Patrick Curran (1845-1930)

I am trying to flush out the Curran family. This one was challenging. The references were few and far between and what I have I really had to dig for. I have a lot figured out but there are still some holes in this story. I’m posting what I have mostly as a call for help. I can tell you that Patrick Curran was born in Ireland in 1845 and arrived in Little Bay in 1883. He was traveling with William Curran. I suspect this is his brother. Unusually, they seem to have come to Newfoundland from Ontario. There is a MyHeritage account which lists William’s birth in Ontario in 1860 and I can find a Patrick Curran living in Hamilton in 1871. After William leaves Little Bay in 1890 he returns to Ontario before finally ending up in the states where his Irish born parents can be found living at that time.

The brothers likely came to Little Bay for mining work but I can find no records directly stating that they were miners. Patrick is listed as a fisherman from 1894 onward but many miners switched to fishing at that time when the mining work slowed down and this would line up with William’s decision to leave town for greener pastures in the states.

The 1921 census shows two of Patrick’s American born grandchildren had been sent back to Little Bay to live with their grandparents. I suspect this was due to the 1st World War. William’s son James Patrick Curran was apparently drafted in the states. The two American born grandchildren found in Little Bay by 1921 were named Edmond and William. I know they are Patrick’s grandchildren and I know that there was an Edmond Patrick Curran born in Little Bay in 1884. I don’t know if he was Patrick’ son or if he was the father of the children mentioned but those are the mostly likely explanations.

Patrick and his wife Margret lived in the Bight until at least 1894 but moved to St. Patrick’s by 1904. Patrick died there in 1930 and his wife Margret died there the following year. Their two grandsons were still living there in 1935. The Currans remaining in the area likely descend from those two boys – Edmond and Willam. I would appreciate it if someone from the family with a better knowledge of their genealogy would reach out to help me fill in some gaps! I’d also really love to find a picture of Patrick Curran (1845-1930). Thanks for any help.

Sources:

• 1845: Birth of Patrick Curran in Ireland (Census lists from 1911 and 1921 plus Vit stats for his death in 1930)
• 1860: Birth of William Curran in Ontario (My Heritage)
• 1869: Christening of William Curran in Ontario (My Heritage)
• 1871: Patrick Curran residing in Hamilton, Ontario (1871 census)
• 1882: The absence of Currans from the 1882 Voter’s list considered with their appearance on the 1889 list indicates their first showing in my records in 1883 as their likely date of arrival.
• 1883: On August 8th 1883 Patrick Curran witnessed an assault on Alexander Martelle by Thomas Walsh and was summoned to testify by Constable Thomas Wells (Wells)
• 1883: Patrick Curran served on the Grand Jury (TS, Sept 21 – 1883)
• 1884: Birth of Edmond Patrick Curran in Little Bay (Idaho County Naturalizations)
• 1887: Birth of Sarah Curran to Patrick and Margret Curran (1911 census)
• 1887: Birth of James Patrick Curran to William and Anastasia (Young) Curran (US WW1 draft card)
• 1889: Mary, William, John, and Patrick Curran donated to the Harbour Grace Cathedral Fund (SJC, Oct 11 – 1889)
• 1889: William Curran and Patrick Curran listed as living at Indian Bight, Little Bay (Voter’s List)
• 1890: Immigration of William and Anastasia (Young) Curran to America (My Heritage)
• 1892: James Martin Fahey was born to James Fahey and Margret Curran (Civ births)
• 1893: Death of James Curran age 1 day (Vit records)
• 1894: Patrick Curran listed as a fisherman at Little Bay Harbour (1894 census)
• 1904: Patrick Curran listed as a fisherman in St. Patrick’s (McAlpines)
• 1911: Patrick Curran and his wife Margret live with their daughter Sarah in St. Patrick’s (1911 census)
• 1913: James Patrick Curran living in Massachusetts (Naturalization records)
• 1915: William Curran was born on August 24th 1915 (Buchans employee list)
• 1916: William Knight and Miss Mary Curran on May 22nd (Year of Events)
• 1918: Death of Mary Curran from the spanish flu age 37 at Little Bay (Vit records)
• 1918: Marriage of Terry Martin to Sarah Curran (Vit stats)
• 1921: Patrick Curran and his wife Margret live with their two American born grandsons Edmund and William M. Curran in St. Patrick’s (1921 census)
• 1930: Death of Patrick Curran (NL deaths)
• 1931: Death of Margret Curran at St. Patrick’s from a tumour age 81 (Vit records)
• 1935: Edward Curran age 22 and William Curran age 20 living in Little Bay (1935 census)