John KEEGAN Family Mohill > Rhode Island USA abt. 1873

KEEGAN - HARRAHAN - GILFILLAN - HESLIN - JACKSON

For years we've been trying to get further back beyond 1865 in our KEEGAN ancestry.

What we know:

• John's approx birth year, DOB & age are unknown.
• John's father's name was Bartley / Bartly.  JHis mother's name is unknown.
• Mary's father was William HARRAHAN.  Her mother was Sarah GILFILLAN.
• Mary DOB was 10 Jun 1844.
• Both John & Mary were born in Aughavas, Mohill.
• John KEEGAN married Mary HARRAHAN in St. Joseph's Church in Aughavas 12 Feb 1865.  Witnesses:  Michael Conway & Ally Harrahan.
• John & Mary's first 4 children were baptised in St. Joseph's church.  They were:   1)  Elizabeth  Mary bapt. Dec 1865.  Sponsors Pat Carroll & Margaret Rourke.    2) Catherine Teresa bapt. 24 Apr 1868.  Sponsors Felix Gilogly & Ann Gilfillan.   3) Margaret Lorette bapt. 16 Nov 1870. Sponsors William Carroll & Ann Carroll.    4)  John Joseph bapt. 10 Sep 1872.  Sponsors Tom Gilfillan & Ann Carroll.
• John & family arrived in Rhode Island   abt. 1873 and settled in Providence on the west side of the city close to the Providence - Cranston line.
• Two more children were born to them in Providence:  Bartley (later called Bartholemew) Thomas b. 19 Oct 1874 and William Francis b. 11 Mar 1877.
• John is listed in the 1880 city directory for the City of Providence, RI as having died May 1879.  No death record exists for him at either the state or city level.  All Catholic cemeteries where he might have been buried have been checked for a burial - not a trace of John can be found.  We suspect he may have abandoned the family  & possibly gone back to Ireland.
• Rhode Island did state level censuses on the "5" years but John KEEGAN & family haven't been located on the 1875 census yet.  It's hoped that by finding them, we might learn John's approx. bith year & age.
• Mary d. 21 Feb 1927 in North Providence, Providence Co, Rhode Island.

There aren't may descendants of John & Mary in the US.  Of their children, only John, Bartley & Elizabeth married.

Elizabeth married late in life and had no children.

John Joseph married 18 August 1892 to Ellen aka Nellie LARVIN b. Aug 1876 Manchester, England d. abt. 1934 North Providence, Providence Co, RI.  They had 5 children, four of whom grew to adulthood, married & had children.

Bartley  Thomas aka Bartholemew married 3 Oct 1912 to Mary Agnes HESLIN b. 28 Oct 1882 Aughavas, Mohill d. 3 Nov 1964 (her parents were Peter HESLIN & Mary JACKSON).  They had 3 daughters & a son.  Only one of the daughters married & had 3 children and of those children all married but only one had children - 2 daughters.

We would love to find more on all the Aughavas, Mohill ancestors.