FIRST GENERATION
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 My Cregan line originated in Ballygiltenan Lower Townland, Glin Roman Catholic Parish, Kilfergus Civil Parish, Shanid Barony, County Limerick, Ireland. (A townland is the smallest unit used to designate an area of land in Ireland. Townlands can range in size from just a few acres to several thousand acres. Ballygiltenan Lower Townland is only 490 acres.) Glin Parish lies on the shores of the River Shannon in northwestern County Limerick & borders County Kerry. Ballygiltenan Lower Townland is just south of Glin Town, not to be confused with Glin Parish, though it is in Glin Parish. My oldest known Cregan ancestor, Patrick CREGAN, was born about 1804-1808 based on ages recorded in the Canadian census.According to the Tithe Applotment Book of 1830 (an evaluation of every landholder to levy taxes payable to The Church of Ireland regardless of church membership), Denis & Pat Cregan or Denis Pat Cregan or Denis, son of Pat Cregan (sorry, it's difficult to read) were living in Ballygiltenan Townland. His/their property bordered Thomas Culhane's property. According to Griffith's Valuation (a survey conducted to determine the value of all land & buildings in Ireland published between 1848-1864), Patrick leased property from a William Massy alongside Thomas Culhane & Denis Cregan, who also leased land from William Massy. Denis Cregan may have been Patrick's brother or father. Patrick Cregan married Ellen O'NEAL/O'NEILL by 1844, the year of birth of their first born child. See Cregan-O'Neill Descendants Chart. Ellen was married once before to Thomas Culhane. According to oral tradition, Ellen O'Neal/O'Neill & Thomas Culhane had 2 girls & 1 boy. These 3 Culhane children emigrated to Oregon and lost touch with the rest of the family. Patrick Cregan & Ellen had 2 known children: Bridget Cregan, born about 1844 & Denis Cregan, born May 1845. Patrick Cregan & his family emigrated by 1850, based on the Ontario, Canada census. They lived in Lennox and Addington County (two counties merged into one, thus the combined name). Later, they moved to the Rainy River District of Ontario, located just north of the Minnesota border. Patrick Cregan died about April 4, 1906 in Ft. Francis, Rainy River District, Ontario, Canada. Family oral tradition has Patrick living to the ripe old age of 102. If this is correct, his birth year would be about 1804. |
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SECOND GENERATION
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Denis 'Denny' CREGAN was born May 1845, probably in Ballygiltenan Lower Townland, Glin RC Parish, Kilfergus Civil Parish, County Limerick, Ireland, where his parents resided, before emigration. Denis immigrated with his family through New York. They settled in Lennox and Addington County, Ontario, Canada. Denis married Mary Ellen KENNELLY on January 26, 1869 in Erinsville Parish, Lennox & Addington Co., Ontario, Canada. Mary Ellen was born about 1848 possibly in northeastern County Kerry, Ireland but more likely Kinard Townland (borders Ballygiltenan Townland), Glin RC Parish, Kilfergus Civil Parish, County Limerick, Ireland. She was the daughter of Jeremiah Kennelly & Ellen Mulvihill/Mulvahill. Denis & Mary Ellen had the following children;
If you think we may be related and would like to discuss our potential mutual lineage further, please contact me. Also, check out the photo gallery before you leave. You may recognize an ancestor or relative or perhaps detect a distinctive Cregan/Craigen characteristic. Whether you think we are related or not, scan the researchers' database and perchance you'll discover more relatives. Please consider adding your own Cregan or variant ancestor(s) to the database. Finally, don't forget to take advantage of the very useful & free services offered by Rootsweb; the GenConnect Cregan and Variants Surname Queries Board and the Cryan mailing list. Both links are accessible from my home page. |
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Copyright 1999 Jo Mitchell