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My great great grandmother was Catherine CRENAN (or Crennan, Crannan, Kreenan, and Kiernan as we sometimes found it) and her maiden name was MURPHY.  She was born about 1837, in Ireland, and according to census information and also her obituary Catherine was a native of Queens County (County Laois), Ireland].  She spent most of her adult life in California.

It is most probable that she emigrated to America probably around 1854 to 1859, when she was 17 to 22 years old.  Michael CRANNAN was two years younger, so it probably would be closer to 1856 when he emigrated.  We do know that they were in California by the 1860 census, so they had to arrive in America prior to that time.

She married Michael CRENAN (“CRAN??N,” [abt. 1839, 1860 Census]) who a San Francisco hack driver and was born in Ireland.  Where they married is unknown to us at this time, as were the details on how they got to San Francisco, and if they emigrated from the same place in Ireland.  Catherine CRENAN was located in the 1880 San Francisco Census, along with Alphonso WALL and Rosa, with her brother Michael.  She was widowed by Michael’s death and she went to reside with the BARLINGs at 8 Ford Street in San Francisco [1890, according to the San Francisco Directory].  But we are unable to find out where and when he died.

The information that she was living with the Barlings stated that she was 39 (b. abt 1841) and both parents were born in New York [sic].  Yet the 1910 census has both her parents born in Ireland.  It seems reasonable that she did not fill out the census, which was probably done by the head of household, Mr. Barling.  This is further buttressed by the statement in the 1930 census that Catherine’s parents were both born in the Irish Free State.

My great grandmother was Margaret A. CRENNAN [b. c 1859, California: 1880 San Francisco Census Index].  We found that she lived in 1867 in San Francisco, at #2 Thompson. Margaret, a schoolmate and friend of John Amos GAFFIGAN, would become Maggie Gaffigan in an1879 wedding at St Joseph’s Church in San Francisco [John’s Journal].  They were both the same age.

Her siblings included Rosa CRENAN [b. about 1858, 1880 San Francisco Census].  It shows her the daughter of Catharine Crenan who was widowed, age 39, born in New York [sic] while her father was born in Ireland. Rosa was a bridesmaid at her sister’s wedding to John A. Gaffigan.

Margaret’s siblings may have also included: Mrs. John L. Catherine (or Kathryn) BARLING [b. 1860, parents were born in the Irish Free State; she was first married @ 24 yrs, abt. 1880-82; this Barling was a second marriage, abt. 1920, and her husband was a dyer. according to the 1930 Census].  In 1910 Henry J. CRENNAN resided with his sister Katherine [sic] and her husband John BARLING [b. abt. 1863, New York]

Mrs. Alphonso. H. Rose WALL [b. abt. 1857, the husband was a shoe cutter, but by 1889 was a driver for the Contra Costa Laundry].  This may have been Rosa.  Then there was Mrs. Kate (or Kattie) CAREY [b. abt. 1861]; Michael CRENAN [b. abt. 1863, who worked for J. Schweitzer & Co. as a butcher] and Henry J. CRENNAN [b.1866, all the children were born in San Francisco, CA].  There may have been one other brother: John Augustus CRENAN who was born about 1860 and died at the age of 11 in 1871 [1871D-371]

Maggie CRENNAN and John Amos GAFFIGAN were parents many times: Alphonse died in 1891 at age 4; James Walter, died in 1890, aged 5 months; Milton Alphonse, died in 1886 at age 2. According to the 1910 U.S. Census the family had re-located to Diamond Street, in San Francisco.  There were seven living children, all at home: Arthur [b. 19 April 1880 d. 26 July 1953]; Albert [b. 23 October 1882]; John Amos Kreenan [b. 31 August 1884 d. 23 August 1946]; Mary [b. abt. 1887]; Agnes Bridget “Aggie” [my grandmother who was born in 1888 and died 5 July 1958]; Catherine Lillie [b. June 1891]; and, Clara [b. August 1899].

Maggie was located in the Ellis Island records as one who had traveled to Dunkineely, Co. Donegal, Ireland.  She returned to the states on the Columbia, with an arrival date of 24 April 1910.  She departed from Londonderry, Ulster, Ireland, and was listed as a U. S. Citizen.

Margaret A. Gaffigan’s funeral was not attended by her husband, John Amos Gaffigan.  She passed away November 14, 1915.  The funeral took place at the family home of her daughter, 129 Diamond Street, San Francisco, thence to Most Holy Redeemer Church and burial at Holy Cross cemetery.

Just thought I would pass on something that came up recently when I received something in the mail from the Clogher Diocese. It was a history of the Diocese compiled around the turn of the last century. But, it has a very interesting observation.

It described how Eskra was part of the Clogher RC Parish until its partition in 1870.  When created it contained 25 townlands and nearly 10,500 acres. The old St. Patrick Church or chapel predated the establishment of the new parish, and it existed prior to 1833 when that chapel was in the Clogher parish.

The cemetery surrounding the church in the townland of Lisnarable was consecrated 25 October 1840. The lease for the land used for the cemetery came later. According to the diocese history:

The lease of this cemetery is dated January, 1843. It is a conveyance of Francis Jervis, for a consideration of five shillings, to Dr. Kernan [the Bishop of Clogher], Hugh Nugent, of Newtownsaville, and Owen M'Carroll, of Corkhill, of two roods and twenty-nine perches, at one penny per year.

It seems as though Owen McCarroll of Corkhill may be an ancestor inasmuch as Corkhill was the townland that my great grandparents, Owen McCarroll and Catherine McCusker, farmed. This Owen might have been known as a Eugene, because my great grandfather was also known as Owen, and with his X he signed the marriage register during the wedding to Catherine McCusker as an Owen. But it was indicated that Eugene was his father's name and they came from Corkhill, but also that his name was Eugene. My great grandfather always used Owen as his name, and we thought that his father used Eugene. But this may change our thinking.

We do know that Owen and Eugene are interchangeable.

The Owen McCarroll from Corkhill, that was a party to the lease agreement, may very well have been his father. Being that there are many McCarrolls in that area, and they have even been found in Corkhill, we must see if there is anything that could be investigated about this transaction. It occurred before any Catholic marriage and births were recorded, and where it will lead is problematical.

For example, the conveyance lease may be available and it could lead to other documents that would shed light on this matter.
Any assistance in this matter, or comments or suggestions, would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Jim Carroll

My great grandmother was CATHERINE McCUSKER.  She lived in County Tyrone, Ulster, Ireland.  McCosker, McKusker or McKuskar may be variants of her name.  She was born in the Irish townland of Augharonan, which is near the market town of Fintona, in the civil parish of Donacavey sometime between 1846 – 1851, depending on which documentary source is most accurate.

Catherine McCusker's father was a farmer by the name of PATRICK McCUSKER.  We could not locate any records of her mother’s name; it may very well have been Catherine.  While the information is not definitive, it is known that a Pat McCUSKER of Augharonan died in 1868.  He did not have a will on file.  Pat McCusker would have been born around. 1813.  And the name of the registrar’s informant indicates that there was a John McCusker in the family.

We do know that Catherine had a number of siblings: possibly JOHN McCUSKER of Legamaghery, but little is known of him except that he was a single farmer.  Another possible connection was Thomas M’GARRITY and JANE McCUSKER of Augharonan.  There also was JAMES McCUSKER, an unmarried farmer who was aged 40 according to the 1901 census.

Catherine married OWEN McCARROLL, also formally known as Eugene, “at full age."  However, family oral histories have indicated that she was only 17 at the time of her marriage, and she was living at Legamaghery.  She was married in Fintona which is also in the civil parish of Donacavey.  They were wed on 25 June 1867 in my great grandmother’s church at Donacavey (Fintona).

After her marriage she moved to her husband’s small farm in the townland of Corkill (sometimes referred to as Corkhill, as the years pass), where they raised her family.  Corkill is about 2 ½ miles south of Augharonan and Legamaghery and it is in the civil parish of Clogher, and the Catholic parish of Clogher.  It had a chapel within walking distance, in Eskragh (Eskra).

But, as is the case with most old Irish records, there is a discrepancy as she listed herself as a 60 yr old widow in the 1911 census, while the 1901 census indicated that Catherine was a 45 year old widow. That may be the result of the old age pensions that went into place in 1908.

Owen and Catherine had at least seven children, all born at Corkill.  All of the baptisms were actually located in the original church records in Clogher when viewed in 1982, but they were not found in the PRONI records in 1997.  There is some discrepancy between the birthdates and the baptism dates, as recorded.

There was Ellen, b. 1871, d. 1917, baptised 24 January 1871, who married Andrew Bogan.  They had seven children: Tommy, Owen, Charles, Jack, Hugh, Catherine and Mary.  Patrick (also known as “The Yank” or “Madman”) was born in 1873, baptised as Patrick Carroll on 7 March 1873, and we don’t know when he died. (He appears to have been buried in the family plot at Eskragh, or at least his death was noted on the headstone).

Then there was Thomas, b. 1875, baptised 27 February 1875, who married Catherine (Kitty) Daly (Daley?) and emigrated to San Francisco, CA, USA.  Kitty was perhaps from Newtownsaville, and they had four children: Patrick Joseph, Helen, Mary and Thomas.

Owen was born in 1877, baptised 30 December 1877; he married Brigid Conroy in Beragh, and they lived in Curr and was closest to Catherine until she died.  They had four children: Thomas, Mary (who married Jack Donnelly from Curr), Dympna and Kathleen.

My grandfather was next: Michael Joseph (Mickey), b. 1879, d 1924 at Omagh, and he was baptised 7 (or 29) September 1879.  He left for San Francisco but was to return with his wife to be in 1912.  He became a publican/merchant in Fintona before he passed away and his wife, Agnes Bridget (nee Gaffigan), returned with their children to San Francisco in 1924.

Then there were: Jane, b. 1871, baptised 18 July 1881; and Hugh, b. 1883, and baptised 20 December 1883.  Both children lived in Corkill with their mother Catherine until her death in 1916.

Owen passed away at age 55 in Augharonan on 13 July 1895 with Catherine in attendance.  She returned to Corkill to live with her youngest unmarried children Jane and Hugh.  Her son Owen registered her death on 8 September 1916 at age 68 and she was buried in Eskragh R.C. (Eskra) graveyard with her husband, and some of her children.

The family farm house in Corkill was there when I first visited, but it was removed about 1982.  I understand that the property is possibly owned by Devine family, who are also cousins I understand.

Descendants of Owen and Catherine include the children of Andrew Bogan (Ellen) who still are in the Fintona area (Tullyrush), while some have moved on to Dublin. The Donnelly’s live in Curr, Beragh; and they are related to Owen McCarroll and Brigid Conroy. The Coady family, who also owe their lineage to Ellen and Andrew Bogan, still reside in the Dublin area.  Catherine “Kitty” Coady had a greengrocer store in Irish Town before she passed away, but she had three children: Mary, John and Patrick who married Fiona Duffy still reside in the Dublin area.