Red(d)igan - Readigan - Reedigan, Reardigan, etc., etc.

— . Unknown [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Immigration: Between 1803 and 1809, Ferryland, Newfoundland
• Residence: 28 Sep 1827, Aquaforte, Newfoundland
• Death: 21 Nov 1827, St. John's, Newfoundland

Notes:

Birth:
Although Reddigan is a rare surname in the south-eastern counties of Ireland, research of Irish records indicate the presence of small pockets of the surname (and several variants) associated with towns and villages along the banks of the river Suir. The majority of these few surviving records are for parishes on the Co. Kilkenny side of the river, with occasional references to life events associated with parishes located on the Co. Waterford side of the river. In Newfoundland, the association of the surname with Co. Kilkenny was identified in the 1825 marriage (at Aquaforte) of Mary "Readigan", who was very likely the daughter of Martin.

Immigration:
The first mention of Martin Reddigan in the Ferrryland area was in the Surrogate Court Records of 1809. It states that he was fined £3. 3. 0 for assaulting Walter Wallice and burning two of his shirts, however there was no indication where Martin was living at that time.

Residence:
Martin's place of abode in Ferryland District is clearly indicated in a petition that he signed (in his own handwriting) at Aquaforte in September 1827. The petition reads as follows:

Enclosure in Sir Thomas Cochrane Dispatch No. 24 of the 9th October 1827 - CO.194.74 - Page 279.

To the Right Honourable Lord Goderich, Secretary of State for the Colonies

Reports having reached us that it is the Intention of his Majesty's Government to impose a duty upon all articles imported into this Island; and that an increase of Duties on Spirits is also contemplated.

We the principal, but poor Inhabitants of this place, humbly beg to remonstrate against the intended measure; and we Implore of your Lordship's most serious consideration of the depressed state to which we are already reduced, from continued unsuccessful Voyages in the Fishery for we do with truth assert, that if the intended measures takes place and greater burthens laid on us, that it will be impossible for us to subsist.

We confidently hope that your Lordship's quiry into, and faithful representation of these facts, that the intended measures will be abandoned; and in Duty bound we shall ever pray.

Signed at Aquafort September the 28th 1827.

Peter Winsor; John--X--Brown; Thomas Meagher;
Thomas Payne; Robert Bowden; Thomas Stamp;
Edward Condon; Robert Sanders; John Howlet;
Michael Cadigan; Martin Readigan;
Matthew Ryan; Matthew Harney;
Richard--X--Welsh; James Sisk

Death:
Less than two months after Martin signed the petition at Aquaforte, The Newfoundlander, a St. John's newspaper, carried the following news item on November 21, 1827.

"Melancholy Occurrence - A poor man, belonging to Caplin Bay, named MARTIN REARDIGAN, went into one of the stores of Messrs. JAMES STEWART & Co., for the purpose of purchasing some Molasses, and while in the act of receiving it from the Storekeeper, fell down and instantly expired. An inquest was immediately held before Mr. L.L. CHANCEY, coroner - Verdict, died by the visitation of God."

Although the newspaper account says Martin "Reardigan" was from Caplin Bay, it is highly likely that he was the Martin "Readigan" who had signed the petition as an inhabitant of Aquaforte. In support of this conclusion, just two and a half weeks after Martin's death, Richard Reddigan of Caplin Bay sold a dwelling house, fishing flakes and stages at Brewin' Cove, Aquaforte to Andrew Morrisson, surgeon, Ferryland for £51. 8. 9 (Source: Registry of Deeds- Southern District - Volume 1 - Folio 47).

No specific indication of the kinship between Martin and Richard is given in the deed, but the deed states " .... I Richard Reddigan at the time of sealing and delivery thereof have in myself good right full power and lawful and absolute authority by these presents to grant bargain sell, assign, transfer and set over the aforesaid property and every part and parcel thereof and appurtenances thereunto belonging". This declaration appears to indicate that the ownership of the property at Aquaforte was not being disputed by any family members. Although it appears that Michael Reddigan and Mary (Reddigan) Mullaly were children of Martin, the deed suggests that Richard Reddigan may have been a co-owner of the property at Brewin' Cove. At the time of Martin's death, Richard had recently married and moved to Caplin Bay.

Martin married Johanna Cain Abt 1800, Ireland. Johanna was born Abt 1780, Ireland; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Birth:
The forename name of this ancestor is unknown at this time.

Name:
This unnamed individual was created based on the premise that Richard's father may have been the brother of Martin or, if not, he was likely another Reddigan male from the same generation and family as Martin.

Ancestral — . Unknown [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Birth:
There is no written proof that Mary was the daughter of Martin Readigan, however, from a research point of view, and based on the rarity of the surname in Newfoundland, it seems likely that she was Martin's daughter.

Name:
Mary's surname spelled "Readigan" in her marriage record.

Mary married John Mullally 11 Nov 1825, Holy Trinity RC Parish, Ferryland, Newfoundland. John was born Bef 1800, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland; died Aft 1865, St. John's, Newfoundland; was buried Aft 1865, St. John's, Newfoundland. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Baptism: 25 Sep 1803, Co. Waterford, Ireland; Address:
  Trinity Without RC Parish
• Court Action: 6 Feb 1832, Ferryland, Newfoundland
• Voter: From 1840 to 1849, Admiral's Cove, Fermeuse, Newfoundland

Notes:

Court Action:
Micahel was charged and convicted of assault against Anne Congdon. No other details or residences given, however Anne was likely living at Clears Cove, Fermeuse where her family operated a business.

Voter:
Michael Reddigan is listed in the Voter's Lists at Admiral's Cove, Fermeuse from 1840 to 1849. It is unlikely that he moved, so it appears he probably died before the compilation of the 1852 Voter's List.

Michael married Bridget Cody 19 Nov 1833, St. John's, Newfoundland. Bridget was born Abt 1810, Fermeuse, Newfoundland; died Yes, date unknown, Admiral's Cove, Fermeuse, Newfoundland. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Deed: 12 Dec 1827, Aquaforte, Newfoundland; Sale of property.
• Land: 1829, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland
• Court Action: 1830, Ferryland, Newfoundland
• Occupation: 1835 to 1837, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland; Sea Captain
• Land: 1871, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland; Crown Land Grant #3216
• Will: 4 Apr 1872, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland

Notes:

Birth:
We don't know how old Richard Reddigan was when he died in 1872, however we do know that he was born in Ireland. His son, Richard Jr. stated in the 1900 US Census that his father was born in Ireland. On Richard Jr.'s death certificate from Bristol, Connecticut, it is also recorded that his father, was born in Ireland. Mary Readigan, a cousin, who married John Mullaly at Aquaforte in 1825, was recorded as being from Co. Kilkenny, so chances are that Richard Reddigan was also born in the same Irish county.

Deed:
Registry of Deeds - Southern District - Volume 1 Folio 47 - December 12, 1827 - Richard Reddigan of Caplin Bay sold a dwelling house, fishing flakes and stages at Brewin' Cove, Aquaforte to Andrew Morrisson, surgeon, Ferryland for £51.8.9.

Land:
Royal Gazette - September 20,1829: Richard Reddigan petitioned for a grant of land at Caplin Bay. While no surviving record has been found to verify that his petition was granted, later land holdings re-registered for Richard in the 1870s suggest his earlier land grant was approved.

Court Action:
Court Records - Southern Circuit minutes - 1830: Thomas Flannagan vs. Richard Reddigan. Action to recover £9. 10. 8 (nine pounds, ten shillings, eight pence). Defendant admits sum is due.

Occupation:
Index to Newfoundland Captains, 1820-1889
Captains Vessel Reg. No.
Redigan, Richard Castor 1835092
Redigan, Richard Castor 1837056

In the mid to late 1830s, it appears that Richard Reddigan spent some time as the captain of a small schooner called the Castor. Based on information extracted from the Maritime History Archives, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Richard Redigan was the captain of the Castor, a 41 ton two masted schooner built at Chapple (sic) Arm, Trinity Bay in 1835. The original owners were listed as Thomas Brooking, George Richard Robinson, and John Bingley Garland, merchants of Newfoundland and Great Britan. Two years later, the Castor was sold to Samuel Blackler, a trader/dealer of Tors Cove. Richard Redigan was still captain, but there are no indications as to how long he stayed on in that position. Records indicate that the Castor was lost at sea in 1869, but no further details have been found to date.

Land:
Crown Lands Records # 3216 - March 31 1871 Richard Redigan, Senior is granted parcel of land (south side of road to Stone Island} bounded on the west by land claimed by Thomas Condon and on the east by land claimed by James Walsh.

Will:
Will of Richard Reddigan, dictated on his deathbed and witnessed by Andrew Keough and Thomas Condon.

Richard left the waterfront and fishing room to his son Richard and "cousin" Martin Reddigan. He left the land, mentioned in the grant #3216 above, to Richard and John, (eldest sons of his son Michael) to be divided equally between them when they came of age. The land on the north side of the road, which had actually being granted under the name of Richard Redigan Jr., he left to his "cousin" Martin Reddigan. To his daughter Ellen Reddigan, he left his bed.

Richard married Catherine Evoy Abt 1827, Holy Trinity RC Parish, Ferryland, Newfoundland. Catherine (daughter of Michael Evoy and Elenor "Nelly" [-?-]) was born Abt 1798, Ferryland, Newfoundland; died Between 1857 and 1872, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland; was buried Bef 1872, Non-denominational Cemetery, Ferryland, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Birth:
If this son was from John Mullally's first marriage, he was likely born at Aquaforte, otherwise he was born at Ferryland.

Buried:
Robert Carter did not indicate if the boy's body was recovered for burial.

Died:
Robert Carter's noted that "Richard Mackey upset a punt at Cold East Point, and a boy (Mullally) was lost."

Other Events:

• Occupation: 1871, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts, United States; Seafarer

Notes:

Birth:
The age given in his 1868 marriage record was 34 yrs.

Died:
Michael's mother was recorded as Mary Mackey however, I suspect that she was actually his stepmother. The local Newfoundland newspapers incorrectly recorded Mchael's place of death as Gloucester, England instead of Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts, USA.

Michael married Elizabeth Kehoe 23 Nov 1868, Little Bras D'Or, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada. Elizabeth was born Aug 1842, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada; died 29 Oct 1918, Nova Scotia, Canada; was buried 31 Oct 1918, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Research Overview: 1869, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland

Notes:

Research Overview:
Martin Reddigan is first mentioned in an old court record as living in Caplin Bay in 1869, He was also recorded several times in the earliest surviving marriage and baptism records. Martin eventually married his "cousin" Bridget Reddigan in 1875. It is not known for certain where he came from, or with whom he lived prior to his marriage. Since he was obviously from another branch of the Reddigan family, the only logical conclusion is that he was the son of Michael and Bridget (Cody) Reddigan of Admiral's Cove, Fermeuse. Based on the Fermeuse Voter's List, it appears that Michael Reddigan probably died when Martin was about 13 years old.

According to an article, gathered by the late Ray Curran re the Johnston family, it states that Richard Reddigan and Jane (Johnston) Reddigan reared up "Mike Joe" Reddigan. However, Mike Joe was 27 years old when his father, Martin died in 1902 and his mother, Bridget didn't die until about 1930. This leads me to believe that there may be confusion in identifying the correct generation. If factual, it is more likely that Martin possibly may have lived with Richard and Jane Reddigan in the late 1860s/ early 1870s.

Although he was probably born in Admiral's Cove, Fermeuse, Martin's death record states that he was born at Caplin Bay, however this information is obviously incorrect.

Martin married Bridget "Biddy" Reddigan 14 Jan 1875, Ferryland, Newfoundland. Bridget (daughter of Richard Reddigan and Catherine Evoy) was born Aug 1838, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland; died Abt 1930, Calvert, Newfoundland; was buried Abt 1930, Holy Trinity RC Cemetery, Ferryland, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Michael married Catherine Whelan Abt 1863. Catherine (daughter of John Whelan and Esther Furlong) was born Abt 1843, Cape Broyle, Newfoundland; died 22 Jan 1915, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland; was buried Abt 28 Jan 1915, Holy Trinity RC Cemetery, Ferryland, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Died:
There is a reference in the Diary of Robert Carter (Ferryland - 1832 to 1852) to the death of a Jas. or Jos. Reddigan at Caplin Bay in 1834. No age or other specifics are given. He may have been a son who was named after his step-grandfather James Walsh, although in the next two Reddigan generations there was a son named Joseph, but never one named James.

Notes:

Died:
The Newfoundland Vital Statistics death record says she was 62 when she died.

Ellen married Joseph Power 21 Oct 1872, Holy Trinity RC Parish, Ferryland, Newfoundland. Joseph (son of John Power and Mary Gatherall) was born Abt 1836, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland; died 27 Jan 1905, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland; was buried Abt 29 Jan 1905, Holy Trinity RC Cemetery, Ferryland, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Land: 1869, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland; Crown Lands Records #2830
• Burial: Aft 23 Apr 1916, Holy Trinity RC Cemetery, Ferryland, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, Canada

Notes:

Land:
Crown Lands Records #2830 - May 1, 1869. Richard Reddigan Jr. granted land north side of road - Caplin Bay. This appears to be the land that was willed to "cousin" Martin Reddigan by Richard Reddigan Sr.

Burial:
Headstone - Ferryland RC Cemetery - near Johnston family plot. Richard & Jane Reddigan, 95 yrs and 90 yrs.

The ages on this commemorative marker were estimated by a niece of Jane Reddigan. However, Richard's age on his death certificate was given as 82 years, 8 months, and 11 days, but, of course, this age was based on the date of birth given by his wife Jane. Dates/ages given in other documents indicate earlier and later birth dates for Richard.

Buried:
No headstone was found for Richard Reddigan in St. Thomas' Cemetery in Bristol, CT.

Although Richard was buried in Bristol, Connecticut, a homemade headstone was eventually erected in Holy Trinity RC Cemetery, Ferryland, Newfoundland for both him and Jane. Based on family lore, at some point in time, Jane returned home from Connecticut, died at Caplin Bay, and was buried in Holy Trinity Cemetery, Ferryland.

Died:
The 22nd April 1916 issue of the Hartford Courant noted the death of Richard Radigan (sic) in his home at 59 Summer St. Bristol, Connecticut.

Richard married Mary Jane "Jane" Johnston Abt 1867, Holy Trinity RC Parish, Ferryland, Newfoundland. Mary (daughter of William Johnston and Ellen Rossiter) was born Jun 1845, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland; died Abt 1923, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland; was buried Abt 1923, Holy Trinity RC Cemetery, Ferryland, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Bridget married Martin Reddigan 14 Jan 1875, Ferryland, Newfoundland. Martin (son of Michael Reddigan and Bridget Cody) was born Abt 1837, Admiral's Cove, Fermeuse, Newfoundland; died 1 Aug 1902, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland; was buried Abt 3 Aug 1902, Holy Trinity RC Cemetery, Ferryland, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Birth:
Mary Ann's birthplace was incorrectly recorded as English Canada. She was born in Newfoundland. At that point in time Canada as a country did not exist, and Newfoundland was still a British colony. It did not become part of Canada until 1949. Her father, as stated, was born in Ireland and her mother was actually born in Newfoundland, not England as shown in the census.

Mary married James Jollymore 23 Jul 1861, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. James was born Abt 1829, Barrachois, Colchester, Nova Scotia, Canada; died Abt 6 Sep 1894, Oakland, Alameda County, California, United States; was buried 8 Sep 1894, Oakland, Alameda County, California, United States. [Group Sheet]