THE HARRIGAN FAMILY
My known Harrigan's started Neil Harrigan and his wife Helen or
Ellen McCormick. We think Neil come over from County Down in either 1844 or 1845, to
prepare for the families arrival.
In 1846, Helen sailed with their kids, Patrick born about 1835,
James about 1837, Neil born December 24, 1839, Daniel born around 1841, and Hugh born
about 1844. Their was also an infant daughter whose name we do not know, but call
little Ellen.
There is a family story that little Ellen died just before arrival
at Grosse Ille. Wanting to see that the baby was buried on land, she with the help
of another passanger continued to pretend the baby was still alive until after the ship
was released to sail upstream. By 1850, the family was living along the S. Nations
River where their youngest son John was born.
Neil and Helen's boys grew and married, and they spread along both
sides of the river. Patrick had a son with Anne McDonald, at about the same time as
he drowned in the river. Neil Jr. married Mary Ryan, Daniel married Marie
Desjardins, and John married Mary McInnes.
The next generation of Harrigans intermarried with the Blaney's,
Robinson's, Muir's, Bradley's, Stuart's, Brown's, Sloan's, Robert's, Paradis', Leblanc's,
Blondin's, Reale's, McAuley's and many other local
families.
Some of the family spread out across Canada to the west, while
others entered the U.S., settling as far away as Southern California. Many still
live in and around Prescott County.
Mac McDonald, CA