Patrick Callanan is on our list of Revolutionary War soldiers for the Town of Bethlehem, as well he should be as he is listed in New York in the Revolution in the Third Regiment Albany County Militia, Land Bounty Rights.
All well and good but I can find very, very little in the way of primary sources about Patrick.
This is despite the fact that Callanans Corners has been a known place since at least 1839.*
And despite the fact that his descendants were many. One Ancestry tree says he had 12 children. The Callanan family certainly made an impact on the community in ways big and small. In 1864, Peter Callanan donated the land for the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in South Bethlehem. In the 1870s Callanan & Co were running a successful hay shipping business out of Coeymans. And most famously, in 1883, Peter Callanan and partners established the Callanan Road Improvement Company which is still going today as Callanan Industries.
So, what can I tell you about Patrick even if it is gleaned from secondary sources?
Patrick was born about 1735 and came here from Ireland at age 8 along with a brother. I've seen County Cork and specifically Clonakilty affirmed as his birthplace.
He married Susan (1763-1816), whose last name might have been Raugh, with whom he had those many children. Or did he because the math isn't mathing very well. There would have been a 28 year age gap.
He died in 1824.
Patrick does turn up in the Tax Assessment rolls from 1800 and 1801. In 1800 he owned land and a house with real property worth $3,392 and personal property $157 with a total tax due of $7.54. Not too shabby for that time and about average on that page of the record. (As long as you throw out Tunis Slingerland & Sons whose house and land and mill had a real property value of $16,361)
Patrick and Susan's gravestones are both located in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in South Bethlehem along with many other folks with the last name of Callanan. Given their death dates and the fact that the cemetery was not established until 1864, their graves were probably moved there.
And that is about it. Given that over the years Callanan family lands have been in Bethlehem, Coeymans and New Scotland, maybe those local historical associations have some more details.
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* 1839 is the earliest map I could find with the name Callanan's Corners. It is still there on the 1994 Jimapco map I have but is not on current Google maps. And how does one get to Callanan's Corners you ask? Heading west out of South Bethlehem along Bridge Street (Rt 396) Callanans Corners is about where Blodgett Hill Road comes in. It is right at the border of Bethlehem and New Scotland with the Town of Coeymans providing the southern border. Or you can just follow the sign in the picture below ;)
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| Here is a snip of the 1854 Gould map of Albany County with Callanan's Corner right in the middle. |
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| Photo by Tim Beebe via Findagrave |
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| Susan and Patrick Callanan's gravestones at Mount Pleasant Cemetery Courtesy of Tim Beebe |
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