Hello All!
I really need some help locating (and TRACKING) the life of Thomas Goggins (Goggin or Gogins), my great-great-great-grandfather from Ireland.
He was born in Ireland around May 1817, to two unknown Irish parents. I'm hoping someone here can provide further information on...
1) his birthplace and parents' names
2) his wife in the U.S. (most likely from New York or Ireland),
3) where he resided in the U.S. before settling in High Forest Township in his later years,
4) and when/where he died (perhaps also in MN).
It is known that he immigrated to the U.S. in 1846 and was in New York until at least 1854 or 1855, having had a child named Mary Goggins in New York ca. 1854.
It then appears that he was in Wisconsin by 1855 or 1856. While in Wisconsin, he and his unknown wife had the following children: William Goggins (ca. May 1856), John Goggins (ca. 1858), and Thomas Goggins (ca. 1861).
This is where it gets really hairy...in 1855, extrapolating from terribly unorganized and non-specific Wisconsin Census info, he MAY have lived in Laukville (Saukville, Ozaukee county, WI) with 4 males, 5 females (2 foreign born, he and his wife?) in the household. In 1860, he also MAY have lived in Saukville, Ozaukee County, WI, or Ripon, Fond du Lac County, WI. The problem here is that there were two Thomas Goggins from Ireland in WI at that time, with close enough birth dates and similar child names, so as to be totally unclear. The two locations are NOT definite, nor the same person...
It is known, however, that he eventually moved to High Forest Township, MN between 1861 and 1865. In High Forest Township, he and his unknown wife gave birth to Edward Goggins (ca. 1864) and Catharine Goggins (ca. 1867).
It is also known that he was a widower by 1875 (according to MN State Census) and living as "head of household" in High Forest Township, running his farm with his children Mary, William, John, Thomas, Edward, and Catharine.
By 1900, he had moved in with (or had conceded his farm to) his son William Goggin, his wife, and their 9 children in High Forest Township, and is listed as "retired farmer" in the MN Census. We think he passed away between 1900 - 1905, as between the two censuses he goes from "listed" to "no longer listed" in the household of his son William. We also couldn't locate a death record or obituary.
Other, perhaps helpful, info: Thomas was the father of my great-great-grandfather William Goggins (of Wisconsin), who changed his name to Goggin in Minnesota, married a Julia Reardon (or Riordon), and together they had my great-grandmother, Ella (or Ellen), who married a Sullivan. After William, everyone was born in High Forest Township, Olmstead County, MN.
If anyone has any info on any of these people, I would greatly appreciate it!!! And if we're related, please get in touch!!!
