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The Thomas Whelan (Whalen) and Margarita Ryan Family of South Bend, Indiana: An Analysis of this Family's Migration from Ireland to South Bend, Indiana in Sacred Heart Church, Census and Other Records

The earliest evidence I have of this family in the South Bend, Indiana area is the birth of their daughter Margarita on November 26, 1858 and her subsequent baptism at Sacred Heart Church, Notre Dame on January 20, 1859. When the 1860 St Joseph County, Indiana census was conducted, Thomas Whalin (35, Farmer), wife Margarett (32), son Thos (5, who was born in Ireland) and daughter Margaret (2) who was born in Indiana, were living with James Ryan (33 yr old Farmer from Ireland) in Clay Township, St Joseph County, Indiana. The core of this family remained in Clay Township through the 1880 US Census. The 1860 Census indicates that son Thomas was born in Ireland, but the 1870 Census says he was born in Indiana. At this point it would appear that they left Ireland sometime on or before 1855. It appears that James Ryan, who they were living with when the 1860 US census was conducted may have posted a notice in the Boston Pilot Newspaper about his missing wife Catherine Kelly, whom he said hailed from Cregan, near Dundalk, County Armagh, Ireland. It will be interesting to see if the Whalins hailed from the same part of Ireland and if they knew the Ryans before their arrival in South Bend.

There is also a Patrick and Elizabeth Whalen Family living in Berrien County, Michigan which is very close to South Bend in 1860. They also have a son Edward who was born abt 1864. Rose Whalen, daughter of Patrick Whalen (born in Waterford) and mother Elizabeth McNally (born in Bedford, Ireland). There is a Bedford in Galey Civil Parish, County Kerry, Ireland. This appears to be the family I noted above from Berrien County, Michigan who also have a son Edward. There is some evidence to suggest (family lore) that the Thomas Whalen family that this page is focused on hail from County Limerick, Ireland.

The objective of this compilation is to try to establish the earliest possible evidence of this family in the United States through all available resources. I would love to hear from anyone who believes that they may be a descendent of this family so that we can work together to find their origins in Ireland and migration trail to the U.S. This will most definitely be a work in progress and all findings I speculate on would have to be proven for accuracy with Ireland and U.S. marriage records, church baptismal records and death records among other genealogical resources. Please use this information with that caveat in mind so that nothing is assumed and no stones are left unturned to assure it's your family and the connection is accurate.

I have encountered a few stumbling blocks in tracing the children of Thomas Whelan and Margaret Ryan. For one thing, there appears to be a lot of variation in the spelling of the surname (Whalen, Whelan) in both church and census records. Obtaining obituaries and death records for the parents could be quite beneficial. Since Thomas Sr. appears to die in 1900, a death record may be available in South Bend as they began to record deaths around 1898. Obituaries from both Thomas (in the South Bend Tribune) and wife Margaret (possibly died elsewhere) could yield some huge clues.

Please note that Vince, a genealogist and descendent of this family greatly contributed to this breadth of this page. His research is noted in the summary below. Kudos to him for his generosity in sharing his research!

The following is a brief summary of what I have discovered about Thomas Whalen and margarita Ryan and their children thus far:

1. Thomas Whalen. According to Vince, this couple hailed from County Limerick. Thomas died in February 1900.
2. Margarita Ryan. Vincent confirmed that Margaret was the sister of James Ryan and that she died in April 1898
3. Catharina Whalen may have married Hugh Devine on September 4, 1894 in Henry Illinois. She is listed as Katharine E Whalen, daughter of Thomas Whalen and Margaret Ryan. This would need to be confirmed with further records. The following information was confirmed by Vince, a genealogist and descendent of this line: She did indeed marry Hugh Devine in Illinois. they were living in Geneseo and Cambridge Illinois until she got TB. Then they moved to Colorado Springs and moved back to County Donegal in 1904 (where Hugh was born). He confirms she died there in 1904.
4. Brigitta Agnes Whalen married Thomas J Reardon on November 15, 1890 at Sacred Heart Church. By the time the 1900 Census was conducted, they were living in Detroit, Ward 15, Wayne County, Michigan with five children. Their daughter Mary became a Holy Cross Nun at St Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana (later became Notre Dame, Indiana.
5. Edwardus Whalen
6. Daniel Whalen. Daniel is missing from the 1870 US census. I thought I had traced him to Peoria, Illinois when I came upon a death record for a Daniel Thomas Whelan who was born November 25, 1866 in South Bend, Indiana and died May 11, 1923 in Peoria, Illinois. The discrepancy arises in his mother's maiden name. His father is listed as Thomas Whelan, but his mother is noted as Margaret McNamara and not Margaret Ryan. There are numerous Whelan families in the Peoria area around 1870, 1880. Vince has confirmed that Daniel was indeed their son.
7. Michaelis Whalen.

 

 

 

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