Friday 25 May 2012

THE CHILDREN OF MICHAEL & MARGARET HANNAN ~ Ellen Hannan

On the 1911 census return Michael & Margaret have recorded that they have been married 32 years and that they have eight children that were born alive.  All are still living in 1911, which in those days was a great achievement for the Hannan family.   To view a family pedigree tree for Michael & Margaret's family please click here
I will now introduce you to each of the children, each will have their own blog page :~

ELLEN HANNAN (Nellie) was the first born child to Michael and, Margaret; born on Saturday 30th August 1879 whilst the family still lived on Glumangate; probably with Margaret's mother Ann.   Ellen's grandfather John had died a much earlier back in 1867. She was the first grandchild to Ann (and John) Hannan.


Ellen was baptised Helena Hannon, at the Church of the Annunciation, Spencer Street a few weeks later on 14th September 1879.  Her God Parents were Patrick Hannon and Helena Hannon; Patrick is the younger brother of Margaret so would be Uncle to Ellen.  There is only one other Helena / Ellen Hannan that I have found so far in the family tree, she was the Aunty of Margaret (sister to Margaret's father John).  Margaret and her Aunty Ellen were only ten years apart in age so it is possible that the girls were brought up closely and thus Margaret named her first daughter after her. 


Two years later on the 1881 census, Ellen and her mother do not appear in the returns for Chesterfield, in fact I have been unable to find them anywhere in England.  It is possible that Margaret returned to the family in Ireland to show off her beautiful toddler, or maybe times were hard and she needed their help? Unfortunately we will never know. Michael is lodging at 1 Blacksmith Yard, Glumangate with Catherine Cokeley a 62 year old widow, her son Patrick and a blind man named Patrick Doherty, all were from Ireland.  Blacksmith Yard was a yard off of Glumangate, minutes from the home of Ann Hannan (mother of Margaret).


Aged 11 years old on the 1891 census Ellen is living with her Grandmother Ann and her Uncles John and Thomas and Aunty Annie.  It is not clear whether Ellen was staying at the house for the night or if she lived with them on a more permanent basis.  They lived at 6 Corporation Street, next to the Temperance Hotel run by Isaac and Emma Phillips.  Ellen is still at school at this time, Uncle John is employed as a blacksmiths striker, Uncle Thomas is a picture framer and Aunty Annie is a hosiery saleswoman.


By 1901 the family have moved and now live close to the Roman Catholic Church at 14 Spencer Street.  Ellen is 21 years old, single and she works as a domestic servant.  A year later and wedding bells sound for Ellen when she marries Patrick McHugh on Saturday 28th June 1902 at the Roman Catholic Church, just a stones throw away.  Their witnesses were John McHugh and Anna Hannan (possibly Ellen's sister).  Ellen must have been heavily pregnant at the time as her first son John was born just four months later on the 25th October 1902!


Patrick was the son of Patrick and Maria McHugh, he was born in County Sligo sometime around 1877/8. 


1911 Census - Patrick & Ellen McHugh www.ancestry.co.uk


On the 1911 census Ellen and Patrick are living at 5 Marsdens Place (Patrick gave this address on the 1911 census - the next door neighbour wrote Marsden Street), Chesterfield. Patrick works as a coal miner hewer at one of the local coal mines. 




1911 Census - Patrick's signature & address
www.ancestry.co.uk


Ellen and Patrick stated that they had been married nine years on the 1911 census and that they have four children (it would only have been 8 years at the census date of 2nd April 1911, did they simply round the figure up or change it to make themselves look more respectable as they had an eight year old son?).  Ellen has also reduced her age by one year. The children are recorded as ~


John McHugh aged 8 years,
Patrick McHugh aged 6 years,
Thomas McHugh aged 4 years
and baby James McHugh just 3 months old.


After all those son's, Ellen and Patrick must have been delighted when  on 6th October 1913 a daughter was born ~ Mary Kathleen McHugh!


There may be another boy born much later in 1925; Matthew T McHugh - but I have no further information on him at present.


Ellen lived to the grand age of 84 years old and passed away at Derwent House Care Home at Newbold, Chesterfield on 15th March 1964.  She is recorded as a widow, but I have been unable to find an exact death date for Patrick.  She was buried at Boythorpe Cemetery on 19th March 1964.




The children of Ellen and Patrick ~


these details below are only taken from Internet sources and I would be most grateful if anyone can confirm or correct my information ~


John Joseph ~ born 25th October 1902, married Alice Clay in 1933, died 1970 Basford?
Patrick ~ born 6th September 1904, married Mabel Nicholls in 1923, died 1993 Chesterfield?
Thomas ~ born 12th March 1906, died 1980 Oldham?
James ~ born 1911
Mary Kathleen ~ born 6th October 1913, married Arthur Bradley in 1940, died 2004 Chesterfield
Matthew T McHugh ~ born 1925, married Edna Lindsey in 1947?


So the story of Nellie comes to an end.  If anyone has any further information to add to this blog or can fill in the gap between her children's births and her death in 1964, then please let me know so that I can complete the story.  What happened to Patrick McHugh?

The dates and details in this blog are taken from various sources including ~

*Spencer Street Roman Catholic Church Registers -  Sheffield Archives
*Boythorpe Burial Registers - Chesterfield Local Studies Library.


NEXT TO COME ~ ANNIE HANNAN....................