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Regan Family

Regan Family

I am seeking information regarding my maternal grandfather’s family.  Charles Patrick Regan was born in Poplar, England and his parents were John Regan and Mary Hurley who were both born in Ireland.

From the UK census data for 1881, 1891 and 1901, I know the following:

1881 census
Residence at 4 Union Street, Poplar, Middlesex, London, UK
Listed as born in Ireland
John Regan - 28 and head of household (hoh) – Stevedore
Mary Regan - 26 wife of hoh
Florance Regan - 20 brother of hoh - Stevedore
Dennis McCarthy – 40 lodger - Stevedore

1891 Census
Listed as born in Ireland

Residence at Wade Street, Poplar, Middlesex, London, UK
John Regan - Head of Household
Mary Regan – Wife
Johanna Hurley – Mother-in-Law - Widow

Their children were all listed as born in England:
            Alice:  1876 – married Frederick White in 1899
            Florence:  1878
            Johanna: 1881 – 1882
            John:  1883
            Charles: 1886 – 1941 emigrated to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA
              married Bridget McGloin from Tubercurry, Sligo in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
            Richard:  1891 -1923 emigrated to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA

1901 Census
Residence at Wade Street, Poplar, Middlesex, London, UK
John, Mary and their children were listed.
 Also included was Patrick E Regan, brother of John, aged 20, born in Ireland, Stevedore
Neither Florance Regan nor Johanna Hurley were listed at this residence in 1901.

1911 Census
John and Mary Regan do not appear on this census.  I have checked various records and made the following presumptions based on age at death, location and name:
John Regan died in 1904 in Poplar and, based on this, I have John born in 1852.
Mary Regan died in 1905 in Whitechapel and, based on this, I have Mary born in 1855.

Based on UK death records, I have presumed:
the Florance Regan, who died aged 54 between July and Sept, 1914 in Poplar was John’s brother;

the Johanna Hurley, who died aged 68 between Apr and June, 1895 could be Mary’s mother if the age on the census was not 65 rather than 75;  it is all a mystery to be solved
 

I have looked at baptismal records and the closest that I have come to finding my great grandfather's family is the Regans in Schull West (Goleen), Cork.  Florance Regan and Peggy or Margaret Mahony had three sons who appear to match my family's three sons. 

The baptismal records are:
John Regan – 22 December 1852
Florance Regan – 13 May 1860
Patrick Regan – 19 March 1873

I have not yet been successful in finding a marriage date for John Regan and Mary Hurley. 

Any help which can be given is most appreciated.

Regards,

Kathleen

klcarinya@gmail.com

6 replies

Hi Kathleen,

I have searched - www.rootsireland.ie - subscription site - for the marriage of John Regan and Mary Hurley, but nothing found for the years 1875 - 1880.

A search of  - www.irishgenealogy.ie - free site - nothing found.

I searched for a birth on Irish Genealogy for a "Florence Regan".  There are some records - 1855 - 1860 on that site. The name "Florence" is mainly associated with County Cork and is not a common name. State records did not begin until Jauary 1st 1864 in Ireland. Church records can vary. They earliest census is 1901.

The areas of Skull and Kinsale in County Cork may throw some light on the family. 

Best Wishes,

 

McCoy

Kathleen,

I should have written "SCHULL" not as shown.

There is a "Florence Regan" baptised in Schull on May 6th 1858. Father: Charley - Mother: Jane Driscoll. Sponsors: Dan Regan and Mary Goggin. I see where John Regan's eldest son? is named Charles.

Regards,

McCoy

Dear McCoy,

Many thanks for your efforts in so graciously helping me in this search of uncovering the past.  Doing this all digitally is such a help in this time of restrained travel and lockdowns.  

I have been trying to use naming conventions to work out the connections.  If the first born son was John, I have been punting that the father was also John.  If the first born daughter was Florance, I have guessed that she was named after Mary's mother, Johanna.  From my grandfather's death certificate, I know that his mother's name was Mary Hurley.  From the UK census, I know that Mary's mother was Johanna Hurley and that she was a widow in 1891.  I have not yet determined when any of them moved to England or where they first met. 

I will review my data and check out all the other Florances which I have found.  

Again, many thanks for your time and help.

Regards,

Kathleen in Sydney, Australia

 

 

 

 

 

 

klcarinya@gmail.com

Kathleen,

Florence is a male first name. Sometimes it is recorded as "Flor".  Naming preceedure in Ireland in times past was:

Eldest son called after his father's father - Eldest daughter called after wife's mother. Where the eldest was a daughter she was called after her father's mother.

The area of Schull (Skull) in road maps is situated in West Cork, south of Bantry and is on the atlantic shore.

The Regan's and McCarthy would be familiar with the sea which may account for their employment as "Stevedore".

I suggest that you check out Schull, as the name "Florence Regan" is recorded in a number of  baptism entries.

The surnames are inter mixed.

Best Wishes

McCoy

Kathleen,

The church record on Irish Genealogy has a marriage of a "John Regan to Joanna Mahony" in Schull East on February 22nd 1846. Witnesses: Denis Mahony and Francis? Mahony.

Regards,

McCoy

Dear (Real, Human, Helpful) McCoy,

Thank you for clarifying that Florance is a male first name.  In the census data, there has been some difficulty in determining whether Florance was a son or a daughter.  In the 1881 census, Florance was listed as a son.  In the 1891 census, Florance was listed as a female.

klcarinya@gmail.com

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