Matthew Harran, progenitor of the Harrans of Schenectady, was born in Scotland. When a young man he left his native land, and is next heard of in the parish of Dromead, county Sligo, Ireland, where he lived and died at the great age of ninety-nine years. He began as a small farmer on lands leased from Sir James Crofton, and was an industrious, thrifty man. As he prospered so well on a small farm, he began leasing more and more acres, eventually becoming a wealthy farmer, owning property in his own name. He gained a high reputation for honesty, industry and thrift. He was a devout Catholic and lived a very religious life. He married twice, and by his first wife, Catherine, had Dennis, Patrick (see forward), and Catherine; by his second wife he had James and John, both of whom came to the United States and settled on farms at Ausable Forks, Essex county, New York, where they married and had issue.
(II) Patrick, son of Matthew and his first wife, Catherine Harran, was born in county Sligo, Ireland, where he remained until 1848. He was a farmer of his father's acres, and before emigrating to the United States married Mary Harran and reared a large family. About the year 1848 he came to the United States, and settled in Schenectady, where many of his children also settled. He was then well advanced in years. Mary, his wife, died in Schenectady, February, 1881, aged ninety-three years. They were both members of St. John's Roman Catholic Church of Schenectady. They had thirteen children, of ten of whom we have a record:
- Thomas, see forward.
- Dennis, married in Ireland, came to the United States, and settled in Schenectady, New York, where he died without issue.
- Martin, emigrated to the United States and settled at Albany, New York. He enlisted and served throughout the civil war. He married and left issue.
- Phillis.
- John.
- Patrick; (all died in childhood).
- Annie, died in Schenectady, April 26, 1907. She married, in Ireland, John Dooney, who came to the United States where he died in Schenectady, in 1900, aged eighty-eight years. Children: Patrick, Owen, Mary, Ellen (deceased), Beza, Margaret and John.
- Helen, married in Schenectady, Peter Kelly, who was killed in the civil war in 1865. She died, February, 1904, leaving a daughter Mary, who married Patrick Leonard.
- Beza, lived and died in Ireland, where she married Hugh Larnin and reared a large family.
- Mary, died in Ireland while young.
(III) Thomas, eldest son of Patrick and Mary Harran, was born in county Sligo, Ireland, in 1809, died in Schenectady, New York, in 1897. He came to the United States about 1848 or 1850, and settled in Schenectady. He married, in Ireland, Ellen O'Connor, born in 1810, died in Schenectady, May 10, 1851, at the birth of her son Thomas, her only child of American birth. Children:
- Patrick, born 1844, in Ireland, died in Schenectady, May, 1907. He was an honorably discharged veteran of the civil war. He enlisted in 1861 in the Thirtieth Regiment New York Volunteers, and at the second battle of Bull Run was severely wounded and rendered unfit for further service. He returned to Schenectady, where he died.
- Thomas (2), see forward. Thomas Harran married, in Schenectady, a second wife, Ann O'Brien, born in Tipperary, Ireland. She came to the United States when a young woman, and died in Schenectady, past sixty years of age.
- Mary, now of New York City.
- James, died unmarried.
- John, unmarried, a resident of Schenectady.
(IV) Thomas (2), second son of Thomas and his first wife Ellen (O'Connor) Harran, was born in Schenectady, May 1, 1851. He was nine days old when his mother died. He received a meager education, and early in life began a business career on the streets of Schenectady as a newsboy. He attended school all he could, and by subsequent study obtained a fair education. He saved his earnings, and in a few years was able to start a small grocery, which he operated until 1871. He then began learning the mason's trade, but in 1874 went to work on the railroad. September 4, 1874, he met with an accident that resulted in the loss of a leg which compelled him to follow a different line of business from what he had intended. He was in the liquor business until 1879, when he disposed of his interest, and until 1886 was in the cigar and tobacco trade. In that year he became city agent for the Baltons, of Troy, continuing for fifteen years. Since 1901 he has been engaged in the real estate business, now chiefly confined to the care of his own properties. He is a member of St. John's Roman Catholic church, and the B. P. O. E. He is a Republican in politics, and for four years represented his ward as alderman. He married Mary Brown, daughter of John and Margaret (Sullivan) Brown. John Brown was born in Germany. His wife, Margaret Sullivan, was born in Ireland. They were married in Schenectady, where they died in old age. Their living children are:
- Mary, married Thomas Harran;
- Margaret, married Charles Antis, of Rexford Flats, and has two children, Mary and Charles;
- Michael, unmarried.
Thomas (2), and Mary (Brown) Harran are the parents of two children:
- Doctor George Patrick, born in Schenectady in 1876. He was educated in the Schenectady schools, studied at Union University, and was graduated M.D. from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City, class of 1903. He took post graduate courses at Roosevelt Hospital, New York City, and Newark Hospital, Newark, New Jersey, receiving diplomas from both. In 1904, he began practice in Schenectady, where he is now (1910) actively engaged. He is a member of the state and county medical societies, and has a most promising future in his chosen profession. He is a Republican in politics, and a member of St. John's Roman Catholic church, and the B. P. O. E. He is unmarried.
- Thomas (3), died in infancy, 1891.