| Married in 1842 |
William Morgan and Lucy Ann Cheatham
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| MORGAN: Scotland: This is a very common name throughout Britain, and it is of more than one origin. It comes from the early Celtic 'sea-bright', and also exists in Old British, Old Breton, Cornish and Welsh. 'Morgunn' is the Pictish form of the name. The founder of the Pelagian heresy was a British monk named Morgan. In Scotland it is remarkable that the name survives, for in historic times it existed nowhere else than in Aberdeenshire and among the Sutherland Mackays. 'Clan Morgan' was for long the title of the Mackays of the Reay country who later became Clan Aoidh, and it is probable, though perhaps not demonstrable, that there was close connection between them and the Aberdeenshire Morgans. The origin of the Clan Mackay remains uncertain but it is generally believed they were early connected with Moray and there derived from the Royal House of MeacEth, Mormaers of Moray, through a cadet of Morgund of Pluscarden. The Morgans appear to have gradually spread down the East Coast as far as Fife, where the place-name 'Ramornie' means 'rath of the Morganach'. Morgan of Glenesk in Angus renderd homage to Edward I of England in 1296. The name still is found in Aberdeenshire, and John Murgan was one of the Huntly Volunteers in 1798. There is no Chief of the Morgans but because of the close links with MacKay that tartan may be worn. There is much doubt surrounding the origin of this clan. Some believe it descend from the Royal house of MacEth, others say it stems from the Royal house of Moray. The clan is also believed to be known as the clan Morgan. It is estimated that in 1427 the clan was able defend its territory with up to 4000 men. In 1626, Donald Mackay was created Lord Reay and supplied an army of 3000 men for service in Bohemia and later in Denmark. A later descendant, Hugh MacKay, was reponsible for commanding the troops of William of Orange at Killiecrankie. The name is in the top 10 in Scotland. Wales: The Morgan pedigree takes the form of a roll and when extended measures around ten metres in length. The roll format has fortunately protected the contents and the skillfully painted crests retain their original bright colours. The pedigree commences with the marriage of Brutus, a legendary King of Britain supposed to to have descended from "Priamus, King of Troy". This invocation of figures from classical antiquity was quite common in the old Welsh pedigrees and seems to demonstrate a lingering memory of the days when Britain enjoyed the comparative security of Roman rule and its first exposure to classical culture. The Morgans survived the depredations of the Norman French knights, the consequences of their support for Owain Glyndwr's revolt against the English crown and the upheavals of the English Civil War. In 1612, Sir William Morgan became Sheriff of the county and in 1628 was a Member of Parliament. He died in 1653. The English Civil Wars started in 1642 and the period from then until the restoration of Charles II in 1660 was one of uncertainties and divided loyalties. Some of the Morgans looked overseas for relief from the religious and constitutional squabbles. Henry Morgan set sail for the West Indies and a glorious career as a buccaneer (or perhaps more properly as a privateer). Ireland: The name Morgan in Ireland is either of Welsh origin or as an anglicized form of the native Gaelic Sept O'Muireagain which was based in the Province of Leinster and especially in Counties Louth and Longford. It is here that the majority of descendants can still be found although the name is widespread throughout the country. USA: Statistically, the surname Morgan is the 57th most common in the United States. There are around 295,000 Morgans in the U.S. Spelling variations include Morgen, Morgain, Morgaine and others. First found in Caernarvon (Wales) where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated as Lords of the manor and estates in that shire. Meaning of the name MORGAN: From Mor, the sea, and gan, born; the same as Pelagius--born on the sea, from the Greek ουσ (θάλασσα), the sea. Mor, the sea, and gan, by or near--near the sea, a locality. |
Color: Or (Gold)
Meaning: Generosity
Meaning: Generosity
Beast: Griffin
Meaning: Valiant soldier - to the death,
Vigilance. In Ireland the worship of the sun
in pre-Christian times was often
represented by the Griffin. It later became a
symbol of gold - 'yellow light'.
Meaning: Valiant soldier - to the death,
Vigilance. In Ireland the worship of the sun
in pre-Christian times was often
represented by the Griffin. It later became a
symbol of gold - 'yellow light'.
Symbol: Helmet
Meaning: Wise defence
Meaning: Wise defence
The griffin (or gryphon) crest
has been associated with the
Morgans of Tredegar, Wales
and related families for many
centuries. The griffin is a
mythical beast, part eagle and
part lion. It was known in
Britain from Roman times and
the ancestors of the
Monmouthshire Morgans would
have been familiar with the
design. The Roman Legion II
Augusta had a British
headquarters at Caerleon
which was later to become a
centre of Morgan power in
south Wales.
has been associated with the
Morgans of Tredegar, Wales
and related families for many
centuries. The griffin is a
mythical beast, part eagle and
part lion. It was known in
Britain from Roman times and
the ancestors of the
Monmouthshire Morgans would
have been familiar with the
design. The Roman Legion II
Augusta had a British
headquarters at Caerleon
which was later to become a
centre of Morgan power in
south Wales.
A worn stone carving of the Morgan
gryphon symbol (holding a shield) at
Tredegar House, Newport, South Wales
gryphon symbol (holding a shield) at
Tredegar House, Newport, South Wales
| Blue (Morgan) Tartan |
Leinster Province in light green
Longford County in light green
Louth County in light green
Flag of Leinster Province
Louth County Crest
1801-1922
St. Patrick's Cross 1783-1922
Irish Tricolor adopted 1919
George II 1727-1760
George III 1751-1820
George IV 1820-1830
Born in Ava, Jackson County; Illinois in 1817
| Ireland and the Act of Union 1801 Ireland regained a form of self-governing status through the Parliament of Ireland, but power was limited to the Anglo-Irish, Anglican minority while the majority Roman Catholic population suffered severe political and economic privations. In 1801, this parliament was abolished and Ireland became an integral part of a new United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Act of Union. (Effective 1 January 1801) In 1800, after the Irish Rebellion of 1798, the British and the Irish parliaments enacted the Act of Union, which merged Kingdom of Ireland and the Kingdom of Great Britain (itself a union of England and Scotland, created almost 100 years earlier), to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Part of the deal for the union was that Catholic Emancipation would be conceded to remove discrimination against Catholics, Presbyterians and others. However, King George III controversially blocked any change. Outside mainstream nationalism, a series of violent rebellions by Irish republicans took place in 1803, under Robert Emmet; in 1848 a rebellion by the Young Irelanders, most prominent among them, Thomas Francis Meagher; and in 1867, another insurrection by the Irish Republican Brotherhood. All failed, but physical force nationalism remained an undercurrent in the nineteenth century. 1803 rebellion When European conflict was renewed in May 1803, Emmet returned to Ireland and together with other revolutionaries such as Thomas Russell and James Hope , prepared to launch a new rebellion. Emmet began to manufacture weapons and explosives at a number of premises in Dublin and even innovated a folding pike which could be concealed under a cloak due to being fitted with a hinge. Unlike in 1798, the preparations for the uprising were successfully concealed, but a premature explosion at one of Emmet's arms depots killed a man and forced Emmet to bring forward the date of the rising before the authorities' suspicions were aroused. Emmet was unable to secure the help of Michael Dwyer's Wicklow rebels and many Kildare rebels who had arrived turned back due to the scarcity of firearms they had been promised but the rising went ahead in Dublin on the evening of July 23, 1803. Following a failed attempt to seize Dublin Castle, the rising degenerated into confusion and general rioting. The Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, Lord Kilwarden, chief prosecutor of William Orr in 1797, was dragged from his carriage and hacked to death. Emmet personally witnessed a dragoon being pulled from his horse and piked to death, the sight of which prompted him to call off the rising to avoid further bloodshed. Emmet fled into hiding but was captured on 25 August, near Harold's cross. He endangered his life by moving his hiding place from Rathfarnam to Harold's Cross so that he could be near his sweetheart, Sarah Curran. He was tried for treason on 19 September; the Crown repaired the weaknesses in its case by secretly buying the assistance of Emmet's defense attorney, Leonard Macnally, for £200 and a pension. On 20 September Emmet was executed by hanging and beheading in Dublin. The remains were then secretly buried. After he had been sentenced Emmet delivered a speech, the Speech from the Dock, which is especially remembered for its closing sentences and secured his posthumous fame among the pantheon of Irish republican martyrs; "Let no man write my epitaph; for as no man who knows my motives dares now vindicate them, let not prejudice or ignorance asperse them. When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth then and not till then, let my epitaph be written". Catholic emancipation passed & Tithe War began. 1829 In 1823, an enterprising Catholic lawyer, Daniel O'Connell, known as "the Great Liberator" began a successful campaign to achieve emancipation, which was finally conceded in 1829. He later led an unsuccessful campaign for "Repeal of the Act of Union". Blight in the Potato Harvest. 1845 The second of Ireland's "Great Famines", An Gorta Mór struck the country severely in the period 1845-1849, with potato blight leading to mass starvation and emigration. Irish Potato Famine (1845-1849). The impact of emigration in Ireland was severe; the population dropped from over 8 million before the Famine to 4.4 million in 1911. |
Robert Emmet 1803 Rebellion
Daniel O'Connell the "Great Liberator"
Bishop Rosati 1826-1847 Bishop
of New Orleans and first Bishop
of St. Louis
of New Orleans and first Bishop
of St. Louis
Archbishop Peter Richard
Kenrick, born in Ireland,
Bishop of St. Louis 1847-1895.
His brother was Archbishop of
Philadelphia.
Kenrick, born in Ireland,
Bishop of St. Louis 1847-1895.
His brother was Archbishop of
Philadelphia.
| William Morgan was born in Ava, Illinois in 1817, but we are not sure when his people first came from Ireland to the U.S.A. After the War of 1812 the men of the military were given land bounties in the Illinois Territory, possibly how Williams' family arrived in Illinois. We do know that Patrick Curran , was born in Ireland in 1813, who married Catherine McCarthy, born in Ireland in 1825. They were the parents of Mary Curran, who married William Morgan's son William "Thomas" Morgan (b. 1850 in Ava, Illinois) who was the father of my great-grandfather Michael Curran Morgan (b. 1881 in Ava, Illinois). |
Four Provinces Flag
Ulster - Munster
Connacht - Leinster
Connacht - Leinster
| Seven generations in the U.S.A. (we have no records of when the Morgan's first came from Wales or Ireland to the States) - US1. William Morgan (b. 1817 in Ava, Il.; d. 1880 in Ava, Il.) They were married in 1842. Lucy Ann Cheatham (b. 1820 in Tennessee; d. August 29, 1892 in Ava, Il.) They had five sons; William Thomas Morgan was the middle child. US2. William "Thomas" Morgan (b. 1850 in Ava, Il.; d. 1915 in Ava, Il.). Married on February 18, 1878. Mary Curran (b. 1853 in Cincinnati, Ohio; d. 1917 in Ava, Illinois.) They had seven children; Michael Curran Morgan was their second child US3. Michael Curran Morgan (b. 1881 in Ava, Il., d. 1958 in East St. Louis, Il.) Married ? Ida May Shawen (b. 1883 in East St. Louis, Il.; d. 1934 in East St. Louis, Il.) They had six children; Floyd Thomas Morgan was their second child US4. Floyd Thomas Morgan (b. 1904 in East St. Louis, Il., d. 1953 in St. Louis Mo.) Married June 4, 1932, in Jerseyville, Illinois Bertha Elizabeth Ferenbach, (b. 1908 in Fieldon, IL, d. 1998 in St. Louis, Mo.) They had 11 children, of which Margaret Mary Morgan is the oldest. US5. Margaret Mary Morgan (b. 1933 in St. Louis, Mo) Married June 21, 1952 in St. Louis, Mo. John Anthony Maurer, Jr. (b. 1952 in St. Louis, Mo.) They had six children and John Anthony Maurer, III was the second child. US6. John Anthony Maurer, III (b. 1954 in St. Louis, Mo.) Married on August 3 and August 4, 1973 in St. Louis County, Mo. Pamela Anne Siems (b. 1953 in St. Louis County, Mo.) They had three children and John Anthony Maurer, IV was the oldest child. US7. John Anthony Maurer, IV (b. 1977, St. Louis County, Mo.) Married on May 17, 2002 in Colorado Springs, Co. Kasey Elisabeth Barton (b. 1977, Colorado Springs, Co.) They have on child, Desmond Barton Maurer. US8. Desmond Barton Maurer (b. 2007, Bouldar, Co.) |
| Definition: Derived from the given name Morgan, from "mor", the sea, and "gan," born. Surname Origin: Welsh |
Mary Curran and William "Thomas" Morgan
| William "Thomas" Morgan (b. 1850 in Ava, Il.; d. 1915 in Ava, Il.). Married on February 18, 1878. Mary Curran (b. 1853 in Cincinnati, Ohio; d. 1917 in Ava, Illinois.) They had seven children; Michael Curran Morgan was their second child
2. Floyd Thomas Morgan 1909-1953 3. Marguerite Morgan 1911-1959 4. Michael Morgan 1913-1951 5. Edna Mae Morgan 1915-1994 6. Edward Morgan 1918-1949
2. Hazel Flanigan 1906-1983
2. Paul Wayne Hanback 1917-?
|
| Ava, Illinois was where Michael Curran Morgan was raised. He was born in 1881 in Ava, Il., and died in East St. Louis, Il., in 1958. He married Ida May Shawen (b. 1883 in East St. Louis, Il., d. 1934 in East St. Louis, Il.) and they had six children. Her father Alonzo Shawen was born in Maryland and was from Virginia, his parents came from Ireland. Her mother Julia Guiney was born in Ohio. Her mothers mother came over from Ireland with her mother when she was very young. Alonzo and Julia were married on November 26, 1873, in Coles County, Illinois, and had nine children. Oral history is that the parents of both Alonzo Shawen and Julia Guiney immigrated to America from Ireland in the early 1800s. Michael Curran Morgan's mother was Mary Curran born 1853 in Cincinnati, Ohio and died in 1917 in Ava, Illinois. Her father was Patrick Curran born in Ireland in 1813 and died in 1879 in Ava, Illinois. Patrick's parents were J.R. and E.L. Curran of Ireland. Her mother was Catherine McCarthy born in Ireland in 1825, and died in 1896 in Ava, Illinois. We do not know when they emigrated from Ireland. We do know that they resided in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area between 1850 and 1853, because those are the two years when their son Michael and their daughter Mary was born. We do not know when they moved to Ava, Illinois, but federal census records indicate it was at least by 1863, the year their second son Peter was born. The census records show that neither Patrick Curran or Catherine McCarthy Curran could read or write their spoken language, indicating they had very little schooling, if any while growing up in Ireland. The 1870 census notes that Patrick was a citizen, but that Catherine was not yet one. His father, was William "Thomas" Morgan born in 1850 in Ava, Illinois and died May 18, 1915 in Ava. He married Mary Curran on February 18, 1878. They had seven children:
about nine years old. His father, my was William Morgan born in 1817 in Ava, Illinois and died in Ava on February 23, 1880. His mother was Lucy Ann Cheatham born in 1820 in Tennessee, and died on August 29, 1892 in Ava, Illinois. They were married in 1842. And had five sons,
|
| Ava is located in Jackson County, Illinois, and is about eighty miles south of St. Louis and one-hundred and twenty-five miles south of Fieldon, which is located in Jersey County, Illinois. |
Ida Shawen Morgan and Michael Curran Morgan
with baby Kenneth who died as an infant.
with baby Kenneth who died as an infant.
Grandpa Floyd Morgan as a child
(b. April 6, 1904 in East St. Louis, Il.)
(b. April 6, 1904 in East St. Louis, Il.)
Michael C. Morgan holding Edna Mae Morgan,
arm around Michael Morgan, standing
Marguerite Morgan and Floyd T. Morgan
arm around Michael Morgan, standing
Marguerite Morgan and Floyd T. Morgan
Floyd T. Morgan
| Michael and Ida May Shawen Morgan had six children. The first born, named Kenneth (Kenny), is said to have died shortly after childbirth. Making my Floyd Thomas Morgan (b. 1909) the eldest of the five surviving siblings. His brothers and sisters, were:
in life, having finished only the fourth grade of public schooling. His first major job was for Western Union, in downtown St. Louis, where he rode a bicycle to deliver messages and telegrams. Eventually he was hired by the American District Telegraph (ADT) security company, initially as an armed responder to security alarms, and finally as a district supervisor. (In 1909 Western Union and ADT had become subsidiaries of AT&T.) We also know that his two brothers, Michael and Edward, worked as steamfitters in the East St. Louis area. As can be seen from the dates given above, Michael and Edward Morgan died while only in their 30s. Michael died of internal injuries sustained when we was struck by a car, and Edward died of pneumonia. Another two siblings died when only in their 40s. Great-Grandfather Michael Curran Morgan, who lived until he was 77 years of age, outlived three of his five children. A fourth child, Marguerite, died of cancer just three months after he died. He also outlive his wife Ida May Shawen Morgan, by twenty-four years, as she died from a cerebral hemorrhage when just 50 years of age. She was also diabetic during most of her adult life. The only one in the family to live at least as long as she did was his daughter Edna May, who lived until her 79th year. Great-Grandfather Michael C. Morgan died of pulmonary congestion of the lungs after years of suffering from heart disease. Production at the Armour Meat Company plant in East St. Louis, where he worked most of his life, officially shut down the year after he died. |
Michael Curran Morgan 1952 at Margaret
Morgan's marriage to John A. Maurer, Jr.
Morgan's marriage to John A. Maurer, Jr.
Cattle Pens at Live Stock Yards in East St. Louis, Illinois.
More pictures of the East St. Louis Stockyards from 1906.
Armour, Morris and Swift National City Plants in East St. Louis, Illinois. 1906
My Grandfather Floyd Morgan's first cousins,
Sister Marie Dolorita, Sister Pauline and Sister
Lucille Forham, OSB.
Sister Marie Dolorita, Sister Pauline and Sister
Lucille Forham, OSB.
Irish population in 1872 in the U.S.A.
| The above cartoon, the No Irish Need Apply song, and the Paddy Wagon three examples of anti-Irish bigotry in the USA. The most prevalent theory is based on the term "Paddy" (a common Irish shortening of Patrick), which was used (sometimes as slang) to refer to Irish people. Irishmen made up a large percentage of the officers of early police forces in many American cities. Thus, this theory suggests that the concentration of Irish in the police forces led to the term "paddywagon" being used to describe the vehicles driven by police. An alternative theory is similarly based on the term "Paddy" but states that the term arose due to the number of immigrant Irish being arrested for having consumed too much alcohol and taken away in the vehicles. |
Unfortunately the city of East St. Louis, Illinois is now basically a city of ruins and
urban decay.
urban decay.
| The Revolutionary War ended in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris. Under the Terms, Great Britain surrendered the Old Northwest to the United States. Virginia and other states ceded their claims to the Old Northwest to the federal government. In 1787 this was organized as the Northwest Territory. Which included pretty much everything outside of the original 13 colonies that belonged to the United States. In 1800 Illinois was included in the Indiana Territory and in 1809 was organized as Illinois Territory which included all of Illinois, most of Wisconsin and large parts of Michigan and Minnesota. In 1809 what was to become the state of Illinois was divided into two counties, St. Clair on the north and Randolph on the south. The dividing line was a diagonal running east to west through what became Clark, Crawford, Jasper, Clay, Marion, Clinton, Washington, St. Clair and Monroe Counties. Ninian Edwards was appointed the Governor of the Illinois Territory. The former Territorial Governments had begun obtaining the land of the Native Americans in a series of Treaties. These treaties exchanged land for yearly payments of money and presents. The Indians were not satisfied and took advantage of the War of 1812 to side with the British. The tribes involved were the Potawatomi, Kickappo, and The Sac and Fox. During the both French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic wars between France and Great Britain both parties violated the maritime rights of the neutral powers. This especially affected the United States. Between 1803 and 1812 nearly 1500 American ships were seized. The American's were prepared to answer with economic sanctions. A trade ban was imposed on Britain in November 1810 but Britain refused to comply and President Madison summoned Congress into session in November of 1811 to prepare for war. War was declared on Great Britain 18 June 1812. Fort Dearborn (near the present site of Chicago) was evacuated in the early part of the war while the British and their Native American allies were trying to gain control of the area. The garrison, numbering 67, along with resident settlers, started for Detroit. With them was a group of Potawatami escorts who were thought to be friendly. While they were traveling the escorts joined with another force and attacked the garrison and the settlers. Two thirds of the Americans were killed and the rest captured. The next day the hostile Indians destroyed Fort Dearborn. After ransoms had been paid by Detroit several of the captives were freed. The war ended in 1815. In 1816 Fort Dearborn was rebuilt and garrisoned. After the war Illinois saw a large influx of settlers. The emigrants traveled down the Ohio by flat boat and by wagon overland. Most of them settled in Southern Illinois because the country was similar to where they had lived before. Central and Northern Illinois stayed largely uninhabited by whites until later. In May 1812, an act of Congress was passed which set aside bounty lands as payment to volunteer soldiers for the War against the British (War of 1812). The land was set aside in the present states of Arkansas, Michigan and Illinois. In 1815 the land which was to become the state had become further divided by a line running north and south into Madison and Edwards Counties with further division in the south into St. Clair, Randolph, White, Gallatin and Johnson Counties. The Northern Border of St. Clair ran through the present counties of Madison and Clinton and the Northern Border of White County ran through the present counties of Jefferson and Wayne and met the southern boundaries of present Edwards and Wabash. |
| On the list of Veterans from War of 1812 given property in Illinois Territory: MORGAN, ARTHUR 2LT MOORE3,4 MORGAN, ARTHUR PVT MOORE1,2 |
1820 Population
By the election of Carl Officer as
mayor in 1979, many said the city
had nowhere to go but up, yet,
incredibly, things grew even worse.
Sewers failed; garbage pickup
ceased because the city could not
pay the haulers. City Hall was
awarded to the plaintiff in a lawsuit
against the city. Police cars often
didn't work, and neither did their
radios.
mayor in 1979, many said the city
had nowhere to go but up, yet,
incredibly, things grew even worse.
Sewers failed; garbage pickup
ceased because the city could not
pay the haulers. City Hall was
awarded to the plaintiff in a lawsuit
against the city. Police cars often
didn't work, and neither did their
radios.
| Editors Note: This is supposition only as no land was given in what is now Jackson County. Arthur Morgan is listed twice for serving in 1812: CAPTAIN JAMES B. MOORE’S COMPANY 1st Company – April 15 to May 3, 1812. MORGAN, Arthur CAPTAIN JAMES B. MOORE’S (2D) COMPANY. A muster roll of a volunteer company of Cavalry, commanded by Capt. James B. MOORE, of St. Clair county, Illinois Territory. By order of His Excellency, Ninian EDWARDS, Governor of Illinois Territory. From July 27, 1812, to August 11, 1812. MORGAN, Arthur |
| The area became part of the Northwest Territory of the United States in 1787. Very little of the Illinois Territory was inhabited by white settlers in 1810. In 1810 Illinois began to see an influx of settlers who arrived overland and by rafting down the Ohio River. Though settlement began in the southern part of the state, it moved northward quickly, driving out the native Americans. Illinois became the 21st state in 1818 with the capital in Kaskaskia, but by 1819 the capital was moved to Vandalia. Jackson County was part of Johnson County in 1812. These early settlers of Illinois, the Yankees from New England (although many had lived in New York, Ohio, or Indiana as they followed the frontier west.) and the Southerners (principally from Indiana and Kentucky, some from Virginia), or Plain Folks, as they called themselves, lived side by side on the fringes of the prairie but had very different values and social patterns. Lincoln would fit the Southerner heritage of Illinois. As would be Lucy Ann Cheathams people who came from Tennessee to Ava, Illinois. Family oral history suggests that William Morgan's father once owned a plantation that had slaves. On the other hand, Michael Curran Morgan, always said he was part Irish and part Yankee. We took this to mean that while his mother's side (Curran) of the family was Irish, his paternal ancestors (Morgan) were not recent immigrants but had lived in America for many generations. |
Southerner style housing in Illinois in 1810's
Yankee style housing in Illinois in 1810's
| The American Bottom is a flood plain of the Mississippi River in southwestern Illinois, extending from Alton, Illinois, to the Kaskaskia River. It is also sometimes referred to in the plural as "American Bottoms". It is about 175 square miles in area, and is mostly protected from flooding by a levee and drainage canal system. The area across the river from St. Louis, Missouri is industrial and urban, but many swamps and the majorHorseshoe Lake are reminders of the riparian nature of the area. The southern portion of American Bottom is primarily agricultural, mainly planted with corn, wheat, and soybean. American Bottom is in the Mississippi Flyway, used by migrating birds, and has the greatest concentration of bird species in Illinois. The flood plain is bounded on the east by a nearly continuous, 200- 300 foot high, 80 mile long bluff of limestone and dolomite, above which begins the great prairie that covers most of the state. This Mississippi River bounds the Bottom on its west; the river abuts the bluffline on the Missouri side. Portions of St. Clair, Madison, Monroe, and Randolph Counties are in American Bottom. Its maximum width is about 9 miles, to the north, and is about 2-3 miles in width throughout most of its southern extent. The name American Bottom had its origin about a century ago, at the time Illinois came under United States jurisdiction, and from the following circumstance: the west side of the river being known as Louisiana, or New Spain, while on the east, in the river bottom, was called America – hence American Bottom, which name it continues to bear. |
| 1830 Jackson County Men Subject To Do Militia Duty All men age 16 - 45 living in the county on this date: Morgan, R.H. (is only Morgan listed) The U.S. Military Establishment consisted of the Regular Army as well as state and territorial militia units whenever it was necessary. William Morgan would have been 13 in 1830, so R.H. Morgan could be an older brother or his father. Arthur Morgan is not listed on the roles. |
Young Abe Lincoln was born 1809 in Kentucky
| Editors Note: Yankee could mean then that they came from New York, Ohio or Indiana, all areas where in the 1810's slaves could be owned. Slavery was not confined to only the South. Through the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 (also known as the Freedom Ordinance) under the Continental Congress, slavery was prohibited in the territories north of the Ohio River. In the East, though, slavery was not abolished until later. The importation of slaves into the United States was banned on January 1, 1808; but not the internal slave trade, or involvement in the international slave trade externally. 1642 - Massachusetts becomes the first colony to legalize slavery. 1650 - Connecticut legalizes slavery. 1661 - Virginia officially recognizes slavery by statute. 1662 - A Virginia statute declares that children born would have the same status as their mother. 1663 - Maryland legalizes slavery. 1664 - Slavery is legalized in New York and New Jersey. During the colonial period, 41% of the city's households had slaves, compared to 6% in Philadelphia and 2% in Boston. Only Charleston, South Carolina, rivaled New York in the extent to which slavery penetrated everyday life. Slavery was not abolished in New York until 1827. |
| Irish Sold as Slaves On 14 August 1652, Cromwell began his Ethnic Cleansing of Ireland, ordering that the Irish were to be transported overseas, starting with 12,000 Irish prisoners sold to Barbados. Subsequently some 52,000 Irish, mostly women and sturdy boys and girls, were sold to Barbados and Virginia alone. Another 30,000 Irish men and women were taken prisoners and ordered transported and sold as slaves. In 1656, Cromwell’s Council of State ordered that 1000 Irish girls and 1000 Irish boys be rounded up and taken to Jamaica to be sold as slaves to English planters. As horrendous as these numbers sound, it only reflects a small part of the evil program, as most of the slaving activity was not recorded. There were no tears shed amongst the Irish when Cromwell died in 1660. There are records of Irish sold as slaves in 1664 to the French on St. Bartholomew, and English ships which made a stop in Ireland enroute to the Americas, typically had a cargo of Irish to sell on into the 18th century. Few people today realize that from 1600 to 1699, far more Irish were sold as slaves than Africans. Slaves or Indentured Servants There has been a lot of whitewashing of the Irish slave trade, partly by not mentioning it, and partly by labeling slaves as indentured servants. There were indeed indentureds, including English, French, Spanish and even a few Irish. But there is a great difference between the two. Indentures bind two or more parties in mutual obligations. Servant indentures were agreements between an individual and a shipper in which the individual agreed to sell his services for a period of time in exchange for passage, and during his service, he would receive proper housing, food, clothing, and usually a piece of land at the end of the term of service. It is believed that some of the Irish that went to the Amazon settlement after the Battle of Kinsale and up to 1612 were exiled military who went voluntarily, probably as indentureds to Spanish or Portuguese shippers. However, from 1625 onward the Irish were sold, pure and simple as slaves. There were no indenture agreements, no protection, no choice. They were captured and originally turned over to shippers to be sold for their profit. Because the profits were so great, generally 900 pounds of cotton for a slave, the Irish slave trade became an industry in which everyone involved (except the Irish) had a share of the profits. Curiously, of all the Irish shipped out as slaves, not one is known to have returned to Ireland to tell their tales. Many, if not most, died on the ships transporting them or from overwork and abusive treatment on the plantations. The Irish that did obtain their freedom, frequently emigrated on to the American mainland, while others moved to adjoining islands. |
| Virginia Gazette (Parks), Williamsburg, From March 31 to April 7, 1738. RAN away from the Subscriber, in Edgcomb Precinct, North-Carolina, on the 26th Day of December last, a Servant Man, named Darby Tool: He is a Shoemaker by Trade, hath but one Leg, and is an Irishman. Whoever will bring the said Servant to me in Edgcomb Precinct, or secure him, so that I may have him again, shall have Four Pistoles Reward, besides what the Law allows, paid by me, William Whitehead. N.B. He is suspected to be gone to Cherry Point, on Potowmack ; and had in Company with him, one Mary Cullen, an Irish Woman, whom he calls his Wife. |
| Editors Note: Most likely the Morgan's fit the Southerner settler profile, as these were mostly Scotch-Irish. As Irish Catholics we have a greater chance of having once been slaves on a plantation than to have been the owners of a plantation with slaves. R.H. Morgan is more likely to be the father of William Morgan. |
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Floyd Morgan first communion
| William Morgan married Lucy Ann Cheatham from Tennessee. The name Cheatham has a history dating as far back as the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from when the Cheatham family lived in Cheetham, in the county of Lancashire. It is from the place-name Cheetham that the family name is derived. Spelling variations of this family name include: Chetham, Cheetham, Cheetam, Cheetum and others. Origin: English First found in Lancashire where they were seated from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Samuel and William Chettum who settled in New England in 1748; Philip Chetham arrived in Philadelphia in 1811; Edward, James, John, Thomas, and William Cheetham all arrived in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1860. Coat of Arms: A silver shield with a red griffin, within a black border with nine bezants. Crest: Description not available Motto: Quod tuum tenne. |
| William's son, Thomas, married Mary Curran whose mother was Catherine McCarthy. Spelling variations of this family name include: McCarthy and others. First found in county Cork where they were seated from ancient times. Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Daniel McCarty, who came to Boston in 1742; David McCarty, who settled in Maryland in 1755; Alexander McCarthy, recorded in the New York Colonial Muster Rolls in 1760. Coat of Arms: Silver with a red stag trippant with gold antlers. |
| Mary's father was Patrick Curran. Spelling variations of this family name include: Curran, Currans, O'Curren, Curren, Corren, Corrane, O'Curran, Currens, Currin, Corraine, Courrane, Courran, Courren and many more. First found in county Waterford where they held a family seat from early times. Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: David Curran who settled in Maryland in 1699; Andrew, Bernard, Daniel, David, Edward, Elizabeth, George, James, John, Michael, Patrick, Peter, Richard, Thomas and William Curran all settled in Philadelphia Pa. between 1820 and 1872. Origin: Irish Coat of Arms: On a silver shield three small black shields. |
| Thomas and Mary's son Michael Curran Morgan married Ida May Shawen. Origin Displayed: Scottish The clans of the ancient Scottish Pictish tribe were the first to use the name shawhan. It was name for a person who shared some of the qualities attributed to a wolf. shawhan is a nickname surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one's personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress. The surame shawhan is derived from the Gaelic first name Sithech, which means wolf. Spelling variations of this family name include: Shaw, Shawe, Mac Ghille-Sheathanaich (Gaelic) and others. First found in Perthshire where they were seated from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects. Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Anne Shaw settled in Virginia in 1635; along with Richard and William; Donald Shaw settled in Virginia in 1716; Ewen Shaw settled in South Carolina in 1716. There appears to be a consensus among scholars of Irish surnames that the ancestors we seek come from the Dalcassian family of Siodhacháin. Variation among Surname Spellings Ireland The ship Encrease of Youghal, Ireland carried Thomas Shehawne and Cornelius Sheehane to Talbot County, Maryland in 1679. John O'Hart wrote in 1892 that the Dalcassians are one of three branches of the race of Heber. Heber Fionn was the eldest son of Milesius and the first Milesian monarch of Ireland jointly with his brother Heremon. Heremon killed Heber in 1698 B.C. "Dalcassian" is the anglicised form of Dal Cais, the name given to descendants of Cas, descendant of Cormac Cas, king of Munster in the fifth century. The various families were located chiefly in the part of Thomond presently county Clare. The ruling family of these were the O'Briens, kings of Thomond. The O'Sheehan's are one of about fifty of the primary families of the Dalcassian sept. The O'Cullen, O'Kenealy, and O'Sheehan were chiefs in the baronies of Conello, county Limerick. According to the Rev. Patrick Woulfe, O Shieghane, O Shehane, O'Sheehan, O'Sheahan, Sheehan, Sheahan, Sheean, Sheen, and Shean are descendants of Siodacan, (diminutive of riodac, peaceful) the name of a Dalcassian family numerous throughout Munster, especially in Cork, Kerry and Limerick. O Sheahan, O Shaghan, Sheahan, Shahan, Shean, and Shane are derived from Seadacain, a common variation of Siodacain. Shehan is a variation of Sheehan. There is also an old Galway family who were followers of O'Kelly of Ui Maine. A number of variant spellings found in Seamus Pender's 1659 census of Ireland include Sheghane, Shehane, O'Sheghane, and O'Sheehane. O'Sheaghane and O'Shyghane are also found. Thomas Laffan in his Hearth Money Records for 1665-1667 also lists alternative surname spellings under SHEEHAN in the index. These include O'Shighane, O'Shehane, Shehane, O'Shihane, Shehan, and Sheehane. Laffan indicates these records to be"the muster roll of the inhabitants of Tipperary five years after the restoration of Charles II., and thirteen years after the surrender of the last organized Irish force. The Hearth Money Tax was introduced soon after the return of Charles II., as it afforded a convenient instrument for extracting the last farthing from a defeated race." According to Bishop Fennelly "these lists were drawn up less than twenty years after the slaughter connected with the Cromwellian war...." "In the Cromwellian Settlement the Irish inhabitants, except a few of the labouring class, were ordered to depart to Connaught, where possessions were assigned to them in lieu of those from which they were expelled, and their former holdings were parcelled out amongst the Cromwellian soldiers and adventurers. In this way the whole of the County Tipperary was taken from its lawful owners, and carefully allotted to English and Scottish settlers." Robert Matheson's published list of surnames in Ireland includes Shane, Sheahan, Shean, Sheean, Sheen, and Shehan as variants of Sheehan, ranked 77th among one hundred of the principal surnames in 1890 Ireland. One example of a given surname derived from a personal name is McShane (MacShawn in Irish), son of John. Matheson describes "local variations in spelling and form, exhibiting the tendency of names to assume different forms in different localities; variations in spelling at pleasure; and changes owing to illiteracy and other causes." His report presents examples of the use of different names by the same person as a prevailing practice in parts of Ireland. Edward MacLysaght describes SHEEHAN an alternate spelling of Sheahan. In Irish the name is Ó Siodhacháin.. According to MacLysaght, Celtic scholars question Woulfe's conclusion that Siodacan is a diminutive of "riodac", peaceful. MacLysaght agrees with Woulfe that the sept originated as a Dalcassian one. He also notes that the O'Sheaghyn mentioned in Galway was not an O'Sheehan but rather the result of the gross attempt of a foreign official to write down the name O'Shaughnessy. By way of background, MacLysaght writes: "The subject of Irish families is one in which much interest is evinced, but the popular books usually consulted and regarded as authoritative, particularly in America, are in fact unreliable. The inaccurate and misleading information thus imparted with cumulative effect is, however, much more deplorable in the armorial sphere than in the genealogical." "The serious genealogist uses O'Hart (Irish Pedigrees) with caution, if at all, for he is a far from reliable authority except for the quite modern period." "... it is a pleasure to be able to say that there exists a book which deserves high praise: the Reverend Patrick Woulfe's Irish Names and Surnames." "There is no doubt that up to the middle of the seventeenth century many of the labouring class had no hereditary surnames." Barbados Barbados records include given names Dearman, Teague, Cornelius, Derby, Daniel, John, Edward, Thomas and Mary. Last name spellings include Shoham, Shahane, Shahan, Shon, Shenehan, Skahane, Shehan. Cornelius branch in Maryland In the course of research Elizabeth Shahan has come across over thirty variations in the spelling. "Cornelius, his son and grandson, (both named David) are listed variously as Sheehane; Shehane; Sheehan; Shehan; Shehaan; Shahan; Shehawn; Sheehawn; Sheehon; Shehon; Shehom; Sheehorn; and Shehorn, Shahorn, and Shahorne. Also on the Eastern Shore were Daniel, Darby, Dennis, Patrick and Thomas with spellings including Shehawne; Shehaun; Shawvin; Shawhan; Shawn; Shawen; Shawhawn, Shauhaun, and Shaughan. Thomas branch in Maryland The last name of the Thomas who arrived in 1679 aboard the ship "Encrease" was spelled Shehawne. In 1713 the Dorecheter county clerk wrote Shehane and Shehan in the same document. The Shehawn and Shawhane spellings continue through the century. Darby in Maryland Depending on the individual record, the last name of Darby who married Sarah Meeks was spelled Shawhawn (1707 marriage record), Shehan (Shad's Hole property record), Shawhan, Shehorne (bond), Sheighane (patent for Darby's Desire), and Shawn (1733 debt records and will of 1735). A Darby Shohon died in 1721, St. Mary's Co., Md. His wife was Elizabeth. Daniel branch of Darby A Daniel Shawhan witnessed the will of William Huddlestone in Kent Co., 1728. The Shehawn spelling is used in the 1733 tax list for Talbot Co. A Daniel Shehawne died in Talbot County in 1714. John Branch of Darby The Shawhorn spelling was used to record the marriage of John and Elizabeth and the birth of their son, Daniel in 1735. Various spellings including Shawhan, Shawhawn, Shawn, and Shehawn are found in the records. |
| VARIANTS: Shaughnessy, O'Shoughnessy, (O')Shannessy, O'Shanesy. ARMS: Vert, a tower triple towered argent supported by two lions rampant combattant or. MOTTO: FUGIT HORA. "The Hour Flies". NAME MEANING: "Elusive" It is yet to be determined how the O'Shaughnessy Coat-of-Arms became associated with the Shawhan surname. |
| It is more likely that the Shawhan surname derives from the Irish "Sheehan." "Sheehan is the Anglised version of O' Siochain which is the present day gaelic version. Older gaelic spellings were Siodhain and Sioghan. In the 16th/17th centuries a lot of anglised versions such as Shean, Shighan, Sighan existed. In present day gaelic Siochain translates to peace. The police force in Ireland is called the 'Garda Siochana' which translates to 'Civic Guard'. Also the Coat of Arms of the Sheehan's is a White Dove holding an Olive branch. "However as most Sheehans emigrated to America after the famine in the 1840's, most people entering America then would have spelled their names Sheehan or Sheahan. Emigration officials in the US often mispelled names which is another source of variation." Sheehans as well as the Sheehens are the descendants of the Gaelic Irish sept of the O'Siodhachain. The name is derived from Siodhach, which means "Peaceful". The O'Siodhachain sept were originally located in the barony of Lower Connello in County Limerick, where they were part of the Dal gCais tribal grouping. A further sept of O'Sheehan was established in Co. Galway, where they were of the Ui Maine and were hereditary trumpeters to the ruling O'Kellys. Further migration south meant that the County Limerick sept, established in County Cork and further at a later time in County Kerry. The name today, is ranked as the seventy seventh most numerous name in Ireland, with about 8,000 members strong. Counties Limerick, Cork, Kerry and Clare being the most favoured locations. Some noted of the name were Patrick A. Sheehan (1852-1913) known internationally, as Canon Sheehan, accomplished author; Most Rev. Richard A. Sheehan (1845-1915) Bishop of Waterford, author and promoter of the Irish language. VARIANTS: Sheahan, O'Shehane, O 'Sheehan, O'Sheahan. ARMS: Azure, on a mount in base vert a dove argent holding in the beak an olive branch proper. MOTTO: SEMPER PARATUS. 'Always prepared.". NAME MEANING: "Peaceful". |
| Ida's father, Alonzo Shawen, married Julie Guiney. Origin Displayed: Irish The Irish name Guiney was originally written in a Gaelic form as O Coinne, which means descendant of Coinneach. The personal name Coinneach was often Anglicized to Canice or Kenny. First found in county Tyrone where they were seated from ancient times. Spelling variations of this family name include: Quinney, Guinney, Guiney, Gunny, Gunie, Gunney, O'Quinney, O'Guinney and many more. First found in county Tyrone where they were seated from ancient times. Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Claudine Guenee landed in Louisiana in 1719; Richard Gunny landed in Virginia in 1637; Griffith, and Thomas Gunie settled in Virginia in 1623; Sarah Gunney settled in Virginia in 1653. Coat of Arms: Gold with a black stripe on which there are three silver trefoils. |
