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The Presbyterian Church in Birr grew in numbers in the 1840s following the Crotty Schism. Fr William Crotty (with his cousin Fr Michael Crotty) led this breakaway Catholic congregation to join the Presbyterian Church. Crotty's Church built to emulate a Presbyterian Hall was erected in Castle Street in 1839. A new church building for the Presbyterian congregation was erected in 1885 in John's Mall, not now in use.

First Chairman of the Edenderry Town Commissioners, 1903-1906.

Thomas Berry was born in 1737 or 1738, the eldest son of John Berry (1702-1768) who was buried at Kilbeggan. In 1759 he married Frances Berry. Through her connection, he acquired Eglish Castle in the 1770. He was reputed to hold a large tract of land in the Barony of Philipstown as well as land in the Barony of Eglish. He farmed much of the land himself which for the most part was grazed by sheep. He also established a bleach green at Eglish. He died in 1815 at Eglish and was buried there.

Hester was born in 1762, the eldest surviving child of Thomas and Frances Berry of Eglish. In 1787 she married William Smith, a lawyer and member of the Irish Parliament. She was fifteen years older than Robert Fleetwood Berry, her brother. She had two daughters and two sons, lived in Hume Street, of St. Stephens Green in Dublin and died in 1832.

The 2nd earl of Charleville was educated at Eton and then began the usual career path for the Irish aristocracy. He served as High Sherriff for King's County in 1825 and then entered into political life in 1826 when he was returned as MP for Carlow Borough. After this constituency was abolished in 1832, he failed to get elected for King's County but was returned for Penryn and Falmouth in Cornwall which he held until 1835. On succeeding to the earldom in 1835, he inherited an estate heavily encumbered with debt and spent just nine years at Charleville Forest before leaving for Berlin in 1844 selling crops, stocks and implements. His wife, Harriet Charlotte Beaujolois, whom he married in Florence in 1821, died in Naples in 1848. The 2nd earl died in 1851.

Lady Harriet Hugh Adelaide Bury was the second daughter of Charles William George, 3rd earl of Charleville and his wife Arabella. She was orphaned in 1859 at the age of 5 years when her father died, her mother having died in 1857. Harriet and her four siblings were made wards of chancery and placed in the guardianship of their uncle, Alfred Bury. In 1861 at the age of 7 years, Lady Harriet suffered a fatal accident at Charleville Castle when she fell from the banisters of the staircase.