George Millin FLANAGAN was born in Guernsey, Channel Islands in 1830. He was of Irish descent. The Gaelic meaning of the surname is “of a red color”. Variations of the surname are Flanigan, Flanegan and Flannigan. Non-verifiable reports indicate that he was the son of Henry FLANAGAN and Maria MILLIN. He got married in 1852 to Ann PITT from London * Feb 1835 + 1904 (Daughter of John PITT and Sarah ROBERTS) He and his wife and his two eldest daughters came to South Africa roundabout 1856. He settled as a farmer in the Eastern Cape, in Prospect, Komga a small town, east of Stutterheim. He died on 18 Feb 1885 in South Africa.

Children (9):

b1 Mary Jane * 1852 (In England), +3 Dec 1915, x Thomas CURTIS *1848 (son of Peter CURTIS and Margaret MAGUIRE)

b2 Anna Frances *1854 (in England), + 1 Mar 1913, x Walter Henry SMITH * 2 Jun 1857, +29 Mar 1912. He was a mechanical engineer from Blackpool, England United Kingdom, who worked for Public Works Department in Cape Town. (He was the son of Henry SMITH and Harriett CHAMPION)

b3 Emily *4 Dec 1858, +22 Jan 1934, x 26 Jan 1873 James Walker SPARKS * 23 Nov 1848 (Son of Henry SPARKS and Mary Eliza Ann KNOTT)

b4 Emma Ann * 8 Feb 1855, +14 Sep 1892, x John Richard David RUSHMERE *5 Feb 1849 (Son of George Valentine RUSHMERE and Sarah Jane LOCKETT)

x5 Louisa *1859, +27 Jun 1910, x 12 Jun 1878 William BICKFORD* 1851, +1926 (son of Francis Jeffrey Davy BICKFORD and Susan WILLS)

b6 Henry George * 22 Jan 1861, +23 Oct 1919. Henry was a well-known citrus farmer and owner of the farm “Prospect” in the Komga district, Eastern Cape South Africa. His brothers were farming with him. The evergreen tree Greyia Flanaganii is named after him. The descendants of him and his brothers are still actively farming in the area today (2017). He married in 1890 Florence Sarah REYNOLDS (Daughter of Charles Francis REYNOLDS and Janet WALKER)

b7 Agnes *25 Dec 1863, + 14 Sep 1928. She never married.

b8 William Henry * 1865, +1865 (Died young)

b9 James Millin Arthur * 25 Aug 1865, x Emily Lewis REYNOLDS *6 Jun 1868, +14 Oct 1897. She died in the birth process of Eva Emily (b9c3). She carried triplets but just Eva survived. She was the sister of Henry George (b6’s wife) and therefore also the daughter of Charles Francis REYNOLDS and Janet WALKER, xx 1903 Beatrice Ethel SHORTT (Daughter of Frank Gordon SHORTT and Helen THOMPSON)

Sources:
1. S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science written by C Plug
2. Familysearch.org
3. National archives
4. British Genealogy & Family History forum

Contribution by:
Barry Nelson