It all started when three brothers,

Tom, Jim, and Patrick McGrann,

left Armaugh, in Northern Ireland

to find work In England. 

It is RUMORED that the reason

they left is because they

were accused of stealing horses.

 

 

They all got married in England;

Jim and Patrick changed

their last name to Grant, and

Tom changed his name to Magrann,

to appear to be English, to enable them

to find work more easily. 

 

 

 

They all came to Philadelphia

in the 1850's and probably

entered the textile business together.

 

 

The son of Thomas, Tom Jr., John, Peter, and James

owned a textile mill at

24th and Green Streets in Philadelphia.

 

 

They later moved the mill to

Mascher and Turner Streets in Philadelphia.

 

 

The brothers' mill operation was fairly large,

with 150 looms that consisted of

weaving, twisting, and winding.

 

Patrick left the mill to open a grocery store.

 

Tom and John eventually

split the business with Pete and Jim. 

It is said that all went broke,

but John's son, also named Thomas Magrann,

did fairly well in the business

during the next generation,

especially during WWI,

when there was a large demand

for their materials to make uniforms.