This imposing lady is Anna Mary Drew. She has come to be thought
of (by us and by her neighbors for miles around) as a very virtuous and
saintly woman. We first met Anna Mary in 1971 during our second trip
to Ireland after we had found the location of our acestral Drew homestead,
Lakenstown. Anna Mary was still living in the home she was raised
in, in Lakenstown, with her brother Paddy. The photo above was taken
in her living room during our trip to Lakenstown in September of 2000.
Although Anna Mary has never traced her ancestors with accuracy, and is
not certain of her Grandfather Drew's name, it is believed that we are
all decended from James & Judith Drew. Anna Mary is probably
decended from James (Jr.) (who married Mary Scott) the brother of our ancestor,
Bernard, who Married Catherine Nally and begot our great great grandfather,
John Drew, who Married Rose Reilly and later emigrated to the U.S.
PHOTOS AND MUSINGS FROM 1971
THE
LAKENSTOWN DREWS
(Paddy & Anna Mary) |
Click on the photo to see it in
full size.
This 1971 photo shows Paddy and Anna Mary Drew, whom we calculate to
be our fourth cousins. At that time they were living on the farm
that contained the ruins of the old Drew homestead; and were able to relate
many tales and traditions about the old homestead and the history of that
area of County Westmeath. Note that we were there at the perfect
time to see Anna Mary's beautiful flower gardens. The farm and yard
seen in the picture are just a few yards from "the ruins." |
|
THE
MARLINSTOWN DREWS
(Dan & Family) |
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full size
This photo, taken in 1970, shows Daniel Drew of Marlinstown, just outside
of Mullingar. Dan is pictured here with his wife and youngest daughter,
Marlene. |
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full size
Dan & Marilyn Drew & son John pose with Dan Drew of Marlinstown
outside their home in Marlinstown in 1971. |
THE
SHANDONAGH DREWS
(Edward, Catherine & family) |
|
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full size
John M. Drew (age 4) and the Drew family dog look on as our distant
cousin, Edward Drew prepares his faithful donkey for a ride. The
photo was taken at Shandonagh in 1971. |
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full size
Dan Drew with son John posing (in 1970) at the home of Edward Drew,
a distant cousin. This family of Drews live in Shandonagh, which
is just a few miles from both Lakenstown and Mullingar. |
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full size
Catherine Drew (wife of Edward) is shown in this 1970 photo with here
two sons, Paddy (r) and ....(?the younger brother.) |
| The rather poor 1971 photo at right
shows Daniel C. Drew visiting with Peter Drew the oldest living Drew clan
member in Ireland at that time. Peter also had a sister, Mary whom
we did not get to meet since she was not feeling well.
Peter most certainly descends from the Lakenstown Drews... and from
a branch known as the "black Drews." Note that he (and his branch)
are known for their jet black hair. The great majority of Drews decended
from the Lakenstown Drew Clan had lighter auburn or even red hair and were
known as the "red Drews." |
Click on the photo to see it in
full size |
Somewhere in this history the sensitive matter of VERY LARGE EARS must
be mentioned... and perhaps this is the time and place. Peter is
certainly a good example of this. The available pictures of our great
grandfather and his siblings and their offspring, however, also show this
prominent trait.
FACES FROM THE YEAR 2000
|
EDDIE DREW THROWS A PARTY
|
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size
Eddie Drew, son of Dan Drew of Marlinstown (above) poses with his 4th
cousin, (also Dan Drew) at beautiful |
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size
Following the awesome event, the group photo was taken showing John
M. Drew at right & beside Eddie. The women are 4 of Eddie's 5
sisters. Marlene, the youngest was missing. Dan (Daniel C)
Drew is at left & beside Eddie's sister, Kathleen O'Neill (in green.)
Eddie and his sisters are the Children of Dan Drew of Marlinstown (photos
above) and probably 3rd or 4th cousins to Daniel G. Drew (my father) whom
he never knew of. |
Click on the photo to see it in
full size
Journalist, Kathleen Pendred poses above with Dan Drew in the Lakenstown
living room of Anna Mary Drew. Kathleen has pen and notebook in hand
and is taking notes for an article in the "Westmeath Examiner" on the Drew
family and our ancestors. |
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full size
Anna Mary's cat poses on her perch near some of the roses we are attempting
to grow in Indiana. |
LAKENSTOWN
HUMOR
(Silly is always in style) |
Click on the photo to see it in
full size |
Click on the photo to see it in
full size |
Two examples of Lakenstown humor are pictured here courtesy of Anna
Mary's brother "Paddy" Drew whom we met in 1970 and '71, but who had passed
away a few years before our 2000 trip. At left is what American's
call a mail box; but it is known in Ireland as a "letter box." Normally
in Ireland a letter box has the word "letters" on it. It seems that
when Paddy had completed the task a making a new letter box, he decided
(to amuse his sister) to decorate it as above. Tradition is that
she was not amused at first, but was able to laugh about it later.
Meanwhile, the photo at right shows the glassed in "all weather" sentinel
post Paddy made for his little watch dog ...complete with a ramp for entry
and exit. Meanwhile, on a more serious note, compare the house in
the photo at right with the 1971 photos, and it is clear that Paddy made
some fine improvements. He added a second story and made the place
quite comfortable.
Copyright 2001: Daniel C. Drew
