The exact birth date of Patrick J. Dorgan is unknown. He was born on his father’s farm in Carrigkilter, Ballycotton, Parish of Cloyne, Cork County, Ireland. There is no known birth or baptismal certificate.
When Patrick arrived at Ellis Island, New York on October 28, 1896, he gave his age as 40 which would have him born in 1856. He gave his townland as Ballylanders in the P.L.U., (Reg. Dist.) of Middleton in the civil parish of Ballintemple. On the US census of 1900 he gave his age as 39, born in August 1860. On his 1928 Declaration of Intention to become a US citizen he gave his age as 65, born March 17, 1863. His death certificate says he was born April 26, 1860.
In 1972 and again in the 1990s, Patricia Maguire visited DORGAN relatives and spent time with the Healy family of Ballybraher. The Healy’s live on the farm where Patrick Dorgan, the father of Patrick J. Dorgan, was born and lived. This farm passed to David Dorgan, Patrick J. Dorgan’s brother, who later passed it on to his sister Mary’s son, John Healy. This is what happened:
David Dorgan, Patrick J. Dorgan’s brother, married a woman named Elizabeth Ahearne. They had no children. However, David Dorgan took in his sister Mary’s son, John Healy and Elizabeth Ahearne took in her sister’s daughter, Margaret Grahame. John Healy and Margaret Grahame were newly married before they arrived at Ballybraher. They had a marriage “arranged” by their respective families. John Healy and Margaret Grahame had five children: Elizabeth, John Christopher, David and Jeremiah (twins) and James. None of the Healy children married. To this day, the three surviving children, Elizabeth, John Christopher and David live on the ancestral Dorgan farm in Ballybraher which is a townland of Ballycotton in East County Cork, Ireland. I visited them in April 2005.
Before his marriage, Patrick Dorgan moved from the ancestral Dorgan farm at Ballybraher, which was inherited by his older brother, David Dorgan, to Carrigkilter, a mile down the road from Ballybraher. This property was formerly leased by James Walsh of Ballyandreen. James Walsh went bankrupt, and Patrick J. Dorgan bought his farm in Carrigkilter in 1886.
Before he immigrated to America, Patrick J. Dorgan sold his farm to Daniel O’Connell and his wife, Ellen Curtin, from Catairsaibin, County Kerry. The O’Connell’s had five children: Patrick who went to the USA and was killed, Thomas who was a steeplejack, William, Jack and Daniel.
The house and barns that Patrick Dorgan built are still standing today at Carrigkilter. Daniel O’Connell, Jr. sold this farm to the Murphy family from Cork City. The Murphy’s did not reside there. They rented it to a single young man. Since that time the house and barns have sold a few times.
Patrick J. Dorgan lived in Carrigkilter, Civil Parish of Ballintemple, East County Cork between 1886 and 1896. Ballybraher and Carrigkilter are adjoining townlands. Ballybraher is in the Civil Parish of Cloyne, East County Cork and Carrigkilter is in the Civil Parish of Ballintemple, East County Cork. Nearby is Ballycotton, a townland consisting of three areas: Ballycotton (466 acres), Ballycotton Island (9 acres) and Ballycotton Small Island (4 acres). The townland of Ballycotton is twenty-five miles from Cork City and one hour from Cork Airport. It is a village that has a population of over five hundred people.
| The division of land is as follows: | |
|---|---|
|
PLACENAMES: |
Ballybraher (Carrigkilter)
|
|
TOWNLAND: |
Ballycotton (also spelled Ballycottin) |
|
CIVIL PARISH: |
Cloyne (Ballintemple) |
|
POOR LAW UNION: |
Middleton |
|
BARONY: |
Imokilly |
|
COUNTY: |
Cork |
|
PROVINCE: |
Munster |
Patrick Dorgan was a farmer who raised animals. When the economy went sour and the animals began to die he finally left Ireland. His wife, Mary Catherine Hartnett, already had relatives (cousins?) in Rhode Island. Patrick stayed with the Hartnett relatives and found work in Providence as a laborer.
Patrick Dorgan left from Cobh (Queenstown), Cork, Ireland on 22 October 1896 and arrived in the US at Ellis Island, New York, on 28 October 1896 aboard the White Star Line Ship Teutonic.
His wife, Mary Hartnett, and their five children: Anne Theresa, Michael Joseph, Patrick Francis, David Andrew, and William Joseph followed him eight months later in June 1897. They left Cobh (Queenstown), Cork, Ireland on 3 June 1897 and arrived at Ellis Island, New York on 9 June 1897. Shortly afterward, they established themselves in Providence, Rhode Island, and had two more children, Timothy John and Mary Catherine.
Coincidentally, Patrick and Mary sailed the same ship Teutonic to New York but on different dates. Here is a description of that ship:
was a 9,984 gross ton ship, built in 1889 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast for the White Star Line. Her details were – length 565.8ft x beam 57.8ft, two funnels, three masts, twin screw and a speed of 19 knots. There was passenger accommodation for 300-1st, 190-2nd and 1,000-3rd class. Launched on 19th Jan.1889, she sailed from Liverpool for Spithead on 1st Aug. to take part in the Naval Review, and was the first Armed Merchant Cruiser. On 7th Aug.1889 she commenced her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Queenstown (Cobh) and New York. In Aug.1891 she made a record passage of 5 days 16 hrs 31mins between Queenstown and Sandy Hook, and commenced her last Liverpool – Queenstown – New York voyage on 15th May 1907. On 12th Jun.1907 she started Southampton – Cherbourg – New York sailings and commenced her last voyage on this service on 19th Apr.1911. Transferred to the Liverpool – Quebec – Montreal service on 13th May 1911 with accommodation for 550-2nd and 1,000-3rd class passengers. On 20th Sep.1914 she was requisitioned as an Armed Merchant Cruiser and served with the 10th Cruiser Squadron. On 16th Aug.1915 she was purchased by the British Admiralty and became a troopship in 1918. Laid up at Cowes, Isle of Wight in 1921 and was scrapped later the same year at Emden. [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.2, p.759]
Patrick J. Dorgan’s wife, Mary Catherine Hartnett, and their five children: Anne Theresa, Michael Joseph, Patrick F., David A., and William John followed him eight months later on the same ship, Teutonic. They left Cobh (Queenstown), Cork, Ireland on 3 June 1897 and arrived at Ellis Island, New York on 9 June 1897. Shortly afterwards, they established themselves in Providence, Rhode Island.
Patrick had petitioned to become a US citizen since 1916. Along with his sons, David A. Dorgan and Michael J. Dorgan and Richard Hartnett, he took citizenship classes either at the library or a school during the War years 1917-1918.
My friend, Ed Duggan of Providence, Rhode Island sent this email to me on 12 March 2006:
“The reason for this mail is because last week I was in the R.I. Historical Library on Hope St. in Prov. As I was going thru some manuscript papers I found that they had list of immigrants who decided to become citizens thru classes in libraries, schools, etc for 1917-1918, the war years. As I was reading the names on the list for Providence I saw these names, maybe they are relatives.”
Patrick Dorgan 125 Wayne Street, age 56, came into U.S. at 20 yrs old.
David A. Dorgan 125 Wayne Street, age 22,
Michael J. Dorgan 10 Huron Street, age 28,
Richard Hartnett 17 1/2 Peter Street, age 48,
The comment concerning Patrick Dorgan, “came to the U.S. at 20 years old”, is obviously incorrect. Perhaps what should have been commented is “came to the U.S. 20 years ago!”
Richard Hartnett must have been related to Patrick Dorgan’s wife, Mary Catherine Hartnett. But how? There is only one Richard Hartnett who immigrated from Ireland through Castel Garden (1830-1912): Richard Hartnett, Laborer, 20, Male, Arrived 24 Oct 1885 from Ireland, on-board the ship, Catalonia.
Finally, Patrick became a US citizen on May 15, 1933 at the US District Court in Providence. At that time he was living at 170 Richland Street, Cranston, RI. He was a stationary fireman. His sponsors were John H. Maguire, his son-in-law, who was a trucking contractor living at 21 College Road in Providence, RI and John H. O’Brien, the husband of his wife’s sister, Ellen who was also a contractor and builder living at 100 Bolton Avenue, Providence, RI.
Patrick suffered a debilitating stroke in the mid-late 1930s. He died at the home of his son Michael, 213 Woodbine Street in Cranston on December 9, 1937. This was a three-story tenement house. Michael Dorgan occupied the first floor. Thomas A. Dorgan, Sr. occupied the second floor and Patrick and Mary Dorgan occupied the third floor.
Appeared in the Providence Journal on 10 December 1937, page 9:
“PATRICK DORGAN DIES
Industrial Trust Building Aide Succumbs in East Greenwich
“Patrick Dorgan, husband of Mary (Hodnett) (sic=Hartnett) Dorgan, a fireman in the Industrial Trust building and a resident of Providence for 37 years, died yesterday morning at his home, Division Street, East Greenwich. Mr. Dorgan was born in County Cork, Ireland, son of the late Patrick and Ann (Flynn) Dorgan and came here at an early age. He leaves his widow, four sons, Michael J. of Auburn; P. Francis of Providence; David A. Dorgan, past State Department commander of V.F.W., and William J. Dorgan of East Greenwich; two daughters, Mrs. Ann T. Maguire of Edgewood and Mrs. James Moriarty of Cranston, and 20 grandchildren. The funeral will be held at 8:15 Monday morning at the home of his sister (sic=daughter), Mrs. Moriarty, 306 Washington Avenue, Edgewood. There will be a solemn high mass of requiem in St. Paul’s Church, Edgewood, at 9 o’clock. Burial will be in St. Ann’s Cemetery, Cranston.”
Patrick J. Dorgan is buried in St. Ann’s Cemetery, Cranston, Rhode Island, Section 7, Lot 1123, next to his wife, Mary Catherine Hartnett.
On October 26, 2005, her Great-Grandson, William J. Dorgan III ordered a headstone to be engraved and erected to the memory of these East County Cork, Ireland immigrant-pioneers to Rhode Island: Patrick J. Dorgan and his wife, Mary Catherine Hartnett.
