DRENNAN

DRENNAN

DRENNAN, also spelled DRENNEN, DRENNON, DRENNING and many other variations created by census takers and other government officials that spelled the name as  they pronounced it. Family history tells us that the name originated in either Ireland or Scotland.  Because the shores of Ireland and Scotland are so close in proximity it has been difficult to prove which area was populated first.

The First Drennans

 The first Drennans in my line, is that of Hugh Drennan and his brothers. Hugh's brothers were Thomas, William, and John and first appear in Colonial America about 1772 in Cumberland County Pa. 

It is unknown who the parents of these four brothers are. Many say that a William is their father and others think that the parents of this family were Martha Dreamer and Daniel Drennan of Antrim County, Ireland. After the death of Daniel, Martha married a William Findley and along with her spouse came to America with several children during the same time period that the four Drennan brothers traveled to America. To date no researchers of either line have come up with the names of the Drennan children that accompanied them. Currently the only lead we have on the parents of these boys is what Hugh mentions in his interview contained in the Draper Papers. He states that his father and Jacob's father were brothers. Jacob and Thomas Drennan were the sons of Walter Drennan of Antrim, Ireland.

All four of these brothers fought in the Revolutionary War. Hugh and Thomas both received pensions for their service to the New Nation.  In 1783 Hugh Drennan moved from Cumberland County, to that area in Westmoreland County which became part of Allegheny County Pa. Here I find all four brothers had purchased land. John, William, and Thomas all live their lives out and raised their families. Hugh moved on to Kentucky in 1789. Sometime before 1788 I believe Hugh was married in Pa and left a child behind my gggg grandfather John Daniel Drennon. In 1794 Hugh married Margaret Hughs in Bourbon County, Kentucky. The children of this marriage were Jane married James Lanterman, Thomas  married Mary (Polly) Trimble, Robert married Martha Lee and a Nancy (maiden name unknown), Nancy married John Hineman, Martha married William McCann, Mary married Micajah Wyatt, Margaret married John Finley, William married Jane (maiden name unknown), and Sally (Sarah) died early in the 1830's.

 Hugh and Margaret Drennan moved to Fleming County Kentucky before 1800. Here Hugh and Margaret raised their family and died. By 1870 all of the descendants of Hugh Drennan had either migrated westward to Indiana, Illinois, or Missouri.

 

Up Index of Surnames