Canada General Service Medal |
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Guarding Grand Trunk Railway at (Sandwich) |
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Thomas R. Coogan 1831
Thomas R. Coogan
b. 1829 or 1831 in Ireland, son of Robert Coogan and Mary
(Casey) Coogan Both of Ireland. d. [Nov. 12, 1912] (or Nov. 1879; see below).
1st m. May 14, 1848 to Annie MacNamara bp. Ireland
b. 1831 d. Jul 20, 1861 age 30 Drowned at Kingston
Ont. of a capsized boat incident.
2nd m. Apr. 30, 1863 to Mary Jane Armstrong
b. 1837 d. Oct. 31, 1874
of Typhoid Fever Age 38 Buried in
the Albany Rural cemetery, Lot #3 Section #25. Lot owned by
Jane (Bell) Armstrong bp. Ireland daughter of Robert
Armstrong and Jane (Bell) Armstrong both of Ireland. Married
in Niagara, Canada, Apr 30, 1863. Conducted by Rev. Charles Campbell.
From LSD Micro film #1003060
3rd m. to Mary E. Robbins (Van Loon)
aka Ann Roberts b Apr. 1839 bp Albany, NY, daughter
of Calib and Ann Robbins. d. May 5, 1907 of lobar pneumonia
and was buried in the Albany Rural cemetery, lot#53, section#97. Lot
owned by her mother Ann Robbins. There is no mention of Coogan.
Authors note: We have yet to prove this marriage took place. Thomas
has been very elusive through our years of research.
*****POSSIBLE***** (see below)
4th m. We (being Clarence, Charles
and Mark) found a possible fourth marriage to "Jennie "who appeared
on the 1882 Canadian census. She lived at 33 Pitt St. in Chatham, Ontario
for 40 years; the same address of Thomas R. Coogan.
She died Nov. 22, 1924, 12 years after Thomas. Her age is listed as
85 years.
In 2020, Charles made a new discovery: Thomas appeared in the Mortality Index for the 1880 US Census as having died in Albany, NY the previous November. This would mean that the person we've been thinking married Jennie was NOT the same person. More research is needed to understand the entire situation.
Canada General Service Medal |
|
Guarding Grand Trunk Railway at (Sandwich) |
|
From the Albany Hall of Records - The Albany directory of 1868:
Thomas R. Coogan Naturalized July 24,1867
Discharged Soldier Alligence to Ireland
Martin Gorman witness
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Members in Thomas R. and Annie (McNamara) Coogan family:
Edwin Coogan
b. Jul. 9, 1850 d. Dec. 1, 1850
Mildred Mary Coogan. b. Feb 6, 1852 d. Jul
22, 1861 age 9. Baptised Feb. 1,1852 at St. Marks church,
Niagara,Ont.
NOTE - Mildred drowned with her mother at Kingston Ont on a boat capsizing
accident.
Edward James Coogan b. May 29, 1854 Baptised Aug.
6, 1854 at St. Marks church, Niagara,Ont.
Robert John Coogan b. Jun. 15, 1857 Baptised
Aug. 9, 1857 at St. Marks church, Niagara,Ont.
Thomas R. Coogan Jr. b. Apr 1860
d. Mar 9, 1886 age 24
Robert John Coogan was born in Belle Ewart Ontario. A tinsmith by trade,
he servered in the 26th Regiment of the Candaian Rifles. Assigned
to D Battery, Royal Canadian Field Artillary, he fought in the South
African Boar War form 1899 to 1900. He was awarded the Queens Medal
with two claps,"Cape Colony and Orange Free State." His next of kin
listed his wife Maggie Coogan and a son of 10 years at 150 Oxford Street,
London Ontario, Canada.
Thomas R. Coogan Jr. emmigrated to the in US 1873. He enlisted in the
US Army Jul 13, 1882 and served with his half brother
Victor in Company D of the 8th Infantry. While stationed at San Diego,
Barracks, he contracted
consumption. He was hospitalized from June 17, 1885 to Aug 18, 1885
and discharged from service
Aug 10, 1885. He lived in San Diego for a short while then decided
to return home. While enroute to Albany, NY, he died on the train at Clyde,
NY and was buried there. Sergeant Thomas R Coogan Sr. was living in
Canada and was employed by the Chatham police force at the time. He
applied for and received his son's pension payments of $12 a month until
his own death about 1912 when the pension was no longer signed for.
In Thomas Jr's military records were numerous affidavets attesting to Thomas Sr's poverty and his dependence upon his son's monthly allotments, all of which seems to be fabrication.
A News artical in the Chatham , Ontario newspaper"Sergt - Major Coogan of the 24th Battalion (Foot?) escorted childern for the Orphan Home." We believe that Sergeant Coogan of the Chatham police force and Major Coogan High Constable of the Provincial police is the same person. Sergt. Coogan and the Chatham electmen were in continual disagreement. His employment was terminated previously to his enlistment with the provincial police.
If the above paragraph is true, Thomas produced a false birth certificate to reduce his age to qualify for the provincial police. From his past record, this was within his capabilites.
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Members in Thomas R. and Mary J. (Armstrong) Coogan family:
Victor A. Coogan b. 24 May 1865
d. 1 Jun. 1923. a. 58
William C. Coogan b. 10 Jun.
1869 d. 27 Apr. 1945. a. 76
Both boys were raised by their grandmother (Jane Bell Armstrong) after the
mothers death.
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Members of Thomas R. Coogan and Mary Robbins family:
Anna Coogan
b. Apr. 1880
d. 19 Nov. 1880 Cause of death - teething
Clarence Sidney Coogan
b. 3 Mar. 1875 d. 27 Oct. 1963
a. 87
Thomas returned to Canada in 1881 leaving Mary with six children:
James and Thomas Coogan of his first marriage.
Charles and George Van Loon of Mary's first marriage
Clarence and Anna Coogan of his "Third marriage".
Albany City Directories:
1868 page 42: Thomas Coogan; Harness Maker 128 Chestnut Street,
house on Dove St.
1870, 1871, 1872 Thomas Koogan; Harness Maker 497 Broadway
1874, 1875 Thomas Koogan; Harness Maker 375 Broadway
1877, Thomas Coogan; Harness Maker 486 Broadway
1881 Thomas Koogan; Harness Maker 486 Broadway
Grandma Coogan said he went back to Canada and was not heard from again.
1882 census, Thomas Coogan Chatham, Ontario, Canada. There now
appears to be a Jennie Coogan.
There is no explaination for his name changes. The first time (Koogan)
appeared was on Clarence's birth certificate, again on Mary E Robbins death
certificate in the Albany Vital Statistics. Grandma Coogan would have
none of this and changed the name back to Coogan. Bully for Grandma!
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