The elusive Michael Egan born c1790.

[bryantheviking]

Sorry hope you don't mind me joining in, but we too have an "elusive" Michael Egan,(seems most of them are!) Ours was born Circa 1790...cannot pin down where, but DNA suggests Galway and a link may be to the Bally Heigue are near Tralee.
Michael marries an Essex Farmers daughter in 1812 on Christmas Eve, and he can write and signs his name with a beautiful scripted hand, with flourishes to his capital letters in the Parish Register. Don't know his Religion, but he marries in an Anglican Church...probably because it was his Brides faith. He states his Profession to be a "Labourer" and we know from the 1841 Census ( which was done orally) the Census Taker puts him down as " Michael Agan" because obviously that was the way he pronounced his name and it sounded to an English ear. So that gives a clue as to where he may have been raised in Ireland. So where did he come from? Where did a Labourer learn to write so elegantly? He raised 8 Children, and some of the lads were given Christian names that were the Surnames of I suspect his employers...Like Mortimer, and Thorogood. So where does that tradition come from?  Any ideas anybody please?
Bryantheviking...been searching 20+ years for him!



Topic split off from the Lancashire completed lookup requests.

[GrannyM]

Just thought I would have a look at the 1841 census but can't find it bryantheviking. Where was he living in 1841?

[whiteout7]

Wonder if he is the Michael Eagan born 1795 who is living in Halsted, Essex in 1851

Notice the spelling changes again

Was his wife Ann F Eagan?

[rosie99]

Hi bryantheviking

Welcome to rootschat 

This looks like the marriage mentioned
Michael Egan
Ann Kemp
24 Dec 1812
Little Yeldham,Essex

[bryantheviking]

Yes I know where he was married and the church, which we have visited several times, and Ann Kemp was his wife, and he worked at her Fathers Farm which is near the Church, and I have examined the Parish records which shows he can write his name as can his Brother in Law, but the contrast in writing ability is considerable..Michael has a beautiful artistic and well scripted style as opposed to the scrawl of others...and of course his wife Ann cannot write and scrawls a cross as " her Mark".
But where in Ireland was he born is what I am after...incidentally 1795 is wrong...as in early Census they used to round your age to within 5 years, so we believe he was born in 1790/92 as he states that he is 21 when getting married..Of course that could be a fib...but I think he knew when he was born as he seems quite literate...and he is living in Little Yeldham when he is listed as "Agans"...the error made by the Census Taker.
So I am still no nearer to discovering where he was born and raised, and how he could write so perfectly...I know the Egans are traditionally Legal Advisers to the Kings in Ireland, so did he have training in Ireland learning to copy manuscripts, in a legal practice, before coming to England?
So why does he claim to be a Labourer ?
I know in later life he is working as a Shepherd with his younger son Tiimothy...perhaps he preferred the outdoor life??
Any ideas anyone out there ?
Bryantheviking...also a true Viking descendant carrying the mark of the ancient Viking disorder !

[rosie99]

Yes I know where he was married and the church, which we have visited several times, and Ann Kemp was his wife,

Sorry, I was just trying to help those that are trying to help you.  I posted it so we knew which part of Essex he married.

[bryantheviking]

No worries Rosie I know you are, I am not offended
 

[Annette7]

Just a small point - you say he raised 8 children but baptisms I found show 13 children baptised between 1813 and 1834 (those 1813-1820 in Castle Hedingham, the rest in Little Yeldham).  Only one I can see who died young was Jane bp.1820 C.H., bur.1821 LY.

Odd - for the time - is that none of the 13 children named after himself or his wife.

Annette

[JenB]

and we know from the 1841 Census ( which was done orally) the Census Taker puts him down as " Michael Agan" because obviously that was the way he pronounced his name and it sounded to an English ear.

The 1841 census wasn't taken 'orally': forms were distributed several days before the census, filled in by the householder, and collected after the 'official' census day.
So if he was indeed literate he would have filled in the form himself