Anna Maria D'OLIER

  General Notes:

This David Courtney's wife had been a Miss D'Olier - the following letter was written by her Grand-daughter Harriet Kingstone:-

"Our Grandmother D'Olier (then unmarried) travelling in France with her Father and Mother at the time of the Revolution, were at Montpellier when it broke out and were refused passports to leave France - as were all English people at the time. They were imprisoned in a convent at Montauban. Her father's health was much injured by the confinement. She made friends with their jailer and was able to keep cocks and hens and so supply her parents with fresh eggs. They were often in terror of their lives, and knew they were in great peril. constant peril while Robespiere lived. Great therefore was their joy one day to see a woman outside making signs to them that he was dead. She took up the skirt of her dress (robe) wrapped a stone (pierre) in it, looked up to see if they understood and then drew her hand across her throat. Then they knew he was dead, and shortly afterwards they were liberated."

Anna married David COURTNEY of Mespil, Co. Dublin on 23 Mar 1797 in St. Peters, Dublin, Ireland. (David COURTNEY of Mespil, Co. Dublin was born before 1765 and died circa 1812.)