Gaghent History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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• Ireland

Early Origins of the Gaghent family

Early History of the Gaghent family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gaghent research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1641, 1730, 1747, 1761 and 1804 are included under the topic Early Gaghent History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gaghent Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name Gaghent revealed spelling variations, including Gahan, Gaghan, Gagham, Getham, Gaham, Gahame and others.

Early Notables of the Gaghent family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was William Gahan (1730-1804), Irish ecclesiastic and author, born in Dublin in June 1730. He was of a Leinster sept, the original name of which was O'Gaoithin, anglicised Gahan. He was educated at Dublin, became a member of the Augustinian order there, and in 1747 entered the Catholic university of Louvain, where he studied for eleven...
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gaghent Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gaghent family

In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Gaghent family came to North America quite early: John Gahan who landed in Pennsylvania in 1773; followed by James in 1842; another John in 1856; and Patrick in 1867; William Gahan settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1818..