Egan Family

John Egan was born in 1810 in Ireland and died in 1879 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He and his family emigrated from County Cork, Ireland in 1847 according to the 1900 U.S. census listing of his daughter Mary. This was the worst year for the Irish Famine. The Egans first settled in Ohio and then continued west to Eau Claire, Wisconsin before 1868. I’m not sure when or where the mother, Catherine (Kate) McNeil, died. I believe John remarried to a woman named Ann.

Catherine is my direct maternal line and our mtDNA haplogroup is: U5A2D.

The family was large and it is doubtful that I have included all of the children here. I believe that some of them stayed in Ohio. The name is spelled Egan, Eagan, and Eaghan. There are German Eagan/Eggan/Eggens too.

John Egan was born in Ireland in 1810 and died in Eau Claire in 1879. Their children:

  • Michael Egan was born 1841 in Ireland and died April 1864, as a result of disease contracted during his Civil War service — 16th Reg. His will was filed April 27, 1864 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In his will he lists his father and siblings.
  • Mary Magdeline Egan was born March 1844 County Cork, Ireland, died July 1, 1919 in Eau Claire, Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The 1880 census says that she was born in England and both of her parents born in Ireland. On June 22, 1860 she married Calvin P. Harmison. See more about her family>>>
  • Margarette (Maggie) Florence Egan was born May 1848 in Ireland and died 1931 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Margarette was confirmed on June 27, 1869. She married John James Kelley (1847-1931), a Civil War veteran and prominent citizen of Eau Claire. The Kelley family has been very confusing as there are two John Kelley families in Eau Claire. The Kelleys are buried in the Catholic Cemetery in Eau Claire along with John Egan. Their marriage took place on August 15, 1871 at St. Patrick’s.
  • Sarah Ellen Egan
  • Ellen Josephine Egan born about 1858 in Ohio and died February 18, 1938. She married Stephen A. Cuddy (possibly Cudahy) on June 22, 1880 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Eau Claire. (IGI shows 27 Jul 1880) She was confirmed in 1876. Stephen was born December 25, 1855 in Ireland and died February 12, 1931 in Washington, D.C. He was the son of Martin and Mary Cuddy. He is listed in the 1880 census as being 27 years old and a R.R. Agent. Ellen was a school teacher living with her sister Mary in the 1880 census.
  • John Egan, a Civil War Vet married Ella May Hotchkiss. There is a John Egan born about 1922 in SD that was living in Eau Claire in the 1940’s possibly a grandson?
  • Catherine Egan (In 1868 Catherine Egan is shown as sponsor for a baptism at St. Patrick’s Catholic church.)
  • James Egan, a Civil War Vet

Notes: The Joyce name appears frequently in baptismal records for the Kelley family. In the Catholic Cemetery in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, I found a lot owned by John J. Kelley, Sr. who lived at 1215 Graham Avenue at the time. There are seven individuals buried there: Mary Kelley 1815-1903; John Egan 1810-1871; Michael Egan 1841-1864; Martin Kelley 1876-1878; Margaret F. Kelley 1849-1931; J.J. Kelley 1847-1931; and Josephine A. Kelley 1878-1961.

There is a Patrick Cuddy shown in the records having died on December 30, 1919 of Cancer. This man was born in Ireland and buried at St. Pat’s cemetery. My guess is that this is Stephen’s brother as he is listed as age 35 with Mary Cuddy age 67 born Ireland, Anna Cuddy age 27 born Ireland, and Katherine age 21 born Ireland in the 1880 Wisconsin Census in Eau Claire. A Martin E. Cuddy was married 8 Oct 1883 at St. Pat’s in Eau Claire to Margaret Keating. Also, in the 1880 census there is a Patrick Cudahy Sr. and Jr. living in Milwaukee with their families.

There is a Mary Josephine Egan in the records at St. Patrick’s in Eau Claire which shows that she died at 20 years on April 2, 1939 and was buried at St. Patrick’s cemetery. She is too young to have been a sister to the above family though she may very well have been the daughter of one of the Egan sons.

There is a John Egan who was a farmer in Pleasant Valley, Eau Claire, WI who was born in Ireland. He married Ester Knudson, daughter of Knud Knudson and Siri Iversen on January 27, 1875 at the First Lutheran church in Eau Claire. His parents are listed as John and Mary Egan. Interestingly, Esther is listed on John’s probate announcement in the local newspaper. She could have been a wife of John too or perhaps a daughter-in-law.


Query 1

My earliest Egan was James Egan b. 1848 d. 1894 Married Catharine Ryan b. 1845 d. 1919. Their daughter Alice Anna b.1887 d.1951 in Massillon, Stark Co., OH was my ggrandmother. This is all the information I have. Please keep an eye out for my James. thanks-Melissa C. Williams

Query 2

I’m trying to find out all I can about Egan/Eagans from Cork, but only have a few small pieces of the picture so far. My GGgrandmother, Nancy Egan, was a daughter of Timothy Egan and Judith Kirby, who were married 10 May 1792 at Aghada Parish Church, Cork Co., Ireland. They must have died before 1817, because that year Nancy was a ward of her uncle Thomas Kirby. She fell in love with and married a Scottish soldier (sailor?) that year, which so displeased her uncle that he refused to give her her dowry or any inheritance from her parents. She went to Scotland to live with her husband, Robert Wallace, where they had a large family, but lived in poverty, and lost several of their children in their early childhood. When her husband died just after their last child was born, Nancy tried to make her way back to Ireland with her remaining five young children, hoping her uncle would help them, but arriving in Cork she found that his family was gone — had died or moved away. She had pneumonia by that time, and within a few days had died and her little son Timothy also. They were buried at the Botanic Gardens in Cork. The other children (including my great-grandfather Thomas) were placed in an Irish orphanage and then later transferred back to Scotland and apprenticed there. So the rest of the story is about Thomas Wallace and his brother and sisters in Scotland, then America. He came here about 1860, as you said your Egan ancestor did, and settled in Utah.

So other than the names of Timothy Egan (born about 1767) and his wife and two daughters (my Nancy chr 15 Mar 1795 and her sister Mary chr 9 Mar 1793) I only know one other Egan in Cork: Timothy had a sister Frances Egan, born about 1772, who married Thomas Wall and had 10 children born between 1794 and 1817 at Ballytibbet, Aghada Parish, Cork Co., Ireland. But of course none of them would keep the Egan name.

So the only Egans I know are:
1. Thomas Egan, b. abt 1767, md. 1792, died (or possibly emigrated) before 1817.
2. His daughters Nancy (or Ann) and Mary Egan.
3. His sister Frances Egan (md. Thomas Wall )

I would really appreciate anything you find that could add to the picture of Egans in Cork.

Sharon

Query 3

Some of my Egan family did migrate to America.

Bridget Egan b 1911 Doeraile Co.Cork d 1987 NY – married a George Schweikart b 1914 d 1991. So far I have been told there were no children in this marriage.

The second migrant is:

James Egan ( b.approx 1880 ) Doneraile. Co Cork whereabouts unknown.

I suspected that Bridget Egan may have come to America to live with her uncle, James. If so that would place him in New York as she arrived there and remained there till she died.

Both of my Egans are descendants of Benjamin Egan and Johanna McCarthy who were married in Doneraile, Co.Cork, November 1862.

Hope we may connect.
Liz

John J. Kelley History

John J. Kelley, who ranks among the prominent and influential citizens of Eau Claire, was born in Ireland, June 6, 1848. He came to American when a small boy and in 1865 landed in Eau Claire. After coming to Wisconsin he was for several years connected with the flouring mills at Portage City, Columbia county, and for ten years had charge of a flouring mill for the Eau Claire Lumber Company. After severing his connection with this company Mr. Kelley purchased a flouring mill in Washington township, which he successfully conducted for nine years. In 1885 he erected an ice house on Fifth street, between Grand Avenue West and Union street. This he subsequently moved to Half Moon lake, where it was enlarged and now has a capacity of about 25,000 tons. Mr. Kelley formed a stock company, which was incorporated under the laws of Wisconsin in 1912 under the name of the Eau Claire Ice Company, of which he is president. The company does an extensive business and keeps its sixteen wagons and thirty men employed the year round.

Mr. Kelley married in Eau Claire, Margaret S. Eagan, daughter of John Eagan. By this union there has been six children, as follows: John J. Jr., Bessie, Josephine, Ruth, Sumner and Paul, all of whom were born in the city of Eau Claire. Mr. Kelley is prominently identified with St. Patrick’s church, is a member of the Catholic Knights and the Hibernians.

— Taken from “The History of Eau Claire County, 1914, Past & Present”, page 752.

From Nance

Kelleys Recorded at St. Patrick’s Church Cemetery, Eau Claire Wisconsin

Kelley, Mary 1815-1903
Egan, John 1810-1879 GAR
Egan, Michael 1841-1864

Kelley, Martin 1876-1878
Kelley, Margaret F. 1849-1931
Kelley, J.J. 1847-1931
Kelley, Josephine A. 1878-1961
Kelley, John J. 1871-1946
Kelley, Lt. John J. III USNR USS Ticonderoga 1/9/1911 – 1/21/1945
Kelley, Mae Bostwick 1875-1969
Kelly, Francis P. 1908 –
Kelly, Florence J. 1917-1991


Last Updated on March 21, 2024 by rootie

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2 Comments

  1. I am an egan from co galway .now I am married to elwood .all my dads sisters went to America and also his brother thomas .there were 5 girls . I would love to trace there familys the girls names were margaret pierce winnifred murphy Catherine Morris stringham bridie henry .these were there married names also ellen fahy . Mostly boston 1 to chicago . They were different times when they left don’t remember any of them coming back .there was no work in ireland then . I love to find history of there journeys .maybe somebody will read this thanks

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