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Hogan to Logan

James Patrick Logan married Margaret Elliot Dent 28/12/1891 in Hexham Registry Office. M E D already had one daughter out of wedlock but together they had a further seven daughters (one of whom was my Grandmother) and one son who tragically died in WW1 (from which his father never really recovered). James was a stonemason by trade and worked on Hadrians Wall excavations amongst other things. He was a very mysterious character who would never allow his photo to be taken. Family folklore had it that he ran away from a wealthy family in Ireland rather than enter the priesthood. One story was that he was recognised by Irish Navvies as Master James from the Big House. His parents allegedly advertised for him in the national press but he would not answer. In Census returns he would say he was born in Sheffield. His grandmother was rumoured to have been French thereby partly explaining the middle names of Josephine and Philippine given to two of his daughters (after his sisters allegedly).
Despite, or perhaps because of this information, I was never able to progress beyond James in this line of my tree for the best part of 30 years.
This all changed recently with the help of DNA and the discovery through ancestry of several linked researchers. It now transpires that James Patrick Logan was indeed born in Sheffield but as Patrick Hogan. I now know his parents were Michael Hogan, Grocer and Annie Ryan both from Ireland. A number of others have gone further back from that point but to say the least the provenance of those steps appears very doubtful.
What I would love to find out is the reason for the move north and the fear of being found. Patrick Hogan was last in Sheffield in the 1881 Census at Peacroft, Sheffield as a 19 year old Mason (out of employment) He is listed as Head of family living with siblings Elizabeth 21, Philippine 17, Michael 15, Joseph 13, John 10 and Mary 8 and born Sheffield.
The 1891 census has James Patrick Logan 29, at Woll Village Farm, Chollerton as a Stonemason born Sheffield. Some strong connections even before the multiple DNA links (two Logan and 7 Hogan). So what happened in between these census dates to prompt the move and name change. Any help in pointing me in the right direction in terms of maybe local press on line etc. would be greatly appreciated.
Brian

Re: Hogan to Logan

Bryan
A very interesting story
The most common reason for moving location would be to improve employment prospects
In 1881 he was 19, and an unemployed stonemason (a skilled job) born in Sheffield of Irish parents and with a very Irish name.|Did he perhaps conceal his Irishness by adding James as a first name and changing Hogan to Logan (a Scottish name) when he moved to the Borders for work.
In the Scottish borders this would set him apart from the large Irish Navvy population who lived in the "back houses" and did manual work, and who did not have the vote. Then he could progress in a skilled trade without the Irish millstone round his neck.
I assume he left his siblings behind. Were his parents already dead? Presumably as far as his family were concerned he disappeared.
In that scenario it is easy to see how the various fanciful tales flourished in his descendents.
eg He disappeared from his family. and made no further contact
Lived in a big house compared to Irish navvies (probably true).
His fear of being found would actually be his fear of being found to be of Irish descent.
Something to work on?
Dave