The Hegarty Family

My sister Ruth copied a Hegarty family crest. I know there are rules about who is entitled to a crest and all of that, and I don't know what they are, and don't care so much -- I'm putting this here for fun anyway. The family motto is supposedly "Nec flectitur nec mutant" which means "Unbending and unchanging" or, in other words, "Stubborn." (If you like the crest, you can get it printed on any number of items at For the Hegartys, Ruth's CafePress store.)

John Hegarty

The earliest Hegarty ancestor I can trace back is John Hegarty, who was a laborer in Cork during the Famine. Supposedly, his three sons -- Michael, Jeremiah, and John -- moved to the US, only John moved out west and was never heard from again. This is a standard folkloric narrative used to explain origins, which doesn't mean it isn't true, but makes me very skeptical of the tradition. Also, I have no indication that Michael emigrated.

Michael Hegarty

Michael Hegarty was a laborer in Cork City. He married a servant girl named Ellen Cronin in 1866 in St. Peter & Paul's Church in Cork City. Michael and Ellen had 15 children, six of whom survived to adulthood.

Children of Michael and Ellen Hegarty, all born in Cork:

John Hegarty (1867-1947) - my great-grandfather. See below.
Cornelius Hegarty married in Ireland and had ten children.
Julia Hegarty emigrated to Boston and married Englishman Thomas King and had children named Jessie, Lillian, and George King. The family moved to New York City to escape a scarlet fever epidemic in the Greater Boston area.
Lena Hegarty emigrated about 1890 and married Robert Foster. They had four children, three of whom died young. The surviving child was named Julia Foster. Lena divorced Robert in 1899 and married Frank Daniels in 1900. Lena and Frank had six children, five of whom survived: Danny, Fred, Harry, Frankie and George Daniels.
Elizabeth Hegarty stayed in Ireland and married Michael Phipps. They had a son named Michael Phipps, but Elizabeth died giving birth to their second child.
Nora Hegarty emigrated in the early 1900s and married a Canadian man named Hughes. He died less than two years after the marriage, a month before their daughter Lillie Hughes was born in New York City. Lillie never married and lived with her mother in New York.

John Hegarty (1867-1947)

John Hegarty was born in 1867 in Cork, Ireland. After attending the Christian Brothers school, he joined Her Majesty's Royal Munster Fusilliers and served in India and South Africa. (If you click on the link, you go to an RMF appreciation website. The Jeremiah Hegarty in the honor roll there is probably related to these Hegartys - I just haven't sorted out how yet.) In 1890, after leaving the RMF, John emigrated to Cambridge, MA where he worked for the electric company from 1895 until his retirement.

In 1895, John Hegarty married Margaret Teresa Deasy of Kilmurray, Co. Cork, Ireland, who was working as a servant in Somerville, MA. They lived in Cambridge until 1929, when they moved to Brighton, MA. John died in 1947.

The children of John and Margaret Hegarty, all born in Cambridge, MA:

Ellen Hegarty, aka Helen. Helen was born in 1896 and never married. She kept a genealogical notebook which has been helpful to the present author.
Honora Hegarty, born 1897. Married John Cauley and lived in Beverly, MA.
Michael Hegarty, (1898-1970). Married Agnes Murphy. Michael worked for Cambridge Electric, and lived mostly in Somerville, MA. Michael was my grandfather.
Teresa Hegarty, (1899-ca. 1995). Married Bill Williamson.
James Hegarty, (1901-1952)
Margaret Hegarty, born 1902. Married professional boxer Charles Sjosdtet (aka "Good Time Charlie") in 1924. They lived in Somerville, MA.
Joseph Hegarty, born 1904. Married Anne McHugh in 1928.
William Hegarty, born 1909. Married Mary Sullivan of Ireland in 1934. Lived in Somerville.
Francis Hegarty, born 1916. Married Edna Ritterbush of Germany in 1947, after meeting her during his World War II service in Europe.

Margaret Hegarty in Somerville, MA

My grandfather Michael Hegarty, seated, far right, with friends

Last updated January 2005