Joseph DOUGAN, born March 1886, Belfast

[David Hutchinson]

M/1926/H1/221/5/89   Joseph   Dougan   Mailey   3rd February 1926   Ballymena


M/1926/H1/221/5/89   Minnie   Mailey   Dougan   3rd February 1926   Ballymena

Great work Scotmum.  It appears you have located the crucial bit of information.  This rules out Joseph Dougan from Ava Drive.

Now, where is 'my' Joseph Dougan buried I wonder?  😀

Thanks for your help.

[David Hutchinson]

Couldn't stand the suspense any longer so I got a few credits to view the certificate-
3 Feb.1926 Cunningham Memorial Church Cullybackey
Joseph Dougan, full age, bachelor, Constable, Church St. Ballymena, father- David John Dougan, farmer
Minnie Mailey, full age, spinster, Oranmore Ballymena, father- Stafford Mailey (deceased), labourer.
Witnesses- Frank Alexander, May McKelvey

If Minnie's aunt is Mary Jane Mailey then Stafford Mailey was her grandfather, not father.

However, looks like this Joseph Dougan can be eliminated and the search goes on ...

Well aghadowey, you have probably worked out that I have been working my way through the responses in sequence.  You can now ignore all my above replies as you, with the assistance of Scotmum, have solved my dilemma!  At least one dilemma (re the Ava Drive Joseph Dougan).

Unfortunately, my original dilemma remains.

If he died in 1937 as the family believe, is there any reason he would not be listed on GRONI?

I guess he may have died elsewhere.  If he left the family, he may have moved to England (his wife was born in London and he spent time there), back to Gibraltar (he lived there for many years with the army) or I guess anywhere at all.

The family (grandchildren) believe though that he died in Belfast, whilst still living at 26 Donegall Gardens with his wife.

The Ava Drive Joseph Dougan has certainly been a distraction.  Did I mention that that address is less than 300 feet from where his daughter-in-law's parents were living at the time!  Just another little snippet that lent some credibility to the theory he may have been 'our' Joseph.

If you have any other potential clues or sources of info that I can follow up, please let me know.

Oh well.  Many thanks to you for all the excellent assistance you have given me.  If I can repay the favour at all, please let me know.  Or if, after these Covid times, you find yourself in Brisbane, Australia, I would be happy to return the favour.

Now, back to the search!  😀

[aghadowey]

Right, new search commencing 

1932 Belfast directory- 26 Donegall Gardens: Joseph Dougan
https://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/dcomplete1932.htm
1939 Belfast directory- 26 Donegall Gardens: Mrs. Elizabeth Dougan
https://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/dcomplete1939.htm

[David Hutchinson]

Right, new search commencing 

1932 Belfast directory- 26 Donegall Gardens: Joseph Dougan
https://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/dcomplete1932.htm
1939 Belfast directory- 26 Donegall Gardens: Mrs. Elizabeth Dougan
https://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/dcomplete1939.htm

Haha.  I see you are a bit like me - and a dog with a bone!  Not wanting to let go 😀.

Yes, I located those two entries.

With the 1939 entry showing his wife as the occupier, it obviously suggests he was not there.  Unfortunately, it does not indicate whether he was dead or had just moved out.

Very frustrating.

[heywood]

There is a newspaper, the Belfast Newsletter,  snippet dated April 1935 where there is a Joseph Dougan mentioned. He is one of 9 defendants. 

[scotmum]

There is a newspaper, the Belfast Newsletter,  snippet dated April 1935 where there is a Joseph Dougan mentioned. He is one of 9 defendants. 

The case was in connection with millworkers and houses they occupied, in County Armagh.

[heywood]

Thanks scotmum,
I just mentioned it as a possibility/alternative and thought there might be an address.

[scotmum]

It might be worth checking this death, even if only to rule it out, as location, year and age fit well for your chap:

D/1937/55/1007/69/369   Joseph   Dongan   4th June 1937   51      Male   Belfast(pre-1973 Q4)

If, as is highly possibly, a written 'u' has been indexed as an 'n', and should be Dougan, you can ask GRONI to consider same for correction of their index.

[David Hutchinson]

It might be worth checking this death, even if only to rule it out, as location, year and age fit well for your chap:

D/1937/55/1007/69/369   Joseph   Dongan   4th June 1937   51      Male   Belfast(pre-1973 Q4)

If, as is highly possibly, a written 'u' has been indexed as an 'n', and should be Dougan, you can ask GRONI to consider same for correction.

Hallelujah!  Scotmum, you have done it again!

I obtained the 'full view' from GRONI and it is the correct Joseph Dougan!

May I ask how you found it?  Was it just trial and error?

I tried GRONI for Dougan, Doogan, Dugan, Duggan and Deegan but, I must admit, I did not try 'Dongan'.  When you think about it though, a 'u' can be mistaken for an 'n' in running writing so I should have thought about it.  I will know better in the future.

You and aghadowey have been a great help to me and it is very much appreciated.

This is a great step towards the main objective of finding out where he is buried.

I checked Belfast City Council (https://dof.belfastcity.gov.uk/burialsearch/BurialSearch.aspx) for the name Dongan but it came back 'no result).

My next thought is to identify every Catholic Church in the area around Donegall Gardens and contact them all personally to see if they have a record of his burial.  Can you advise any other means of finding his burial site?

Thank you once again.  You have been exceptional.

Regards,

David