Claude Moreau was born in 1850 in France.
He was independently wealthy,
having inherited from his parents' estate on their death.
Claude had lived in Montmartre, Paris,
before emigrating to Marquesa Island in French Polynesia.

He enjoyed a flamboyant lifestyle,
hosting many soirees.
It was at one of these he met fun-loving Prudence Brennan.
They married and had 3 children:
Antoinette b. 1891
and twins Henri and Pierre b. 1893.

Claude abandoned Prudence in 1899
to return to Montmartre, Paris,
with his long-time mistress, Berthe.

Prudence Moreau (nee Brennan) was born in 1856.
She was the 4th child (and 3rd daughter) of Silas and Grace Brennan.
Prudence was a party girl -
she loved music and dancing and any social gathering.
Farm life could not offer what she desired
so she announced to her family that she was emigrating to French Polynesia,
(ostensibly to be a missionary!)
Her family persuaded her older sister, Clementine,
to accompany Prudence as her chaperone.

Shortly after they landed in Tahiti,
Prudence heard that the artist, Gaugin, was in Papeete,
and she travelled to see him.
Prudence delighted in the freedom,
the music, the art and the laughter.

In 1892, she married Claude Moreau,
although they had co-habitated for several years before this.
They had 3 children:
Antoinette b. 1894
Henri & Pierre b. 1896.

Claude abandoned his family in 1899,
to live with his long-time mistress in France.
Prudence returned to live with her sister, Clementine,
who was married and settled in Tahiti.

This is quite a small adaptation of the template.
The waist is shaped inward to give a feminine vibe.
The bottom of the teardrop has been cut across.
Curved legs are attached to the bottom.
These continue the curve of the teardrop.
Long narrow arms are attached with buttons.

Josiah Fitzgerald married Clementine Brennan in 1880
in Tahiti, French Polynesia.

They had 5 children:
Hamish b. 1882
Alana b. 1883
Maurenn b. 1886
Helen b. 1887
Dougal b. 1890

Josiah was a successful trader,
having established mercantile stores throughout French Polynesia.
He was a personable man, compassionate and fair in his dealings with people.

He welcomed his sister-in-law, Prudence, and her 3 children into the family home
after her husband abandoned them.

Clementine Fitzgerald was the second daughter of Silas and Grace Brennan.
She was born in 1854.

In 1878, her younger sister Prudence announced that
she was emigrating to French Polynesia.
Her family was mortified and asked Clementine to act as her chaperone.
Soon after arrival at Papeete,
Prudence travelled to where artist, Gaugin, was known to be living.
Clementine remained in Tahiti and found work as a housekeeper.

She caught the eye of successful trader, Josiah Fitzgerald,
and they were married in 1880.
They had 5 children:
Hamish b. 1882
Alana b. 1853
Maureen b. 1886
Helen b. 1887
Dougal b. 1890.

Patricia Brennan was the second child of Silas and Grace Brennan.
She was born in 1852.
Patricia was a quiet, very pious young woman,
helpful, compassionate and hardworking.

She joined the Sisters of Bon Secours,
a French order of religious sisters which entered Ireland in 1861.
Patricia took on the name, Sister Mary Aloysius.

Once professed, Patricia lived in Falls Road.
From here she and the other sisters, visited the poor,
nursed the sick and dying,
provided residential care and hospital chaplaincy.

Jean Brennan (nee Smythe) was born in 1852 in Western Australia.
She was the only child of a merchant sailor and a washer-woman.
She had an unfortunate domineering demeanour and was very large.

Jean married ex-convict Florence Brennan in 1875.
They had 4 children:
Constance b. 1876
Maisie b. 1877
Wilberforce b. 1880
Conal b. 1882

Jean was a very intelligent, manipulative woman,
shrewd in her dealings with people,
always able to capitalise on situations.
It was her idea to follow the gold rushes,
first to Falls Creek in 1885,
and then south to Southern Cross (1887)
and Kalgoorlie in 1893.

Florence Brennan was born in 1850 in County Mayo, Ireland.
He was the eldest of 11 children born to Silas and Grace Brennan.

In 1866, Florence was arrested with his brother, Douglas, for stealing bread.
They were deported to Newgate Prison in England,
to await transportation to Australia.
Florence and Douglas travelled on the Hougoument in 1868.
Douglas died en route.
Florence served very little time in gaol.
Together with other convicts, he worked on public works, such as road building.
Well-behaved Florence was soon granted a ticket of leave.
He could now work for money.
After only 4 years, he was given a conditional pardon,
which meant he had complete freedom to do any anything except return to England.
Florence gained social respectability by becoming a successful merchant and trader.

Although it was rare for ex-convicts to marry free settlers,
Florence married Jean, the daughter of a merchant sailor with whom he had dealings.
They had 4 children:
Constance b. 1876
Maisie b. 1877
Wilberforce b. 1880
Conal b. 1882

Grace Brennan (nee Sullivan) was born in 1833,
the youngest child of a Church of Ireland minister.
Grace was passionate about improving the conditions
many of her father's parishioners were living in.

In 1850, she met and married Silas Brennan,
the son of a Catholic landholder.
Her family renounced her.
They argued vehemently about how different Catholics were -
in their politics,,
in their sporting and cultural interests,
in where they were educated,
and in their socio-economic status.
They did not want to see their daughter's life ruined by this liaison.

Grace's passion for social justice continued.
She joined the Ladies' Land League in the 1880's.
This was indeed counter-cultural:
it was the first time women were organised to fight against poverty and injustice.
The Ladies' Land League raised money to fight for Tenancy Rights for Landholders.

Grace and Silas had 11 children -
Florence b. 1851
Patricia b. 1852
Clementine b.1854
Prudence b. 1856
Douglas b. 1857
Brigid b. 1860
William b. 1862
Charity b. 1864
Aidan b. 1865
Kennedy b. 1866

Silas Brennan is the eldest son of an Irish landholder (tenant farmer).
He was born in 1830.
In 1850, Silas married Grace Sullivan,
the youngest daughter of a Protestant minister.
They had 11 children.
Florence b. 1851
Patricia b. 1852
Clementine b.1854
Prudence b. 1856
Douglas b. 1857
Brigid b. 1860
William b. 1862
Charity b. 1864
Aidan b. 1865
Kennedy b. 1866

Silas took over the running of the land in County Mayo, Ireland,
after the death of his father.
Only a small 2 acres of the 43 acres of land was arable.
The rest was rocky or boggy.
Landholders had no right to buy the land they worked,
and faced the fear of eviction without notice for any reason.
After the eviction of one family,
the English landowner had the walls of the stone house demolished,
so that the building could not be inhabited again.

Politically-minded Silas joined the Irish Land League,
fighting for tenant's rights,
against high rents and arbitrary eviction,
and for Landholders' rights to buy the land.
In 1881, Silas Brennan was interned without trial
for fighting for tenancy rights.
Four years later, in 1885,
he was able to buy his land.
By 1923,
all tenant farmers gained the right to purchase their land if they desired.

The name Brennan means teardrop.
It is the name I have given to the fictional characters in this series.
Silas Brennan is the patriarch of a poor Irish family
living in County Mayo, Ireland.

The narrative which accompanies the dolls
tells a story of love and death;
of success and failure;
of hope and of despair;
of triumph over adversity ...
and more!

None of the characters is based on a real-life person.
Many of the events, however, are based in history,
such as World War 1,
or the plight of Irish Landholders.