Doran (line 2)

The Doran family living in County Down is kin to our Belfast Doran clan, though the common ancestor is further back than we can currently trace. Probably lived in the 18th century. Descendants of these families have a common Y-DNA thread. At times, the Down families lived in Belfast as well as on farms in County Down. Predominantly we find them in the 19th century in the Downpatrick area, living in town lands such as Ballysugah, Ballystokes, and such.

Patrick James Doran (1824-1904)

Patrick James Doran was born about 1824 (source 1901 census) in County Down, Northern Ireland. His parents and possible siblings have not been identified as yet.

Patrick James Doran was a Tailor in Belfast. In the 1847 Directory of Belfast, he appears in the business section under Tailors, the address is 25 Bridge Street, upper.  Interestingly, a John Doran is also listed under Tailors with the address of 65 Augier Street. Could they be related?

In the Belfast Directories of 1853, 1855, 1856, 1858 Patrick James Doran’s work address continues to be 8 Corn Market. John Doran was also listed in those directories at 65 Augier Street.

Patrick James and Isabella Doran had at least one child, Patrick Doran (1856-1911). They are mentioned in their son’s marriage record.

In the 31 March 1901 Census of Ireland, Patrick James Doran is living at Raholp, County Down with his wife Isabella. His occupation is now shown as Retired Tailor.  Other Dorans live in the area. It is unclear how all of them are related, if they are.

Patrick James Doran died 23 May 1904 in Belfast.  His wife Isabella (born about 1827) died on 28 July 1902 in Ballysugah, Downpatrick, County Down two years before her husband.  We have not been able to find out her maiden name.

Patrick Doran (1856-1911)

Patrick Doran was born about 1856 in Downpatrick, County Down to Patrick James Doran and Isabella (surname unknown).

Patrick Doran married Mary Elizabeth “Minnie” O’Hagan on May 6, 1880. Patrick Doran’s occupation at the time was Teacher. He lived at 48 Mille St., Belfast.  Mary O’Hagan was 19 and was living at at 72 Raglan St. Her parents were incorrectly noted on the record as Henry and Margaret (sic)* Ohagan. *Margaret was Minnie’s sister. Her mother’s name was Sarah.

Roots Ireland, Marriage Records Index 1880, Apr-Jun
Mary’s res. 72 Raglan St. Patrick’s res. 48 Mill St, Belfast. Married at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church. Wit: Edward Collins? and Maggie O’Hagan, both 204 Leeson St.

CHURCH BAPTISM RECORD FOR MARY ELIZABETH O’HAGAN, Patrick Doran’s wife.
Name: Mary Elizabeth O’Hagan
Date of Birth:   not mentioned
Date of Baptism: 17-Aug-1859
Address:Parish/District: BALLYMORE
County ARMAGH
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Henry O’Hagan
Mother:Sarah Reid 
Sponsor 1:Patrick Rogers
Sponsor 2:Marg Reid
Notes: D O’TOOLE/   /
Source: Armagh Ancestry, www.rootsireland.ie

Mary O’Hagan’s birthplace was noted in the 1901 census of ireland, was Tandragee, County Armagh. So we think this could be the right birth record. Tandragee is a village in the parish of Ballymore, County Armagh. The other Roman Catholic baptisms for County Armagh in that time frame, with a Henry O’Hagan as the father don’t seem to pan out. They are: Mary O’Hagan, 13 July 1856, Mother Mary Wallace, Parish – Seagoe. Mary Hagan, 01 Nov 1859, Mother Rose Campbel, Parish – Lwr Killeavy. Mary Hagan, 21 July 1861, Mother Sarah McGowen, Parish – Loughgall.

Children of Mary O’Hagan and Patrick Doran

1. Henry O’Hagan Doran, born 8 Mar 1881 Belfast, Antrim, Ireland. Died Dec 1899 Belfast, Ireland.

2. Joseph James Doran, born 2 September 1882, died 23 November 1882.

3. Arthur Patrick Doran (1884-1914)

Arthur Patrick Doran was born 20 February 1884, Belfast, Ant., Ireland. Died Aug 27, 1914 France. Married to Sarah Hermon. One child.

Newspaper clipping reads: “Corpral Arthur Doran, of B Company Royal Irish Rifles, who has been killed in France. He leaves a young wife and child, who are also seen in the picture. They reside at 12 Merkland Street, Belfast.”

Arthur Patrick Doran was the son of Patrick Doran and his wife Mary “Minnie” O’Hagan. He was born 20 February 1884, 38 Servia Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was the 3rd of 11 children.

On the 31 March 1901 in the Census of Ireland, Arthur Patrick Doran was living at 22 Lucknaw Street, Falls Ward, Antrim, Ireland with his mother and siblings. His occupation was clerk-drapery. He was 17 years old. His religion was Roman Catholic.

Arthur Patrick Doran married Sarah Hermon on September 12, 1909 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Registration number   M/1909/B1/450/1/34). He was living at 41 Annalee Street, Belfast. They were married at St. Michaels Belfast Church of Ireland. His witness was Alexander McCarey. Sarah’s witness was Elizabeth Quinn. Licence Rev. W. Willis. Shankill district. Both parties previously unmarried. His occupation was Butcher. She was a Protestant and this caused a rift with the Doran family.

On 2 April 1911 the Census of Ireland shows the young family living at 278 Cupar Street, Falls district. His religion is now Protestant. His occupation is Butcher. Living at this address are: Mary Hermon Age 47. Arthur Doran Age 24. James Hermon Age 22. Sarah Doran Age 21. Robert Hermon Age 16. Charles Hermon Age 13. Leonard Hermon Age 9. Robert (sic) James Doran age 0.

Their only child, Arthur James Doran (see more below) was born April 2, 1911, the same day that he is enumerated in the 1911 Ireland Census. The boy was living with his mother at 278 Cupar St (Shankhill area), Belfast, along with 5 relatives in the Hermon family.

The young family moved soon after to 12 Merkland St. Belfast, which is the address provided on Arthur Patrick Doran’s Last Will & Testament and in the newspaper clipping about his death in France.

Arthur Patrick Doran joined the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles and was a Corporal in the Regulars. He was dispatched with the British Expeditionary Force to France shortly after the outbreak of war to try and help the French stop the Germans who had invaded Belgium and were on their way into France. The BEF landed in France Aug 14th, marched to Mons in Belgium and engaged the enemy then made an orderly retreat slowing them down.

Arthur Patrick Doran was the first casualty of World War I who was from West Belfast.   Arthur Patrick Doran died Aug 27, 1914 in France during the Battle of Le Cateau August 27, 1914 – a very important battle:

“The Battle of Le Cateau was certainly that in which British troops were most heavily outnumbered by the enemy on the Western Front up to the time of the German offensive of 1918. It can scarcely be doubted that it was of great importance in checking the German plan of campaign…It is pretty clear that the German First Army missed, late in the afternoon, such a chance of winning a great victory as seldom occurred in the Western Theatre of WW 1.”
​
Ireland, Casualties of World War I, 1914-1922 on Ancestry.com has Arthur Patrick’s death date incorrectly recorded as 1 September 1914.

Arthur Patrick Doran is buried in Caudry Old Communal Cemetery in France. Caudry is a town about 13 kilometres east of Cambrai on the south side of the main road (D643) to Le Cateau. The cemetery is located in town.

For anyone searching for the burial site of the WWI soldiers, visit online CWGC Commonwealth War Graves Commission at http://www.cwgc.org/. The burial certificate for Arthur Patrick Doran was obtained free of charge from that web site.

4. James McCann Doran, born 8 May 1886 Belfast, Ant, Ireland. Died 28 December 1961 Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri.

Immigrated through New York 11 October 1909. His passenger record from the S.S. Arabic notes his nearest relative is his brother, Arthur Doran of 57 Upper Canning Street Belfast. His occupation is butcher, he was going to a cousin Archibald Rice in Brooklyn. James McCann Doran was naturalized October 1920 in Kansas City, Missouri. James seemed to have dropped the McCann middle name and used the initial A instead. We don’t know what the A stands for. He married Margaret Guilfoyle (1879-1954) on January 11, 1916 in Jackson, MO. They did not have children together. Margaret had a daughter from her first marriage to William Robert George, Sgt. a soldier in the 9th battalion, Kings Royal Rifles, Mallow, Cork. Her daughter came to America with her around 1913 and the daughter sometimes used the Doran surname.

Joseph Doran, born 13 Sep 1890 in Belfast, Ant, Ireland. Died 18 Dec 1948 Chicago, Cook Co, Illinois.

Joseph Doran entered the US from Ontario Canada on 29 Dec 1911 and was naturalized on 3 Jan 1918. Married to Mary Feeney in 1915. Two children. Their son Joseph John Doran was born 1932 in Chicago and died 1996 in San Diego. As it is unknown if the other child is still alive, she is omitted here. Following is his passport photo. His hair looks as unruly as our Doran men’s hair. And though the relation of this family to ours is way distant, this Joseph Doran looks uncannily like some in our family. The son moved to California, married and had two children. Names omitted for privacy.

5. Robert Emmett Doran, born 31 Jan 1892 Belfast, Ant, Ireland. Died 7 Aug 1971 Fort Lauderdale, Broward, Florida. 

Married to Rose Mary Drain. No children. We have seen a photo of Robert Emmett Doran with the Drain family on Ancestry.com, but it might be under copyright. The following photo is his passport photo. Robert Emmett Doran came into the US through New York on 12 May 1920 on the vessel Tolca.

6. Mary Doran, born about 1894 Belfast, Ant. Ireland. Death Ireland after 1960.

Margaret “Madge” Doran, born 1896 Belfast, Ant, Ireland. In 1927 she was living in Dublin according to her brother’s passenger record. Death date/place unknown. Married to Michael O’Halloran. One child, name withheld for privacy reasons.

7. Charles Gerard Doran, born about Sept. 1898 Belfast, Ant, Ireland. Death date/place unknown.

Charles G. Doran must have had quite an adventurous career. He was a Crown Agent for the British Government. Some of the exotic ports of call he went to or at least through were Mombasa; Zanzibar; Dar-es-Salam; Beira; Port Said; Aden; Marseilles. Mombasa Kenya, Uganda. His home address was listed in 1928 as 71 Kashmir Road, Belfast, Ireland. In 1931, his address in Ireland was 25 Joy Street, Belfast. His whereabouts after these dates is unknown to us.

Curiously, and making it more difficult to sort through the records, another Charles Doran spent a good deal of time in Mombasa too. As far as we can determine it was pure coincidence. His name was Charles Frederick Garfield Doran, born about 1891 in Lisburn, Ireland. Charles F. G. Doran was the Resident Magistrate, Kenya in 1939, appointed 1934. Originally Crown Counsel 1925. Transferred from Legal Dept.

8. Henry O’Hagan Doran, born 23 Mar 1900 Belfast, Ant, Ireland. Died 14 Apr 1939 in Cook County, Illinois.

Henry travelled with his brother John Francis Doran when he arrived in the US from Canada in September 1929. He had only arrived in Quebec in June of that year. He was going to his brother Joseph Doran in Chicago.

8. John Francis Doran, born 28 April 1901, Belfast, Ant. Ireland. Died 15 August 1980 San Diego, California.

He emigrated through Windsor Ontario Canada, going to his family in Chicago on 24 Sept 1929 on the D&W Ferry. He had been living in Canada since his arrival there on 27 November 1927 on the S. S. Regina. His occupation was musician. At that time his brother Joseph was living in Canada and he was going there. His nearest relative in Ireland was his sister Madge Doran, who was living in Dublin at the time. John Francis Doran was naturalized in Illinois. Married to Mary Elizabeth Sheehan in Florida in 1942. She was a widow and had 8 children with her first husband who had died in 1934. John Francis Doran was a musician in the US Army Band and was a Sargent in the Us Army World War II and Korea. In the photo below I would pick him out as the tuba player on the left. He, like his brother Joseph, looks remarkably like our Dorans.

Next generation: Only child of Arthur Patrick Doran and his wife Sarah Hermon

Arthur James Doran (1911-1968)

Arthur James Doran was born in 2 April 1911, in Belfast Northern Ireland. His father, Arthur Patrick Doran had been killed in World War I fighting the enemy in France. The child lived with his mother Sarah Hermon Doran and his maternal grandmother Mary Hermon in Belfast until 1920 when his grandmother Mary Hermon decided to move to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She took her 9 year old grandson with her. His mother remained in Belfast where she had a job. Grandmother Mary Hermon raised “wee Arty”. He continued to live with his grandmother until he was about 19 years old.

Sarah Hermon Doran eventually left Ireland emigrating to Toronto where she found work. She married Charles Gates and had a new family with him. Arthur James continued to live with Mary Hermon in Hamilton until he was old enough to move out on his own. Sarah Hermon “Grannie Gates,” as she was known by her grandchildren, died in 1970 in Toronto. Though her Doran grandchildren didn’t get to see a lot of her growing up, they remember her as a “real character” and loved her very much.

Arthur James Doran died in 1968. Unfortunately neither he nor Grannie Gates talked much about the Doran family. Most likely he didn’t know very much about them. Arthur Patrick Doran had become estranged from his Roman Catholic parents when he married a Protestant against their objections.  

Arthur James Doran married. He and his wife and had four children. Names omitted for privacy. Arthur James Doran died December 11, 1968 in Dundas, Ontario Canada.