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I started a post, but I think it got lost so I'll try again.  My great-great grandfather Howard Egan was born  in Tullamore in 1815.  His mother died when he was 8 years old and his father and siblings moved to Canada.  He later moved to the United States where he became a well known person in the establishment of the Utah Territory and the Pony Express which carried mail from the eastern states to California on the west coast.

We have a photograph of his Tullamore home and were wondering if the home still exists and what might be known about it.   We do not know the exact location of the home other than that it was in Tulamore.   Any information that someone might provide would be greatly appreciated.  I will try to attach a photo.   Thank you for any information.  Byron Ray    silversmith35@gmail.com

Tuesday 22nd Mar 2016, 06:44PM

Message Board Replies

  • Dear Bryon

    Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out.

    Howard's baptism records states that he was baptised on 20-Sep-1815 in the RC parish of Geashill (to Howard Egan and Anne Meath). I haven't been able to find a marriage record for the couple. Other children included Richard, Evilena and Gretta. Rather unhelpfully the townland is not recorded within the parish on the baptismal records.

    Geashill is located here (quite a large area):

    http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/fuses/townlands/index.cfm?fuseaction…

    However there is a Howard Egan listed in the Tithe Applotment Books here in Shinrone in 1824:

    http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/reels/tab//004625717/00…

    Shinrone is in a different parish though, so we cannot seem to pinpoint the place exactly:

    http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/placenames/index.cfm?fuseaction=Simp…

    There doesn't seem to be an entry on Griffith's Valuation (1843-1864) for the Egan family.

    Best wishes

    Clare Doyle

    Genealogy Support 

    PS Beautiful photo!

    Wednesday 13th Apr 2016, 02:31PM
  • Byron have you tried Tullamore Historical Society.  With your permission I was going to post the photo onto the Tullamore Pictures page on Facebook to see if anyone might recoginise anything - or maybe you have done this already.

    Thanks

    Geraldine Buckley-Smith

    Geraldine Buckley-Smith, Ireland XO Volunteer

    Friday 15th Apr 2016, 06:47PM
  • I am still trying to figure out how to post  messages and respont to replies.  I extend my thanks to both Clare Doyle and Geraldine Buckley-Smith who have responded to my original post.  The information given is helpful.  And as to Geraldine's offer to post the photo of the Tullamore home  at the Tullamore Historical Socoiety site, that would be very much appreciated.  It has also been sugested that I send the photo to the Tullamore newspaper with the possibility that they might want to print it and see if there is any response.    Thank you for your interest and assistance.

    Byron Ray    silversmith35@gmail.com

    Wednesday 4th May 2016, 08:58PM
  • Hello Byron

    I have emailed Offaly Historical Society your message and photo of the house.  I have also posted it on Tullamore Photos and on the Geashill Development Facebook pages.  I also sent an email to Geashill parish office with the above details.  Hopefully someone might be able to help.

    Geraldine

    Geraldine Buckley-Smith, Ireland XO Volunteer

    Sunday 8th May 2016, 10:03PM
  • Hello Byron

    Some very exciting news - The House is Still Standing in Tullamore

    Got this reply back for you - check it out.

    Yes the house still stands at the Meelaghans, Tullamore

    You can also write to majorhowardegan@gmail.com

    Articles have been published on this. See our website offalyhistory and type in Egan

    Geraldine Buckley-Smith

    Geraldine Buckley-Smith, Ireland XO Volunteer

    Wednesday 11th May 2016, 07:41PM
  • Hello again

    Is this your Howard Egan - lots of information about him on the Internet - link attached and brief history.  Geraldine

    http://www.majorhowardegan.com/howard-egan/overview-of-major-howard-ega…

    Howard Egan was born on June 15, 1815 in Tullamore, King’s County (now County Offaly) Ireland, to Howard Egan and Ann Meade.  The following baptism record of Killeigh Parish, Tullamore, Kings County, Ireland indicates he was baptised on September 20, 1815.

    Howard Jr. was the sixth of eleven children. In 1823, when he was nearly eight years old, his mother died, and his father took him and nine of the ten living children and left Ireland bound for Canada. The youngest child, Margaret, was left with an aunt.

    They arrived at Quebec, and on June 7, 1825 took the steamer Chambly up the river to Montreal. Just three weeks after they arrived, little Eveline died on July 1st.  Then, less than three weeks later, eight-year-old Ann also died.  And again a week later, fifteen-year-old Bernard died.  Yet with all this heartache, there was still another tragedy to come.  Three years after they arrived in Montreal, their father, Howard Egan (Sr.), died on August 5, 1828 at the age of 46.  He was survived by seven children: (1) Eliza, age 22;  (2) Mary, age 21; (3) Catherine, age 20, who had just married John Ransom two weeks earlier; (4) John, age 16, who would die four years later; (5)Howard (Jr.), age 13; (6) Richard, age 9; and (7) little Margaret, age 8, who was still in Ireland.

    After the death of their father, the six surviving children who had immigrated to Canada stayed together in Montreal. It is possible that Howard, then age 13, may have stayed with his sister Catherine and her husband John Ransom for a while. This supposition is supported by the fact that Howard gave his first son the middle name of Ransom.  Family tradition relates that when Howard was old enough – probably about 15 years old – he took a job as a sailor. It is likely that he worked on boats on the waterways of Canada. When he was 23 he made his way to Salem, Massachusetts and took a job with a Mr. Chisholm, a rope maker, and learned the trade.

    In 1838 Howard became acquainted with Miss Tamson Parshley, who was born July 27, 1824 at Barnstead, New Hampshire, being the third child of Richard Parshley and Mary Caverly.  Howard and Tamson were married on December 7, 1839, he being 24 years of age and she a girl of 15 years and five months.

    Their first son, Howard Ransom Egan, was born April 12, 1840, and their second son, Richard Erastus Egan, was born March 29, 1842, both in Salem.  In 1842 he and his wife were converted to “Mormonism” by Elder Erastus Snow and baptized. They moved to Nauvoo, Illinois that same year to join the body of the Saints, where Howard and Tamson each received a Patriarchal blessing from Hyrum Smith.  Howard’s blessing indicated that he was of the lineage of Judah, and as such, “numbered with the called and chosen.”

    Geraldine Buckley-Smith, Ireland XO Volunteer

    Wednesday 11th May 2016, 07:53PM

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