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THE MORAN FAMILY?S MIGRATION TO AMERICA
While most members of our branch of the Moran family believe themselves to be of French ancestry, we know that the Moran name originated in Ireland. The name originated in the Connacht Province of Ireland and was most prominent in the counties of Mayo, Galway, Roscommon, and Leitrim. Between the years of 1300 and 1600 A.D. there were three clans who spelled their names O'Morain, O'Moghrain, and O'Mughrain. When the English took possession of Ireland, all three names were anglecanized to O'Moran. The "O" means "descended from" in Gaelic and "Mor" means "big" so it is believed to mean "son or grandson of big man".
Though we are positive that our roots began in Ireland, we are not able to document the migration of our Irish ancestor to France. However, there is a folklore that has been passed down through the Moran family, that tells the story of one Peter O'Moran, who left Connacht Province and migrated to the city of Cork in the southern province of Munster. This occurred in the latter half of the 16th century. As the stoiy goes, Peter O'Moran then crossed the English Channel in a rowboat and landed in Normandy, France. He married a French woman and his name was given the French spelling, Morin? hence our belief that we are of French ancestry. Of course, this is only folklore and continued research will be needed to prove its validity. Of one fact we can be certain, sometime before 1634, one of our ancestors migrated from Ireland to France carrying with him our Irish name ? MORAN.
Our documented family tree begins in Normandy, France with the birth of Pierre Morin I (dit Boucher) in 1634. Sometime before 1660, Pierre migrated to Nova Scotia, Canada. Unfortunately, we have not been able to document the ship that brought Pierre to Canada. However, it is documented that he married Marie Martin in 1661 at Port Royal (now Annapolis Royal) in Nova Scotia, Canada. So it was with Pierre Morin I that the MORAN family name came to America. In 1680 Pierre moved his family to Beaubassin, Nova Scotia (now Amherst). In 1688 he moved again, settling at Ristigouche on the Bay of Chaleuns in the Province of Quebec, where he died in 1690. His widow, Marie Martin, move the family once more. This time to Quebec City in 1690 where she was still residing in 1702.
Pierre Morin II was born in 1662 to Pierre Morin I and Marie Martin. He was married in 1682 at Beaubassin, Nova Scotia to Francoise Chiasson. Their son, Denis was baptized in Quebec City in 1694, and married Madeleine Boulet, daughter of Jacques Boulet and Francoise Fournier.
Joseph Morin I, son of Denis Morin I and Marie Madeline Boulet was bom in 1739 in Quebec City, Canada. He migrated to the Gulf Coast area sometime before 1778. Joseph was married to Louisa Christian (Ladner) daughter of Nicolas Christian (Ladner) and Marie Anne Magdelaine Paquet, June 2, 1778; the wedding took place at Mobile, in the territory of Alabama. Putting this into perspective chronologically, Joseph came to the United States either shortly before or during the American Revolution. Of course, he settled in the French territory so we would assume that he was not involved in the fight for independence.
Joseph I and Louisa had three sons that we know of - possibly more - Pierre III was bom November 17, 1784 and married Judith Necaise, daughter of Marcial Necaise and Luison Christian (Ladner) on November 25, 1805. This was documented in Alabama. Joseph II was bom on November 6, 1778 and was married in New Orleans on October 7, 1806 to Margaret Panguinet, daughter of Pedro Panguinet and Maria Cadet Frederic.
These two Morin brothers, along with their brother, Jean Baptiste, settled in the Gulf Coast area sometime during the Spanish Period in the late 1700's and early 1800's. It is believed that they had been wandering along the coast for several years before settling. Pierre III settled on Wolf River in back of Pass Christian. Jean Baptiste settled on Cat Island with the Ladiniers. Joseph II settled on the Back Bay of Biloxi on the old brick yard. The descendants of these three brothers continued to settle in and around the Gulf Coast area, eventually concentrating in the area around the Bay of St. Louis.
The MORAN family has been in America for eleven generations. Pierre Morin I arrived in the New World approximately forty years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. His family lived in the region of Canada known as Acadia for approximately thirty years; then in 1690 the family made their final move to Quebec City, Quebec. After several decades, Joseph Morin I migrated to the Gulf Coast area, sometine before 1778, where he married and started his family. Therefore, we can see, that the MORAN family was well established in the Gulf Coast area, when the Louisiana Purchase took place in