| Feagans Family Notes |
| The Feagans Family has been elusive to our genealogy research. Until recently, we knew little or nothing regarding this family line. The new information we have obtained does open up the door to the Feagans' Family Line. We know the Feagans were of Irish descent. The family name probably went through several different spellings. Some descendents use the Fagan spelling while the Illinois group seems to have settled on Feagans. Patrick Fagan (Feagans) was born in Armagh, Ireland in 1809. He married Mary Mitchell in New York in 1829. Their first son, James D., was born in New York. The remaining eight children (Bridget, Ann, Mary M., Catherine, Francis, Elizabeth, Thersa and John) were all born in Perry County, Ohio. The Patrick Fagan family is listed in the 1850 Census for Perry County, Monroe Twp., Ohio. Patrick and his wife remained in the Chapel Hill area until their deaths. We know Patrick was buried in the Chapel Hill Cemetery after his death in 1879. James D. Feagans married Lucinda Laws in 1853. Lucinda was born in 1838. There seems to be some question whether she was born in Virginia or Ohio. In any case her parents were William and Mary Jane (Kendall) Laws. Listed in the Federal Census for 1850/Hopewell Twp., Licking County, Ohio, is the William Laws family. Two years after their marriage, James and Lucinda became the proud parents of Mary Elizabeth Feagans (Weaver). Tragically, in 1855 James passed away. We do not know the circumstances surrounding his death at this time. Lucinda was pregnant with their second child at the time of James' death. A son was born in March of 1856 and named after his father. According to Lucinda's obituary, in 1857 she and the two young children emigrated to Fulton County, Illinois with her brother and sister. In September of 1859, Lucinda is remarried to Charles L. Thomson of Fulton County. To this union were born ten children (Emzie, John, Evaline, Warren, William, Samuel, Effie, Abner, Emeline and Ella). Charles is the son of Matthew and Elizabeth (Rutledge)Thomson. Both Matthew and Elizabeth were born in Virginia and died in Fulton County, Illinois - 1844 & 1862 respectively. Matthew is buried in Barker Cemetery in Fulton County. For unknown reasons, Lucinda's eldest daughter, Mary E. Feagans, is placed in the home of Elijah and Elizabeth (Kendall) Berry. The Berry's lived in Fulton County near Bryant/Lewistown. Elizabeth Berry was the sister of Lucinda's mother, Mary. They were the daughters of Enoch and Sarah (Dennis) Kendall of Licking County, Ohio. Mary E. Feagans is listed in the Berry household in the 1860 and 70 Federal Census' for Fulton County, Illinois. She is also listed in the Charles Thomson household in 1860. We are assuming this was an error. Lucinda's eldest son, James Feagans, is listed in the Charles Thomson household in the 1860 and in the 1870 Federal Census for Fulton County, as Joseph D. (spelling error). James is listed in the 1880 Census in McDonough County as a farm laborer for Sarah Rinker. Mary E. Feagans marries Alfred J. Weaver on January 1, 1871. They relocate to Prairie City in McDonough County, Illinois. To this union, seven children were born: Gertrude, Hattie, Ellen, Myrtle, Jennie, Jessie and Arthur. Ellen Weaver married Charles Franklin Alden. From this union came Laura Fern (Alden) Palmer, my mother. Mary Feagans Weaver passed away on December 8, 1915 at her home in Prairie City. James Feagans married Emma Brand on December 30, 1880 in Fulton County. Emma is the daughter of James and Roanna (Barker) Brand. Emma was born July 13, 1862 and died January 28, 1935. To date we know of four children being born to James and Emma: Inez, Mildred, Allie and James L. James and Emma are buried in Monmouth, Illinois. |