A Genealogical Report on the Descendants of Michael Horan and Mary Minnock by A.L. McDevitt Introduction The purpose of this report is to identify the descendants of Michael Horan and Mary Minnock While few Horans live in the original settlement locations, there are still many people from the surrounding areas of Caledon, and Simcoe County, Ontario who have Horan blood. Though heavily weigh toward information on the Albion Township Horans, (the descendants of William Horan and Honorah Shore), I'm including more on the other branches as information comes in. That is the descendants of the Horans that moved to Grey County, Ontario and from there to Michigan and Wisconsin and Montana. I also have some information on the Horans that moved to Western Canada. This report was done using Family Tree Maker 2012. The Genealogical sites I used the most were Ancestry.ca, Family Search.com and Automatic Genealogy. While gathering information for this report I became aware of the importance of getting this family's story written down while there were still people around who had a connection with the past. In the course of researching, I became aware of some differences in the original settlement stories. I am including these alternate versions of events in this report, though I may be personally skeptical of the validity of some of the facts presented. All families have myths. I feel the dates presented in the Land Petitions of Mary Minnock and the baptisms in the County Offaly, Ireland, Rahan Parish registers speak for themselves. Though not a professional Genealogist, I have the obligation to not mislead other researchers. I have in good conscience presented the facts as written in the original records. Anything that I considered hearsay or unconfirmed I made an effort to have it indicated as such. The Land Petitions and Settlement Stories sections are interesting reads. I’ve offered commentary on some of the stories presented. I have only included the first four generations from Michael Horan in this report for privacy considerations and brevity. There are lots of Horan's I don't know about because most records save obituaries are closed after 1921 in Canada. I consider this a work in progress and I am open to anybody pointing out any errors or omissions. Its only through the cooperation and input of others that we can achieve a more complete picture of the Horan family Diaspora since leaving Ireland 191 years ago. One major update is that I've had my DNA tested through a company called 23andMe which uncovered three William Horan descendants living in the US, two in Canada, as well a descendant of Ann Horan wife of Michael Trainor. This last one dispells the myth of the Horan family being in Canada by 1797 as there is a existing baptismal record for Ann Horan from Offaly dated 1813. Parents named Mick Horan, Mary Minnick. DNA testing also confirms a link between Kearn Horan and Michael Horan. Lastly, I dedicate this imperfect work to Mary Minnock; family matriarch, the woman who took her family into the wilds of Upper Canada, and carved out a new life from the wilderness. Leo McDevitt The Horan Family Mary Minnock Horan's gravemarker, St Michael's RC Cemetery, Sydenham Township, Grey County, Ontario iii The Horan Family Thank You to Joan Horan MacDonald, Fr. F.V. McDevitt, P.M. O'Shea, Norman Doherty, Wayne Horan, Katherine Finnerty, Bonnie Parker, Alberta Horan, Michael Horan, Rita Clements, Eileen Horan, Marie Daly, Paul Adamson, Joanne Huston, Jim Patton, John Bleich, William Morrison, Lyle O'Donnell, Jane Duwe and many others, if I forgot you sorry... References; St John the Evangelist RC Church, Albion Township, (now town of Caledon), Records and Cemetery Transcripts St James RC Church, Colgan Ontario Records and Cemetery Transcripts St Patrick's RC Church, (Toronto Gore Mission) records St Patrick's and St Michael's RC Church records and Cemetery Transcripts , Sydenham Township, Grey County St Mary's RC Church records and Cemetery Transcripts, Owen Sound Ontario Federal Census Records for Albion Township, Adjala Township and Sydenham Township various years. US Census Records for various years Directory of Simcoe County 1885 Directory of Peel County 1873 and other years Directory of Grey County 1865 Records available on line at Ancestry.com William Perkins Bull Papers at the Region of Peel Archives Land records of Albion Township available at the Region of Peel Archives, (Brampton Archives) Various Wills available at the Provincial Archives Upper Canada Land Petitions available at the York Region Archives, National Archives and the Provincial Archives in Toronto File last updated Feb 2016 iv The Horan Family v Descendant Report for Michael Horan 1 Descendant Chart for Michael Horan 290 Land Petitions and Transactions Albion Township 606 Settlement Stories, The Horan's in Albion 612 The Horan Family of Great Falls Montana 625 Index 628 vi The Horan Family Descendants of Michael Horan Generation 1 1. MICHAEL1 HORAN was born about 1775 in Townland of Clonshanny, Barony of Ballycowan, Civil Parish of Rahan, County of Offaly. He died in 1823 in On route to Toronto from Quebec City. He married Mary "Mary Horan" Minnock (daughter of Unknown Minnock and Unknown Mother) about 1795 in County Offaly, Ireland. She was born about 1779 in Townland of Clonshanny, County Offaly, Ireland. She died in 1859 in Sydenham Township, Grey County, Canada West, (Ontario). Notes for Michael Horan: Irish Midlands Ancestry Bury Quay, Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland. Telephone 0506 21421 Fax 0506 21421 Email [email protected] Web www.irishmidlandsancestry.com & www.offalyhistory.com Ref : 212/04 (Please quote in future correspondence) Dear Mr McDevitt Re: Horan family history research in Rahan, County Offaly Many thanks for your recent enquiry. A preliminary search of our index of the Rahan Roman Catholic parish register has successfully located the baptismal records for two children born to Michael Horan and M.Minock in the years 1812-1813; there was also a hand written note in our index stating "Family went to Canada in 1823" - I feel confident this is likely to be your ancestors family. Unfortunately the Rahan R/C parish register only begins in 1810 which is too late for researching either Michael Horan (c.1775), Mary Minnock (c.1789) or even William's (c.1795) baptismal details as their births predates our registers. Also there are 'Gaps' (due to missing registers) in the Rahan R/C baptismal registers between the years April 1816 to Jan 1822 which rules out us being able to research further children born to Michael & Mary. Having considered your enquiry we feel that we could not recommend that you commission a 'Parish Report'. However should you wish to receive the details of the two children born to Michael and Mary in the Rahan Parish registers we will be happy to supply this for a nominal fee of 30 Euro (to cover our researchers time etc.), should you wish us to supply you with all entries listed in the Rahan baptismal registers for the surname Horan we would be happy to assist and the fee in this instance will be 60 Euro. The two children in question were Ann Horan and Michael Horan Ann Horan March 1812, daughter of Mick Horan and M. Menock, Parish of Rahan, St Carthach's RC Church, Page 12 Michael Horan Dec 1813, son of Michael Horan and M. Minock, Parish of Rahan, St Carthach's RC Church, Page 30 Kings County, Ireland ***************************************** Place of Origin of Our Horans The Horans were from the townland of Clonshanny in the Barony of Ballycowan, Civil Parish of Rahan (496 acres), situated in the County of Offaly. Clonshanny is on R436, one kilometer east of Ballycumber, 3 kms west of Clara. Refer to Bawn Lodge Horan Family Name 1 The Horan Family Generation 1 (con't) The true sept of O'Horan (O hOdhrain in Irish) originated in County Galway whence they spread into County Mayo and are now fairly numerous in those Connacht counties. Another Gaelic surname, O hArrachain, which is a corruption of O Hannradhain (anglice Hanrahan) is commonly Anglicized Horan, though in Thomond (County Clare), where this minor Dalcassian sept originated, it is usually pronounced, and sometimes written, more phonetically Harhan. Other Anglicized forms recorded in County. Clare are Haren and Haran. Even when written Horan it is pronounced with an internal aspirate which is more accurately represented by the form Haughran, found In the birth registers of County Offaly as a synonym of Horan and often changed to Horan. Yet another variant in this case peculiar to County Cork, is O'Hourahan or O'Horahan, a rare name but one familiar formerly to readers of The Nation on account of its regular contributor M.J. O'Horahan. This family, quite distinct from the Thomond one, belonged to County Cork and were erenaghs of Ross. The Horans now found in not inconsiderable numbers in County. Cork are of this stock. The distinguished Admiral Horan of the British Navy is the son of a County Limerick man, presumably of Thomond lineage. The name has not been prominent in Irish cultural or political history. (Internet Research) ************************************** Horans of Albion Township, Peel County also Adjala and Essa Townships, Simcoe County In the Albion Township area where Michael Horan's widow, Mary Minnock and family settled, there were other unrelated Horan families; 1. Kieran Horan moved in from Frampton Quebec were he had farmed for a few years prior to relocating to Albion Township in about 1840. Kieran lived on the 9th line of Albion. Kieran a widower himself married his brother Thomas's widow, Winnifred Daley, a sister of another Albion pioneer Hugh Daley in Quebec in 1838.