McCann Family Origins
Huber'ts brother John (Jack) married Helen McCann in Invercargill. This discussion is about Helen's McCann family origins and ancestral places, both in Northern Ireland and in Southland.
McCann Name Origin:
McCann is an Irish surname derived from Mac Cana, meaning "son of Cana". The Irish personal name Cana literally means "wolf cub", and was a term for a young warrior. The Mac Cana were a Gaelic Irish clan who held the lands of Clancann and Clanbrassil, together known as Oneilland, in what is now northern County Armagh. The surname is strongly associated with that part of Ulster.
[Wikipedia - McCann] [Wikipedia - County Armagh] [Ireland101.com - McCann Tribes] [Rootsweb.com - McCann Surname]
McCann Irish Origins
Helen McCann's father John Patrick McCann was born in the Parish of Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland in 1853. [FamilySearch.org - Belfast Parish] [Wikipedia - County Antrim]
John married Mary Ann Murphy in Belfast in 1871 and they had three children before migrating to New Zealand. The children were Mary Elizabeth, Thomas John and Francis Henry (Frank) McCann.
The family migrated to New Zealand aboard the sailing ship 'Wellington' which departed Plymouth on 4 December 1874 and arrived at Port Chalmers, Dunedin 83 days later on 19 February 1875. Their family was listed as:
John McCann (21) Farm Labourer of Armagh, married to Mary McCann (22), with children Mary E (3 1/2), Thomas (1 1/2) and Francis (2/12). The voyage cost 43 pounds 10 shillings.
McCann Southland Roots
The McCann family moved to Southland, along the way increasing their family to have Emily Jane (1876, Invercargill), Ellen (1878, Fortrose), Edward James (1880, Invercargill), William (1882, Invercargill - died as a baby), Helen Josephine (1883, Invercargill) and Henrietta Louisa (1886, Fortrose).
In 1879 John McCann was on the Invercargill Electoral Roll, in 1881 was at Powelltown (Appleby, a part of South Invercargill) in the Awarua Electorate and in 1885 was shown in Wise's Post Office Directory as being a resident of South Invercargill.
In May 1886 Mr J McCann's cottage in South Invercargill burnt down:
In November 1887 a public notice advised that a publican's license at Fortrose was to be transferred to John McCann:
In January 1888 the Fortrose Caledonian Society held their annual gathering in a paddock close to the town. Supporting the event was Mr McCann who dispensed refreshments and the day being warm did a good trade. The sports events included quoits, running high leap, bagpipe competition, tossing the caber, vaulting with pole, wrestling (Cumberland style), throwing the 16 pound hammer and sack races. [Papers Past - Southland Times]
In October 1888 Mr McCann's son was run over by his milk cart:
In February 1896 their first daughter Mary Elizabeth married a Mataura Island farmer, Thomas Oliver.
In February 1897 at the Mataura Horticultural Show a Miss McCann took out two prizes for her scones:
In December 1900 John McCann had an unclaimed letter from the UK:
In August 1905 their daughter Helen Josephine married Hubert Ferns brother John (Jack) Ferns.
In 1907 Hubert Ferns married Isabella McQuilkan who had been working for Mrs McCann as a housemaid.
In 1911 John McCann again features in the Invercargill Electoral Roll.
In April 1913 a meeting of the Invercargill Town Council granted a lodging house license to Mary McCann:
In January 1916 The Great War rattled the McCann family - Thomas and Mary Oliver's boy John had been called up:
In March 1916 Mary McCann was granted a license to run the Victoria Boardinghouse in Clyde Street, Invercargill. She continues to advertise for staff at her Tapanui premises:
In March 1921 Mary McCann ended her boardinghouse business:
In December 1927, John McCann testifies as a boarding house keeper of Clyde Street regarding a man found drowned in the Invercargill estuary.
Mary McCann died in 1936. John McCann died in 1937. They are buried together in the Invercargill Eastern Cemetery, along with their infant son William.