Kammala jumla mai zuwa: An haifi Charles Patrick John Coghlan a ranar 24 ga Yuni 1863 a King William's Town, British Kaffraria (wani ɓangare na Cape Colony daga 1866). Yana da 'yan'uwa maza uku. Mahaifinsa, James Coghlan, ya fito ne daga Ireland kuma Katolika ne; ya isa Afirka ta Kudu a 1851 a matsayin soja a cikin Sojojin Burtaniya, bayan ya shiga don tserewa daga Babban Yunwar Ireland. Bayan yaƙi a cikin
Yaƙin Xhosa na takwas na 1850 <unk> 53 tare da 2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot, James ya yi aiki a tsaunukan Keiskamma; ya zauna a can tare da matarsa Isabella Mary (née Maclaren), wacce ta fito daga Dumbartonshire, Scotland. Sun koma King William's Town bayan an sallami Coghlan daga aikin soja da kuma haihuwar ɗansu na farko, wani yaro kuma mai suna James. James Coghlan dattijo zai zama dan majalisar gari a garin King William.