The Doran Family - Facts and Speculation

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2016! In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I'm presenting the known facts and what I believe is true of one of my Irish ancestral families.

First Generation

    1.    Thomas Doran  was born about 1804 in Ireland. His naturalization papers state that he was originally from County Donegal, Ireland. Several of my genetic matches that have Donegal ancestors have their ancestors from near Ardara. I don't know if this is where the Dorans are from but it is a possibility.

Thomas married Catherine O'Hara . Catherine was born about 1804 in Ireland.


They had the following children:

+    2    F    i.    Nancy Doran  was born about 1826. She died on 11 Sep 1894.
    3    M    ii.    James Doran  was born about 1828.
+    4    F    iii.    Fanny Doran  was born about 1830. She died on 29 Jul 1904.
    5    M    iv.    Henry Doran  was born about 1832. He died in Jul 1868 in Carthage, Hancock, Illinois. This was due to a hard kick to the abdomen during a drunken brawl between Henry, his brother-in-law Terrance Neason, his nephew Patrick Neason, his mother Kitty Doran and her dog. No charges were filed in his death. You can read more about this event here: http://matthewkmiller.blogspot.com/2014/10/those-darn-dorans.html
    6    F    v.    Margaret Doran  was born about 1834.
Margaret married Reilly .
    7    F    vi.    Ellen Doran  was born about 1836.
+    8    M    vii.    Thomas H. Doran  was born on 9 May 1844. He died on 21 Dec 1878.

Tom and Kitty Doran's family came to America on board the USS Sherwood, landing in Philadelphia on March 31, 1849. They lived for a time in Philadelphia. It is believed they lived in the Germantown area. Tom brought the family to live in Carthage, Illinois around 1860, when he came to work for Colonel Alexander Sympson.

He died on 3 Jan 1876 in Carthage, Hancock, Illinois.

Second Generation

    2.    Nancy Doran was born about 1826. It is believed she lived in Brooklyn or New York City for a time after arriving in the United States.

She had the following child, whose father is unknown:

    10    M    ii.    Thomas F. Doran may have been born on 16 Dec 1857, possibly in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York. He died on 1 Dec 1936. He was buried in Fort Madison, Lee, Iowa.
Thomas married Mary Ann Kelly, daughter of Hugh Kelly and Katherine Murphy before 1880. Mary was born on 20 Oct 1859 in Warsaw, Hancock County, Illinois. She died on 2 Mar 1922 and was buried on 4 Mar 1922 in Fort Madison, Lee County, Iowa.

Nancy married (1) Michael Plunkett  before 1853. Michael died about 1853.

Nancy married (3) Martin Melvin  on 17 Aug 1860 in , Hancock, Illinois. Nancy and Martin divorced.
Nancy married (4) Patrick Dunnigan  on 20 Sep 1863 in Hancock County, Illinois.
She died on 11 Sep 1894 in Carthage, Hancock, Illinois. She was buried in Warsaw, Hancock, Illinois.

They had the following children:
    9    F    i.    Beatrice Dunnigan

Beatrice married (2) a man whose last name was Paquette.

    4.    Fanny Doran was born about 1830. She died on 29 Jul 1904 in Carthage,
Hancock, Illinois. Fanny married Terrence Neason on 23 Feb 1857. Terrence was born on 20 Sep 1832 in Ireland. He died on 13 Sep 1903 in Carthage, Hancock, Illinois. He was buried in Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois.

They had the following children:

    11    M    i.    Patrick Neason  was born on 4 Dec 1851.

    12    F    ii.    Katherine Neason  was born on 25 Jun 1853 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was baptized on 1 Jul 1853. She died on 1 Apr 1933 in Codington County, South Dakota. She was buried in Watertown, Codington County, South Dakota.
Katherine married (1) Michael Murto  on 27 Oct 1970 in Hancock County, Illinois.
Katherine married (2) Patrick Redmond  on 12 Oct 1910 in Watertown, Codington County, South Dakota. Patrick was born on 23 May 1837 in Ireland. He died on 30 Aug 1923 and was buried in Watertown, Codington County, South Dakota.

    13    F    iii.    Anna Neason  was born on 24 Apr 1855. She was baptized on 29 Apr 1855.

    14    M    iv.    Charles Neason  was born on 1 Jan 1869 in Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois. He died on 15 Jul 1950 in Marceline, Linn County, Missouri.
Charles married Mary Jemima Reynolds  daughter of W. W. Reynolds and Isabelle. Mary was born on 14 Oct 1873 in Knox City, Knox, Missouri. She died on 29 Feb 1960 in Linn County, Missouri.

    15    M    v.    John Neason .

    16    M    vi.    Henry Neason .

    17    M    vii.    Lawrence Neason .

    8.    Thomas H. Doran was born on 9 May 1844 in Ireland.

Thomas married Ethelena Iola Hall  daughter of William Hall and Abigail. Ethelena was born in Dec 1850 in Texas. Tom was involved in defending Junction, Texas from the Indian raid of 1877. He was involved in the bar fight with James Deaton in September of 1877, resulting in his face being slashed and him killing Mr. Deaton. He was found to have acted in self-defense. He died on 21 Dec 1878 in Junction, Kimble, Texas after killing Sherriff's Deputy Lewis Temple. He was buried in Junction, Kimble County, Texas. Ethelena moved to Deming, Luna County, New Mexico, where she died and was buried. You can read full details about Thomas' life here: http://matthewkmiller.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-tom-doran-story-wild-character-in.html

They had the following children:

    18    M    i.    Henry Doran was born about 1870 in Oklahoma.

    19    M    ii.    Thomas William Doran was born on 12 Apr 1874 in Austin, Travis, Texas. He died in May 1955 in Deming, Luna, New Mexico. He was buried in Deming, Luna, New Mexico.

    20    M    iii.    John H. Doran was born about 1877 in Texas.