{{Short description|Australian politician}} {{for|the Irish footballer|Ryan Brennan (footballer)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder |honorific_prefix = |name = Ryan Brenan |honorific_suffix = |image= |majority = |birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1798|1|1}} |birth_place = Ireland |death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1868|6|5|1798|1|1}} |death_place = Petersham, New South Wales
}} '''John Ryan Brenan''' (1 January 1798 – 5 June 1868) was an Australian politician and an elected member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for 68 days in 1856. He founded, and outlined, the suburb of Smithfield in Sydney. Furthermore, Brenan Park, which is in that suburb, was named after him.
==Early life== Brenan was born into a Protestant Anglo-Irish family and trained as a solicitor.<ref name="ABD">{{cite AuDB |id2=brenan-john-ryan-1824 |title=Brenan, John Ryan (1798–1868) |access-date=13 June 2019}}</ref> He emigrated to Sydney in 1834 and held numerous judicial appointments including Superintendent of Convicts,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32153996 |title=The Regulations for the Assignment of the Convicts. |newspaper=The Sydney Monitor |date=23 November 1836 |accessdate=13 June 2019 |page=3 |via=Trove}}<br />{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230673128 |title=Appointment: Superintendent of Convicts |newspaper=New South Wales Government Gazette |issue=239 |date=14 September 1836 |accessdate=13 June 2019 |page=709 |via=Trove}}</ref> Coroner,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36849534 |title=Coroner's inquest |newspaper=The Australian |date=25 November 1841 |accessdate=13 June 2019 |page=2 |via=Trove}}<br />{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230654743 |title=Appointment: Coroner |newspaper=New South Wales Government Gazette |issue=153 |date=4 February 1835 |accessdate=13 June 2019 |page=78 |via=Trove}}</ref> and Police Magistrate.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12868474 |title=Domestic intelligence: the Sydney toll gate |newspaper=The Sydney Herald |date=31 March 1841 |accessdate=13 June 2019 |page=2 |via=Trove}}<br />{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230386032 |title=Appointment: Third Police Magistrate |newspaper=New South Wales Government Gazette |issue=326 |date=28 March 1838 |accessdate=13 June 2019 |page=230 |via=Trove}}</ref> At the same time he established a private legal practice and was the solicitor for the Bank of Australasia. He owned extensive property in Camden and Maitland.
==Colonial Parliament== At the first elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly after the granting of responsible government in 1856, Brenan was an unsuccessful candidate for the two member seat of Cumberland (South Riding).<ref name="Ryan Brenan NSW Parl">{{cite NSW Parliament |id=267 |former=Yes |title=Mr John Ryan Brenan (1798-1868) |access-date=10 June 2019}}</ref> He was defeated by William Manning and Elias Weekes.<ref>{{Cite NSW election |year=1856 |district=Cumberland South Riding |accessdate=2 July 2020}}</ref> However, Weekes had also been a candidate for the seat of Northumberland Boroughs and although initially defeated in that electorate, he successfully contested the result and was declared to be the member.<ref>{{Cite NSW election |title=Northumberland Boroughs Qualifications Committee 1856 |year=1856/NorthumberlandBoroughs_2 |access-date=12 June 2019}}</ref> Unable to represent two electorates, Weekes chose to represent Northumberland Boroughs and Brenan was successful at the subsequent Cumberland (South Riding) by-election.<ref>{{Cite NSW election |title=1856 Cumberland (South Riding) by-election |year=1856 |district=CumberlandSouthRiding_1 |access-date=12 June 2019}}</ref>
However, his election was overturned by the Elections and Qualifications committee of the Assembly because voting had not occurred in Canterbury. Brenan decided not to contest the subsequent by-election, so that the Colonial Treasurer and former Premier Stuart Donaldson, who had previously been defeated in a by-election in the seat of Sydney Hamlets, could re-enter parliament.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12988368 |title=To J Ryan Brenan Esq |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=28 October 1856 |accessdate=13 June 2019 |page=2 |via=Trove}}</ref> Brenan was unsuccessful in the 1857 Cumberland (South Riding) by-election caused by the resignation of William Manning,<ref>{{Cite NSW election |title=1857 Cumberland (South Riding) by-election |year=1856 |district=CumberlandSouthRiding_4 |access-date=13 June 2019}}</ref> and in the seat of Hartley at the 1859 election,<ref>{{Cite NSW election |year=1859 |district=Hartley |access-date=13 June 2019}}</ref> and he did not stand for further public office.<ref>{{Cite NSW election |title=Candidate index |year=CandidateIndexes |district=CandidateIndex7 |access-date=13 June 2019}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* [https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permalink/61SLQ_INST/tqqf2h/alma99183959420902061 Colonial Secretary's papers 1822-1877], State Library of Queensland- includes digitised letters written by Brenan to the Colonial Secretary of New South Wales {{s-start}} {{s-par|au-nsw-la}} {{s-bef| before= Elias Weekes}} {{s-ttl |title= Member for Cumberland (South Riding)|alongside=William Manning|years=1856}} {{s-aft| after=Stuart Donaldson}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowman, William}} Category:1798 births Category:1868 deaths Category:Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Category:Colony of New South Wales politicians