My Genealogy Hound

MRS. FANNY (MORGAN) FLACK, whose commodious, well-appointed home at No. 188 West High Street, Springfield, is one of the coziest and most desirable abodes in that part of the city, is a woman of more than ordinary decision of character, and of high social standing, and during the years that she has been a resident of this place, by her gracious manner and kindly and considerate bearing toward others, she has gathered around her a circle of warm friends. She is the widow of the late Robert Flack, who will long be remembered as a prominent and successful business man of Springfield, with whose highest interest he was associated many years.

Mrs. Flack was born in the city of Dublin, Ireland, and is the descendant of a long line of ancestors, who for many years made their home in Glamorganshire, Wales, and for the part they took in the Revolution under Cromwell were given a large estate, known as Monkfield, and located in County Galway, Ireland. Mrs. Flack’s grandfather, Charles Morgan, inherited the estate. He was a barrister, and practiced his profession in Dublin, where he made his home till his death. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Blake, and she was a native of County Galway. Mrs. Flack’s father, Peter Blake Morgan, was born in Dublin, and fell heir to Monkfield. He traced his ancestry back to Caractacus, the savage King of Wales, whose daughter married a Baron Morgan, of Wales. He was educated at Trinity College, in his native city, and adopting his father’s profession practiced it there, spending his entire life on his estate at Monkfield. After his marriage he ceased to practice. He was a gentleman of thorough culture, and had an extensive knowledge of the law. The maiden name of Mrs. Flack’s mother was Mary Roach, and she was born in Munster, Ireland, and spent her last years in Dublin, dying a few months after her husband. It was their custom to spend their winters in Dublin. Both she and her husband were reared in the Protestant Church, and died in the faith. They had but two children — Fanny and Julia. Julia married George McNally, a jeweler in Dublin, and is now deceased.

Mrs. Flack was reared in her native city, and was given the advantages of a fine education. She was married there, in August, 1845, to Robert McNally, a native of that city, and a son of James and Elizabeth (Howard) McNally. His father was a banister, and both of his parents were members of the Episcopalian Church. Mr. McNally was a clerk in a wholesale cloth house in Dublin, and while yet in the vigor of early manhood his career was closed by death, in 1847. Mrs. Flack continued to reside in Dublin till 1848, and in that year came to this country with a party of friends on a visit, setting sail from Dublin, and landed at Philadelphia after a voyage of five weeks. She seems to have been pleased with the country, as she decided to make it her home for the future, influenced to this decision, perhaps, by the eloquent persuasions of a certain gallant young gentleman whom she met in the Quaker City, Robert Flack, to whom she was afterward married in New York City, the ceremony that made them one being solemnized in St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, by the Rev. E. H. Canfield, September 30, 1851.

Mr. Flack was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, a son of John and Nancy (Burns) Flack, natives of Ireland, and of Scotch ancestry. He was reared and educated in his native county, and came to America when about twenty-two years of age. He engaged as a clerk in New York City, where he resided till 1855, and then removed with his family to Saline County, Southern Illinois, where he engaged largely in farming. He was an ardent Union man, and on the breaking out of the war would have offered his services as a soldier to his adopted country, but a broken limb debarred him from the privilege. So he was forced to be content to exercise his patriotism at home, where, perhaps, it was equally needed, and he took an active part in raising and forwarding troops and supplies, and in rousing the people to the needs of the times. He remained a resident of the Prairie State till after the close of the war, when he sold his property there, and coming to Springfield established himself in the grocery business here, and from that time till his removal by death, September 9, 1889, was a valued citizen of this city. He was a man among men, strong, manly, fearless in his adherence to the right, and thoroughly imbued with principles of truth and honesty, which he carried into all his relations, whether of a business, social or domestic nature, and none knew him but to respect him for the integrity of his character, and to esteem him for those genial traits that made him kind, generous and self-forgetful. Politically, he was a stanch Republican, as also are his sons. His was a deeply religions nature, and as he was reared in the Presbyterian faith, he was a devoted member of that church till his death, identifying himself with the First Presbyterian Church after he came here. Mrs. Flack was reared in the Church of England, but there being no Episcopalian Church in Springfield when she came here, she joined the First Presbyterian Church with her husband, and has ever since been an active worker in its behalf.

The happy wedded life of Mr. and Mrs. Flack was blessed to them by the birth of the following children: Louisa, who married James Huffman, and resides in Springfield; Robert W., who is engaged in business in Springfield; John, deceased; George, an attorney in New York City; Fanny, the wife of John D. Brown, living in Chicago; Nettie, the wife of Harry Van Sickle, of New York City; Charles, who is engaged in business in New York City; Florence, who married P. O’Neil, and lives in Ironwood, Mich. Mrs. Flack’s daughter Fanny, now Mrs. Brown, has been twice married. She was first wedded when she was eighteen years old, to Harvey Foreman, and at the age of twenty was left a widow with one child — Mabel. She was married to her present husband when she was twenty-seven years old. For many years after coming to this city Mr. and Mrs. Flack resided on North Street, but in 1888 Mr. Flack purchased the home on High Street in which the family now resides.

Mrs. Flack had by her first husband one son, Isidore Flack McNally, who enlisted as a soldier during the Civil War, serving as corporal in Company F, One Hundred and Thirty-sixth Indiana Regiment. He was less than eighteen years old when he enlisted, and was honorably discharged.