ARTHUR MICHAEL MOHAN

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Arthur Mohan lived a brief but adventurous life. In the years leading up to World War 1, he played with his brothers, went to school, made friends, worked in the leather trade. When the war came, he twice volunteered to serve in the military. His story shows a young man who embraced adventure and danger.  

His parents, Mary Green and Thomas Mohan, were married in St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Stoneham, Massachusetts, on 22 January 1896, by Father T. L. Flanagan, the priest who baptized their son Arthur nine months later.[1] Both Mary and Thomas were born in Ireland. Mary was the daughter of Timothy and Bridget (maiden name not given) Green. She was working as a domestic at the time of her marriage. At age 30, she was two  years older than Thomas. He was the son of Michael and Bridget (Fedigan) Mohan. He was a currier in the leather tanning trade.

Arthur Michael Mohan was born on 15 September 1896 in Stoneham, Massachusetts.[2] On 20 September 1896, he was baptized at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Stoneham.[3] His godparents were Jacob Finnegan and Annie Kenny.

Arthur's brother, Thomas J. Mohan, was born 12 May 1898 in Woburn.[4] The name in the register of births was spelled "Mawn," which gives an example of how the surname was pronounced. The family lived at 20 Jones Court, Woburn.

Thomas and Mary Mohan with sons Arthur and Thomas were living at 33 Porter Street in Woburn, Massachusetts at the time of the 1900 census.[5] The surname is spelled "Man" in the census. Thomas immigrated in 1891 and was an Alien. Mary immigrated in 1893. Thomas was 31 and Mary's age is listed as 27. Their son's Arthur and Thomas were 4 and 2 respectively. As shown by the census ten years later, dates and years should be taken with a grain of salt. Mary was actually 33 and they had been married four years, not six.

On 8 March 1901, Mary gave birth to Patrick Lawrence Mawn.[6] He died the following December 21 of "Pneumonia - 1 week - Chicken Pox & Measles."[7]

City directories for 1906 and 1908 list an Arthur Mohan living near and with the Thomas Mohan family.[8] [9] At first glance it may seem that this was young Arthur, working as a 10 & 12 year old. However, it is more likely that the Arthur mentioned in the city directories whose occupation was a currier is a brother to Thomas Mohan. More research is require to confirm this.

In 1910, Thomas Maun had not aged at all since the 1900 census![10] He was still 31. (Ages could be misstated by the person, or the clerk transcribing the enumerators notes may have made the error.) His occupation was currier in the tanning industry. It appears curriers worked as independent contractors, because he was not an employee, but was working on his own account. The currying process including dyeing and finishing the leather before it was sent to be used by shoemakers, glovemakers, and those who made horse saddles and bridles. As such, it was a skilled trade. Mary was now 43 and was the mother of 4 children, three of whom were living. Joining Arthur and Thomas was son John, age 6, born 12 July 1903 in Woburn.[11] Also living with them in 1910, and later in 1920, was Thomas' niece, 6-year old Helen Mohan[12]. She was the daughter of Thomas' brother Michael and his wife Annie (Laughlin) Mohan[13]. Additionally, a 14-year-old boy named Edward McAndrews was living with the Maun (Mohan) family. He is listed as adopted. He was born in Massachusetts. Because his parent's birth places are unknown, most likely Edward was not a relative of Thomas or Mary. He was also a currier, working on his own account like Thomas. Perhaps he was working in the same tannery where Thomas worked, and the family took him in.

Thomas became a naturalized citizen on 20 November 1901.[14] Because of naturalization laws at the time, Mary became a citizen at the same time as Thomas.

In 1915, Arthur, who went by the nickname of Archie, went on an adventure with his friend, Harold Hennelly. The conflict that became World War 1 was already in progress in Britain, and Archie and Harold got in on the action. They found passage across the ocean as workers hired to help transport horses to the front lines of the war. When they arrived, the steamship company refused to pay what was promised, and refused to give them fare for the passage home. (See additional information about war horses at the end of this article.) Whether their intention was to earn money by helping to transport the horses, or to join the fight in Britain and the horses provided a way over, Archie and Harold joined the British army. On 26 March, 1915, in Canning Town near London, Archie took the oath and became a soldier.[15] He and Harold both joined the 6th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers.[16] Archie was 18 and Harold was 19. The legal age to join the army in Britain was 18, but a soldier had to be 19 to fight on foreign soil.[17]

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[1] Massachusetts State Archives, "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 7 June 2020), entry for Thomas Mohan and Mary Green, 22 January 1896, No. 3, page 379; citing Massachusetts State Archives, Boston.

[2] "Massachusetts, Birth Records, 1840-1915," database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2020), Arthur Michael Mohan, 14 Sept 1896, No. 97; citing New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts.

[3] St. Patrick's Catholic Church, (Stoneham, Middlesex, Massachusetts); digital images, American Ancestors (americanancestors.org : accessed 29 Aug 2020) p. 205, baptism of Arthur Michaelum Mohan (1896); citing Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts.

[4] "Massachusetts, Birth Records, 1840-1915," database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2020), Thomas J. Mohan, 12 May 1898, No. 152; citing New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts.

[5] 1900 U.S. census, Middlesex, Massachusetts, population schedule, Woburn, ED 998, sheet 18, dwelling 292, family 332, Arthur Man; image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2020); citing NARA publication T623.

[6] "Massachusetts, Birth Records, 1840-1915," database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2020), Patrick Lawrence Mawn, 1901 Mar 8, No. 63; citing New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts.

[7] "Massachusetts, Vital Records, 1841-1910," database with images, American Ancestors (https://www.americanancestors.org : accessed 2 Sept 2020); Patrick L. Mohan vol 517 p 853; citing Massachusetts Archives.

[8] "City Directory of Woburn Massachusetts 1906", image xx of xxxx, unpaginated, Arthur Mohan [uncle to Arthur Michael Mohan]; Internet Archive (https://archive.org : accessed 2 September 2020).

[9] "City Directory of Woburn Massachusetts 1908", image 70 of 111, unpaginated, Arthur Mohan; Internet Archive (https://archive.org : accessed 2 September 2020).

[10] 1910 U.S. census, Middlesex, Massachusetts, population schedule, Woburn Ward 1, ED 1067, sheet 18A, dwelling 245, family 321, Thomas  Maun family; image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2020); citing NARA publication T624, Roll 607. 

[11] "Massachusetts, Birth Records, 1840-1915," database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2020), John Mohan, 1903 July 12, No. 192; citing New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts.

[12] "Massachusetts Birth Records, 1840-1915," database with images; Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 November 2020), birth entry for Helen Gertrude Mohan, 22 September 1903, p 710 handwritten.

[13] "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1840-1915," database with images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 November 2020), entry for Michael Mohan and Annie C. Laughlin, 24 Feb 1895, certificate #8, page 383; citing New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.

[14] Fourth District Court of Eastern Middlesex (Massachusetts) at Woburn; Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service 1787-2004, RG 85; Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 November 2020), "Massachusetts, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1798-1950," pages 781, 781A, & 781B, images 519-521 of 533; citing Naturalization records, National Archives at Boston, Waltham, Massachusetts.

[15] War Office, British Army WW1 Pension Records, 1914-1920; Arthur James Mohan; image 521585185 thru 521585192, fold3 (www.fold3.com : accessed 12 September 2020); citing The National Archives, UK.

[16] War Office, British Army WW1 Pension Records, 1914-1920; Harold Joseph Hennelly; image 518998154 thru 518998163, fold3 (www.fold3.com : accessed 12 September 2020); citing The National Archives, UK. [search terms: World War 1, British Army, Harold Hennelly]

[17] War History Online, "Almost 250,000 Boys Under The Age Of 18 Fought In The British Army In WWI," War History Online (https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/the-boy-soldiers-of-wwi.html : accessed 25 November 2020).