Carrucan Chronicles

 

• HOME

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• GENERATION ONE

  • The First Generation

• GENERATION TWO

  • The Second Generation

• GENERATION THREE

  • The Third Generation
  • The Michael Line
  • The Bridget Line
  • The Patrick Line
  • The Peter Line
  • The Bridget Mary Line

• LATER GENERATIONS

  • The Michael Line >
    • The DiSabatino Family
    • The Manley Family
    • The Pollinger Family
    • The Speakman Family
  • The Bridget Line >
    • The Chay Family
    • The Hough Family
    • The Laumer Family
    • The Martin Family
    • The Waller Family
    • The West Family
  • The Patrick Line >
    • The Calnin Family
    • The Erickson Family
    • The O'Halloran Family
  • The Peter Line >
    • The Clements Family
    • The Hayes Family
    • The Kesha Family

• OTHER PAGES

  • The Genealogy List
  • The Carrucan Book
  • The Appendices
  • They Served Their Country
  • The Books of Remembrance
  • They Serve The Lord
  • Visits
  • Irish-American Heritage Month
  • The Family Crest - An Australian Interpretation
  • Vale Jim Martin 1927-2001
  • The Carrucans of Kurrajong
  • DNA Testing
  • Frank Carrucan's books
  • Carrucan Holdings

• FIND OUT MORE

  • The Eltham Cemetery
  • The Picture Gallery
  • Book Committee
  • Carrucan Links
  • Books and Resources

THE SPEAKMAN FAMILY

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Michael Carrucan, the eldest child of Patrick and Bridget Carrucan, took over the family farm and lived his life in Fanore. He married a local girl, Mary Droney and they had 11 children. Their daughter Ellen emigrated to America in the 1880s, settling in Wilmington, Delaware. From her marriage to John D. Sullivan, a number of strong Carrucan lines have come, including those of the Speakman, Pollinger and Di Sabatino families.

The Speakman connection was established at the third generation when Ellen's daughter Mary married Walter Mifflin Speakman II in 1920. Thus, their 5 children, Walter, John, Mary, Elizabeth and James, were grand children of Michael Carrucan and Mary Droney

Michael Carrucan (about 1829 - 1903) and Mary Droney ( - 1942) ↓ Mary, Austin, Bridget, Mary, Ellen, Denis, Catherine, Patrick, James and Kate Carrucan

Ellen Carrucan (1863-1940) and John D Sullivan ↓ John, Mary Elizabeth and Ann Sullivan

Mary Elizabeth Sullivan (1900-1975)  and Walter Mifflin Speakman II ↓ Walter Mifflin III, John Daniel, Mary Anne, Elizabeth Patricia and James Speakman

The Speakman families still live in and around Delaware and we retain strong links with them, even though we are separated by many miles and many generations.

To take but one story, John Daniel Speakman, the second child born to Mary and Walter Speakman in 1924, married Betty Lee Millman in 1946. Between 1947 and 1965, Jack and Betty had a family of 9 children - John Daniel Jnr, Stephen, Kathleen, Dennis, Karen, Thomas, Judith, Robert and Christine.

Thomas Speakman, their sixth child, met his future wife Billie Fagan at a high school dance in 1974 at Dickinson High School, Wilmington, Delaware. They both loved to dance, and although neither of them attended that high school, they were there to dance anyway! They were married in 1976.

Tom and Billie had twin sons, Brad Speakman and Brandon Speakman in 1979 followed by a daughter Marisa Speakman born in 1984.

Family time was all important, when Tom and Billie were just starting out, money was tight, nights out for the family included a trip to grandma's house for pizza. Nowadays Tom works as a Supervisor for John E. Steele Roofing Company, and Billie is the Director for Heart and Vascular Interventional Services at Christiana Care Health Systems. Their sons Brad and Brandon are Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians, and work for various Fire Companies throughout New Castle County, Delaware as EMT/Firefighters. They joined the fire service in their early teens and have dedicated their lives to the service of others.

Brad met his future wife Lauren Twardowski while she was working in the Emergency Department as a clerk, putting herself through nursing school. He brought in patients on ambulances to the Emergency Room all the time, and thought she was cute so he asked her out. After a date, Lauren saw him one day in the department and told him what a great time she had, and talked about the date, but he just looked at her in confusion. She didn't realize she was talking to his twin brother, Brandon who was ALSO an EMT! It's a funny story at the start of a beautiful relationship. Brad and Lauren were married in 2005. They have had two children, Cole Thomas Speakman born 2009 and Kendall Josephine Speakman born 2011.

Marisa is currently a registration clerk in the Emergency department at Christiana Hospital and married Steven Ryan Reeder in 2009.

Copyright: Carrucan Chronicles
Email:   tim.erickson02@gmail.com