Cavan's Migratory Mulligans
A Moving History
The Mulligans of County Cavan, in common with many Irish families,
have a long history of migration, within Ireland and further afield.
John, Joseph and Francis are known to have migrated to Canada
in the late 1830s. James remained in Ireland to run the family
farm of Regaskin. He died in February 1847. After James’
death Francis returned from Canada and took over running the family
farm. In May 1847, Francis married Sophia Humphrys, and together
they had eleven children.
In 1821 a Thomas Mulligan with his wife and children - John,
Phoebe, Eliza, Sarah, Thomas, James and Nathaniel emigrated to
Canada. It is believed that Thomas was a cousin of ‘Old
Joe’. Again, in 1822, William, James, John and Thomas Mulligan,
sons of William Mulligan, Regaskin, migrated to Canada. This William
was a brother of ‘Old Joe’.
In the churchyard at Ballyhaise there is flat tombstone which
reads "William Mulligan, Regaskin, died 1812 aged 29 years".
Further, church records refer to a Joshua Mulligan who came to
Cavan via Hope Township, Canada, in 1826. Joshua had eleven children.
Again in the early 1820s there were other Mulligans attending
Ballyhaise Church: Arthur, Richard, and Stewart. All were married
men with families, who must have all emigrated as there are now
none of their descendants living in the area.
Wallace Mulligan, a Canadian descendant of the Cavan Mulligans,
believes
that the three brothers that arrived in the Ottawa Valley of
Quebec came from Ireland at a sad and stressful time in family
life and in Irish history. They were young and adventurous;
they held great hopes for their new life in Canada ...
I believe they were so occupied with getting on with their
new lives and opportunities there was little time to keep up
with developments in Ireland. Yet, ... some contact had been
maintained.
Wallace further learned that
Three young brothers ... walked through the bush from Ottawa
to Shawville, Quebec near Campbell’s Bay.
Wallace has been able to trace the cemetery in which are buried
John and Joseph Mulligan (Wallace’s grandfather and great
great grandfather respectively). It has been restored and today
may be visited. It is along a road called Craig’s Line,
in the Campbell’s Bay area of Quebec.
Clearly, however, the farm was not sufficient to meet the long-term
needs of a large family. As mentioned earlier, Francis married
Sophia Humphrys, in May 1847, and together they had eleven children,
Including James and Margaret, who migrated to New Zealand.
According to George Milligan, James’ nephew, Humphrys,
visited New Zealand for a period of about 7 years, and tried to
persuade Margaret to visit Ireland. She refused because of her
fear of shipwreck. Humphrys returned to Ireland, and, some time
later, he and Joseph’s son George, were all set to go to
New Zealand when George’s brother William took seriously
ill. The trip was called off, never to occur.
During World War One, three New Zealand Mulligan brothers (George,
Alexander, and Edwin) visited Regaskin. George’s son, Ronald,
also visited after the end of World War Two in 1945, and again
in 1960. |
