| James Hegan was a son of William John and Mary Hegan. William Hegan married Mary Park on 14th November 1878 in the district of Cookstown.
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| James Robert Hegan was born in Cookstown on 26th March 1895. James was one of twelve children eleven surviving.
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| Known family: William John Hegan, Mary Hegan, Mary Hegan (born 23rd October 1879), George Hegan (born 23rd July 1881), William Parke Hegan (born 15th October 1883), Abigail Hegan (born 10th September 1885), Isabella Maud Hegan (born 25th July 1887), Joseph A Hegan (born 7th February 1891), John Hegan (born 12th May 1892), Caroline Hegan (born 20th August 1893), James Robert Hegan (born 26th March 1895), David Cecil Hegan (born 8th March 1897), Hannah Winifred Hegan (born 2nd October 1898).
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| The 1901 census lists James as age 5, living with the family at house 3 in Annaghmore, Tullyhogue. His father was a farmer.
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| The 1911 census lists James as age 16, living with the family at house 4 in Ballysudden, Tullyhogue. James was working on his father’s farm.
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| James Hegan emigrated to Canada.
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| Prior to enlisting, James was working as a farmer. He named his father as his next of kin, who was living in Ballysudden.
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| James Hegan enlisted in Edmonton on 6th May 1915. He was 20 years old.
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| James was described as being five feet nine and a half inches tall, with grey eyes, light brown hair and a ruddy complexion.
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| Private James Hegan was serving with the 7th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry.
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| While crossing ‘No Man’s Land’ during an attack at Passchendaele on the morning of the 10th November 1917, Private Hegan was severely wounded in the right shoulder and left thigh by shrapnel from an enemy shell.
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| Private Hegan’s wounds were dressed and he was taken to No 4 Casualty Clearing Station. where he died two days later on 12th November 1917. He was twenty-three years of age.
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| From the Belfast Newsletter dated 22nd November 1917:
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| Private James Hegan, Canadian Infantry, Ballysudden House, Cookstown, died of wounds.
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| Private James Hegan is interred at Dozinghem Cemetery in Belgium.
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| His name was added to the family headstone in Cookstown Cemetery, where it is inscribed that he died of wounds on 12th November 1917.
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| His father, William John Hegan, died on 20th June 1930, age 79.
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| William Gorman's mother was Hegan from Sandholes. This means William Gorman and James Hegan were cousins.
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| The CWGC record Private James Hegan as the son of William John and Mary Hegan of Ballysudden, Cookstown, County Tyrone, Ireland.
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