BERNARD - The Bernards appear to have been in Co Carlow from at least the beginning of the 1600s.

BUNBURY - Benjamin Bunbury (1642-1707), arrived in Co Carlow from England in 1669.  He married Mary (Franks) Sheppard, widow of Mathew Sheppard and had five sons - Joseph, of Johnstown; Benjamin, of Killerrig; Thomas of Clogna; William, of Lisnevagh and Moyle, all in County Carlow; and Matthew, of Killfeacle, Co. Tipperary; and Diana who married Thomas Barnes.

HUMFREY (name variants include Humfry, Humphrey, Humphry)
John Humfrey landed in Ireland 15 May, 1655 and settled at Donard, co. Wicklow. His will  dated 1 December 1665 (1), proved Dublin diocese 4 February 1668. According to his will he had seven children: John, Gorman, Mary, William, Edward, Henry and Thomas.

"He leaves to his wife Thomas[zina] in his house henhouse and old garden and her lands in Queens Co. and Dunard and ' all my household goods and ye mare commons, my wifes mar with her two followers and ye gray nagg which was under ye black maire, her saddle nagg and six of my choise cowes and my cittle bull and two of my choise two year old heffiers and two yearling and £10, to be discounted not of her first years annuity and the tuition of her young son Thomas beseeching her to keep him at school until he be fifteen years old or professed. To Margaret Humfrey, widow, late wife of my brother Gorman Humphry, deceased, the house backside where she now dwelleth and the grazing of sixteen head of cattle upon the commons of Dunard. To John Humphry my son and heir the lease of Dunard, son Gorman Humphry for his 'chides porcon' £194 and I stand bound with John Lyson for payment of £450 to said Gorman'. Names Mary, his daughter, wife of John Jackson, gent and also William, Edward, Henry and Thomas, his sons. Appoints John Humphry, his son and heir, as executor. Witnesses John, Edward and Thomas Humphry (proved by Sir John Humphry and Edward Humphry)."

Also, according to family records (2) Henry, the 5th son of John and Thomazina "Henry Humfrey (born 1648, died 1709), who went to Ireland as a child in the year 1655". It is therefore assumed that the other children were also born in England.

The Humfrey family was based primarily in Co. Wicklow. The 6th son, Edward Humfrey (1647-1686) married Mary Sheppard of Killerick, Co. Carlow and his branch of the Humfrey family lived there with his five sons: William, Thomas, Benjamin, Mathew and John.


SHEPPARD (Sheppard name variants include Sheapherd, Shepperd, Shepherd, etc.)
The first reference to the Sheppards of Co. Carlow is the marriage, about 1664, of Elizabeth Sheppard, daughter of Phillip Sheppard to Charles Bernard 11 

The second reference is to Mathew Sheppard of Killerick whose daughter Deborah married about 1676 to Edward Humfrey.  Mathew Sheppard is named in the 1659 census of Ireland (3).  Mathew Sheppard died in 1664 in Killerick.

According to John Ryan  "There are well-constructed tombs of the families of Bunbury, Whelan, Shepard, Brewster and Gethings. etc. in the [Tullow]churchyard". Tullow is about 6km from Killerick/Killerig in Co. Carlow (4)

COURT REFERENCES