Hassen

[Bona]

My g.grandmother Bridget Hassen arrived in New Zealand in 1883 on the 'Forfashire'. The record says she came from Donegal .Does this refer to the place she  lived in or the ships departure place? Reason for this query is that on her death cert it says she was from Londonderry.
She was b. February 1860-63 a Roman catholic. Parents John Hassen and Catherine Mullin.Have benn trying to locate birthplace for sometime- any ideas welcome

[Elwyn Soutter]

In general I would expect the information on the ships passenger list to be the more accurate since it presumably came from Bridget herself, whereas the informant for a death certificate would not always have fully accurate information. Mistakes on death certificates are very common. Having said that, looking at both Griffiths Valuation (1847 – 1864) and the 1901 census, there are no Hassen families in Co Donegal whereas there’s several around Londonderry. So perhaps that is where she came from. Londonderry is of course just a mile or so from the Donegal border and many people from Donegal gravitated to the city for work and to catch boats to Britain and elsewhere.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

The biggest emigrant departure port was in fact Liverpool and far more emigrants left from there than directly from Ireland itself. But if she did sail directly from Ireland, Londonderry would be a more likely departure point than Co Donegal.

[Bona]

Thanks Elwyn for your reply,

Actually I looked back at some of my earlier research and discovered that she had left from Gravesend!!I do agree with the fact that people clearly know more about themselves than those around them at the end of their life do!!
I found a Philip Hassen from Co Donegal on the Chelsea Pensioner list. That is what prompted me to look more closely at Co Donegal .Is there any way of finding out more about him? What would you suggest?

Bona

[Bona]

Just looked at the census link Elwyn and found a John Hasson 65 and his son Harry 28 in 1901 living in Drumaweir,Moville in Co Donegal. Look promising. John is a farmer and cannot read or write and is a widower.It looks as though John has died by the time of the 1911 census as his son Harry (Henry) is head of the same household. If John is Bridget's father he would have been born about 1836 and about 26 when Bridget was born. Bridget first born was named John Henry but was called Harry.Please put me in the right direction to get some solid information.

Bona

[Elwyn Soutter]

What looks like the death of John Hasson from Drumaweir was registered in Inishowen Jul – Sept 1910 Volume 2, page 79. Est year of birth 1825.

I looked in Griffiths Valuation to see if there was a Hasson farm there in 1857. There was not. Nor was there one anywhere in Co Donegal. I notice that John was born in Co Derry so that fits with him moving to Donegal later, probably around 1865 or earlier. (Moville is only a few miles from Co Derry). The timing could allow John to have had an army career and then become a farmer after he left the army.

Other events in Inishowen that may be connected with that family:

Birth Mary Anne Hasson 1865
Birth Henry Hasson 1867 (that’s likely to be the Harry in the 1901 census since there’s no other birth in the county).
Marriage Michael Hasson Jul - Sept 1893.

No sign of any female death that would be John’s wife.

I don’t know much about Chelsea pensioners. Ancestry.co.uk have records of  them so you could try there. Not sure whether there are any other sources you could investigate. No doubt some military experts on the board may be able to help.

[Bona]

Great info Elwyn, thankyou.
I have discounted the Chelsea pensioner Hassen, I feel certain that spelling is Hasson.
So if the family moved to Donegal from Co Derry in 1865ish assuming this is the correct family, my Bridget would have been born in Co Derry in early 1860's.On the ship record it says she is 23 in 1883 and one year later on her marriage cert she is 21!!So I am taking middle road.
Why was john's death registered in inishowen when he lived in lower Moville? is it where the main registry offices are?I wonder what cemetrey he would be buried in?

[Elwyn Soutter]

I wouldn’t worry too much about the spelling. People never bothered much in Ireland in those days and you will see it vary all the time. Don’t rely on spelling alone as proof you have the correct family. I’d focus on other information that links to your family.

Yes Inishowen is the civil registration office for the townland of Drumaweir. That’s why the death was registered there.

Henry/Harry’s birth cert will give you his mother’s name, if you want that.

Finding where John is buried could be tricky. If there was a family plot somewhere in Co Derry, then he could be there (wherever that was). Or he  could be in the local churchyard. Hasson’s not too common a name so that may help. I do not know what graveyards there are in the Moville area. Perhaps someone with local knowledge can help?

There’s a couple of sites that gives specific information on Moville which you may find helpful:

http://www.movillerecords.com/family.htm

http://www.movilleinishowen.com/history/moville_heritage/moville_heritage_htm/churches_of_moville.htm

[Bona]

Good idea about Harry's birth cert.

[rathmore]

www.familysearch.org

Bridget Hassen  Assisted Immigration
26.6.1883
Otago New Zealand

Single
Donegal
General Servant
Ship FORFARSHIRE
Port Otago
digital no. oo4412305
image no. 00013

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donegal