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I'm looking for information about my 3x great-grandfather Hugh MILLIGAN.  He was married to Margaret and they emigrated to New Zealand with their family (9 children) in 1858.

I've found a reference to a marriage in 1851 - 

"At Kilmacrenan, on Monday, the 20th inst., by the Rev. Henry C. Cochran, MR H. MILLIGAN, of Killygarvan, to MARGARET HOOD CLARKE, fifth daughter of the late MR JOHN CLARKE, of Ballymacreely, county Down."

The names match those of my ancestors, but the date has me confused!  

Their 9 children were born between 1837 and 1851.  Would there have been any reason (or impediment) to the marriage occurring after most of their children were born? 

Any information or background for Hugh and Margaret that could help solve this mystery would be appreciated.

Thanks

Catherine

catherineh

Sunday 11th Jan 2015, 03:09AM

Message Board Replies

  • Hi Catherine
    Here is another marriage of Hugh Milligan in Down 1839:
    9-Nov-1839
    Parish / District: DOWN County: Co. Down
    Husband Wife
    Name: Hugh Milligan Susan Morgan
    Address: Ardtanagh Ardtanagh
    Denomination: Roman Catholic Roman Catholic
    There is no other info re parents' names.
    Could Margaret be his second wife?
    Col

    ColCaff, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Sunday 11th Jan 2015, 03:50AM

  • Here are the birth records of Hugh Milligan's children for rootsireland.ie/:
    Thomas 1851 Ann Jane 1853 - mother of both Margaret O'Neill
    I couldn't find any earlier births or births with Susan Morgane as mother
    Col

    ColCaff, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Sunday 11th Jan 2015, 04:14AM

  • Thanks Col

    We had also wondered if Hugh's marriage to Margaret was a second marriage, but have not been able to find anything to confirm this.

    I don't think the two births you've found are "our" Hugh - his children were:

    Hugh (born abt 1837)
    James (born abt 1839)
    Sarah (born 9 Nov 1840)
    Thomas B (born abt 1842)
    Elizabeth (born abt 1843)
    William John (born abt 1846)
    Isaac (born abt 1849)
    Mary Ann (born abt 1850)
    Margaret (born abt 1851)

    The earlier marriage to Susan Morgan is a definite possibility.

    However, to confuse us further ... Hugh (the son) died in 1877, and his probate documents contain an affidavit from Margaret Hood MILLIGAN (wife of Hugh MILLIGAN the Elder of Oxford, Canterbury), confirming that she was the mother of Hugh junior.

    So now we're wondering, did she call herself his mother when she was actually his step-mother? or was he her biological son?  

    Will need to keep digging, I think :-)

    Catherine

    catherineh

    Sunday 11th Jan 2015, 04:32AM

  • I've been researching some of Hugh Milligan's children in the hope that it might lead to something new to help solve this puzzle. Hugh's daughter Elizabeth married William Groves in NZ in 1868. They had 2 children in NZ then migrated to Australia and settled in north Queensland and raised a family of 10 children. Elizabeth died in 1929, and I've found this in the Queensland and Australian Death Records - Elizabeth Otway Groves died 26 July 1929, father Milligan and mother Elizabeth Otway. So wondering now if Elizabeth Otway was Hugh's first wife, or if this is a typo in the transcription (being Elizabeth's forenames)? Interestingly, several of Hugh's children seem to have 'family' names as second names - Thomas Batt Milligan, Isaac Henderson Milligan, Margaret Hood Clarke Milligan - so perhaps Otway is just another? I haven't been able to find anything more about Elizabeth Otway, so hoping someone out there will be able to help shed some light :-) Thanks Catherine

    catherineh

    Saturday 31st Jan 2015, 12:45AM

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