I've been somewhat remiss

...though not today, when I'm finally catching up on all sorts of things.

Back in March I received the first of some emails from Anne Heafeild. Here's the substance of the first...

My name is Anne and I live in Melbourne, I am also related to the Hannagans who are in Melbourne, Mt Gambier and Sydney. Your Blog address was given to me by Marnie Hannagan who is a descendant of Martin John Hannagan. Martin married my great aunt Eliza Beggs, her youngest sister Isabella was my grandmother and she married James Fitzpatrick.

I have been in touch with John De Courcy via email and he has sent me his family tree. The Brian Hannagan mentioned as providing info was the grandson of Martin and Eliza his father being James, and very close to my father Edward James Fitzpatrick. I don't know if you are aware but there have been a number of Martin John Hannagan's and the latter have mostly been known as 'Jack'.
I know that I seem to be rambling but it is only in the last few years that I have reconnected with the Sydney Hannagans and got in touch with Marnie.

In the inputting of names I've been doing today, Martin John Hannagan and Eliza Beggs have been very much to the fore.

A couple of emails later, Anne wrote:

I cannot help too much with the Hannagans and what I do know about the ones in Victoria and South Australia comes from Marnie Hannagan who is a direct descendant of Martin Hannagan. It was Marnie who gave me your blog address and that had been passed on to her from someone else (isn't it wonderful to belong to such a large family?) My family are only related through marriage but in the past the ties have been strong and I am establishing them again (I hope).

I have attached a family tree you maybe interested in and that came originally from Marnie too. I also have the email address of Pat Maughan nee Hannagan granddaughter of Martin Hannagan who married my great aunt Eliza Beggs, I am sure that she would love to hear from you, she is a sprightly 87 year old who lives in Brisbane (I visited her last month) but at the moment she is in Sydney visiting her son.

I do though have many photos of the Hannagan girls in Sydney taken by may dad in the 1920's. If you are interested I could send them to you.

Of course I'm interested in the photos...!

Martin John Hannagan; obituary

Obituary Border Watch P3, Wednesday June 4, 1913
Mr Hannagan was a native of Melbourne,where he was born in 1856. In his boyhood he emigrated to New Zealand with his parents and remained there some 10 to 12 years, and
learned the tailoring trade.
Then he went to Melbourne, where he was for many years manager of the business, Hollands,
Tailors and Outfitters.
He was married there to Miss Eliza Beggs.
After coming to Mount Gambier he was for some years in the employ of Messrs Rowan and Gaillard.
"Dad" as he was familiarly called, was of a genial and liberal disposition, and his dignified figure will be missed in the streets.
He was a PCR of the Ancient Order of Foresters,having passed through the chairs in Melbourne. He leaves a Widow and family of nine - four sons and five daughters. Mr Frank Hannagan of Messrs Cameron and Helpman, of this town, is one of his sons.
Messrs James and Walter announce the funeral this afternoon.

Another bit of the tree

A couple of days ago I received an email from a Hannagan in Australia. The writer's name is Nola Marshall, and she says:

I recently found your homepage for Hannagan.
I am a descendant of the Australian Hannagans.
My Grandfather was William Francis Hannagan, brother of Martin John Hannagan. I have information and photos of this side of the family if you are interested.

This bit of the family is a little confusing - at least at this point. William and Martin were the sons of Francis Hannagan (born in 1825) and his second wife, Mary (nee Cairns). On the family tree as it currently stands, I have two William Hannagans - I suspect they may be the same person, and we've got the information a bit confused. It isn't entirely unusual for people in the Victorian period to give two children the same name, if the first died very young. However, I don't have any evidence for this, as yet.

We'll keep you informed when I hear back from Nola.