On 25 JUL 1923 when Helen Louise was 17, she married William Joseph DORGAN, son of Patrick J. DORGAN (26 APR 1860-9 DEC 1937) & Mary Catherine HARTNETT (16 MAY 1869-23 NOV 1950). Born on 11 APR 1897 in Ballybraher, Ballycotton, County Cork, Ireland. William Joseph died in Warwick, Rhode Island 02889, on 22 FEB 1983; he was 85. Buried on 25 FEB 1983 in St. Francis Cemetery, Providence, Rhode Island (Section 60, Grave #1480). Resided in Spring Green , Warwick, Rhode Island. At the age of <1, William Joseph was baptized in Church of Churchtown South, Diocese of Cloyne, County Cork, Ireland. Baptised by: Rev. John O'Riordan, 15 Apr 1897, at the Ballycotton Church (actually Ballycotton Chapel down the lane from McGraw's Pub in Ballycotton)., on 15 APR 1897. The Ballycotton Church, “Star of the Sea” was not dedicated until 1901). in Rev. John O'Riordan. Occupation: Oil Truck Driver, Auto Mechanic and Carpenter.
William John Dorgan is an enigmatic character.
William John Dorgan was assumed to have been named William Joseph Dorgan. His son is named William Joseph Dorgan, Jr. and I am his grandson, also named William Joseph Dorgan III. But his baptismal certificate says William John Dorgan. However, this may have been an error made by the person who entered the name into the church register.
In any case, I have retained his name as William Joseph Dorgan.
The 1905 Census of Rhode Island has his date of birth as May 21, 1897.
William Joseph Dorgan's death Certificate says he was born on April 15, 1905.
His application for a Social Security Account number says he was born April 15, 1900. The Social Security Death Index says he was born on April 11, 1897.
He was older than Helen Louise McIntosh, his wife, who was also born in 1905. His sister, Mary Catherine, was born on March 19, 1905 and she is the last born of Patrick Dorgan and Mary Hartnett. It seems that the SSDI is right. He was born on April 11, 1897. This date was also confirmed by William's Irish baptismal certificate.
His Rhode Island state file is #159 and his Warwick, Rhode Island file is #83-160.
William applied for a Social Security Account Number on January 29, 1940. At that time he gave his address as Division Road, R.F.D. 67, East Greenwich, Rhode Island. He stated that the business name of his employer was Moriarty & Kay Oil Company. The business was located at 164 Allens Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island.
Anne O'Donnell, wife of Thomas A. Dorgan, Sr. (the son of Michael Joseph Dorgan and the brother of William Joseph Dorgan) related the story that William Joseph Dorgan had made arrangements to enter the seminary of a Religious Order in France with one of his cousins. He never made it because he could not raise the funds for passage. This story was confirmed by Marc Rubio, a first cousin of Thomas Dorgan, Sr. In his e-mail correspondence with me, Marc wrote:
"Well, I am happy that our once separated Dorgan family searches concern now the same ancestors in Rhode Island and Ireland. Thank you very much for your message entitled "Family Tree Maker" : so many details are given and I'm sure it has required long hours to compile everything!
You wrote in your message about a seminary of a religious order in France. This story may have a link with my family : my great-grandfather Christopher Joseph King (1874-1917) , brother of Catherine King (spouse: Michael Joseph Dorgan), studied for the priesthood in Ellicott City, MD, and he apparently participated in an exchange study program in Lille, France. I was told he may have met his future wife while attending Sunday afternoon vespers at a local church on one of his free Sunday afternoons from the seminary. So he married Malvina Landrieu in 1900 and became consul of the United States in Lille. The couple had 4 children : Yolande, Madeleine, Roger and Edgar. The surname KING died out in France as Roger and Edgar didn't have children (neither did Yolande). My grandmother Madeleine KING (1906-1974) married Julio RUBIO (from Colombia) and got 2 children : my father Francis (1932-1998) and my aunt Yvette."
William Joseph Dorgan was an auto-mechanic and a carpenter by trade. He worked with James Moriarty, the husband of his sister, Mary, as an oil-truck driver. James Moriarty would also buy houses and hire William to restore them. James would then re-sell the houses at a profit. At one time, William built a large barn for James Moriarty in West Greenwich, Rhode Island. Francis Maguire and Thomas Dorgan, Sr. would accompany James Moriarty and William to this barn in the middle of the Great Depression, around 1935-37. They rarely had enough to eat so they would poach corn from one of the farms in West Greenwich.
Unfortunately, William had a life-long problem with alcohol. He spent much of his money drinking with his friends.
Both his marriages ended in divorce. He married his first wife, Jessie Greig, a waitress, on June 9, 1917. They had a son who was born on October 9, 1917 and died on October 15, 1917. They separated in the summer of 1918. She initially petitioned for divorce on January 27, 1920. She was granted a divorce on January 4, 1923 which, after the customary six months lapse, became effective on July 6, 1923. She obtained the divorce on the grounds of "neglect to provide". She was also allowed to resume her maiden name of Jessie Greig. At that time she was 23 years old and lived at 369 Charles Street, Providence, Rhode Island.
Her deposition states that "(William) has never supported me. I have worked since my marriage in 1917 and have supported myself. He has failed completely to provide me with any of the necessaries of life for the past five years and five months. He is a chauffeur and earns about $35 a week. He could support me well if he wanted to. We separated five years ago through no fault on my part and have not lived together since that time. We have no children. I wish to resume my maiden name, Jessie Greig."
He married his second wife, my Grandmother, Helen Louise McIntosh on July 25, 1923 at 592 North Main Street, Fall River, Massachusetts before Joseph F. Delahanty, Justice of the Peace & Assistant City Clerk. The registration number was 811 and the intention number was 735. In those days, a couple had to record their intention to marry. They did this in Fall River, Massachusetts on July 3, 1923 and a certificate of intention was issued by the City Clerk, John Crowther on July 9, 1923.
William stated that he was 25 years of age at his last birthday and that he resided at 61 Bergen Street, Providence, Rhode Island. His father was Patrick Dorgan and his mother was Mary "Hartwell" (Hartnett). He also stated that he was born in Providence, Rhode Island, but this is not the case. He was born in Ireland. He listed himself as a chauffeur. This was his second marriage.
Helen Louise stated that she was 17 years of age at her last birthday and that she resided at 51 Pekin Street, Providence, Rhode Island. Her father was Charles L. McIntosh and her mother was Ellen L. Dwyer. She also stated that she was born in Providence, Rhode Island. She listed no occupation. This was her first marriage.
He abandoned Helen Louise and their three children in 1927. At that time, they were living in the Auburn section of Cranston, Rhode Island. Helen Louise Dorgan's mother, Ellen [Dwyer] McIntosh Connell, and her husband, Joseph Connell, took a taxi from Providence to Cranston to rescue Helen Louise and her children from homelessness. They brought Helen Louise, who was pregnant with their third child, Corinne, and her two other children, William and Helen Louise, to live at their home on 956 Chalkstone Avenue in the Mount Pleasant section of Providence, Rhode Island. William and Helen Louise attempted reconciliation a short time later, but it failed.
After the separation of William and Helen, William went to live with his mother in the Spring Green section of Warwick, Rhode Island. Later, he and his mother lived in a house owned by James Moriarty on Division Road in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.
William and Helen were divorced in the Superior Court of Providence, Rhode Island on September 22, 1937 before Judge Sullivan on the grounds of "neglect to provide and willful desertion." Helen was represented by the law offices of Charles B. Coppen, 49 Westminster St., Providence, Rhode Island. William never contested nor was represented by counsel during the divorce proceedings. Helen was awarded "custody of the three minor children, William J. Dorgan, age 14; Helen L. Dorgan, age 13; Corrine H. Dorgan, age 9." "The question of alimony and support of the minor children" was "left for the future determination of the Court." There is no court record that Helen Louise persued alimony and child support. And there is no court record that William provided alimony or child support.
More about William Joseph Dorgan:
Baptized by: Rev. John O'Riordan, 15 Apr 1897, Ballycotton Church (actually Ballycotton Chapel down the lane from McGraw's Pub since the Ballycotton Church was not dedicated until 1901), Diocese of Cloyne, County Cork, Ireland. Sponsor: Margarita Roche (unknown relationship, perhaps a person in attendance since William may not have been expected to live. His baptism happened within three days of his birth. It is unusual to have only one baptismal sponsor, but not altogether unprecedented.
William Joseph Dorgan is my Grandfather.
I met him only twice in my life during the early 1970s. He was an enigmatic character. I was introduced to him by my second cousin, Thomas Austin Dorgan, Jr. (Tommy) who took me to see my grandfather at the IMH (Institute of Mental Health) in Cranston, Rhode Island. My grandfather had fallen and broken his hip, and was a surgical patient at the IMH. Despite what I heard about him, I immediately liked him, and I knew he liked me too. I could not get over how he looked like my own father, his son, and how all three of us resembled one another. It was uncanny, and a memory burnt into my brain forever.
When he died, my own father, his son, had a funeral Mass celebrated and buried him properly. My father is an honorable man. Later on, my Dad told me that when he went to claim the body as next of kin, he noticed that on his bed stand were the Bible and a photo of me and him that I had taken at the IMH. I wish I had kept in contact with him, but I didn't.
And so, it is difficult for me to write about the Grandfather I never knew.
The death notice of William J. Dorgan appeared in the Providence Journal on 24 February 1983, page C2.
“DORGAN, WILLIAM J. Sr.
February 22, 1983. Son of the late Patrick and Mary (Hodnett) Dorgan. Residence 21 BeachAve., Warwick. Private funeral from the Winfield Funeral Home, 94 Beach Ave.”