Francis Brannigan : Short Biography

Our immigrants from the BRANNIGAN family were our Great Grandparents FRANCIS BRANNIGAN (born c. 1819) most likely in Reclain, Donaghmore Parish, County Tyrone and SUSAN MORRIS (born March 2, 1819) in Altaglushin, Killeeshil Parish, County Tyrone Ireland.  At this publication, I have not found the birth/baptism records for Francis Brannigan.  Susan Morris as I stated was born on March 2, 1819.  Her parents were John Morris and Brigid Carr.  From the records we found during our recent trip, Susan had four Brothers.  John Morris, born June 1, 1821.  Patrick Morris, born June 21, 1824.  And twins, William and Felix Morris, born May 17, 1826.  (Note: Susan and John's parents were John Morris and Brigid Carr, however, Patrick, William and Felix's parents were John Morris and Elizabeth Carr.  It seems that Brigid Carr died between 1821 and 1824 (very possibly during childbirth in 1821) and John Morris remarried to Elizabeth Carr.  Speculate that Elizabeth Carr was Brigid Carr's Sister).

FRANCIS BRANNIGAN and SUSAN MORRIS were married in Donaghmore Parish, County Tyrone, Ireland on January 16, 1838.  Francis and Susan had nine children. Their first four children were born in Donaghmore Parish, County Tyrone, Ireland.  All four Baptism records state that they lived in the Townland Reclain, Tyrone, Ireland.  (Note: In a recent visit to Ireland, my Brother Don and I along with a Cousin Daria Walsh (visited both the Reclain Townland and Altaglushin Townland). The first four children born in Ireland were Elizabeth (b. May 25, 1839), John (b. June 24, 1841), James (b. November 3, 1843) and Brigid (b. January 19, 1846).  The rest of their children (Felix b. 1849, Francis b. 1851, Sarah b. 1854, Michael b. 1856 and our Grandfather Owen b. February 6, 1860) were all born in County Durham, England.

That area of County Tyrone at that time was primarily farm land and our family there at that time were most likely tenant farmers.  Through these dates, we know that Francis and Susan left Ireland and went to County Durham, England between 1846 and 1849.  These dates were during the time of the Great Hunger so it's reasonable to assume that the Famine drove them to leave.  Going from Farmer to Coal Miner.

In County Durham, England Francis worked as a laborer in the coal mines there.  (We have this from both the 1851 and 1861 English Census records).  Francis and Susan, with their children stayed in County Durham, England until they immigrated to the U.S.  They arrived at Castle Garden. New York on the Ship named Denmark on July 29, 1869 with Brigit, Felix, Francis, Susan, Michael and Owen.  From there, they made their way to Plains in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.  They settled in Plains and Francis continued to work as a Laborer in the coal mines in the area.  In reviewing the US Census Records for Plains Township, PA in 1870, I find that the other three children Elizabeth Brannigan Loughran, John Brannigan and James Brannigan had also immigrated to Plains.  In the 1870 US Census, John Brannigan and Elizabeth Brannigan Loughran lived next door to each other.  Also in the 1870 US Census, James Brannigan and Francis Brannigan (with his wife Susan and the remaining children) lived next door to each other.  All these residences were very close to each other which shows that the entire family stayed very close after immigrating.  I believe that Elizabeth Brannigan Loughran and John Brannigan immigrated in the mid-1860s. According to the 1870 US Census, John's oldest child Alexander's place of birth was the Atlantic Ocean.  It appears that James Brannigan and his family immigrated later in 1869 (Nov 5, 1869).

By following the U.S. Census records through 1870, 1880 and beyond, they lived the rest of their lives in Plains, PA.  Francis died on August 12, 1898 in Plains, PA and is buried at the Sacred Heart Cemetery in Plains, PA.  Francis left a Will when he died (Note: we have a copy in our records) where he leaves three (3) homes to his children Francis, Sarah and Owen.  Susan appears on the 1880 U.S. Census but is not mentioned in Francis' Will in 1898, so speculate that Susan died sometime between 1880 and 1898.  (Note: the 1890 U.S. Census was lost, leaving a gap in research). I believe that she is also buried at the Sacred Heart Cemetery in Plains, PA.  (Contact with Sacred Heart Church in Plains, PA could help confirm her date of death).

All the children worked as laborers in the coal mines in and around Plains Township and became very involved with the labor movement of the time and Union organizing, including our Grandfather Owen Brannigan.  Francis’s son James was mentioned in the publication of the United Mine Workers national convention in Indianapolis, IN in 1904.  James was the delegate representing Plains Township at this convention. 

Owen Brannigan married Mary Morris in Plains, PA c.1883 and had 12 children. Only 7 of these children survived. I have no records of the children that didn’t survive because they were born and died between census records. The only reason I know this is that in one census, they ask the questions – How many children and How many children living. Mary answered 12 total children and 7 children living. The seven were Thomas b. 1885, Edgar b. 1891, Catherine b. 1893, Mary (Marie) b. 1896, Francis b. 1901, Augustus b. 1904 and our Father Eugene b. Sep 25, 1906.  All of Owen’s male children continued to work as Coal Miners except Edgar who worked with one of the local Railroads.  Edgar was killed in a Railroad accident in his mid-30s.  Our Grandfather, Owen, died at an early age (55) of Pneumonia.  When Owen died, our Father, Eugene, was 9 years old and had to leave school to work.  He began working as a “breaker boy” and eventually moved on to other jobs in the mines. This was the last generation of the Brannigans to work as Coal Miners.  One story we have from a cousin is that there were many fruit trees in the yard at the family home at 98 Burke St., Plains, PA and our Grandmother Mary made alcohol from the fruit trees and sold it during the depression years.  The story says that the local police knew about this and turned a blind eye because she was a widow trying to survive.

Eugene J. Brannigan (our Father was born in Plains, PA on Sep 25, 1906 and died on Sep 25, 1975). He married our Mother, Anna C. Quinn (who was born in Plymouth, PA on Jan 7, 1914 and died Nov 21, 1983) at St. Vincent’s Church in Plymouth, PA on Jun 30, 1934. They had four children. Maureen Brannigan Apolinaro (b. Feb 23, 1937), Thomas Donald Brannigan (b. Jul 25, 1938), Paul Joseph Brannigan (b. May 12, 1946 – d. Oct 12, 1995) and Thomas Augustine Brannigan (b. Jan 9, 1948).