This page lists the top generation of the identified Colgan and McColgan families in the Greater Philadelphia area.  It is a highlyโ€“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 โ€“ 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.

โš ๏ธ THIS LIST IS STILL VERY MUCH UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND REVISION.

๐Ÿ”ถ Patrick Colgan (Born Abt. 1810) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Mary Colgan (Abt. 1820 โ€“ 1863) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช  โ€“ (The current primary focus of this website: my straight paternal line, and Phase 1 of this site’s construction.)
This family also includes:


๐Ÿ”ถ Charles Colgan (Abt. 1830 โ€“ 1903) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and his wives Deborah (Rex) Colgan (Abt. 1833 โ€“ 1868) and Ellen (Magee) Colgan (Abt. 1856 โ€“ 1898) โ€“ (The underโ€“construction, secondโ€“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/virtualโ€“cemetery/1099612
Parents of:


๐Ÿ”ถ CPT Alfred Emmet Colgan (1839 โ€“ 1906) and Mary Elizabeth (nรฉe Roach) Colgan

๐Ÿ”ถ Andrew Colgan (Abt. 1823 โ€“ 1895) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Ann (nรฉe McCormick) Colgan (Abt. 1830 โ€“ 1889)
Also in this family:
๐Ÿ”นJulia Colgan (Abt. 1831 โ€“ 1863) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Anna Colgan (identity unknown)
Mother of:

๐Ÿ”ถ Anna (nรฉe Colgan) Kelly (Abt. 1885 โ€“ 1924) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช wife of Patrick J. Kelly (Abt. 1888 โ€“ 1947) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

๐Ÿ”ถ Anna M. (nรฉe Colgan) Lambert (Abt. 1848 โ€“ 1923) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ wife of Oliver E. Lambert (Abt. 1839 โ€“ 1904) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

๐Ÿ”ถ Anne (nรฉe Colgan) Torchiana (Abt. 1864 โ€“ 1925) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ wife of Francis Torchiana

๐Ÿ”ถ Annie (nรฉe Colgan) Gormley (Abt. 1876 โ€“ 1903) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Terence Gormley (Abt. 1866 โ€“ 1931) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น
A Mary Colgan was a witness at her marriage
๐Ÿ”น Terence and Annie were parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ Arthur Varion Colgan (Abt. 1917 โ€“ 1989) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ and Theresa (nรฉe Connolly) Colgan (Abt. 1925 โ€“ 1998) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ Arthur McColgan (Abt. 1840 โ€“1889) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Elizabeth (nรฉe Breen) Colgan (unknown โ€“ unknown)

๐Ÿ”ถ Bartholomew โ€œBartleyโ€ Colgan (Abt. 1831 โ€“ 1888) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Nancy Hannah Colgan (Abt. 1832 โ€“ 1903) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Bernard Colgan (unknown โ€“ unknown) and Ann Nancy (nรฉe O’Brien) Colgan (unknown โ€“ 1898)

๐Ÿ”ถ Bernard Colgan (Abt. 1786 โ€“ 1876) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
may be the father of:

๐Ÿ”ถ Bernard Colgan (Abt. 1835 โ€“ 1903) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Margaret Ann (nรฉe Curran) Colgan (Abt. 1857 โ€“ 1922) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Bernard Colgan (unknown โ€“ unknown) and Margaret (maiden name under research) Colgan (unknown โ€“ unknown)
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

  • James Colgan (1869 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

๐Ÿ”ถ Bernard McColgan (Abt. 1801 โ€“ 1855) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Eliza (nรฉe Andre) McColgan (Abt. 1808 โ€“ 1885) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น Including their son, the wellโ€“known Alderman James McColgan (Abt. 1834 โ€“ 1885)

๐Ÿ”ถ Bridget (nรฉe Colgan) Smith (Abt. 1876 โ€“ 1933) ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ and James Smith (Abt. 1876 โ€“ 1959) ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ
๐Ÿ”น Bridget was recorded as being born in Scotland, to Michael Colgan ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Mary (nรฉe McNulty) Colgan ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช of Ireland

๐Ÿ”ถ Charles Colgan (unknown โ€“ unknown) and Johanna (nรฉe Doran) Colgan (Abt. 1836 โ€“ 1916) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Charles Colgan (Abt. 1782 โ€“ 1854) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Lucinda Colgan (Abt. 1777 โ€“ 1875) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น Also in this family (relationships under documentation):

๐Ÿ”ถ Charles McCullum Colgan (1889 โ€“ 1957) and Maureen Felicia (nรฉe Hogan) Colgan (1889 โ€“ 1993)

๐Ÿ”ถ Charles V. Colgan (Abt. 1806 โ€“ 1880) and Elizabeth S. Colgan (Abt. 1818 โ€“ 1900)

๐Ÿ”ถ Clement Riley Colgan (Abt. 1845 โ€“ 1888) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

๐Ÿ”ถ Daniel Colgan (1925 โ€“ 1988) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ and Cecelia (nรฉe Misciagna) Colgan (1919 โ€“ 1986) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ Daniel J. Colgan (Abt. 1842 โ€“ 1926) and Jane (nรฉe Davison) Colgan (Abt. 1842 โ€“ 1917)
๐Ÿ”น Ervin D. Colgan (Abt. 1878 โ€“ 1934) (adopted son of Daniel J., according to 1910 census) and Frances โ€œFannieโ€ (nรฉe Ellsworth) Colgan (Abt. 1880 โ€“ 1940)

๐Ÿ”ถ Daniel McColgan (Abt. 1812 โ€“ 1860) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Cecilia (nรฉe McLaughlin) McColgan (Abt. 1821 โ€“ 1877) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ David Colgan (Abt. 1832 โ€“ 1897) and Hannah (nรฉe Dunlap) Colgan (Abt. 1827 โ€“ 1909)

๐Ÿ”ถ Dennis Colgan (Abt. 1876 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Rose (nรฉe Heaney) Colgan Grugan (Abt. 1869 โ€“ 1941) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”น Other members of this family include:

  • Mary Colgan (Abt. 1869 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช wife of John Donaghy (Abt. 1865 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
  • Henry Colgan (Abt. 1864 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
  • Bernard Colgan (listed at the family address, 1893 โ€“ 1895)

๐Ÿ”ถ Dora (nรฉe Colgan) Yorston (Abt. 1867 โ€“ 1933) ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ and William Yorston (Abt. 1869 โ€“ 1941) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

๐Ÿ”ถ Edward William Colgan (1937 โ€“ 2001) and Ann K Colgan (1929 โ€“ 1997)

๐Ÿ”ถ Elizabeth (nรฉe Colgan) Burns (unknown โ€“ 1972) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Roger Burns, Sr. (Abt. 1895 โ€“ 1960) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Elizabeth (nรฉe Colgan) McHenry (Abt. 1887 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and William McHenry (Abt. 1884 โ€“ 1925) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ Ella (nรฉe Colgan) Gray (Abt. 1851 โ€“ 1929) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ and Harry Clay Gray (Abt. 1851 โ€“ 1924) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 
๐Ÿ”น Reported as daughter of William Colgan and Catherine L. Eckhardt

๐Ÿ”ถ Ellen Colgan (Abt. 1800 โ€“ 1866)

๐Ÿ”ถ Francis Colligan and Jane Colligan (Abt. 1838 โ€“ 1904)
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ George Colgan (Abt. 1832 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ and Mary Ann Mullen (Abt. 1838 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

  • Mary Elizabeth Colgan (1858 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
  • Robert Colgan (1860 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
  • Mallia Colgan (1868 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

๐Ÿ”ถ George (Ralph?) Colgan (Abt. 1855 โ€“ unknown) and Ella Rebecca (nรฉe Geist) Colgan (Abt. 1871 โ€“ 1904) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ George R. Colgan (1911 โ€“ 1990) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ and Evelyn A. (nรฉe Woodruff) Colgan (1914 โ€“ 2010) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

๐Ÿ”ถ George W. Colgan (Abt. 1819 โ€“ 1894) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ and Susan (nรฉe Booth) Colgan (Abt. 1823 โ€“ 1902) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
๐Ÿ”น Parents of: Morris P. Colgan (Abt. 1851 โ€“ 1894) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ husband of Mary (nรฉe Randall) Colgan ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
๐Ÿ”น Grandparents of:

๐Ÿ”น Also likely a member of this family (under research):

๐Ÿ”ถ Grace Ann Colgan (1909 โ€“ 1917) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
๐Ÿ”น Daughter of Maurice Colgan and Ellen Hagerty

๐Ÿ”ถ Hugh Colgan (Abt. 1832 โ€“ 1907) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and his wives Mary Jane (nรฉe Lowery) Colgan (Abt. 1832 โ€“ 1866) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Mary (nรฉe Thompson) Colgan (Abt. 1846 โ€“ 1906) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ James Colgan (Abt. 1835 โ€“ 1908) and Catherine (nรฉe Kieran) Colgan (Abt. 1837 โ€“ 1912) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น James was the son of Patrick & Susan Colgan of Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland
๐Ÿ”น James and Catherine were the parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ James Colgan (Abt. 1814 โ€“ 1849) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น may be the father of James Colgan (1849 โ€“ 1849) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

๐Ÿ”ถ James Colgan (Abt. 1840 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Julia (nรฉe Dougherty) Colgan (Abt. 1844 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น Julia McColgan, mother of the above family members, probably died in May 1885 (confirmation and documentation work underway). James McColgan’s records are also being sought.
๐Ÿ”น This family first used “McColgan,” dropping “Mc” in the records, and using only “Colgan,” by the end of the 1800s
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ James Colgan (unknown โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Nancy (nรฉe Curran) Colgan (unknown โ€“ unknown)
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ James Colgan and Mary (maiden name under research) Colgan
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ James Colgan (1930 โ€“ 1930) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

๐Ÿ”ถ James F. Colgan (Abt. 1849 โ€“ 1884) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Bridget (Donahue) Colgan (Abt. 1855โ€“1910) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ James Patrick Colgan (Abt. 1938 โ€“ 2018) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ and Suzanne Elizabeth (nรฉe Mills) Colgan (Abt. 1940 โ€“ 2011) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
๐Ÿ”น James was probably the son of William A. Colgan (Abt. 1896 โ€“ 1947) and his second wife, Alberta (nรฉe Gillingham) Colgan

๐Ÿ”ถ John Colgan (Abt. 1780 โ€“ 1851) and Mary (nรฉe McDowell) Colgan (Abt. 1795 โ€“ 1869)
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ John Colgan (Abt. 1782 โ€“ 1872) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ John Colgan (Abt. 1818 โ€“ 1869) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ John Colgan (Abt. 1833 โ€“ 1854) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ John Colgan (Abt. 1859 โ€“ 1880) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ John Colgan (unknown โ€“ Bef. Abt. 1875) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Elizabeth Colgan (Abt. 1792 โ€“ 1875) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น Other members of this family include (may all be children of John): 

๐Ÿ”ถ John Colgan (Abt. 1841 โ€“ 1869) and Pauline (maiden name under research) Colgan (Abt. 1843 โ€“ 1900)
๐Ÿ”นThis family also used “McColgan”
๐Ÿ”นParents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ Several family members of Dr John Gilbert Colgan (1900 โ€“ 1954) and Julia Frances (nรฉe Real) Colgan (1903 โ€“ 1960)

๐Ÿ”ถ John F. Colgan (Abt. 1894 โ€“ 1971) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ and Gertrude M. (nรฉe Lacy) Colgan (1905 โ€“ 1992)

๐Ÿ”ถ John G. Colgan (Abt. 1841 โ€“ Abt. 1887) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
๐Ÿ”นPossible transcription error or headstone error โ€“ under research and confirmation

๐Ÿ”ถ John Joseph Colgan (Abt. 1887 โ€“ 1931) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ and Emma (nรฉe Christe) Colgan (Abt. 1886 โ€“ 1974) ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท
๐Ÿ”นReported to be the son of Bernard Colgan and Margaret Kane โ€“ under research and confirmation
๐Ÿ”นParents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ John T. Colgan (1924 โ€“ 1955) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ John McColgan (Abt. 1844 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Bridget (nรฉe Kelly) McColgan (Abt. 1845 โ€“ unknown), parents of:

  • Mary Virginia McColgan (b. 1866) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
  • Martha Josephine McColgan (b. 1868) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
  • Catharine McColgan (1874 โ€“ 1874) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
  • Ellen (Nellie) McColgan (b. 1877) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

๐Ÿ”ถ Joseph Patrick Colgan Sr. (Abt. 1810 โ€“ 1867) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Mary Agnes Colgan (unknown โ€“ unknown)
๐Ÿ”นAlso had siblings
๐Ÿ”นParents of:

๐Ÿ”น Also a member of this family (under research):

๐Ÿ”ถ Julia Colgan (Abt. 1855 โ€“ 1874)
๐Ÿ”น”Removed to Pottsville, PA” (Cemetery Records of Cathedral Cemetery – UNDER RESEARCH for exact cemetery)

๐Ÿ”ถ Louise (nรฉe Colgan) Allen (1926 โ€“ 2009), daughter of Colgans from Western Pennsylvania

๐Ÿ”ถ Margaret Colgan (Abt. 1806 โ€“ 1882) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Margaret Cecile (nรฉe Lang) Colgan Aliano (Abt. 1896 โ€“ 1961) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
๐Ÿ”น Used Colgan as a trade name for her dance studio

๐Ÿ”ถ Margaret (nรฉe Colgan) Bennett (Abt. 1858 โ€“ 1937) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Margaret (nรฉe Colgan) Boyle (Abt. 1874 โ€“ 1967) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and James A. Boyle

๐Ÿ”ถ Martin Colgan (Abt. 1815 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Ellen (nรฉe O’Brien) Colgan (Abt. 1818 โ€“ 1889) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
This family probably lived mostly in Schuylkill County, in the early couple decades after immigration in particular

๐Ÿ”ถ Mary Colgan (Abt. 1836 โ€“ 1857)
๐Ÿ”นDied at the Philadelphia Blockley Almshouse of Phthisis Pulmonalis (pulmonary tuberculosis with progressive wasting) (A.K.A. “Consumption”)
๐Ÿ”นEXACT LOCATION OF REMAINS UNOBTAINABLE. Current status unknown; possibly destroyed. Burials within this cemetery were disturbed by construction for the Keystone Battery Armory in 1889โ€“1890, and again during the construction of Franklin Field, in the early 1920s.
๐Ÿ”นIt 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 Mรณr (the Great Famine).

๐Ÿ”ถ Mary Colgan (unknown โ€“ 1861) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”นCemetery records and city death record disagree widely on birth year estimate, recording age 23 years and 40 years, respectively

๐Ÿ”ถ Mary Colgan (Abt. 1864 โ€“ 1865) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

๐Ÿ”ถ Mary Colgan (1865 โ€“ 1865) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

๐Ÿ”ถ Mary Colgan (Abt. 1870 โ€“ 1960) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”นDaughter of Thomas Colgan and Ella Fitzmaurice

๐Ÿ”ถ Mary McColgan (Abt. 1799 โ€“ 1862) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Mary Moore (nรฉe Colgan) Watt (1873 โ€“ 1955) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Andrew Watt (Abt. 1862 โ€“ 1923) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Mary T. (nรฉe Colgan) Cantz (Abt. 1863 โ€“ 1946) and Leonard F. Cantz (Abt. 1862 โ€“ 1896) ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Mary (nรฉe McColgan) Mullen (Abt. 1847 โ€“ 1935) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and John Mullen (Abt. 1852 โ€“ 1917)

๐Ÿ”ถ Michael Colgan (unknown โ€“ unknown) and Helen (nรฉe Hagerty) Colganโ€“London (Abt. 1881 โ€“ 1967) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Michael Joseph Colgan (Abt. 1887 โ€“ 1889) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
๐Ÿ”น May be the son of a Michael Colgan & Mary Kenny (both unidentified; under research)

๐Ÿ”ถ Michael Colgan (1910 โ€“ 1984) and Winifred C. (nรฉe Kelleher) Colgan (Abt. 1913 โ€“ 1999)
๐Ÿ”น and sister Mary H. Colgan (Abt. 1917 โ€“ 1982)

๐Ÿ”ถ Michael Joseph Colgan Sr. (1926 โ€“ 1988) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Mary P. (nรฉe Smyth) Colgan (Abt. 1928 โ€“ 2013) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Michael P. Colgan (Abt. 1814 โ€“ 1881) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Marcella M. (nรฉe Moore) Colgan (Abt. 1824 โ€“ 1884) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ Patrick Colgan (Abt. 1806 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Margaret (nรฉe Conway) Colgan (Abt. 1830 โ€“ 1871) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ PVT Patrick Colgan (Abt. 1837 โ€“ 1890) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Sarah (nรฉe Mulholland) Colgan (Abt. 1823 โ€“ 1893) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น Other known members of this family (may be siblings of Patrick):

๐Ÿ”ถ Patrick Colgan (Abt. 1873 โ€“ 1918)

๐Ÿ”ถ Patrick Colgan (Abt. 1873 โ€“ 1934) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Patrick Colgan (Abt. 1864 โ€“ 1945) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Anna M. (nรฉe Hyland) Colgan (Abt. 1863 โ€“ 1933) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Patrick Colgan (Abt. 1882 โ€“ 1938) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Peter B. Colgan (Abt. 1868 โ€“ 1949) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ and Ella (nรฉe Stewart) Colgan (Abt. 1872 โ€“ 1944) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
๐Ÿ”น Family based out of New York state
๐Ÿ”น Also in this family:

๐Ÿ”ถ Peter Joseph Colgan (Abt. 1885 โ€“ 1964) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ and Ella (nรฉe Clark) Colgan (Abt. 1896 โ€“ 1943)
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ Robert Colgan (Abt. 1806 โ€“ 1871) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Elizabeth Colgan (Abt. 1808 โ€“ 1874)
Also in this family:
๐Ÿ”น Anne (nรฉe Colgan) Culbertson (Abt. 1824 โ€“ 1903) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น John Colgan (Abt. 1843 โ€“ 1854) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

๐Ÿ”ถ Robert Colgan (Abt. 1830 โ€“ 1865)

๐Ÿ”ถ Sarah Ann (nรฉe Colgan) Barr (Abt. 1871 โ€“ 1966) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Joseph B. Barr (Abt. 1867 โ€“ 1950) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Sarah (nรฉe Colgan) Black (Abt. 1828 โ€“ 1880) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and James Black (Abt. 1830 โ€“ 1863) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Shirley Jean (nรฉe Jenkins) Colgan (1934 โ€“ 1980) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ wife of (Unknown) Colgan

๐Ÿ”ถ Susan (nรฉe Colgan) McFaull (Abt. 1886 โ€“ 1957) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and James McFaull (Abt. 1884 โ€“ 1971) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น No known Colgan family members came with Susan to the U.S. from Ulster
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ Thomas Colgan (unknown โ€“ unknown) and Mary Colgan (unknown โ€“ Bef. 1894)
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ Thomas Colgan (unknown โ€“ unknown)
๐Ÿ”น Father of: Joseph J. Colgan (1865 โ€“ 1920) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

๐Ÿ”ถ Thomas Colgan and Margaret “Maggie” Coligan
๐Ÿ”น Parents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ Thomas P. Colgan (Abt. 1814 โ€“ 1875) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Mary (nรฉe Lappin) Colgan (Abt. 1821 โ€“ 1879) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”นbrother: Terrence Jerome Colgan (Abt. 1815 โ€“ 1866) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช, husband of Hannah (nรฉe Bayley) Colgan (Abt. 1811 โ€“ 1891) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ Walter Colgan (1864 โ€“ 1864) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

๐Ÿ”ถ William Colgan (Abt. 1818 โ€“ 1841)

๐Ÿ”ถ William Colgan (Abt. 1843 โ€“ 1897) and Esther (nรฉe Summers) Colgan (1846 โ€“ 1938)
๐Ÿ”นParents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ William A. Colgan (Abt. 1896 โ€“ 1947) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ and his wives, Sarah (nรฉe Cannon) Colgan (1897 โ€“ 1938) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ and Alberta (nรฉe Gillingham) Colgan (Abt. 1908 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
๐Ÿ”นWilliam’s Irish-born father, John, lived in NYC

๐Ÿ”ถ William Henry Colgan (Abt. 1851 โ€“ 1903) and Margaret (nรฉe O’Keefe) Colgan (Abt. 1856 โ€“ unknown)
๐Ÿ”นParents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ William John Colgan (Abt. 1833 โ€“ 1874) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Matilda (nรฉe Smith) Colgan Blackburn (unknown โ€“ unknown)
๐Ÿ”นParents of:

๐Ÿ”น Also a member of this family (under research):

๐Ÿ”ถ William M. Colgan Sr. (Abt. 1896 โ€“ 1972) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Lillian (nรฉe Hens) Colgan (Abt. 1902 โ€“ 1981)
๐Ÿ”นParents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ William McColgan (Abt. 1823 โ€“ 1858) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Ann (nรฉe McIlhenney) McColgan (Abt. 1830 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”น and Michael McColgan (Abt. 1830 โ€“ unknown) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Sarah “Sallie” (nรฉe McIlhenney) McColgan (Abt. 1834 โ€“ 1870) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

๐Ÿ”ถ William Colgan (Abt. 1830 โ€“ unknown) and Grace (nรฉe McBride) Colgan (Abt. 1830 โ€“ 1919) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
๐Ÿ”นThis family also used “McColgan” for some time
๐Ÿ”นParents of:

๐Ÿ”ถ William McColgan (Abt. โ€“ ) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช and Eleanor “Ellen” (nรฉe Butler) McColgan (Abt. 1832 โ€“ 1916) ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช
and their children, including:

๐Ÿšง …MORE COMING SOON


Spreadsheets & Collections

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.) โ€” primarily 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, humanโ€“verified level of accuracy. 
  • The directory and phone book clipping sets allow quick yearโ€“byโ€“year browsing and sideโ€“byโ€“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 each entry was published.
  • 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 โ€“ 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, which makes the spreadsheet far superior to the search results in Ancestry and other sites.  The primary error cleanโ€“ups are: name misspellings, address errors, and incorrect information (such as when the directory workers recorded a wrong first name).  

๐Ÿ”ด 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

๐Ÿ”ด Colgan Philadelphia City Directory Listings โ€“ Cropped by Year (Google Drive Folder)
๐Ÿ”ด McColgan Philadelphia City Directory Listings โ€“ Cropped by Year (Google Drive Folder)

๐Ÿ”ด Colgan Camden, NJ City Directory Listings โ€“ Cropped by Year (Google Drive Folder) (Currently Available for 1900โ€“1943. ๐Ÿšง More years coming soon.)
๐Ÿ”ด McColgan Camden, NJ City Directory Listings โ€“ Cropped by Year (Google Drive Folder) (Currently Available for 1900โ€“1943. ๐Ÿšง More years coming soon.)


๐Ÿšง COMING SOON:

โœด๏ธ Interactive maps: local interactive maps of the Colgan families arriving in the greater Philadelphia area โ€“ from immigration to family growth and spread over two centuries

โœด๏ธ Interactive timelines: contextualizing and detailing the lives of the Colgan / McColgan around Philadelphia โ€“ from immigration through the mid-20th century.  

โœด๏ธ Detailed individual profiles: covering the lives of key Colgans / McColgans in the area, particularly those with deep and interesting life stories.  

โœด๏ธ Tool-tips and glossary: coming feature of this website, allowing a quick mouse-over of key terms, abbreviations, etc., to help readers quickly learn or refresh their knowledge on those items; and optionally click through for detailed information.

โœด๏ธ “F.A.N. Club” analysis: A genealogical research approach; stands for: Friends, Associates, and Neighbors. This method expands the search for information beyond an individual ancestor to include their broader social network. By examining the connections and interactions with those in an ancestor’s community or social sphere, we uncover details that may not be available in direct records about the ancestor themselves.

Using the F.A.N. method offers a richer, more contextual understanding of an ancestorโ€™s life, including:

  • Geographical Origins: Tracking individuals who migrated together can help pinpoint an ancestorโ€™s place of origin.
  • Family Connections: Sometimes friends, associates, or neighbors were actually family members. Identifying these links can uncover extended family networks.
  • Historical and Social Context: Studying the F.A.N. Club helps place ancestors within a broader societal framework, revealing their social class, economic status, and cultural background. This can also include affiliations with organizations, such as religious groups, fraternal orders, or political affiliations.
  • Hints and Clues to Build Evidence for Difficult Cases: Due to several catastrophic losses of many important Irish records over the past 200 years, this technique helps rebuild context and reveal clues.

โœด๏ธ Compiled spreadsheet of all known Colgan / McColgan street addresses from the region, beyond those in city directories.  This includes addresses extracted from newspapers, legal documents (birth, marriage, death, last wills, estate documents, etc.), military files, papers such as letters stored in archives, and papers from private collections. They are flagged with ID numbers to identify the individual and their immediate family.

โœด๏ธ Patients, Indigents, Orphans and Inmates spreadsheet: All known Colgans / McColgans in institutions for the ill, disabled, poor, and orphaned โ€“ from almshouses to maternity hospitals and asylums. Government and private (charity) institutions.

โœด๏ธ Poor aid records: All known Colgans / McColgans who received aid for the poor, such as coal, food, and other assistance.

โœด๏ธ Criminal Inmates spreadsheet: All known Colgans / McColgans in correctional institutions, either for criminal convictions or “voluntary” confinement for vagrancy. 

โœด๏ธ Veterans spreadsheet: All known Colgans / McColgans who had documented military service.

โœด๏ธ Immigrant arrivals: All known Colgans / McColgans who immigrated to the area

โœด๏ธ Naturalizations spreadsheet: All known Colgan / McColgan immigrants who naturalized as US citizens

โœด๏ธ Archdiocese of Philadelphia baptisms spreadsheet (ALL Known Colgan / McColgan baptisms), including with mothers whose maiden name was Colgan / McColgan

โœด๏ธ Archdiocese of Philadelphia marriages spreadsheet (ALL Known Colgan / McColgan marriages)

โœด๏ธ Philadelphia City Birth Records Spreadsheet (Abt. 1860โ€“1906) (ALL Known Colgan / McColgan births)*

โœด๏ธ Philadelphia City Death Records Spreadsheet (1803โ€“1915) (ALL Known Colgan / McColgan deaths)*

โœด๏ธ Greater Philadelphia Area Birth Records Spreadsheet (1906โ€“1915) from Pennsylvania state birth certificates (ALL Known Colgan / McColgan births)*

โœด๏ธ Pennsylvania birth index entries (Colgan / McColgan) for the years for which full birth records are not yet available (1916-1918).

โœด๏ธ Greater Philadelphia Area Marriage Records Spreadsheet (ALL Known Colgan / McColgan marriages)

โœด๏ธ Greater Philadelphia Area Death Records Spreadsheet (1803โ€“1915) from Pennsylvania state death certificates (ALL Known Colgan / McColgan deaths)*

โœด๏ธ Greater Philadelphia Area Burials Spreadsheet (ALL Known Colgan / McColgan deaths)*

โœด๏ธ City Directory and Phone Book clippings collections:

  • Bucks County, PA City Directory and Phone Book Listings**
  • Chester County, PA City Directory and Phone Book Listings**
  • Delaware County, PA City Directory and Phone Book Listings**
  • Montgomery County, PA City Directory and Phone Book Listings**
  • Trenton, NJ City Directory and Phone Book Listings**
  • Wilmington, DE City Directory and Phone Book Listings**

โœด๏ธ Likely expansion: City Directory / Phone Book clippings, and other Colgan / McColgan records of those families who spread into areas along the Reading Railroad (such as Reading, Berks County and Pottsville, Schuylkill County at the end of the railroad line)

โœด๏ธ Compiled list of known holdings in archives (particularly small or local archives) related to, or mentioning, local Colgans and McColgans

โœด๏ธ Greater Philadelphia Area Real Estate Spreadsheet (ALL Known Colgan / McColgan real estate ownership)

โœด๏ธ News clippings collections

โœด๏ธ Ad clippings from Colgan/McColgan-owned businesses

* Including all known Colgan / McColgan maiden name individuals, who died under a married name

** Those who marry into another name will be added, when possible