Where our Nolan line came from in Ireland

Above is a map of Ireland showing where the counties discussed below are located and here's a link to the source of the map. [Click on the map above to enlarge it.]

As part of his long-running quest to learn more about our famly's history, cousin Dan Nolan posted a request on a website called Find A Grave. Here’s the text of his submission [with my comments in brackets]:

Edward Nolan
Birth: May 29, 1832, Ireland
Death: Oct. 15, 1904 Joliet Will County Illinois, USA

Edward was the immigrant from Ireland who started this whole family. My family goes like this...

Edward (from Ireland, arrived ~1858)
- had Edward Francis
- had Joseph Harald [Hazel Nolan Dunn Youngs’ half-brother]
- had Joseph Edward [Bill Dunn’s cousin]
- had Daniel Nolan [2nd cousin to Bill Dunn’s offspring]

Burial: Saint Patricks Cemetery Joliet Will County Illinois, USA
Created by: Dan Nolan
Record added: Jul 22, 2009
Find A Grave Memorial# 39748549

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It took awhile, but on March 9th, 2010, a kind lady by the name of Sally had located the grave, taken photos, and posted them in response to Dan's request. Here they are. [Click to enlarge 'em.]

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1904 Prices
■ Bread: 4¢/loaf
■ Milk: 29¢/gallon
■ Car: $500
■ House: $4,000
■ Postage stamp: 2¢/each
■ Average income: $844/year
■ DOW Industrial Average: 70

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Here’s the descendancy from Edward to my generation’s father:

Edward and Mary Ellen Cavanaugh Nolan - Ireland to the U.S.
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Francis Edward (aka Edward Francis) Nolan
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Hazel Loretta Nolan Dunn Youngs
▼
William Edward (Bill) Dunn

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So, now we know that the immigrant in our Nolan line came from County Carlow in Ireland! Hip, hip hooray!

Edward married Mary Ellen Cavanaugh (also spelled Kavanaugh in some records) and they ultimately settled in Will County, Illinois. Her obituary tells us she had a brother, John Cavanaugh. An 1890 publication called “Biographical Album Of Will County, Illinois…” contains a biographical sketch about him. In part, it says, “In County Sligo, Ireland, about 1829, John Cavanaugh opened his eyes to the light, and in the Emerald Isle he remained until he was almost twenty years old…”

Clicking on the links above (the county names) will take you to sites where you can take a virtual tour of the respective counties.

Although we haven’t found any direct documentation of where she came from in Ireland, it seems reasonable to think that – as John's sibling – Ellen, as she was known, also came from County Sligo.

Those interested in learning more about the Nolan family name and ancient history will enjoy this blog, which has a huge amount of Nolan lore.

Last revised 3/15/2010