Colgan & McColgan Families List

This page lists the top generation of the identified Colgan and McColgan families in the Greater Philadelphia area.  It is a highly–dynamic list, undergoing major research and revisions.  In some cases (especially where Irish records have not survived), the parents are not known or proven to the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS), so many lines might be listed separately as a “family,” as if they were unrelated, because the top generation is not proven.  Records in Ireland have been subjected to a number of catastrophic incidents that destroyed many original documents, so some may not be able to be proven – or may take considerable effort to work around. 

The Irish flag next to names denotes individuals who were born anywhere on the island of Ireland (both the current Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland).  As Northern Ireland has no official flag, grouping all births in Ireland together also reduces confusion.

⚠️ THIS LIST IS STILL VERY MUCH UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND REVISION.

🔶 Patrick Colgan (Born Abt. 1810) 🇮🇪 and Mary Colgan (Abt. 1820–1863) 🇮🇪  – (The current primary focus of this website: my straight paternal line, and Phase 1 of this site’s construction.)
This family also includes:

🔶 Charles Colgan (Abt. 1830 – 1903) 🇮🇪 and his wives Deborah (Rex) Colgan (Abt. 1833 – 1868) and Ellen (Magee) Colgan (Abt. 1856 – 1898) – (The under–construction, second–phase focus of this site; a line of Colgans on my maternal branch)
The FindAGrave Virtual Cemetery for these branches can be found at: https://www.findagrave.com/virtual–cemetery/1099612
Parents of:

🔶 CPT Alfred Emmet Colgan (1839 – 1906) and Mary Elizabeth (née Roach) Colgan

🔶 Andrew Colgan (Abt. 1823 – 1895) 🇮🇪 and Ann (née McCormick) Colgan (Abt. 1830 – 1889)
Also in this family:
🔹Julia Colgan (Abt. 1831 – 1863) 🇮🇪

🔶 Anna Colgan (identity unknown)
Mother of:

🔶 Anne (née Colgan) Torchiana (Abt. 1864 – 1925) 🇺🇸, wife of Francis Torchiana

🔶 Arthur McColgan (Abt. 1840 –1889) 🇮🇪 and Elizabeth (née Breen) Colgan (unknown – unknown)

🔶 Bartholomew “Bartley” Colgan (Abt. 1831 – 1888) 🇮🇪 and Nancy Hannah Colgan (Abt. 1832 – 1903) 🇮🇪

🔶 Bernard Colgan (unknown – unknown) and Ann Nancy (née O’Brien) Colgan (unknown – 1898)

🔶 Bernard Colgan (Abt. 1786 – 1876) 🇮🇪
may be the father of:

🔶 Bernard Colgan (Abt. 1835 – 1903) 🇮🇪 and Margaret Ann (née Curran) Colgan (Abt. 1857 – 1922) 🇮🇪

🔶 Bernard Colgan (unknown – unknown) and Margaret (maiden name under research) Colgan (unknown – unknown)
🔹 Parents of:

  • James Colgan (1869 – unknown) 🇺🇸

🔶 Charles Colgan (unknown – unknown) and Johanna (née Doran) Colgan (Abt. 1836 – 1916) 🇮🇪

🔶 Bernard McColgan (Abt. 1801 – 1855) 🇮🇪 and Eliza (née Andre) McColgan (Abt. 1808 – 1885) 🇮🇪
🔹 Including their son, the well–known Alderman James McColgan (Abt. 1834 – 1885)

🔶 Charles Colgan (Abt. 1782 – 1854) 🇮🇪 and Lucinda Colgan (Abt. 1777 – 1875) 🇮🇪
🔹 Also in this family (relationships under documentation):

🔶 Charles McCullum Colgan (1889 – 1957) and Maureen Felicia (née Hogan) Colgan (1889 – 1993)

🔶 Charles V. Colgan (Abt. 1806 – 1880) and Elizabeth S. Colgan (Abt. 1818 – 1900)

🔶 Clement Riley Colgan (Abt. 1845 – 1888) 🇺🇸

🔶 Daniel Colgan (1925 – 1988) 🇺🇸 and Cecelia (née Misciagna) Colgan (1919 – 1986) 🇮🇹
🔹 Parents of:

🔶 Daniel J. Colgan (Abt. 1842 – 1926) and Jane (née Davison) Colgan (Abt. 1842 – 1917)
🔹 Ervin D. Colgan (Abt. 1878 – 1934) (adopted son of Daniel J., according to 1910 census) and Frances “Fannie” (née Ellsworth) Colgan (Abt. 1880 – 1940)

🔶 Daniel McColgan (Abt. 1812 – 1860) 🇮🇪 and Cecilia (née McLaughlin) McColgan (Abt. 1821 – 1877) 🇮🇪

🔶 David Colgan (Abt. 1832 – 1897) and Hannah (née Dunlap) Colgan (Abt. 1827 – 1909)

🔶 Dennis Colgan (Abt. 1876 – unknown) 🇮🇪 and Rose (née Heaney) Colgan Grugan (Abt. 1869 – 1941) 🇮🇪
🔹 Parents of:

🔹 Other members of this family include:

  • Mary Colgan (Abt. 1869 – unknown) 🇮🇪 wife of John Donaghy (Abt. 1865 – unknown) 🇮🇪
  • Henry Colgan (Abt. 1864 – unknown) 🇮🇪
  • Bernard Colgan (listed at the family address, 1893 – 1895)

🔶 Dora (née Colgan) Yorston (Abt. 1867 – 1933) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 and William Yorston (Abt. 1869 – 1941) 🇺🇸

🔶 Edward William Colgan (1937 – 2001) and Ann K Colgan (1929 – 1997)

🔶 Elizabeth (née Colgan) Burns (unknown – 1972) 🇮🇪 and Roger Burns, Sr. (Abt. 1895 – 1960) 🇮🇪

🔶 Elizabeth (née Colgan) McHenry (Abt. 1887 – unknown) 🇮🇪 and William McHenry (Abt. 1884 – 1925) 🇮🇪

🔶 Ellen Colgan (Abt. 1800 – 1866)

🔶 Francis Colligan and Jane Colligan (Abt. 1838 – 1904)
🔹 Parents of:

🔶 George Colgan (Abt. 1832 – unknown) 🇺🇸 and Mary Ann Mullen (Abt. 1838 – unknown) 🇺🇸 
🔹 Parents of:

  • Mary Elizabeth Colgan (1858 – unknown) 🇺🇸
  • Robert Colgan (1860 – unknown) 🇺🇸
  • Mallia Colgan (1868 – unknown) 🇺🇸

🔶 George (Ralph?) Colgan (Abt. 1855 – unknown) and Ella Rebecca (née Geist) Colgan (Abt. 1871 – 1904) 🇺🇸
🔹 Parents of:

🔶 George R. Colgan (1911 – 1990) 🇺🇸 and Evelyn A. (née Woodruff) Colgan (1914 – 2010) 🇺🇸

🔶 George W. Colgan (Abt. 1819 – 1894) 🇺🇸 and Susan (née Booth) Colgan (Abt. 1823 – 1902) 🇺🇸
🔹 Parents of: Morris P. Colgan (Abt. 1851 – 1894) 🇺🇸, husband of Mary (née Randall) Colgan 🇺🇸
🔹 Grandparents of:

🔶 Grace Ann Colgan (1909 – 1917) 🇺🇸
🔹 Daughter of Maurice Colgan and Ellen Hagerty

🔶 Hugh Colgan (Abt. 1832 – 1907) 🇮🇪 and his wives Mary Jane (née Lowery) Colgan (Abt. 1832 – 1866) 🇮🇪 and Mary (née Thompson) Colgan (Abt. 1846 – 1906) 🇮🇪
🔹 Parents of:

🔶 James Colgan (Abt. 1835 – 1908) and Catherine (née Kieran) Colgan (Abt. 1837 – 1912) 🇮🇪
🔹 James was the son of Patrick & Susan Colgan of Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland
🔹 James and Catherine were the parents of:

🔶 James Colgan (Abt. 1814 – 1849) 🇮🇪
🔹 James Colgan (1849 – 1849) 🇺🇸

🔶 James Colgan (unknown – unknown) 🇮🇪 and Julia (née Dougherty) Colgan (unknown – unknown) 🇮🇪
🔹 This family also used “McColgan”
🔹 Parents of:

🔶 James Colgan (unknown – unknown) 🇮🇪 and Nancy (née Curran) Colgan (unknown – unknown)
🔹 Parents of:

🔶 James Colgan and Mary (maiden name under research) Colgan
🔹 Parents of:

🔶 James Colgan (1930 – 1930) 🇺🇸

🔶 James F. Colgan (Abt. 1849 – 1884) 🇮🇪 and Bridget (Donahue) Colgan (Abt. 1855–1910) 🇮🇪

🔶 John Colgan (Abt. 1780 – 1851) and Mary (née McDowell) Colgan (Abt. 1795 – 1869)
🔹 Parents of:

🔶 John Colgan (Abt. 1782 – 1872) 🇮🇪

🔶 John Colgan (Abt. 1818 – 1869) 🇮🇪

🔶 John Colgan (Abt. 1833 – 1854) 🇮🇪

🔶 John Colgan (Abt. 1859 – 1880) 🇮🇪

🔶 John Colgan (unknown – Bef. Abt. 1875) 🇮🇪 and Elizabeth Colgan (Abt. 1792 – 1875) 🇮🇪
🔹 Other members of this family include (may all be children of John): 

🔶 John Colgan (Abt. 1841 – 1869) and Pauline (maiden name under research) Colgan (Abt. 1843 – 1900)
🔹This family also used “McColgan”
🔹Parents of:

🔶 Several family members of Dr John Gilbert Colgan (1900 – 1954) and Julia Frances (née Real) Colgan (1903 – 1960)

🔶 John F. Colgan (Abt. 1894 – 1971) 🇺🇸 and Gertrude M. (née Lacy) Colgan (1905 – 1992)

🔶 John G. Colgan (Abt. 1841 – Abt. 1887) 🇺🇸
🔹Possible transcription error or headstone error – under research and confirmation

🔶 John Joseph Colgan (Abt. 1887 – 1931) 🇺🇸 and Emma (née Christe) Colgan (Abt. 1886 – 1974) 🇫🇷
🔹Reported to be the son of Bernard Colgan and Margaret Kane – under research and confirmation
🔹Parents of:

🔶 John T. Colgan (1924 – 1955) 🇮🇪

🔶 John McColgan (Abt. 1844 – unknown) 🇮🇪 and Bridget (née Kelly) McColgan (Abt. 1845 – unknown), parents of:

  • Mary Virginia McColgan (b. 1866) 🇺🇸
  • Martha Josephine McColgan (b. 1868) 🇺🇸
  • Catharine McColgan (1874 – 1874) 🇺🇸
  • Ellen (Nellie) McColgan (b. 1877) 🇺🇸

🔶 Joseph Patrick Colgan Sr. (Abt. 1810 – 1867) 🇮🇪 and Mary Colgan
🔹Also had siblings

🔶 Julia Colgan (Abt. 1855 – 1874)
🔹”Removed to Pottsville, PA” (Cemetery Records of Cathedral Cemetery – UNDER RESEARCH for exact cemetery)

🔶 Louise (née Colgan) Allen (1926 – 2009), daughter of Colgans from Western Pennsylvania

🔶 Margaret Colgan (Abt. 1806 – 1882) 🇮🇪

🔶 Margaret Cecile (née Lang) Colgan Aliano (Abt. 1896 – 1961) 🇺🇸
🔹 Used Colgan as a trade name for her dance studio

🔶 Margaret (née Colgan) Bennett (Abt. 1858 – 1937) 🇮🇪

🔶 Margaret (née Colgan) Boyle (Abt. 1874 – 1967) 🇮🇪 and James A. Boyle

🔶 Martin Colgan (Abt. 1815 – unknown) 🇮🇪 and Ellen (née O’Brien) Colgan (Abt. 1818 – 1889) 🇮🇪
This family probably lived mostly in Schuylkill County, in the early couple decades after immigration in particular

🔶 Mary Colgan (Abt. 1836 – 1857)
🔹Died at the Philadelphia Blockley Almshouse of Phthisis Pulmonalis (pulmonary tuberculosis with progressive wasting) (A.K.A. “Consumption”)
🔹EXACT LOCATION OF REMAINS UNOBTAINABLE. Current status unknown; possibly destroyed. Burials within this cemetery were disturbed by construction for the Keystone Battery Armory in 1889–1890, and again during the construction of Franklin Field, in the early 1920s.
🔹It may be very difficult to confirm her exact identity, due to lack of detailed records.  She was probably born in Ireland, and immigrated to the U.S. during, or shortly after, an Gorta Mór (the Great Famine).

🔶 Mary Colgan (unknown – 1861) 🇮🇪
🔹Cemetery records and city death record disagree widely on birth year estimate, recording age 23 years and 40 years, respectively

🔶 Mary Colgan (Abt. 1864 – 1865) 🇺🇸

🔶 Mary Colgan (1865 – 1865) 🇺🇸

🔶 Mary Colgan (Abt. 1870 – 1960) 🇮🇪
🔹Daughter of Thomas Colgan and Ella Fitzmaurice

🔶 Mary McColgan (Abt. 1799 – 1862) 🇮🇪

🔶 Mary Moore (née Colgan) Watt (1873 – 1955) 🇮🇪 and Andrew Watt (Abt. 1862 – 1923) 🇮🇪

🔶 Mary T. (née Colgan) Cantz (Abt. 1863 – 1946) and Leonard F. Cantz (Abt. 1862 – 1896) 🇩🇪

🔶 Mary (née McColgan) Mullen (Abt. 1847 – 1935) 🇮🇪 and John Mullen (Abt. 1852 – 1917)

🔶 Michael Colgan (1910 – 1984) and Winifred C. (née Kelleher) Colgan (Abt. 1913 – 1999)
🔹and sister Mary H. Colgan (Abt. 1917 – 1982)

🔶 Michael Joseph Colgan Sr. (1926 – 1988) 🇮🇪 and Mary P. (née Smyth) Colgan (Abt. 1928 – 2013) 🇮🇪

🔶 Michael P. Colgan (Abt. 1814 – 1881) 🇮🇪 and Marcella M. (née Moore) Colgan (Abt. 1824 – 1884) 🇮🇪
🔹 Parents of:

🔶 Patrick Colgan (Abt. 1806 – unknown) 🇮🇪 and Margaret (née Conway) Colgan (Abt. 1830 – 1871) 🇮🇪
🔹 Parents of:

🔶 PVT Patrick Colgan (Abt. 1837 – 1890) 🇮🇪 and Sarah (née Mulholland) Colgan (Abt. 1823 – 1893) 🇮🇪
Other known members of this family (may be siblings of Patrick):
🔹 Jane “Jennie” Colgan (Abt. 1840 – 1902)
🔹 Catherine Colgan (Abt. 1865 – 1910) 🇮🇪
🔹 Rose (née Colgan) McKenna (Abt. 1840 – 1892) 🇮🇪

🔶 Patrick Colgan (Abt. 1873 – 1918)

🔶 Patrick Colgan (Abt. 1873 – 1934) 🇮🇪

🔶 Patrick Colgan (Abt. 1864 – 1945) 🇮🇪 and Anna M. (née Hyland) Colgan (Abt. 1863 – 1933) 🇮🇪

🔶 Patrick Colgan (Abt. 1882 – 1938) 🇮🇪

🔶 Peter B. Colgan (Abt. 1868 – 1949) 🇺🇸 and Ella (née Stewart) Colgan (unknown – unknown)
🔹 Family out of New York state
🔹 Buried in Camden County, NJ
🔹 Also in this family:

🔶 Peter Joseph Colgan (Abt. 1885 – 1964) 🇺🇸 and Ella (née Clark) Colgan (Abt. 1896 – 1943)
🔹 Parents of:

🔶 Robert Colgan (Abt. 1806 – 1871) 🇮🇪 and Elizabeth Colgan (Abt. 1808 – 1874)
Also in this family:
🔹 Anne (née Colgan) Culbertson (Abt. 1824 – 1903) 🇮🇪
🔹 John Colgan (Abt. 1843 – 1854) 🇺🇸

🔶 Robert Colgan (Abt. 1830 – 1865)

🔶 Sarah Ann (née Colgan) Barr (Abt. 1871 – 1966) 🇮🇪 and Joseph B. Barr (Abt. 1867 – 1950) 🇮🇪

🔶 Sarah (née Colgan) Black (Abt. 1828 – 1880) 🇮🇪 and James Black (Abt. 1830 – 1863) 🇮🇪

🔶 Thomas Colgan (unknown – unknown) and Mary Colgan (unknown – Bef. 1894)
🔹 Parents of:

🔶 Thomas Colgan (unknown – unknown)
🔹 Father of: Joseph J. Colgan (1865 – 1920) 🇺🇸

🔶 Thomas Colgan and Margaret “Maggie” Coligan
🔹 Parents of:

🔶 Thomas P. Colgan (Abt. 1814 – 1875) 🇮🇪 and Mary (née Lappin) Colgan (Abt. 1821 – 1879) 🇮🇪
🔹brother: Terrence Jerome Colgan (Abt. 1815 – 1866) 🇮🇪, husband of Hannah (née Bayley) Colgan (Abt. 1811 – 1891) 🇮🇪

🔶 William Colgan (Abt. 1818 – 1841)

🔶 William Colgan (Abt. 1843 – 1897) and Esther (née Summers) Colgan (1846 – 1938)
🔹Parents of:

🔶 William Henry Colgan (Abt. 1851 – 1903) and Margaret (née O’Keefe) Colgan (Abt. 1856 – unknown)
🔹Parents of:

🔶 William John Colgan (Abt. 1833 – 1874) 🇮🇪 and Matilda (née Smith) Colgan Blackburn (unknown – unknown)
🔹Parents of:

🔶 William M. Colgan Sr. (Abt. 1896 – 1972) 🇮🇪 and Lillian (née Hens) Colgan (Abt. 1902 – 1981)
🔹Parents of:

🔶 William McColgan (Abt. 1823 – 1858) 🇮🇪 and Ann (née McIlhenney) McColgan (Abt. 1830 – unknown) 🇮🇪
🔹 and Michael McColgan (Abt. 1830 – unknown) 🇮🇪 and Sarah “Sallie” (née McIlhenney) McColgan (Abt. 1834 – 1870) 🇮🇪

🔶 William Colgan (Abt. 1830 – unknown) and Grace (née McBride) Colgan (Abt. 1830 – 1919) 🇮🇪
🔹This family also used “McColgan” for some time
🔹Parents of:

🔶 William McColgan (Abt. – ) 🇮🇪 and Eleanor “Ellen” (née Butler) McColgan (Abt. 1832 – 1916) 🇮🇪
and their children, including:

🚧 …MORE COMING SOON

To View or Download Our Collection of Colgan/McColgan Listings from the
Philadelphia City Directories, organized by year, visit the links below:

There are many advantages to having this information in these formats.  Hundreds of these listings do not appear in search results on the sites that index this data (like Ancestry, MyHeritage, Archive.org, etc.) — primary due to poor Optical Character Recognition (OCR) of these old publications that were printed on cheap paper.  Each entry has been manually checked, and any OCR errors fixed, so they have a far better, human–verified level of accuracy.  

The directory and phone book clipping sets allow quick year–by–year browsing and side–by–side comparison, so it’s easy to view all Colgan or McColgan listings for the respective year, compare to find changes, and see exactly how they were printed.

The spreadsheet allows search, as well as the ability to sort by: Surname Name spelling, First Name, Address, Occupation, Year of Publication, Raw Listing (unedited), Notes, Family ID Number (for confirmed family groups; a project still underway), and Year of Death.  The Year of Death option is new, so it still requires a lot of work, but this column helps make sure you’re looking at the intended individual. 

The occupation column is an option that isn’t consistently available in most online collections, and this data can be very helpful. The occupation listings have been cleaned up and standardized, so the wide variations in abbreviations used over the about 150 years of listings are easy to work with.  The standardized occupations make it easy to understand entries (particularly spelling or abbreviation) that many modern researchers may not recognize – like “sgrmkr,” “alderm,” “clk,” “brkmn,” “carder,” “cutler,” or “burler.”

Many errors in the printed directories and phone books have been identified and cleaned up or flagged in the notes column, which makes the spreadsheet far superior to the search results in Ancestry and other sites.  The primary error clean–ups are: name misspellings, address errors, and incorrect information such as when the directory workers recorded a wrong name.  

🔴 Colgan Philadelphia City Directory Listings – Cropped by Year (Google Drive Folder)
🔴 McColgan Philadelphia City Directory Listings – Cropped by Year (Google Drive Folder)

🔴 Colgan Camden, NJ City Directory Listings – Cropped by Year (Google Drive Folder) (Currently Available for 1900–1943. 🚧 More years coming soon.)
🔴 McColgan Camden, NJ City Directory Listings – Cropped by Year (Google Drive Folder) (Currently Available for 1900–1943. 🚧 More years coming soon.)

🔴 Excel Spreadsheet of Individual Colgan & McColgan Listings in Philadelphia City Directories from 1830 to 1925 (Plus 1930, 1935, 1940, 1947, 1950, 1953, and 1957)
Last Updated: 15 Oct 2024 (Still Undergoing Extensive Revisions)
COMING SOON: Addition of 1923, 1924, 1925, 1930, 1935, 1950 City Directory and Phone Book listings for Colgan & McColgan