Mr Francis "Frank" Dwan was born in the parish of Fourmilewater in Clogheen, Co Waterford, Ireland in January 1847 and baptised that same month.
Born into a Roman Catholic family he was the son of Thomas Dwan (b. 1824) and Alice Trehy and had one known sibling, his elder sister Bridget (b. 1843).

He was married to Bridget Walsh (b. 1843) around 1868 and they had a reported eight children, of whom seven are identifiable. 

Their known children were: Bridget (b. 6 March 1868), Catherine (b. 23 December 1871), Alice (b. 25 March 1874), John (b. 3 January 1876), Michael (b. 20 March 1878), Ellen (b. 17 March 1880) and Daniel (b. 1 January 1883). Daughter Ellen died in Kilmacthomas Workhouse, Co Waterford on 4 March 1900 from tuberculosis. 

A fisherman by trade Dwan, his wife and son Daniel, a rural postman, were listed on the 1901 census residing at an unspecified address in Knockmahon, Co Waterford where they had lived for many years; he and his wife would still be at a Knockmahon address by the time of the 1911 census and the records indicate that although Frank spoke both English and Irish, he was illiterate. 

By 1911 his son Daniel, by then also a fisherman, lived at 9 Kilmurrin, Annestown, Co Waterford with his wife Johanna (née Fleming) and their children, having married on 9 January 1904.

Several of Frank's children lived in America and he decided to make a visit and boarded the Titanic at Queenstown as a third class passenger (ticket number 336439 which cost £7, 15s). He was travelling to Morris Plains, New Jersey where his daughter Alice (Mrs William Murphy) and son Michael and their families lived, the latter having emigrated around 1905.

Frank Dwan died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.

His son Daniel and his wife later welcomed two sons, one on 2 May 1913 and another on 11 July 1914; both were named Frank.  

Frank's widow Bridget remained in Knockmahon but affliction with senility later saw her transferred to a hospital in Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford where she died on 26 July 1920 aged 76. His son Daniel also remained in Waterford and died in Kilmacthomas on 28 March 1961 aged 78. 

Frank still has living descendants on both sides of the Atlantic, many still living in Bunmahon, Co Waterford.