Hourigans of Central NY

 

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Family of John Hourigan and Jane Fitzgerald Hourigan

 

 

John: 1843(b) (in Ireland) - 04/05/1907(d) (in Skaneateles, NY)

Jane: 1843(?)(b) (in Ireland) - 03/??/1930(d) (in Skaneateles, NY)

Married - About 1860 in Ireleand.

 

John Hourigan was born in Ballingarry, County Limerick, Ireland, to Patrick Hourigan and Bridget (Sheehan) Hourigan. He married Jane Fitzgerald around 1860. She was from County Cork, Ireland, and although it is not known for certain, she was possibly from the city of Macroom, Ireland.

 

They had a daughter, Bridget, while still in Ireland. However, they left her behind with Jane's mother when they left for the United States (She later came to the US. when she was 21. Was she possibly too ill to travel that far? ). They travelled by cart to Dublin, then on to Liverpool, England. They entered the US through Ellis Island, NY, sometime in 1863 (during the Civil war!). This is based on the birth date of their son, William, who was born on 10/30/1863 in the United States.

 

Jane had a brother, Tom Fitzgerald, who lived in Mandana, NY, so John and Jane travelled to that part of New York State. John took a job working for Dewitt Clinton Thornton, who owned a farm on the west side of Skaneateles Lake. This farm is the present day Thornton's Grove. John and Jane probably lived on what is now Benson Rd.

 

John purchased three farms in Rose Hill, NY ( then known as Thorn Hill ), which consisted of 180 acres. The property was across the road from the present day church in Rose Hill. The barns no longer exist (but does the house/s?).

 

John and Jane's son Henry took over the farms in Rose Hill, and John and Jane bought a house in the village of Skaneateles on Jordan St. (the site of the present day St. Mary's parish center). After John died, St. Mary's wanted Jane to will the house to the church, but she refused ( I wonder why? Maybe it had something to do with anti-Irish people in the church? ). In failing health, Jane went to live with her daughter, Mary, in Marcellus, NY. When Jane died, St. Mary's refused to have services in the church because she had moved to Marcellus. However, Jane and John are buried in St Mary's cemetery. Their graves are on the south side of the cemetery.

 

John and Jane had ten children:

 

  1. Bridget A. Hourigan Born on 11/20/1861 in Ireland. Married Andrew McCall on 10/29/1890. They had three children: Edward, Margaret, and Lula ( lived to age 98 ). Bridget died on 12/23/1947 in Skaneateles, NY. Their grave sites are just past John and Jane's in St. Mary's.
  3. William Hourigan Born on 10/30/1863 in the US. Married Anna Ryan of Spafford, NY, on 4/25/1889. Died on 11/25/1952. They had four children: John Francis, Michael Leo, William, and Jane. Michael Leo died at 11 months of age. William settled near Navarino, NY, on what is now Stevens Rd. (William's son, William, worked for Francis Joseph selling seed.)
  5. Mary A. Hourigan
         Born on 1/2/1867. Married Dan Collins on 6/9/1897. They had four children: Marie, Martin, John T, Agnes ( mother of John Weeks, Marcellus ), and Eugene. Mary died in March, 1941.
  7. John Thomas Hourigan
    Born on 9/8/1867. Died 7/28/1896. He did not marry. (I believe he died of tuberculosis, which at the time was called "consumption". I read this in a newspaper clipping found in the Hourigan family bible.)
  9. Daniel Hourigan
    Born on 9/18/1870. Died on 4/23/1895. (Tuberculosis?)
  11. Francis Joseph Hourigan
         Born on 10/27/1871. Married Helen Seymour on 10/27/1904. They had one daughter, Marion. At age 21, he left the farm in Rose Hill and went to work in Syracuse, NY, for M.C.M Strong selling seed to farmers. (M.C.M Strong was located on the site of the Syracuse post office along the tow path of the Erie Canal.)
  13. Patrick Henry
     Born on 10/21/1873. 
    Married Margaret Canty on 4/9/1902.
    Died 4/26/1951
    Patrick Henry took over the Rose Hill farm for his father (William)
    They had two children: John and Vincent (who lives in Bradenton, FL.). 
  15. Leo James
    Born 10/8/1875. Died on 10/8/1895. (Tuberculosis?)
  17. Anna
     Born on 10/30/1876. Married John Coyne on 11/28/1906. They had 2 children: John Stanley and Raymond. Anna died on 10/28/1922. (John Stanley founded the Coyne textile business in Syracuse; he also wrote an autobiographical book, The Wind at My Back. The information in it on the Hourigan family is not correct, according to Aunt Rita (Hourigan) Dauenhauer. J. Stanley Coyne died on 7/9/2000 in Syracuse, NY, at the age of 93 years.)
  19. Edward
    Born on 11/18/1881. Died on 9/21/1908. (Tuberculosis?)

 

 

 

 

Hourigan, Horrigan, or O'Horagan?

 

I have encountered three different spellings in my research, mainly on grave sites. It appears that Francis Joseph (or his daughter?) may have changed the name from Hourigan to Horrigan at some point. It is believed that this was done to sound "less" Irish to avoid discrimination at the time. His daughter Marion Horrigan died in 1994 at the age of 86. Much of the information on John and Jane came from her.