Mathias Langan, Birth

Date, place, and parents unknown

Margaret _______ , Birth

Her death record indicates that Margaret (maiden name unknown) was born circa 1824, parents unknown.

It is possible that Margaret's maiden name was Farragher. Farraghers were sponsors at the baptisms her grandchildren (the children of Mathias Langan and of Bridget Langan Feerick),

Literacy

There are no records indicating the ability of either Mathias or Margaret to read and write. However, since most Irish Catholics in the west of Ireland were not literate at the time and their three known children, Pat, Bridget, and Mathias could not write, it can be assumed that Mathias and Margaret could neither read nor write. The sons and daughters of their son, Mathias, could read and write. At least one daughter of their daughter, Bridget, could not read or write.

Marriage of Mathias Langan and Margaret _________

Mathias Langan married Margaret _________, date and place unknown, before 1840.

Children of Mathias and Margaret Langan

1. Pat Langan, circa 1843

   Birth: Pat Langan was born circa 1843, place unkown.

   Marriage: Pat Langan never married. His death certificate listed him as single.

   Connections to the other Langans in this family:

   • Mathias Langan II :
     1. Patrick Langan was both "present at the birth" and reported the birth to the civil authorities of Maggie Langan, the daughter of Mathias Langan, born in Mochara in 1875
     2. He was the godfather to Maggie Langan, the daughter of Mathias Langan, in 1875
     3. He was was both "present at the birth" and reported the birth to the civil authorities of James Langan, the son of Mathias Langan, in 1877
   • Bridget Langan Feerick:
     1. He was the godfather of John, the son of Bridget Langan Feerick and John Feerick, in 1865.
     2. He was the godfather of Catherine, the daughter of Bridget Langan Feerick and John Feerick, in 1872
     3. He was the godfather of John, the son of Bridget Langan Feerick and John Feerick, in 1876
     4. Maggie Feerick, his neice and the daughter of Bridget Langan Feerick and John Feerick, reported the death of Pat Langan.

   • Margaret _______ Langan
     1. Pat Langan reported the death of his mother, Margaret Langan, in 1876.

   Pat Langan, Sponsor or Witness, to Non-Langan Events:

   In addition to being a sponsor or witness for Bridget Langan Feerick and Mathias Langan, Pat Langan was the sponsor or witness for the following rites:

   1. Sponsor with Mary Flann (?) of Mary, the daughter of Thomas Reilly and Sara Flann (unsure of surname) on September (can't read) 1864.
   2. Sponsor with Ellen McDonnell for Margaret, the daughter of Pat Heveran and Peggy Thornton of Ballinrobe on August 11, 1866.

      Note:

      McDonnell (O'Donnell) was not a common name in Ballinrobe at the time. Ellen O'Donnell was born a Walsh; she married Richard O'Donnell. See Relatives of John Walsh.

   3. Pat Langan was a witness, with Mary Moraghan, at the marriage of Michael Walsh and Mary Robison on October 26, 1868.
   4. Sponsor for the son of John Murphy in 1876.

      Note:

      John Murphy was the name of one of the sponsors of John, the son of John Walsh in 1861. See Relatives of John Walsh

   Death: Pat Langan, bachelor, age 45, labourer, died on September 29, 1888, of diabetes, address, High Street, Ballinrobe. The records indicate that he had suffered from diabetes for 21 months and that the death was certified. The death was reported by his neice, Maggie Feerick, who was listed as "present at the death".

2. Bridget Langan Feerick, circa 1841

   Birth: Bridget Langan Feerick was born circa 1841, place unknown.

   Marriage: Before 1863, husband John Feerick, place unknown.

   Children: John Feerick and Bridget Langan had the following children:

   1. Stephen Feerick, of John Feerick and Bridget Langan, was baptized on June 29, 1863, sponsors: Thomas Faracher and Mary Hession, alias Mrs. Haveran.
   2. John Feerick, of John Feerick and Bridget Langan, was baptized July 15, 1865, sponsors: Pat Langan and Mary Carroll. The civil birth record for John lists his date of birth as August 8, 1865. John senior was listed as a labourer. The address was simply Ballinrobe.

      Death: John Feerick, age ¸ year, laborer's child, died on August 10 of convulsions. The death was reported by Biddy Feerick.

   3. Bridget Feerick, of John Feerick and Bridget Langan, was baptized on July 26, 1866, sponsors: John Mally and Mrs. Malley. This birth was listed in the civil records. No additional information.
   4. James Feerick, of John Feerick and Bridget Langan, was baptized on August 26, 1869, sponsors: Mathias Langan and Kitty Feerick.

      Death: According to South Mayo Family Research Centre he died November 30, 1874

   5. Margaret Feerick, of John Feerick and Bridget Langan of High Street Ballinrobe, was baptized on August 16, 1870, sponsors: M Langan and Margaret Fenerty.

      Note:

      "M" Langan was the male sponsor and was most likely Mathias Langan. However, it could have been Michael Langan who also lived in Ballinrobe.

   6. Catherine Feerick, of John Feerick and Bridget, "a Langan", baptized May 30, 1872, sponsors: Pat Langan and Catherine Duffy.

      Death: Catherine Feerick must have died ; another Catherine was baptized in 1873.

   7. Catherine Feerick, of John Feerick and Bridget Langan, was baptized on October 28, 1873, sponsors: Pat Stanton and Catherine Stanton.
   8. John Feerick, of John Feerick and Bridget Langan was baptized on July 20, 1876, sponsors: Pat Langan and Bridget Tarpey.

      Notes:

      • Bridget Tarpey was a sponsor with Mathias Langan of Sara, the daughter of Thomas Farragher and Margaret Lawley (?), on October 27, 1885. There was no lising for Tarpey in the 2003 local phone book.
      • Mathias Langan was closely associated with Martin Farragher.

   Bridget Langan Feerick Connections to Mathias and Pat Langan:

   1. Mathias Langan II:
      1. Mathias Langan was the godfather of Bridget Langan Feerick's son, James in 1869.
      2. "M" Langan was the godfather of Bridget Langan Feerick's daughter, Margaret in 1870.

   2. Patrick Langan
      1. See Pat Langan above

   Bridget Langan Feerick in the 1901 Irish Census :

   # 23 Creagh Road, Ballinrobe:

   • Bridget Feerick age 60, cannot read or write, widow, washwoman
   • Margaret, daughter age 28, cannot read or write, washwoman, single
   • Mary Tongy (?), granddaughter, age 7, can read and write

   Note: This information indicates that Bridget Feerick was born circa 1841 and that Margaret Feerick was born circa 1873. Margaret could have been the person baptised as "Catherine".

   Other Records for Bridget Feerick:

   There were eleven baptisms, dating from 1852 to 1876 (a twenty four year period), listed in the Ballinrobe Parish records for the children of John Feerick and his wife, "Bridget". The baptisms after 1863 specifically list Bridget Langan as the mother.

   Note: There was more than one John Feerick in the parish

   As a sponsor or witness to Non-Langan events:

   Bridget Langan was the sponsor to John of John and Mary Hession, sponsors, Bart (?) Colen (?) and Bridget Langan, December 19, 1878, Parkgame.

3. Mathias, circa 1841

   Mathias married Penelope Byrne in Mohorra in 1865. They had five children, Patrick in 1866, Martin in 1872, Maggie in 1875, James in 1877, and Bridget in 1879.

   For details see Mathias Langan

If the family of Mathias and Margaret Langan was typical of other Irish families in the area, they probably had other children.

According to the pattern of the time, one male child married, one female child married, and one or two children (male or female) remained at home as celebate adults. Most other children emigrated. There does not appear to have been a birth order preference in who married, who remained celebate, and who emigrated.

Pat , Bridget, and Mathias fit the pattern for the children who remained in Ireland.

Did Mathias and Margaret have other children who went to America, or some other place?

It is highly likely that Mathias and Margaret Langan had other children who emigrated. Since Mathias II eventually emigrated to New York, it is possible that he had brothers and/or sisters who had emigrated before him.

Mathias Langan I in the Tithe and Griffith Tax Records

There were no listings for Mathias Langan, in the Tithe Applotment (a tax record done in the 1820 to 1830s) or the Griffith Valuation (Tax records from the 1850s to the turn of the century) . This probably indicates that he was living with someone else who was listed as a head of household in both of these records.

Notes:

• There were no Langans listed in the Tithe Applotment in Ballinrobe in 1827.
• There was a Martin Langan and Company listed in the townland of Houndswood in Cong Parish in the Tithe Applotment done in that parish in 1834. Cong Parish which lies partly in County Mayo and partly in county Galway is to the south of Ballinrobe Parish and west of Shrule. While it is in a seperate parish, Houndswood is directly accross the road from Mochara in Shrule Parish. Mochara was the birthplace of both the wife of Mathias Langan and several of his children.
• There was a James Langan listed in the Griffith in Ballinrobe in 1851. Subsequent records do not show any connection between James Langan and the family of Mathias Langan.

Death Of Mathias Langan I

Mathias Langan, Senior died before 1867. There is a Griffith Ledger for Ballinrobe that includes the dates 1867-1868, however it may date to as early as 1865. Mathias' widow, Margaret, was listed as a head of household in this ledger. She replaced Michael Mochan at number 10, Creagh Road, Town of Ballinrobe, Carrownalecka. Unfortunately, no date was entered in the margin to indicate the year the change took place.

I did not found the death record of Mathias Langan, Senior between 1864 (when the civil records start in Ireland) and 1867. It is highly likely that he died before 1864.

Margaret Langan in the Griffith Tax Records

Margaret Langan was listed in the Griffith Ledger dated 1867-1868 at #10, Creagh Road, Carrownaleck, Town of Ballinrobe.

For more information on the Langans in the Griffith Tax ledgers, see below.

Death of Margaret Langan

Margaret Langan, widow, age 52, of Creagh Road, Ballinrobe died on November 10, 1876, of Pneumonia. She had been ill for four days, did not seek medical attention, and the death was "uncertified". The death was reported by Pat, his mark, Langan who was present at the death.