The Callans and McClarys, by John Edward Callan - Callanworld

Children of Philip and Kitty Callan, circa 1925. Standing: (L-R) Philip, Catherine (“Kate”, grandmother of author of
this article Jim Lynch), Rose, Margaret, and John. Seated (L-R): James, Maria and Luke (author of Ireland -- After Forty
Years).
Callans from other Townlands
and mostly with burial dates of
the 1900s.
From From From Coolkill Coolkill to to to America America
America
All eight children of Philip
Callan and Rose Boylan emigrated
from Ireland to America
between 1854 and 1890. Some
left single and others left after
they married and had their
children in Ireland. Below is
detailed what is known about
each of their lives in America
in the sections devoted to their
family branches. The following
is a summary of each child and
is ordered in the time sequence
that they left for America.
Luke Luke Luke Luke Luke Callan Callan Callan Callan Callan (1834-1916),
(1834-1916)
(1834-1916) (1834-1916)
(1834-1916)
the eldest child, was the first to
leave the old sod. He arrived in
America in 1854 at age 20. He
initially lived in Woonsocket,
RI, married there and eventually
settled in Middleboro, MA.
Luke died there in 1916. His
great-grandson, Paul Callan of
Middleboro, has been our
contact on this branch of our
Callans.
James James James James James Callan Callan Callan Callan Callan (1835-1887)
(1835-1887) (1835-1887) (1835-1887)
(1835-1887)
left the home in Coolkill in
1857 to study for the priesthood
at All Hallows College in
Dublin. He
left for
missionary
work in the
gold fields
around
Marysville,
California,
in 1862. He
is often
cited prominently
in
literature
about the
pioneering
priests of
the gold
rush days.
He died in
Marysville
in 1887,
after serving
for many
years there
as a parish
priest at St.
Joseph;s
Church. The principal sources
on James have been Colm
McQuinn, Archivist, All Hallows
College and two books
written on the early priests in
California, Hallowed Hallowed Hallowed Hallowed Hallowed Were Were Were Were Were
The The The The The Gold Gold Gold Gold Gold Dust Dust Dust Dust Dust Trails, Trails Trails Trails Trails 1946,
by Henry L. Walsh, S.J. and
Condemned Condemned Condemned Condemned Condemned To To To To To The The The The The Mines, Mines Mines Mines Mines
1976, by John T. Dwyer.
A distant cousin, Jetty
O'Rorke Uebner from Cathey's
Valley, CA, graciously responded
to our interest in Fr.
Callan by going to Marysville,
Calif. in search of Fr. Callan's
burial place. The photos on
the next two pages are the
~ 17 ~
The Callans and McClarys
results of her quest. At top left
of page 22 is Father James
Callan himself, in a photo that
likely was taken In Seneca Falls
when visiting his brother Bernard,
our ancestor. In the third
column is St. Joseph's Church,
Marysville, CA., built in 1855.
Fr. Callan first served here
when he arrived from Ireland
in 1862. Then, it was the
bishopdom of the Catholic
Church for that region of
California.
This was changed in the
early 1880s when Sacramento
was designated the bishopdom.
Fr. Callan, over the years,
served as Pastor in a number of
parishes within the Diocese,
building the first church in
some. His last assignment was
as Pastor of St. Joseph's, where
he died in 1887. His tombstone
is pictured on page 22 as well.
On the next page is also a
closeup of the tombstone, and
his death record from St.
Joseph’s..
Fr. Callan shares his
tombstone with six other
priests. Each are buried within
the base circle surrounding the
common tombstone. At one
time, smaller tomb-stones were
within the circle for each of the
seven priests, marking their
specific burial site. They were
destroyed years ago by vandals.
If you look close enough on
the circle on the previous page,
you will see remnants of the
individual grave markers.
Bernard Bernard Bernard Bernard Bernard James James James James James Callan Callan Callan Callan Callan
(1844-1879)
(1844-1879) (1844-1879) (1844-1879)
(1844-1879) left Coolkill for