Searching for the family of Patrick HAGAN in County Clare. The surname could be HOGAN or O'HOGAN. I notice the presence of the O'HOGAN surname on the County Clare surname list. This is the story I am working on, told by an elderly "cousin" of my line of Hagans: The earliest of our line to come to the U.S. was Patrick HAGAN (could be any spelling), born in County Clare, Ireland. He was a ship captain and possessed a letter of marque from the British government. Eventually he left the sea and came to the U.S. through the port of Charleston, South Carolina. This "cousin" does not remember dates as he only remembers his parents talking about the family genealogy when he was a very young boy. He did say the name used to have an "O" in front of it and the family used to be Catholic but dropped the "O" and left that religion. In my research I have found mention of a Captain Hagan of the frigate ROWLEY (armed merchant) in a 1775 newspaper article. I cannot find a first name so don't know if this is my Patrick or another Hagan. The earliest Hagan of my line I can document is Francis HAGAN who married in 1778 in Frederick County, Maryland, U.S.A. He is buried in a Catholic cemetery in Frederick and his headstone shows a birth date of 1763. The "cousin" said Patrick is either the father or grandfather of Francis Hagan. In 30 years of searching I have never found the birth place of Francis Hagan so conclude he was not born in the U.S. If Patrick was his father, and Patrick being a sea captain, Francis could have been born anywhere: Barbados, Ireland, England, etc. I have been to all those web sites and still cannot find mention of either Patrick or Francis. So, am I looking in all the wrong places? Is County Clare the correct birth place for Patrick and Francis or is the story told to me incorrect in these particulars? Unfortunately I am finding too many men named Patrick and too many men named Francis. If families only used middle names in the 18th century our searches would be so much easier. Would appreciate any help or advice. I am prepared to accept that there just are no records existent for the time period I am researching. Tks, Fred Hagan