Today I researched my husband's side of the family, the Finnegan family, Michael and Jane Farley Finnegan. I'm sure as I write this I will think of countless items to research. We know that Mike Finnegan came to Ontario, Canada before 1847 and Jane's family came about 1832. They were early pioneers of area northwest of Toronto. I found Mike and Jane's marriage record on ancestry which put them at Caledon in Peel County. They were married at Gore Mission Catholic Church on Feb. 14, 1847. I have the microfilm for Gore Mission at the FHC in Sycamore and am reviewing it. Hopefully I will find more dates for the Farley and Finnegans on the film because it sure is tedious work. There are possibilites on the mallowheritage.com website for Jane's parents, Owen (alternate gaelic spelling is Eugene) Farley and Francis Corrigan but not enough info to buy transcriptions. They mostly likely were born in Co. Armagh, N. Ireland, but their oldest children are said to be born in Monaghan Co., Ireland. Have to find out where that info came from. They were Catholic per census records.
Census records have lead me through Mike and Jane's time spent in Canada, 1851 to 1871. Mike and Jane and their family packed up their belongings and traveled with their daughter Mary and her husband Mike Farrell to Wisconsin about 1872. Per Mike Farrell's obit they spent at least three years in Clark Co., Wisconsin, probably near Colby. The family story is that they lived in Hawkins, Rusk Co. and Colby. Also per the obit is that Mike Farrell came down to WI when he was about 18 and lived and worked for a few years then went back to Canada and married Mary Finnegan. It could've been because of him that they all left for Wisconsin. It's also possible that Mike and Jane Finnegan went straight to Wrightstown, Brown County, WI and didn't stay in Colby, but it doesn't seem likely.
It was just the week before last that I received an email from a Finnegan cousin from Wisconsin who saw my inquiry on ancestry for the Finnegans. I emailed him back and he told me that Jane Finnegan's maiden name was Farley. So I have been on trail of the Farley family. Through ancestry I have been in touch with a relative of Jane Farley's family and she has kindly shared with me all the work she has done on the Farley, Finnegans and Farrells. I in turn sent all that I have gathered on the Farrells and Finnegans. Now I will be able to compare what I have found with hers. This is so much fun. Jane Farley's parents are Owen Farley and Francis Corrigan as mentioned above. They also are listed in the Canadian census records. Owen died in 1860 per the mortality notice in the 1861 census and Francis died sometime after 1871 census and before the 1881 census. I haven't been able to find her death record on ancestry.
Some of my goals are:
-To pinpoint when did the Finnegans and Farrells arrived in Brown Co., WI. Check the census records again. Farrells were not enumerated in 1880 in Wrightstown but the Finnegans were in the Village. Mike and Mary's daug. Mae was born in Wrighstown in 1877 and they were not listed on the plat map for 1875 so believe they came to Wrightstown around 1876. Have to check tax records.
-When did the Finnegans arrive in Canada and through what port.
-Where are Mike and Jane Finnegan buried, his death record said Wrightstown, her's Greenleaf, looked at both cemeteries but caretakers said no Finnegans listed in their books. Will have to go to Green Bay diocese archives and look at microfilm.
-Check at Corfin Library at Green Bay Univ. of WI for will for Mike Finnegan
That's it for today, made some progress and churned up a bunch of questions.
FOLLOW THE TRAIL
