Looking for details for James Colgan

[HannahB92]

Hi,

I am researching my friend's family tree as a gift for his father for Christmas and have come across a block. I cannot find information for a James Colgan and Elizabeth Quin. Here is what I have so far:

He married his wife Elizabeth Quin on 17th February 1843 in Kilkeel, Co. Down.
They had 7 children (that i know of) listed below:

Mary Teresa Colgan b. 1850
James Colgan b. 1854
Patrick Colgan b. 1857 d. 1857
Patrick Colgan b. 1862 d.1902
Sarah Colgan b. 1865
John Colgan b. 1868 d. 1937
Peter Colgan b. 1870

I know this is the correct James as I followed him through the marriage record of his son John. I found a transcript for James and Elizabeth's marriage but unfortunately neither of their parents are noted only the surnames so I cannot trace either of their birth records.

One record had them down as Jas Colgan and Betty Quin.

On their marriage it says the parish/district is 'Newry and Mourne', and on the notes it just says 'Church: Kilkeel Upper Mourne Roman Catholic'.

I was hoping to be able to get a lot further back as this is only his father's great grandfather and i was hoping to learn a lot more for him.

Any help/advice would be much appreciated. Thanks so much!

[aghadowey]

Baptisms & marriages start 1839 (be sure to look through all 3 registers as some contain different details) https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0433
You can also use the map to find adjoining R.C. parishes.

Civil registration of births, deaths & Catholic marriages started in 1864. Since one child was born in 1870 hopefully you will be able to find death registrations for the parents, etc.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/civil-search.jsp

Here's Peter's 1870 birth- Kilkeel is the registration district and they lived in Glenloughan townland-
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1870/03351/2228744.pdf
https://www.townlands.ie/down/mourne/kilkeel/glenloughan/

This might be James Colgan's death-
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1897/05859/4660608.pdf
and wife Betty's death?
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1887/06217/4779012.pdf

[aghadowey]

Unfortunately John Colgan didn't leave a Will-
Administration of the estate of James Colgan late of Glenloughan County Down Farmer who died 6 August 1897 granted at Belfast to John Colgan of Glenloughan Farmer the Son. Effects £150.
https://apps.proni.gov.uk/WillsCalendar_IE/WillsSearch.aspx

[oldohiohome]

I can't add much, except to say I am very likely related to your friend. My great great grandmother was Ann "Nancy" Colgan, and there weren't that many Colgan families in the area. I have a Quinn in the family as well.

I don't have anything on your James. Here is what I have on the Colgans in the area:
https://myoldohiohome.com/cleveland/srn/4/d/0b882ebb8d057b7e8711439c597087d4.html
Looking at it again, after several years, it looks a little sloppy.

There are some stories about where they came from before being in the Kilkeel area. I didn't verify them.

I found this person's research to be pretty reliable, when I overlapped with him and could verify it. But nothing on your James here either:

https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/187569/I224/patrick-colgan/individual

---------
Some Colgans ended up in  Illinois, USA. Is that the branch you are working on?

[HannahB92]

Thanks for the info, i do feel like these deaths are for my James and Betty especially as i have further found from other records that they were from Glenloughan which would add up. As would the Will for James to his son John in Glenloughan and with them all being farmers.

So were would I go now to find James or Elizabeth's parents if they are not noted on the transcript of the marriage? I can estimate from the death records that James was born sometime in 1822 and Elizabeth (Betty) around 1823. The church record only states their names for the marriage in February of 1843 also.

oldohiohome: I do not believe the Colgan family i am researching went to Illinois but i haven't gotten too far in my research yet

[BallyaltikilliganG]

Hi HannahB92, I hope you got sufficient for a Chrismas present for your Colgan friend. I wasn’t able to load https://myoldohiohome.com/cleveland/srn/4/d/0b882ebb8d057b7e8711439c597087d4.html
and as Aghadowey had done wills I didn’t pursue PRONI further except for TABs below. I wondered if you had seen the
1796 THE FLAX GROWERS OF IRELAND in Co Down -https://www.failteromhat.com/flax/down.php
which has
Colgan   Edward    Kilkeel   
Colgan   Francis   Kilkeel   
Colgan   John      Kilkeel   
Colgan   Loughlin   Kilkeel   
Colgan   Nicholas   Kilkeel   
probably all of full age and so born before 1780, anyone of these could be a further back generation, all could be related
with two more on the northern side of the Mourne mountains         
Colgan   Nicholas   Clonduff   
Colgan   Patrick   Clonduff   
1823-1837  THE TITHES APPLOTMENT BOOKS for Kilkeel see http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/down/tithe-applotment-books/kilkeel-parish.php
Name             Townland   year
Colgan, John           Aughiochal    1830 I think Aghyoghill map ref 1
Colgan, Michael        Aughiochal    1830
Colgan, Widow Margt.     Aughiochal    1830
Colgan, Widow Cathn.     Aughrim    1830 map ref 22the most easterly
Colgan, Widow Mary     Ballygowan    1830 map ref 7
Colgan, Francis        Ballymaderphy 1830 map ref 3
Colgan, Henry        Corcreighan map ref 9 and Drummonlane 1830 map ref6
Colgan, John, Jr.        Glenloughan 1830 5b the northern half. 5a the southern half
Colgan, John, Sr.        Glenloughan 1830 5b the northern half. 5a the southern half
Colgan, Neil           Glenloughan 1830 5b the northern half. 5a the southern half
Colgan, Nicholas        Glenloughan 1830 5b the northern half. 5a the southern half
Colgan, Widow Judith    Glenloughan 1830 5b the northern half. 5a the southern half
Colgan, Widow Mary    Glenloughan 1830 5b the northern half. 5a the southern half
Colgan, William        Glenloughan 1830 5b the northern half. 5a the southern half
Colgan, Laughlin        Grange    1830 map ref 13
Colgan, Patrick        Greencastle    1830 map ref 11
Colgan, James        Lisnacree    1830 map ref  2a &2 b
Colgan, Patk., Jr.        Lisnacree    1830
Colgan, Patk., Sr.        Lisnacree    1830
Colgan, John           Tullyframe    1830 map ref 19
all these homesteads form a clump within the south west border of the parish bordering
KIlbroney to the east and and Carlingford Lough and the Irish Sea to the south.
One might conclude all 7 might be close relatives to James Colgan, indeed speculating if James Colgan was born before say 1828, then his father could be one of five men listed.  comparing the above to that that to ~32 years later
1863 Griffiths Valuation with Map References within each townland see
http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/
NAME          Townland
Colgan, Mary         Aghyoghill         map ref 7
Colgan, Thomas     Aughrim         map ref 55
Colgan, Francis     Ballymadeerfy      map ref 17
Colgan, James     Glenloughan          map ref 39  7 acres, ho £1.5shillingspa
Colgan, John (Owen)     Glenloughan         map ref 22  6 acres Ho 10 shillingspa
Colgan, John         Glenloughan         map ref 14 3 acres ho £1.5shillingspa
Colgan, Mary        Glenloughan          map ref 26a11 acres , Ho 5shillingspa
Colgan, Peter         Glenloughan         map ref 26b Ho10 sh pa ;map 27  6 acres
Colgan, Sarah         Greencastle         map ref 2:3
Colgan, James     Lisnacree         etc etc
Colgan, Peter         Lisnacree         etc etc
Colgan, Thomas     Lisnacree         etc etc
Colgan, Francis     Tullyframe         etc etc
Colgan, John         Tullyframe         etc etc
Colgan, Patrick     Tullyframe         etc etc

So its possible to go further on each of the Colgans living in Glenloughan by next looking up
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/search-archives-online/valuation-revision-books  this opens for Glenloughan  with 6 period entries for Glenloughan and 6 entries for Glenloughan Upper[I think this is b in TABs its sparse on the slopes of the mountains 
end of part 1

[BallyaltikilliganG]

continued
choosing at random Current PRONI Reference: VAL/12/B/19/13B (1880 - 1883) The index shows Glenloughan is page 70 and Glenloughan Upper page 83 these are the original handwritten page nos .Trying out p70 it is actually half way down p age 74 and its digital page no is 76 of 126 the first for the Colgans  is John at 14 his property is valued at a total of £3 pa , the next John entry at 22 says his reps meaning he has died . so the next occupier will be in the next vol of PRONI VAL/12/B/19/13C (1884 - 1898)
where John is crossed out and replaced by Mary Colgan.  The change of date note is 1887 the fun bit for me is  to go back to Griffiths were I look up the MAP details and find
plot 14 which in 1863 has a driveway separating two fields; so one is on the north side, the other south . The latter southern field has an adjoining large field on its west side extending southwards from the continuation pathway from the driveway.   Nowdays it is confusing as comparing the two maps the vertical appears to be divided by the [a new] Glenloughan road or the map showing the two roads are 20 metres out of alignment. Then switching to Google maps current look up Glenloughan Road, Kilkeel and then click  you get a small street scene window on the road close to where No 14 property existed, looks like a farmhouse plus further buildings , my guess are the plot must be close to No 40 is that it has been redeveloped the postcode should be  BT34 4SR. These Valuation books continue online up to and sometimes past 1922.
I am not coming further upto date,


The name Massforth interested me its formally part of St. Colman's Catholic Church Massforth, Ballymageogh Catholic Church- Upper Mourne 3km NW of Kilkeel on Rostrevor road  Ros Davies website also adds “ Baptisms & marriages are available from 1839; www.emeraldancestors.com has baptisms 1845-1863 with free indexes but pay-per-view for details. Graveyard attached, gravestone inscriptions available UHF Vol 10, oldest grave 1810; UHF has baptisms 1837-1900 & marriages 1839-1900 & deaths 1869-1900.”
the UHF has a website www.ancestryireland.com

You will have seen https://www.rosdavies.com/ on the Colgans , I noted there are Quinn family in the Glenloughan record.for griffiths

In conclusion I think there are insurmountable brickwalls trying to connect that James Colgan to any of his possible parents or grandparents unless some new record is discovered , But there is always irish Luck,  perhaps the Quin[n]s kept earlier records etc
 
So that’s my nearly new year contribution to your quest for your friend .   All because I had a big family holiday in Annalong in the early 1960s and loved the place area more than Newcastle