Eleanor “Ellen” was the daughter of David Haragan and Christiana O’Hearn who emigrated from County Cork, Ireland to Canada in about 1824/5. Ellen was probably born between 1827 and 1828. Her age varies greatly on the various censuses. Typically, though, the ages used earliest in a person’s life are regarded the most accurate. Her age on the earliest 1851 census was 24 (b 1827) and on the following 1861 census her age was 33 (b 1828). Since she was married in February 1846, a birth year of 1827 or 1828 would make Ellen 17/18 years old at the time of her marriage. Ellen was probably born in the United States as this was what was self-reported on the 1861, 1881 and 1891 censuses. The exact location of Ellen’s birth in the United States is, however, unclear. New York was given on the Chicago census record for several of her children. Connecticut was given on the death certificate of her son, Francis.

By about 1830 it appears the Harrigan family moved from the United States to Upper Canada. In 1832, when Ellen was about four, her family was part of the “…first Irish Catholic settlement in northern Peel centered around Silver Creek in the Township of Caledon.” (MacDonell to McGuigan, Wm Perkins Bull, Chapter X, “The Northern Men”)

On 9 February 1846, Ellen (age about 17/18 years) married Alexander Doherty (age about 24 years), son of John and Rosanna Dougherty, at the Gore Mission Church. The witnesses to the wedding were Patrick Dogherty [sic] and Pat Murphy. (Ontario, Roman Catholic Church Records, 1760-1923, Peel, Wildfield, St. Patrick Catholic Church, Ontario, Baptisms, Marriages 1833-1857, Image 157) The couple continued to reside in Caledon for about forty years. Fourteen children (nine daughters and five sons) were born to the couple while they resided in Caledon. One daughter, Margaret, born 19 November 1859 in Caledon, died as a young child.

In about 1876, the Dohertys moved from Caledon to Logan Township, Perth County, Ontario. This was reported in the real estate section Jottings from Mono Road : “…Mr. Alexander Dougherty, of lot No. 5 1st line East, Caledon, has removed to the Township of Logan, in the County of Perth, after a residence of about 40 years in Caledon. The best wishes of the community go with him and his family.” (No date was on the clipping, but based on an ad on this page it was in November 1876). Alexander and Ellen then bought Lot 11, Concession 9 -- 100 acres in the Village of Bornholm, Logan Township, Ontario. According to Legacy of Logan: “This property had a frame house and barn at the west corner of the farm….[son] David Doherty, farmed with his father, but died in 1887 at the age of 37 years. Alexander and Ellen’s son, John, returned home from Milwaukee to operate the farm.…John continued to live with them, buying the farm in 1894….As part of the agreement Alexander and Ellen kept two acres and the house at the west corner of the farm as a separate lot.”

Ellen’s husband, Alexander (age about 73), died in 1895. On 9 June 1898, Ellen (age about 69) died from apoplexy. Ellen was buried in the family plot in Saint Patrick’s Cemetery in Kinkora, Perth County, Ontario, Canada.
Bio by K. O’Brien
Revised 19 February 2021