THOMAS MC GUIGAN SR. #9 52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS

 

In January 2014, Amy Johnson Crow of the Ancestry blog issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.

 

The premise: write once a week about a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, a research problem — any that focuses on that one ancestor. The next week, write about a different ancestor. In 52 weeks, you’ll have taken a closer look at 52 people in your family tree… and maybe learned a little bit more about them in the process.

 

My paternal great grandfather was THOMAS MC GUIGAN SR.  He was born 29 December 1846 in TYNAN parish, county ARMAGH, IRELAND.  His parents were PATRICK MC GUIGAN and MARY HUGHES.  The family also included ALICE born 25 July 1842 and PETER born 27 December 1839¹.

 

This family was a farming family and THOMAS SR. took over the farm when his father died.  The farm and house have stayed in the family since that time.  A great grandson owns the property now. The house and farm are located in CROSSDALL, TYNAN, ARMAGH, IRELAND².

 

THOMAS MC GUIGAN SR. married ANN MALLON 17 June 1874 in the parish of Tynan³.  They had 5 children, MARY ANN born 1875 (my grandmother who I wrote about in 52Ancestors #2), ALICE born 1876, ELIZABETH born 1879, BRIDGET born 1880 and PATRICK born 1881.  THOMAS MC GUIGAN SR’S wife, ANN died, when the youngest was 2 and the oldest was 8 years old, in 1883.  I am sure it was a very hard time for the family but they did have family close by to help.

 

In 1886 THOMAS MC GUIGAN SR. married CATHERINE MC NAUGHTON of LYHOLLAND, county MONAGHAN⁴.  They had a son, THOMAS MC GUIGAN JR., born 21 January 1888 in TYNAN parish⁵.

 

The family was getting too big for the farm so the older two daughters, MARY ANN and ALICE, immigrated to the United States in 1897. ELIZABETH followed several years later. BRIDGET, PATRICK and THOMAS stayed in Ireland.

 

THOMAS MC GUIGAN SR. died in CROSSDALL, TYNAN, IRELAND in the 1920’s.  He lived long enough to see several grandchildren born to his children in Ireland. 

 

Notes

1. FHL Film  #979710  Baptisms, Tynan, Armagh, Ireland
2. FHL Film #258750   Land Valuations 1864, Armagh, Ireland
3. Middletown Registration Office of Ireland - Record #11 1897
4. FHL Film #4179726 Marriage Record – Record # 49   1886
5. Middletown Registration Office of Ireland – Record #107  1888