lonergan Family  

Lonergan: the anglicized form of O'Longargain, of unknown meaning [1]

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Part 1: Patrick Lonergan (c1851 - ?)

Patrick Lonergan was born c1851 in County Tipperary, Ireland. He married Honoria Keating (born c1846) in Moycarkey, Tipperary 13 January 1870. Family lore says they had thirteen children, though Honoria stated she had had eight children on the 1911 census: John (baptised 1870, died 1949), Patrick (baptised 1872, died 1938), James (baptised 1873, died 1939), Mary (baptised 1875), Honora (baptised 1877), William (baptised 1879, died 1951), Catherine (baptised 1881) and Thomas (baptised 1883, died 1964). 

The five brothers all emigrated to Australia in the early 20th century: James and Patrick arrived in Brisbane on board the Jumna in 1900, William (also on board the Jumna) went to Townsville in 1902, Thomas and John arrival in Brisbane on board the Whakatane in 1910 (more information about John appears below). All the brothers were described as 'farm laborers' upon arrival and died in Queensland. Nothing is known of the sisters, except for Catherine (see below).

According to the 1901 census of Ireland, Patrick was a farmer and living in a two-room house at Blackcastle, Two-Mile-Borris, a village just east of Thurles, County Tipperary. The house was owned by farmer Daniel Maher, who lived in an adjacent house. Living with Patrick and Honoria at the time were oldest son John and his wife, youngest son Thomas, and grand-daughter Mary Gleeson (aged four), though who her parents were is unknown. All the adults could read and write. What became of Patrick and Honoria is unknown though they probably had both died by 1911. 

John Lonergan was baptised 22 October 1870 in Moycarkey Parish. He ended up marrying two different women, both called Mary Kelly. He married Mary Kelly (I) 10 February 1901. They lived with his parents and John worked as a general laborer. They had two known children, Hanoria (Nora) born 05 January 1902 and Patrick born 02 June 1903.

Mary died 28 January 1906 after suffering from phthisis for three months. John remarried Mary Trevaskis née Kelly 08 September 1906 in Two-Mile Borris Roman Catholic Chapel. Mary Kelly II had been born c1871 in Tipperary and emigrated to Australia (perhaps with her family). She married Australian John Trevaskis in Queensland 23 December 1893 and they had two known children, Nora (born 1895) and John Henry (born 1905). John died 18 January 1906 and Mary returned to Tipperary with her children. Mary was still alive in 1911 and living in Two-Mile Borris with John Henry while her daughter Nora was a servant in a household in Shanballyduff, Moyne. Mary's step-daughter Hanoria was living with her aunt Catherine Gleeson (née Lonergan) and her family. Patrick was living with his grandmother Honoria Lonergan (née Keating). 

John lived in Brisbane following his emigration in 1910 and died there in 1949. He is buried in South Brisbane Cemetery. Hanoria, who was always known as Nora, and Patrick emigrated to Brisbane, Australia in 1926 on board the 'Themistocles'. Nora later married Edward 'Ned' George Lucas and died in Queensland in 1979. Patrick married Margaret Mary Hannigan and died in 1966 in Casino, New South Wales. [2] 

Next: Catherine Lonergan

Siblings Patrick Lonergan and Hanoria 'Nora' Lucas

Footnotes

[1] www.surnamedb.com/Surname
[2] Cashel diocese baptismal and marriage records courtesy of Tipperary Family History Research centre (http://www.tfhr.org); Census of Ireland 1901 and 1911 (www.census.nationalarchives.ie); Australia Death Index 1787-1985, Queensland, Australia Passenger Lists 1848-1912  (Ancestry.co.uk); Passenger Lists Leaving UK 1890-1960 (Findmypast.com), Findagrave.com; Queensland Birth, Marriage, Death records (https://www.bdm.qld.gov.au); New South Wales Birth Marriage Death records (http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au)