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Welcome to the history of the quinan family!

Our family has grown tremendously since the birth of George Quinan in 1819 and his immigration from Ireland to East Benard, near Wharton and Hungerford, Texas in 1840. George Quinan most likely fathered, Thomas Quinan, born in 1844, Hungerford, Texas. George Quinan studied law and opened a law office in Wharton. Later he was appointed district attorney during the last years of the Republic of Texas and was elected to state legislature in 1857 and 1861. He was a founding member of the State Bar of Texas in Galveston and in the early 1870s Hungerford was named in his honor. At the time the Village of Quinan included a school, Methodist church, and post office located in Habermacher's store..After the town of Hungerford was established in 1882, Quinan Village declined and the area became Hungerford which is located in Wharton County Texas. Hungerford is a small rural town south of Houston. Farming is the occupation of most inhabitants. He also served the Confederacy as district tax collector for Wharton County. In 1879 Quinan was appointed judge to sit on the first Commission of Appeals, established to help clear the Texas Supreme Court's civil docket. More information about George Quinan is located in The Handbook of Texas Online. 

Census records of 1880 indicate that Thomas Quinan, mulatto (half Black/half white), was born in May of 1844 and Mary (Mollie) Quinan, Black, was born in March 12, 1856--December 19, 1949. On the 1860 enslaved inhabitants' record listed under George Quinan, is a male 16 years of age, and mulatto. Most likely, this male is Thomas Quinan. According to the 1880 census, Thomas Quinan was born in Tennessee. There are no other records to indicate who were the parents of Thomas Quinan. However, Mary Mollie Moore Quinan Ray's parents according to her death records were Henry Moore and Mima Moore Jackson and both were from Texas.


the name, origins, and history of "quinan"

The name Quinan originated with George E. Quinan (white), a native to Ireland, who immigrated to Texas. However, some of Frank and Inez's sons changed the spelling to Quinine and Quinnine.