Pgs 412-686 - Illinois Ancestors

I 652
BIOGRAPHY AND REMINISCENCES
Mrs. Brajn died at Wady Petra in July, 1886. Slle married Geo. Brain
in 1854, six years after her emigration from tlie Isle of Man, ant1 eight
years preceding the cleat11 of her husbsncl. To Mr. im~l Mrs. Chase
four children mere born, of mho~n Virginius I-I. and Victor P., are at
home. In politics he is Republican, and in all local antl county affairs
liberal and enterprising.
Ber~~.nrcl CoZynn, one o-f! the ~ilost prolilinentl fasn~ers of Valley
township, mas born in Ilomn county, Ireland, ill 1836. IIe ilemainecl
in his native land until twenty years of age,-nntl then started to nlake
n home in the new world, lantiing at Ne\v 1 orl;. IIe crr'lne at orice to
Stark county, Ill., antl been working as low \.as t welre tlollars per
month. After several years he rentetl 1 i l 11e \~orlretl until
1865 when he purchased an eighty tract on section 16. In ,Jan., 1567,
he married DiIiss Ann Slogan, m7ho is also a, native of I~elnntl. After
their marriage they rema~ned some seven years upon this place ancl
then removecl to a farin on section 2, ~vhicll he had purchasecl. llere
they have since residecl, and built up their p~esent 1)eau t i f ul llome.
Eight chilclren have blessed their marriage, all 0-1 wllo~n make their
home wit11 their parents. Mary, Francis, Edwarcl, James, John,
Bernard, Margaret, Rose. Thoinas is nuinberecl anlong tll e dei~d.
Mr. Colgan is a ineinber of the Catholic church, of whicll 11is fa111ily
- are all members. In politics he is decidedly Deniocrntic. IIe has now
240 acres of choice fi~rining land, ancl is ~vell Bno~vn as one of our best
farmers.
'Johr~ A. CoZgnn, born at Greencastle, Down county, Ireland, February
14, 1886, is the son of Ecl ward ancl Sarah (Jbennan) Colpn, and
grandson of Patrick and Catherine (Fitzpatrick) Colg111, of L~snacree,
in that co~~ntv, who nTere the cllildren of Ed~vartl Colgan, of Augliioguhill,
ancl ~ e d Fitzpatrick, s of Bally macclurph y, of Down county, the
former a wearer, ancl the latter a. farmer ancl blaclrsmith. The inaternal
granclparents of John A. were Jaules and Rose (Li~l~ds) Erennan,
of Ballamena, and on both sicles the family history call be tracecl hack
to the Irish Erians and to the illnstrious 'Colgan family, one of ~rl~om
was the celebrated historian. To Patri.clc ancl his wife Catherme nlne
chilclren were born, one of whom came to the United States. Ed warcl
Colgan was ~rlarriecl in 1834 ; niovecl to Greencastle, wllere he died in
1848. His wiclolv came to America in 1865, and now resides with her
son, John A. Iler children are John A. Colgan, James, who was
drowned at St. John's, Patriclz, Mary, Kate, now hlrs. Win. Gill,
Peter, clrownecl near Liverpool, and Thomas, all survivors of the family
residing in this township. John A. Colgarl was talien by his pater-
, nal grandparents in 1837, ant1 lived with them eigl2teen years. He
then moved to Liverpool to learn the ship-carpenter's trade, but returnecl
in a short time and remained at llome until 1856, when lle
came to Illinois, resideg near Briinfielcl for three years. Subse nently
he freiglitetl between Kansas City and Ft. Learen~vorth and Ft.%nion,
N. M., but after seven months, returned to Peoria count^^. In the
spring of 1.563 he purchased eighty acres in Valley. In "~ebrunry,
186'7, he married Miss Sarah Colgan, a very clistant relative, ~vllo
shared his fortunes until cleath took her away in June, 1882. On