Martin Reagan and a Story of Survival

At this point we have to go back to Ireland to trace the Reagan-Cunningham family. Martin Reagan (b. 1833 in Ireland ) and Mary St. Lebin (b. 1830 in County Mayo , Ireland ) migrated in 1850 probably as separate individuals to Castle Garden , New York . Was Martin Reagan the sole survivor of his family in Ireland ? Of note, we cannot identify exactly where Martin came from. Oral history states that he was, of course, one of the Reagan cousins. As Ronald Reagan's ancestors migrated from County Tipperary , Ireland , in 1848, the family chooses to believe that Martin could have originally been from County Tipperary ("Royal blood," unknown).

Mary St. Lebin was born in 1830 in County Mayo , Ireland . She was the daughter of Mr. and  Mrs. Michael St. Lebin of County Mayo , Ireland . Mary migrated to Castle Garden , New York , by 1850. Did she also migrate alone? Was she also the sole survivor of her family in County Mayo ? Nothing more is known of the St. Lebin family or their migratory experience before Mary met Martin Reagan.

Martin Reagan married Mary St. Lebin in Otisville , New York , in 1850. Martin and Mary (St. Lebin) Reagan migrated to Davenport , Iowa , with daughter Catherine in 1855 and eventually had seven children of which Thomas Martin Reagan was the first son. Martin Reagan died in 1863, leaving Mary a young widow. She married Michael "Grandpa" Hopper in 1866, and both lived to see the new century.

James Cunningham (b. 1822 in County Sligo , Ireland ) has a similar history to Martin Reagan just as Sarah O'Connor (b. 1824 in Ireland ) has a similar history to Mary St. Lebin. James and Sarah both migrated to America in 1848 to Castle Garden , New York . Did both of them migrate alone as survivors of the famine? Again, nothing more is known of either the Cunningham or O'Connor families in Ireland . Oral history describes many of these voyages to America as love boats.

James and Sarah (O'Connor) Cunningham were married in 1848 probably in New York . In 1849 they moved to Newark , New Jersey , and settled in Davenport , Iowa , in 1859 before their daughter, Bridget, was born. James Cunningham worked as a grading contractor, built many of the streets in Davenport and served on several civic boards, including Alderman of the 6^th Ward in 1861 ("Brigham's," 1861). James and Sarah (O'Connor) Cunningham had ten children and lived and died in Davenport .