1 December 2015

Keeping up to date with Trove - Peter Maurice Horgan


Does this photo belong in our family tree?
As new titles are digitised on Trove there is always the chance that more information can be added to our family history. Trove's latest selection of South Australian titles include:
When I receive notification of new titles I set aside some time to explore each one individually by limiting the search to one title and one family name and its variations at a time. This way I can quickly review any articles that may be relevant without having to search the entire newspaper database.

Here my search in the Critic (1) has found a photo of an M. Horgan as captain of a college football team in August of 1910.
The annual football match between teams representing "Past" and "Present" scholars of the Christian Brothers' College was played on the college grounds, east park lands, and resulted in a win for the present scholars. Scores- Present, 10 goals 11 behinds; Past. 7 goals 8 behinds.
McNeill. Rundle-street, photo.

In August of 1910 Peter Maurice Horgan had just had his 20th birthday and I know he attended the Christian Brother's College in Adelaide. Could this be him? Nowadays we would think him to be too old to be at school but as he was destined to study for the Catholic priesthood, did he stay on at the school until accepted into the seminary? I saved this article to one of my private lists on Trove until I could investigate further.

Peter Maurice Horgan born June 29 1890, died July 12 1950 was the youngest of the 10 children born to Daniel Horgan and Julia Evans at Tarlee.

In 1917 an account of his upcoming ordination lists him as Morris Horgan, (2) while reports of the event (3) have him listed as Father M Horgan. A biography of his life (4) as a priest has been compiled on the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide site and whilst it has a couple of date errors it does provide an overview of his ministry.

An extensive full page tribute to his time as parish priest at Colonel Light Gardens from 1928 - 1950, Father Peter Maurice Horgan, was recorded in The Southern Cross after his death in 1950. (5)

Of all the Horgans in South Australia in 1910 who were of an eligible age to be at the Christian Brothers College, and had an M in either their first or second name, it does then appear that the photo above is more than likely to be Peter Maurice Horgan. He could have been a scholar in the sense that he was completing some pre-requisite studies for admittance to the seminary. Given the reporter's use of "past" and "present" scholars in parentheses in the article there may have been some flexibility exercised in the interpretation of who went into which team on the day of the football match.
  1. 1910 'No Title.', Critic (Adelaide, SA : 1897-1924), 17 August, p. 22, viewed 1 December, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article211432534
  2. 1917 'PERSONAL NOTES.', Freeman's Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1932), 29 November, p. 1 Supplement: SUPPLEMENT., viewed 1 December, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article116734689
  3. 1917 'ORDINATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 7 December, p. 13, viewed 1 December, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166984622
  4. Fr Peter Maurice Horgan viewed 1 December, 2015 http://www.adelaide.catholic.org.au/view-biography?guid=16207
  5. 1950 'A FATHER IS MOURNED BY HIS FAMILY.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 28 July, p. 1, viewed 1 December, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167730621

Genealogy Snapshot

Name: Peter Maurice Horgan 1890 -1950
Parents: Daniel Horgan c.1843 - 1916 and Julia Evans c.1848 - 1919
Grandparents Horgan: Thomas Horgan and Johanna Fitzgerald - c.1805 - 1880

Relationship to Carmel: Grandfather's first cousin (first cousin twice removed)

- Thomas Horgan>John Horgan>Andrew Horgan>Edward Horgan>Carmel
- Thomas Horgan>Daniel Horgan>Peter Maurice Horgan

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