who had fled the famine some years earlier and made their home in the old tenements of Auld Reekie. The Hibernian football team at this time was also just beginning from that very same Church and Margaret’s brother, Andrew Stanton was very much involved from the very beginning in starting up the team. He married Maria Whelaghan whose brother was the very first Captain of Edinburgh Hibernian. Both the Stantons and the Brannans were from Counties Mayo and Rosscommon.
Margaret Stanton and John Brannan had several children
John and Lillias were my grandparents. Her children called her Hilda as she liked the name because of an actress (possibly Hildegard Neill).
Their children were as follows
- Peter BRANNAN- wife’s name Isabella (Bella). 2 children, Sylvia and Sidney. Sidney went to work in London on a newspaper (I think Morning Star or Evening Standard). He changed his name to Brennan for some reason. Peter was very generous and caring to a fault. He worked in hotels as a porter.
- Andrew BRANNAN – wife’s name Naomi. 4 children, Anthony, Stanley (both in merchant navy), Edward (known as young Eddie) I think he worked on the oil rigs but not sure, then Linda.
- Lily BRANNAN – husband’s name Alex Wilson, no children. Alex worked for Coca Cola whilst in Canada. When he retired they spent summers in Toronto and winters in Florida.
- John BRANNAN (known as Jocky) died of either a heart attack or epilepsy. He was working as a night watchman when he died either late 40’s or early 50’s. I know of 1 child, Patricia Kathleen now probably in her late 60’s. I presume there were others but I do not know.
- Sarah Jane BRANNAN She has two sons, Gary and Joe. She was known to the family as Sissy. I only met her once when she came to visit her husbands family in the 70’s. – see dedicated page
- James BRANNAN– married Annie. They have 3 children, Ann (from Annie’s previous marriage), Jane and Katy. All living in London.
- Margaret BRANNAN (known as Meg) died about August 1990 – husband’s name either Peter or John Laurie. 2 children, Diane and Irene. Meg and her family also went to Canada but they returned sometime in the late 60’s
- Edward Beatty Brannan, born 16 January 1919, died 9 November 1990. First worked as a pageboy at Gleneagles, then into private service where he was a footman. He met my mother (Jane Brunton Black, born 22 May 1918, Chirnside, Berwickshire, died 23 September 1997) when he worked for the Trotter family at their town house Mortonhall House in Edinburgh. My mother worked for the same family at their country house Charterhall in Berwickshire. After many years of private service my father worked in the Caledonian Hotel in Edinburgh, they bought a guest house, After a few years my mother became caretaker of YWCA then as housekeepers in Bute House (secretary of state for Scotland, now first minister’s, residence) for about 20 years.They were married for 52 years.
Children of Edward and Jane Brannan
- John Clarey Brannan, born 27 August 1938, married Helen Green born 17April 1940. 2 children, Joseph and Stephen, both married with their own kids).
- Margaret Grey Brannan (known as Margot) Grey from my mother’s side), born 13 April 1940, married Alexander Williamson (deceased). 2 children, Pamela and Sally. Margot went to Canada in the 60’s but returned after a few year. She and her family went back to Canada in the late 70’s, early 80’s. She still lives in Guelph, her daughters also live in Canada and are both married with their own kids.
- Edward Brunton Brannan (deceased) born 2 June 1944, married Jennifer Wilson (deceased). They had one child Ian Brannan. Edward served for many years in RAF, serving in Germany then moved back to Buckinghamshire. When he left RAF he worked for Inland Revenue.
- Kathleen Beatty Brannan, Born 17 October 1945. Married Ronnie McPherson, 1 child Gordon. Emigrated to Canada in 1967. Divorced in the 70’s. Remarried Wayne Bacon. Gordon still lives in Canada. Kathleen and Wayne moved back to Britain mid 2000’s
- Janette Hewitt Stanton Brannan, born 1 March 1954. Only married in 2007 to Anthony McCubbin. No children. I emigrated to Canada in 1974 but returned in 1977.
Nice to see uncle eddy my moms family and history
Thank you Janette . I live in Toronto too.
My mom passed Jan 1991 from cancer .
My father’s name was Edward Lawrie (eddy) he passed away
Four years after my Mom .there are three of us Diane and Sandra
Live in Edinburgh .I’ve been in Toronto since 1978.