Stories Of My Irish Families

Irish Native/Planter Stories

Sunday 13 August 2017

Prelude to - The mysterious deaths of the Marysville Pitman's.

On discovering the Pitman's of Marysville, I was told about how 2-3 of the kids, met untimely deaths.
I learnt a lot more about this sad story online, using "Trove" and a bit of assistance from the Marysville Historical Society.

This is a prelude or back story, in understanding why things may have happened the way it did for
                                                            3 Pitman children.

Part of my research with the Pitman's, was to understand what information was out there, that could help assist, in learning about the Children & Grandchildren of Henry H Newenham & Annie Persse.
Their eldest child (and my 3rd GGM) Eliza, died in 1891 and of course, all info related to the family partially stopped and that the surviving family had moved to Adelaide at the turn of the century-which didn't help.
So in order to understand many living people around that time, who directly descended down from Henry and Annie, I had to learn about their lives, to bring out our story and how we connect, to put my thoughts back on track.
As Eliza was the eldest but a female, inheritances may not have favoured her. I know she had holdings in a Gold Fund, maybe to assist her wealth, but it seems it that it went a bit awry as it looks like she gave up the "shares" or were forfeited. Her husband - Frederick J Hasler, also had shares in a Gold Fund as well, but it didn't take off either and I think he forfeited them as well.

Since Eliza died in 1891 and knowing of the inheritances and the family history connection back to Ireland via Henry and Annie, I believe the family's inheritances were mainly split between younger siblings - Caroline and her twin brother Edward - when their Father Henry had passed away in 1895.
My interest was the mining lands or mining business prospects back in Ireland. It goes back to Caroline / Edward's Paternal Grandfather (Edward Worth Newenham 1762-1837) and centres itself in Tipperary and surrounding areas.
So many questions I wanted to know - How long did they keep the lands for? Did they sell it? Did they still mine it? How did it affect the economy of Ireland? Were they good at it or was it a failed venture? And part of my questioning, how can you run a mine successfully, whilst outside of Ireland?
Were the locals happy with the mine? What exists today? etc etc etc.....

By news reports, it looks like Caroline had some mining interests and that her Nephew - Edgar C Hasler (aka Dr K. R. Moure) also had a hand in proceedings.
For Edgar, this was his forte, his bread and butter, learning of mining and the business of it. But it was very late in his life. Now at this exact point of the story, everyone has their "hand in the pie" and learning each other's story is absolutely crucial to understanding the Marysville Pitman's and what happened next.

But by 1937, only 1 person was left standing - 2nd child and eldest Daughter of Clarence and Caroline -  Rosalind Persse Pitman (married name Stringer).
I'm in belief that Rosalind inherited a residual of her Brothers estate, when he died.
I was hoping for Rosalind to survive without any drama but just days ago, I learnt that she too, had a major drama to contend with, but in a different way. She was involved in a car accident and the person died. It was just an unfortunate accident of the "Pedestrian vs Motorcar" type. Rosalind was driving a Car and a Pedestrian stepped on to the road with out looking properly - the pedestrian also was noted to have bad vision. You can see what happened next!

I believe the Pitman lineage may only survive via Rosalind Pitman's "Stringer" family.
Newenham M Pitman had a child - Constance. She married an Edward Kelso, but unsure if they had a child.

I'm hoping that their Mining history can be found, to help explain a bit more on the family's dealing with Mining in Ireland - including with the one and only Edgar Hasler - "Dr. Moure".
Simply because the mines that the Family were involved with, were of a large size and in full production in around the early 1800's.
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by Stories Of My Irish Families Sunday, August 13, 2017 No comments

Sunday 9 July 2017

The Story of the Pitman's of  Marysville.

I was told the story of the Marysville Pitman's, many years ago.
I didn't know their story to well, so I found it hard to learn their lives and how they fitted in with my Maternal story. As I didn't fully understand the connection, I wanted to search their story and help "connect the dots".
I decided to visit Marysville a few months ago, to find out more details, on who they were.

Ironically, after learning what I did, there is so much mystique to their story, along with Family connections and stories. But, also knowing their circumstances of fate or tragedies that befell them, they still carried a lot of history with them, which also ties up with me and is the reason, why I write these blogs.

As I am just putting the list of the kids down, it shows in great detail on the true reality of tragedy.
But Clarence and Caroline kept plowing on, knowing that one of their children, would survive to Adulthood or even survive them.

Father     - Clarence died in 1926 (Buried in Marysville Cemetery)
Mother    - Caroline died in 1937 (Cremated and Scattered at Springvale "Necropolis" Crematorium)
  • Henry Newenham Pitman        - b1872-d1873 -infant
  • Carrie Rosalind Persse Pitman - b1874-d1948 -approx 74
  • Alice Burton Pitman                 - b1875-b1875 -infant
  • Clarence Edward Pitman         - b1877-b1877 - infant & buried with GM Annie Persse Newenham
  • Newenham Mueller Pitman                  - b1880-d1933 -approx 53
  • Olive Dora Blakeney Pitman    - b1885-d1926 -approx 41
  • Gwendoline De Burgh Pitman  - b1890-d1931 -approx 41

    The children share quite a few names from the Galway/Dublin Persse/Newenham ancestry
    (Persse / Burton / Edward / Blakeney / De Burgh)

Carrie, was the only child to survive both Parents. It also shows that out of the first 4 kids, she was the only one to survive infancy. Ironically, the last 3 children who survived infancy, struck tragedy later in life.

What is really interesting in the above table, is when Newenham Mueller Pitman was born in 1880, Newenham and the 2 successive children survived infancy.
It begs the question, did medical technology - intervene on the health of Melbourne's citizens?
Just shows quite the "juxtaposition" where death in infancy was quite high vs infancy survival rates after 1880. I haven't researched why this is, though the table hits right on the plausibility of better health / medical practices, after around 1880.
What is interesting, is that after Gwen, they didn't have anymore children. Even though they were older than 40, the Bank Crash of 1892 probably would have sealed the fate of no more children, as Clarence lost quite a bit of money (Over 5,000 Pounds).

It is also believed that all children died in Victoria.

I don't know much about Carrie, as she got married to Reginald Stringer (of Perth origin), but there is some details of her (or what I think is of her line), that pertain to hereditary inheritances.
Because I don't know enough of this line, it is the reason she isn't included with much details.
Part of my main aim of this blog, was to learn about the last 3 kids of Clarence and Caroline.
I am looking at the 3 untimely and very unfortunate deaths, that must of taken it's toll on Caroline and Carrie.
I don't know much about the children's early lives, other than living in Marysville.
Their earlier days would have been spent around Albert Park / St.Kilda districts and Blairgowrie.
I am certain that they would have known, their Maternal Grandfather - Henry Hood Newenham.
But it does seem that the 2 girls had to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

In their later part of their lives, Olive and Gwen resided in Marysville, Victoria.

Marysville, was quite an isolated part of Country Victoria back then.
Weather could have really hampered the access to the hills surrounding the town, during certain times of the year. Snow, and the bad rains, could have really made the town inaccessible for a few days at a time, before the roads were of any good standard. Summer would have been stiffling hot, in amongst the trees, bushfire's would have been as deadly to the town (as per the 2009 "Black Saturday" firestorm).

When Olive and Gwen moved to Marysville, they had a sort of a partnership, with a Guesthouse called "Kooringa" during the 1920's. Gwen lived across the road from the Kooringa Guesthouse, in the property known as the "Log Cabin".
Brother - Newenham, had business relations with a Steel company (Minerva Metals - Spencer Street) in Melbourne and lived around there, but most probably frequented Marysville from time to time, to see his Sister's.

Images of where Marysville is, in relation to Melbourne and the details of the 2 properties, with Olive & Gwen, in Marysville. The 2 properties, are around 250 metres South East, of the main road roundabout.

Travel Time to Marysville - In Today's World


February 7th 2009, known as "Black Saturday", was a major bushfire / firestorm.
It ravaged the township of Marysville and burned down, both the Pitman's residences - Kooringa nd the Log Cabin.




 3rd Oct 1918 - Table Talk Melbourne

Local Leaflet - depicting "Winter" and the snow.

















Kooringa, was Olive's residence, until she went missing (covered in the next blog)
This is a local leaflet, approx dated in 1929





The Log Cabin, was Gwen's residence.




Details of the later lives of the 3 Pitman children, will be in the next blog.

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by Stories Of My Irish Families Sunday, July 09, 2017 No comments

Sunday 28 May 2017

Learning of the "Maternal Collateral" Pitman's.    *Updated 22-03-18

The term "Collateral", is referred to a brother or sister line to that of your own, from a set of certain Grandparents.

This is a story of a colleteral line of my Maternal family - The Pitman's from Marysville, Victoria.
This family has totally captivated me. It taught me, no matter how tragic stories get, there can be endless details found that can help you understand, how historical data, interacts with your own lineage.

This part, is centered on the parents of the Marysville Pitman Family - Clarence and Caroline Pitman.

  • Clarence is the 3rd son of Jacob Pitman and Emma Hooper. Jacob was an Architect and also taught "Pitman Shorthand". Jacob and Emma, emigrated to South Australia in 1838. Clarence was also a nephew of Sir Isaac Pitman (inventor of the "Pitman Shorthand" Phonographic system).
  • Caroline is the 2nd daughter of Henry Hood Newenham and Annie Persse. Caroline's heritage is of the Persse family of Dublin and Roxborough Co. Galway and the Newenham's from Cork and Dublin, but also including the Blood families from Applevale, Co. Clare.

Their story, has historic value in connection with Marysville-Victoria, but also adds a story with a letter from George Washington in 1789. It was sent to Caroline's Paternal 2nd Great Grandfather - Sir Edward Newenham and that letter somehow landed in Melbourne/Marysville.
It also shares a tragic end, to 3 of the Pitman Children, who seem to think that there is a family curse among them.

I recently took hold of this story and wanted to find more about them, particularly why things happened the way they did.
As I am writing this, I am discovering more and more of Clarence Pitman, than I have ever heard of, which is adding to the story.
It is a tad longer than I wanted, but I am trying to show the parental side of this story and to keep within one blog. But also still trying to keep in mind, where this "family curse" thought is coming from. Is it, the Pitman's or Newenham's?

The Newenham's, as they arrived in Melbourne in 1856


Original Immigration Shipping List - 1856
Voyage took 140 days from Liverpool, aboard the ship "Sultana"

Parents : Henry and Annie are up the top. My 3rd Great Grandmother, is Eliza and is the eldest child.
This blog story centres on the 4th child down - Caroline.
It is believed that Eliza was born in France and the the rest of the kids, were born at St. Helier - Jersey Island.
*Note - disregard Henry's age, it is incorrect (born 1805). They may have had to lower it, to fit in with an Age limit of migration?



Caroline Anna Blood Newenham, was born 26th January, 1847 in Lempriere St, St. Heliers - Jersey Island. She was a twin and her Brother was Edward Persse Newenham.
I don't have an image of her, but I do have one of her twin brother Edward. There is reason to believe, that Caroline may have looked like, her 2nd cousin - Lady Gregory.
Why would I say such a thing, well, you'll just have to wait and see, I'll let the images do the talking. A key point on my theory is that, Henry and Annie were 1st cousins, that is via Henry's Mother and Annie's Father - they were siblings. Henry and Annie can trace to the same Grandfather - Col William Persse of Roxborough - Co. Galway.

The Persse face, is pretty profound and I do believe that it maybe making it's appearance down the lines. I don't have any photos of Caroline or Clarence Pitman to draw conclusion, but their daughter Gwen, supports this theory.

I don't have any info of Caroline's early story, prior to her being married or even much after. Other than following her Father's addresses etc and as far as I know, Caroline was in the St. Kilda and surrounding districts.

I can only find Caroline in a few ventures.
She published details of historic war battles, that many of her close and far relatives were involved in.
One of many details was with her Nephew - Edgar Hasler (pseudonym :  Dr Kelwylyn R. Moure), with mining lands in Ireland (1930's era) and another was with issues relating to her children, with the inheritances, that came down via Henry Newenham.
It seems later in life, she moved to Blairgowrie on the Mornington Peninsula, which I think back in those days, were holiday type places (1/2 day trip to get there from Melbourne City). And then later, moved a bit closer to Melbourne - to the suburb of Sandringham.


13th Mar 1897 - Melbourne Argus



On 30th October, 1871, Caroline Newenham married Clarence Pitman, in the Anglican Church of St. Mary's. The district written as "Hotham", is now known as North Melbourne.
The reference to Firmont, is I think is either the last place in Ireland, that Henry/Annie were from, or land that Henry owned. Henry's family held mining lands around Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, which fits this story.

1st Nov 1871 - Melbourne Argus


On Clarence's story, his father Jacob was an Architect. from near the town of Bath, England. In 1838, Jacob and his family, migrated and settled in Adelaide, South Australia, just after it had been proclaimed as a Colony (Dec 1836). They were in Adelaide for a number of years, were Jacob was not only an architect, but also a Minister of Religion (Swedenborgian Church).
Clarence was born in Adelaide c. 1848.

To put another twist of an added connection to this Pitman Family, I am pretty certain, that they knew of the Newenham name well before Clarence met Caroline.

Charles Burton Newenham, was the State Sheriff of South Australia, for more than 20 years, around the time that this Pitman Family were of Adelaide.
Charles B Newenham was a 1st cousin of Henry Hood Newenham, both their Grandparents were Sir Edward Newenham and Grace Anna Burton.

The Pitman's, then decided to pull up stumps and re-settle in Geelong, Victoria, sometime in the 1860s-1870's period. This is where we start to find Jacob's son - Clarence. I was recently advised by my relative - Michael Collins Persse (curator of the Geelong Grammar School), that Clarence also attended Geelong Grammar, as a student.

As time went on, it seems that due to the family's mantra of teaching / instructing and also interaction with the Pitman Shorthand system, we would have to assume that we "should" find Clarence, a very well educated man. And we do. Quite an accomplished fellow.
It seems that if you had a committee going, a banking trust, accountancy of the books, a business audit or even secretarial type jobs, Clarence was your man.

25th Sep 1867 - Geelong Advertiser

The earliest document that I could find so far, is that we find Clarence, in Geelong and he is part of the early formative years, of the Geelong Football Club. Here he is noted being the Secretary of the club in 1867 - 4 years before his marriage to Caroline.
This is quite the find and in my view, it is a great historical link, to one of the strongest Victorian Football Clubs around.





24th Jul 1880 -  The Telegraph
(St Kilda, Prahran and South Yarra Guardian)








25th Feb 1882 - The Argus




Here we see a movement to Grey St,
St. Kilda - Melbourne in 1880. This is where Caroline's Father (Henry H Newenham) lived in around that time.

18th Oct 1886 - Bendigo Advertiser




























As a Bank Teller, he had to face many people, who forged Cheques. This is just one of a few cases, that Clarence had to deal with.





















One of the many companies, corporations and businesses, Clarence had associated himself with. An accomplished Accountant, Secretary and Manager over many years.

 1st Aug 1890 - Table Talk Melbourne

Clarence also had continual workload, with promoting the Pitman Shorthand system over many years. It also shows, even to this day, a lot of people struggled with the learning of the Pitman Shorthand system. Clarence clarifies this point, that "laziness" is the reason you fail.
Though what comes to mind and I think the term would be "Practice, Practice, Practice" and if you didn't, you'd get ruler across the back of the head or hands (Well, I know I did in school...)

But something happened in the early 1890's in Australia. A Banking Sector Collapse.
By 1 report, that Clarence is listed in, states that how could a bank have such an amount of a loss, in the vicinity of £300,000?
This loss of money, created a huge slump in the Australian Bank's sector, allowing a lot of banks to close, thus creating a huge depression period that followed.

Clarence was involved in this "Bank Loss" and in some way, it must have taken a toll on the family.

19th Aug 1892 - Table Talk

31st Mar 1893 - Table Talk


I can only speculate, that it must of forced Clarence to keep working, as I can see no holidays of sorts or family interaction. Did this force Clarence to diversify his business interests (put more time into Pitman phonography?) He was a busy man and for many years after this, it seems he kept on working.
I cannot determine, if this was because he wanted to provide for the family, or he was really a very good business man and just wanted to "work". I don't have any info, showing family time together. Caroline was bringing up the kids, so I can only assume, with Clarence's business interests, that the children may not have seen much of their Father. Maybe in the later years only when the kids took up residence in Marysville, Victoria.
In both of the below documents, Clarence also shows, that he had to have the courage to stand up to some form of critique, of the Pitman phonography. The 3rd document from The Argus Newspaper, shows quite a stern retort to a previous contributor - "Oriel" and his views .



6th Sep 1892 - The Age

10th Dec 1892 - The Standard Port Melbourne


 

 2nd Feb 1897 - The Argus

                                                                                            

  Bendigo Advertiser  - 1st Dec 1903















It seemed also, that in the future years, Clarence was involved with a lot of traveling around the State of Victoria and Auditing Council's "financial bookworks" as what looks like to be, an appointed Government Auditor.

 18th Mar 1926 - Kilmore Free Press





And the ending of an era with Clarence. His death was reported by the Kilmore Free Press.









Clarence died in 1926 and was buried in the Marysville Cemetery.
Caroline died in 1937 and was cremated. It is not known if she was scattered and or placed into Clarence's plot, or if indeed the family kept the remains.


15th Mar 1926 - Argus

 20th Apr 1937 - The Age

Clarence's Burial Plot at the Marysville Cemetery.

** Thanks to Bill & Judith, from the Marysville Historical Society, for assisting me in this story **





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by Stories Of My Irish Families Sunday, May 28, 2017 No comments

Thursday 27 April 2017

Delay is over *phew*

A pretty difficult and very complex 8 odd months I had. Our care of my Nephew is over for now.
I had to take timeout, to refresh the mind and I suppose, "one's soul".

I am now in a better place, with a lot more stories at hand. So I'm hoping to format the stories, in the best way I can. In my time off, I had encountered both Maternal and Paternal lineaged stories.

In these few weeks,  I traveled to many places in Victoria and a tiny bit into New South Wales, looking for ancestral connections back to Ireland.

I have encountered the following stories, some of which are still discovering in the last few days.
Just like a good book, I just can't put these stories to bed. So much Irish culture, it's "oozing shamrocks out it's pores". One of the stories in the last few days, also may contradict many thoughts of mine about the Easter Rising and how it affected a collateral descendant.

  • I traveled to Marysville, Victoria and followed quite a tragic tale of 3 Maternal Cousins.
    I shared details with the Marysville Historical Society, to help them understand, what sort of family background these 3 people had. The Historical Society had details on their Paternal side, which greatly helped me out with that side of the family name. Their Maternal Grandparents were, the Irish Newenham/Persse lineage. And I believe that this ancestry was very crucial, to their lives.
    The were (sic. so to speak) struck by a plausible family curse and I had been chasing what was happening to the family.
    3 lives ended very abruptly and they had been mentally affected by certain circumstances, that I had to learn "why". Their remnants of their existence in Marysville, sadly took another turn in 2009, when one of the worst Summer Bush Fires ever seen in history, brought the small town to it's knee's and destroyed a major part of the Township - including their 2 properties (A Guesthouse and a Log Cabin).
    Even 8 odd years after the disaster, you can still see the devastation from a firestorm, that spawned from a 46-47o Celsius day. To their credit, the town was rebuilt (and still rebuilding goes on) and the historical society needs people like us, to feed back to them, stories and photographs of a past that was burned away. Part of the reason why I did what I did. The town's historical connection, to these Maternal cousins, were revived and put on display, to show where they lived and what they did.
    They were the Pitman's of Marysville. (Paternally connected to the "Pitman Shorthand" family - they were Great Nieces-Nephews of Sir Issac Pitman)
     
  • I traveled to Albury, New South Wales and met up with a 2nd Cousin, who shared details of my Paternal Great Grandmother - who shared lineage to very same Cork City Church (St. Finbarrs RC South Parish), to my Fitzgerald line in the early 1800's.
    She also shared a Northern Irish connection, that was written about, back to some plausible English Planters.
    We shared stories and went through the township, to discover and swap stories, to see if anything dug up may have eluded to bigger stories.
    Albury shared a great connection to this family connection and seemed the family had a lot of history there.
    Initially, I was discovering my distant immigrant Irish ancestors, but one of their descendants (Paternal Great Grandmother's - Brother), shared a very involving story of serving for the Australian Imperial Force during WW1 (Gallipoli).
    He was a 2nd Generation Australian, with a supposively very Irish Catholic family.
    He went to Gallipoli under the 1st Light Horse Train Brigade (a support train as such).
    He was mentally affected from shell shock and a few other illnesses (how could anyone blame him), but it's what he did after his service that changed everything that I knew of him. Being from a very catholic family, I challenged his "Irish-ness" against his "Australian-ness" - some would say Australian - but these people back then were still "British Subjects" and treated as British, even though we were Australian. Trying to understand, what was going through his mind during that time.
    He was part writer, part reciter, part poet, part politician, part founder of services for people who have returned from War (to get them motivated back into life after the war).
    And maybe, just maybe following his Maternal Great Grandfather of being a Policeman.
    I challenged my thoughts of him, from the moments just before to just after the Easter Rising. A very very critical time period for being Australian, to my research about him
    and how he carried his persona through this time.
    If you had Irish Catholic background in Australia (whether born here or not), the Easter Rising (moreso the executions after it), changed the political/religious landscape in the country. Yet- hardly anyone knows of it, how it affected the Australian way of life for many years. There was a conscription debate, to force Australians to fight under the British Empire at Gallipoli. And as you would image, why would an Irish Catholic, fight for the Empire, when the Empire executed 16 of their own people (fight for freedom over the British).
    Dr. Mannix (Archbishop of Melbourne) was absolutely pivotal to the Irish Catholic cause, after the executions and denounced these tactics of barbarism. He went radical, and pushed the voting down (campaigned for the "No" vote) to the Conscription plebiscites, to all Irish Catholics.
    Simply, he (Mannix) succeeded to compromise the Monarchial Australian Government's plan to conscript Australians, to fight with and in favour of the Empire during WW1.
    The 2 plebiscites failed because of Mannix.
    My collateral descendant connection, shows quite extraordinarily, he is with the Monarchial Australian Government, almost in a "volunteer Member of Parliament" type of way. But yet, his mind is set for this purpose, his very native Cork Irish family name and Irish Catholicism, is put to one side, for his way to help the country, under a "British Subject" kind of way.
    A proud Australian, doing what he can do best for his country, but if he had very an "Irish Catholic Core", I don't think he would have spoke the way he did - after the Rising.
    His life after the Rising, is changing or moreso, challenging everything I am learning about Irish-Australian life, during and after the Rising period.
    Either way, I'm a bit flabbergasted to find a much different story than what I was looking for. I am proud of his achievements, but totally bewildered or perplexed about his way of life. I am challenging a few things, but one thing I want to find, did he lose his "Irish-ness", being a 2nd Generational Australian?
    He was of the Sheehan family of Albury-New South Wales.

    It might take a few weeks to get the story out of my head.
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by Stories Of My Irish Families Thursday, April 27, 2017 No comments

Thursday 9 March 2017


Slight Delay to writing.



For the past 7-8 months, I have reduced my blog posts, because I am looking after my Nephew.

Long and very complicated story, but morally being family, we had to take him in to our care.
But 3 weeks later, there was a complete misunderstanding with the time of care and somehow we were forced to take care for an "indefinite" time. Unbeknownst to us.
In this time of 7-8 months, we think he may have discovered that my Nephew has ASD. This was not explained to us, when he arrived to our care. If anyone knows how demanding a child with ASD gets, you can understand, why I have been quiet for a while.
Though I have had to make a decision to end our care, because it has taken a great big toll on my household and we cannot provide the level of support that he needs. This will happen in about 1-2 weeks.

I will be on leave next week, for about 6 weeks. I have saved up some stories (I think) and I am in the middle of a few more.

I have to take a visit to Albury NSW / Wodonga VIC, and visit a cousin, who shares a link to my Paternal Hatch/Sheehan families. I'm hoping I can link a bit more of stories to this. This will be 1860's/1870's period. It has links back to the 1st Irish Immigrants - Hatch family was Northern Ireland and Sheehan's, should be from Cork, but DNA is most probably pointing me in the direction of an ancient link to Far West Cork (Skibbereen). The Sheehan link has the potential to link back to my direct Paternal lineage, back to, atleast the 12th Century. The Sheehan/Hatch family link, is from my Paternal Great Grandmother Kathleen T Sheehan.

I'm also going to try and visit Marysville, Victoria, which carries a tragic story to my Maternal Newenham line (The link is a Collateral Descendant off Henry Hood Newenham and Annie Persse).

Stay tuned.
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by Stories Of My Irish Families Thursday, March 09, 2017 1 comment

Saturday 9 July 2016

Pictograph of my Paternal Lineage by using "Birth of Origin".

Using DNA is very confusing, particularly when you have deep ancestral Irish roots both sides of your Parents.

The most difficult part to understand what has happened to my DNA, is the fact that I believe that even though my Parents aren't directly related to any closer than 5th cousin, they share such a dominance of deep connection to Western and South Western Ireland. It has totally blown my mind, of how Mum and Dad can show such a dominance of "Irishness", simply being out of country over 150 years ago.

In order to understand why certain families link up to my DNA and either of my Parents (in some cases all 3 of us connect to that 1 person), I have had to dumb down the DNA research by chasing or breaking it down by "Birth of Origin". I have used this method to understand a genetic connection and how they may be related to myself or my parents.
Some Native Irish names are very close and I don't understand how close they can be to us, because certain branches have been out of Ireland for so long. This is mind blowing stuff.

My mistake, like anyone else is to chase your surname and believe that you have had it over an inifinity of time. Let me say one thing, wrong. Your surname has a high chance of stopping at a certain point of time and changing. My Y-DNA is showing very much that trend. A big lesson in Paternal line genetics.

To help out with Autosomal genetic matches, I used the Birth of Origin to place a common ancestor (or Parent of such).
I use the general guide of how many cM's are shared and try to correlate how many generations up the chain our common ancestor is.
Using the chart by John J Tierney , we can see the projected / mathematical cm's shared in relation to the tested cousin. The cM's shared are just a guide and in reality, you may match slightly higher or slightly lower than the projected cM count.

The key to understanding a complex issue that I have run into, I believe a lot of Irish Native's are coming through a Paternal Great Grandmother - via the Sheehan name (Co. Cork). I think this lineage is dominant but still slightly misunderstood. I thought my surname may have had something to do with it, but after a while, I started to understand that my surname would only connect at a 5th level cousin or more, unless another person in Australia tested, however the Sheehan lineage had 1-2 steps closer to Ireland. It would explain why I had a family ancestral name in common with the Sheehan line.
Of the names that the Sheehan line spawned from, was Thompson and Hatch names. The Thompson name is dominant in the Autosomal results and links with people who share names through my Great Grandmother's line.

So, the below chart, shows my Paternal Lineage (my Father is the start point).
The top half is my Father's Paternal side, bottom is Maternal.
Part of my methodology, is to see if 1-2 generations up from what the DNA says, is where the common ancestor may lay.
I am also showing how much the % of ethinicty changes per generation. From my Father's GGP's to the 2nd GGP's, there is a huge jump of originating "outside" of Australia. In this pictograph, you can plainly see, how much Irish there is - 65% at the 3rd GGP level.

Now, to throw a spanner in the works and show the true reality of complexity, there is a plausible story, that my Father's Maternal line has a Female Irish McCarthy in it. This McCarthy is supposed to be based in Lismore, Co. Waterford during the 1700's - apparently an ancient seat of the McCarthy's.
If I have read the history right, during the medieval period, the Lismore McCarthy's were pushed by the Norman's to the West Cork area. Thus, showing a plausible link between my Father's Paternal Fitzgerald's to the Maternal lined Lismore / West Cork McCarthy's.

If there is any really close Irish cousins, they must have come through, one of the 2nd GGP's and maybe based off an 1st Gen Australian. But which side is the key - when you don't know what family name they share.

Birth of Origin - Paternal Line












    
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by Stories Of My Irish Families Saturday, July 09, 2016 1 comment

Sunday 19 June 2016

Culture (Part II) - Flow on effect of a 1st Gen Australian and a plausible paternal family folklore story to Bushranger - Edward "Ned" Kelly.

Part of this blog story, came about an afterthought, from the last blog that I did about Culture. It stirred a few thoughts with a family folklore story to Ned Kelly and his ways of life. I wanted to add this supplemental blog, to show a lot of things with Irish Culture still stayed on, even after the Family had left Ireland.

The Culture part of this blog, reverts to a 1st Gen Australian - of Irish Parents, who became and was an Outlaw (Bushranger) in and around Victoria and New South Wales during the late 1870's.

His name was Edward "Ned" Kelly. It is now a brand name, that associates itself with being Australian, a bit rough around the edges and of being above the law. But we also see in Ned's ways, this weird standoffish way that stands up to English - Australian Law. He feels that he (and his Kelly Family), is being persecuted for being of Irish Heritage, by a tryannical English Law system- even at 1/2 a world away from his parents homeland.

  • Born in 1855, in a small town called Beveridge, Victoria.
  • Beveridge is located 37 Km's North of Melbourne.
  • Was the eldest son to John "Red" Kelly and Ellen Quinn (3 sons and 5 daughters)
    The Kelly's were from around Moyglass, Co Tipperary, Ireland, when John Kelly was convicted for stealing 2 pigs - he got 7 years Transportation to Australia.
  • His Father died when he was around 11 years old. Leaving a widow with children, to fend for themselves
  • They then moved to just south of Glenrowan, Victoria. It was here, where the Bushranger in Ned, was formed
  • 1869 is where Ned first got in trouble with the law, where he ruffled up a Chineseman, but the charge was later dropped. The Chineseman's name was a rather interesting  "Ah Fook".
  • Was later convicted of various offences, but later on, went to prison in dealing with stolen property (Horses)
  • The family was well known for dealing in stolen horses and the like, but they also had felt that they received a lot of pressure from the Police (persecution wise) around this time. 
  • April 1878, changed a lot of the Kelly's life, when Troopper FitzPatrick went to the Kelly's house and demanded for Dan Kelly, so he could arrest him. Much conjecture was about the story from FitzPatrick, as it was also loosely based on Ned trying to shoot him, where there wasn't any solid proof that he was. The Kelly's and family associates didn't give up Dan (who subsequently went into hiding) and the Kelly family felt the wrath of the law, jailing Kelly's mother and associates
  • From this point forward, the Police went looking for Dan and Ned, putting out Wanted/Reward notices for information to apphresion of these 2 fellows.
  • A few months later in October 1878, Ned and Dan came across a Police Camp at Stringybark Creek (about 26 KM's North of Mansfield, Victoria). There were 4 Policemen in this camp. This camp, was in search of these 2 Kelly boys. 2 Policemen went out from the camp, Ned and Dan suprised the other 2 Policemen in the camp, killing one and the other surrended. The other 2 came back to camp and a shootout ensued. These 2 Poliemen were shot (because they didn't surrender to the Kelly's). 1 was killed straight away and the other was injured, but Ned later shot him again, to put him out of his misery.
    The Policeman that surrended, escaped and went in search of others to alert about this incident.
  • Just a short time after this, Ned and Dan's "Outlaw" status was turned up a notch, when they were posted for their capture - "Dead or Alive".
  • In December 1878, the Kelly's and their associates, robbed a lot of money and gold, from the Town of Euroa.
  • After this Eurora robbery, the Kelly Gang headed up to Jerilderie, NSW for one of the most famous robbery's of all. But it wasn't so much about the robbery, it spawned another incident that is wildly talked about, where Ned comes to a point and explains or moreso, justify his actions of being an Outlaw and that they are of resultant action against him and his family by the English-Australian Law and the corrupt Police.
    (It is known as "The Jerilderie Letter" - and in his own way of words, of a political speech and to justify his actions against the Police, the Law and the Government). 
  • It was written on page 322 of Bill Wannan's 1973 edition of "Australian Folklore - A dictionary of Lore, Ledgends and popular Allusions" about the Kelly Gang. It depicted quite a sentence that struck a chord to understand why Ned "was the way he was". It depicted Ned as "an odd mixture of Irish Nationalism and Australian Republicanism". So how does an Australian born person (who has never set foot in Ireland), have such values to Irish Nationalism? I believe the only way that this could have been interpreted, is that Ned learnt the Irish ways off his Mother and all the associates of the Family, that were orginally from Ireland - and that may have had dealings with the English Government and or being convicts themselves.

    This is part of "Culture" that I refer to, that shapes a person. And it also assists the theory, that the 1st Gen born in a new country, has more of a chance to becoming a radical than the Parents - who wanted a fresh start. (Relates to my previous blog post about what happened in Australia post - 1916 Easter Uprising in Ireland) 

This is where, a family folklore story, that is documented takes hold. And centres directly around the weeks before and after of the 1879 Jerilderie Robbery.

What I am commenting here is information collated from various sources as this is not a new story that has developed. I am simply collating information together, and put in a 2016 fashion, as this information had developed around the 1950's till the late 1970's. I am using technology to help understand of actually "how close", this family folklore story, was to the Kelly Gang. Because this story, was loosley written about, it didn't actually prove confirmation of the connection, but as it was told verbally, you could interpret it that it had more truth than fiction.

The story centres around James Thompson Hatch and his wife Mary Ann Jane (nee Daley).
Both of them are 1st Gen Australian's to Irish Parents and are 3rd GGParents to me. The link is from my Father's Paternal Grandmother - Kathleen T Sheehan - and they are her Maternal Grandparents.

Marion Warman's 1981 book on the "Hatch Family in Australia" depicts a James Thompson Hatch - 5th child of Robert Hatch and Mary Thompson (originally from Co. Down, Ireland).
My late Great Aunt - Sheila Tattersall (nee Fitzgerald) contributed to this book (photo's and details) and her verbal stories of this event, have prompted this blog.
Part of this blog, was to correct or help correct, a more established factual story, on this whole link to the Kelly's. The initial folklore that was passed down, was misinterpreted. It was thought that the Canberra district "Ginninderra" Blacksmith Shop, was the actual BlackSmith Shop, where the Kelly's Horses were shod. I found out later that this was incorrect information (as the family believed it), as I descibe below. What sent alarm bells off, during the research, was that I couldn't find details of the Kelly's ever going to the Canberra district.

James T Hatch was born 1837 in Goulburn, NSW.
James married Mary Jane Daley in 1860 at Tumut, NSW. Mary was about 15 when she married.
James worked as a Blacksmith, in around the Ginnindera area (Northern Suburb of  Canberra, ACT).

He was the first blacksmith in Ginninderra and worked in a shed (that still remains today), beside the Barton Highway.

James then moved from Ginninderra to the Albury/Wodonga area, sometime in the late 1860’s/early 1870’s. There he was still trading as a Blacksmith, but had some issues with payments and had to sell off his Blacksmith business.
He also somewhat owned or built the Terminus Hotel in Wodonga for a while and then sold that off.
I don’t know how much Blacksmithing he was doing during these days of the hotel.  I think his Blacksmith was liquidated, but I am not sure what caused the liquidation, I’d expect maybe too much expenses (says “forced sale”)??
It is plausible to say at this point, that in 1870s, that the Hatch's, may have crossed paths with the Kelly's prior to the 1879 incident. The 2 families were with in 50-75 Km's of each other.
This is just a thought, due to the fact that the 2 family's have travel history around this area. 

The Hatch Family moved from Wodonga to Urana. I don’t know exactly when, but they were in Wodonga till atleast 1875. But in 1879, we see the family living in Urana 2-3 weeks before the great robbery. Daughter Sophia - of James Thompson Hatch had 2 court proceedings against her from her Father. It was a Family tiff over clothing, he (James) thought it was his.
But the dating of the documents, clearly shows the family was in Urana at the exact moment, well just prior to the robbery.
These are the only known news reports of the family placed in Urana. There is no known details from other sources, depicting if James was Blacksmithing around the Urana/Jerilderie district at this time (or for the fact, many years).
I can only presume at the moment, that he only did what he knew best.
The only source of where or what happened with the Kelly’s and the plausible link to James Thompson Hatch, was his son’s account – James Thompson Hatch Jnr.
James Jnr's - 1957 obituary makes the statement (below).
Though, I argue the point of was it “Jerilderie” or “Urana”, where the shop was? And was his Father only working there, or did he have an actual shop in either town. As certain details from other sources/historian's suggest there was no noted Hatch family involvement in Jerilderie (or Urana for that matter). I am of the thinking that James Jnr thought his Father owned the shop, when he only just worked there. And who was the informant that was giving the details on Jnr's obituary?
Though what is confusing, is to what report is correct about the Kelly’s passing through Urana. Initially I thought there was an intention to go to Urana and maybe rob it after Jerilderie, but a few days later in the reports mention that they passed through Urana 3 days before the robbery (and they weren’t noticed). It was mentioned by Kelly, whilst holding up the bank in Jerilderie, to “rob Urana and not to send word”, but I don’t know if he was actually going to do it - rob it beforehand and or was this just a decoy? As a rider was sent from Jerilderie to Urana to warn the town, before the Kelly’s got there.

From Urana, the Hatch’s moved North a few hundred Km’s and were Blacksmithing there until James Snr died – ironically from heat exhaustion. It was 50 deg C in the shade, whilst working.
So I know that James Snr was Blacksmithing before Urana and after it, but cannot confirm with details up to this point in time, what they were doing in Urana (or Jerliderie) and if James T Hatch Snr did actually "Shod Kelly's Horses" as reported. But it does leave the impression that the story holds true, that they were in the area during the great 1879 Robbery and James Snr was a Blacksmith during this era. We are only going off an Obituary, for that account and have no backup documentation to show the connection. Great story to research though.
The research continues
 Kelly House in Beveridge, Victoria (2016)


   James T Hatch & wife Mary Daley                             James T Hatch Snr & James T Hatch Jnr
              (circa after 1860)                                                                    (circa 1890-1896)




       The story that has inspired my thoughts for this blog      
(depicted by the Hatch Family Book)
 
      
  
                                            Details of Blacksmith insolvency in Wodonga
                                           (8th Apr 1875 -  Ovens and Murray Advertiser)


James Hatch vs Dau. Sophia Hatch - 3 weeks before the robbery
  (15th Jan 1879 - Wagga Wagga Express)

                               
                                  Details again of the court case of James Hatch and Dau. Sophia
                                             (29th Jan 1879 - Wagga Wagga Express)

 James T Hatch Jnr's 1957 Obituary
The Jerilderie Shop details are yet to be found
(13th Sep 1957 - Western Herald (Bourke NSW)


 
 Details (highlighted) listed in a News Report
(Date in image - Sydney Morning Herald)


The details of Urana and the Kelly's
"Friday" as pointed out  - is the 7th of Feb.
The 8th of Feb is where the Kelly's arrived in Jerilderie
So did the Kelly's actually arrived in Urana before Jerilderie? 
(13th Feb 1879 -  Ovens and Murray Advertiser)



A depiction of travelled places and the Hatch Family's timeline


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by Stories Of My Irish Families Sunday, June 19, 2016 2 comments

Sunday 5 June 2016

Culture - Learn it.

I haven't posted a blog for a little while, I had been trying to understand something about myself.
Learning a culture, of a distant land that we were once a part of. The only thing that gives me any insight to culture, apart from talking to the Irish, is letters and family paperwork, that directly replicates, what history has told. But with culture, comes heartache of somesort to the Irish.
Part of below, can be viewed as a "controversial" post, on learning what culture is.
But the whole idea of this post, is to explain, my opinions and outcomes after learning both sides of the culture's and what I am part of.


Family documents, opinions from other people (word of mouth and documented paperwork) and what history has been documented, gives or teaches me about the culture of the Irish.
The only thing missing, is being there in person to experience what I have learned.

In all the years I've studied on my family lines, one part that I keep trying to find, is Culture.
Culture, is a missing component to the family stories.
Hoping culture can teach or help me "tell a story" on why things happened. And as I've found out, you have to see both sides of a story to learn "Culture" - regardless if it touches on stirring the pot. And Ireland carries "culture" with a heavy heart. You wouldn't extract a true culture or a true enough answer from someone without, poking or prodding the English/Irish debate or to do with the rebellions or like of.
And what has intrigued me after watching a video today of certain 1916 events, is that you can't have a civil conversation about it, without a certain degree of angst coming up. This is where you find real culture.

Dad's side has been here in Australia from 1842 onwards, Mum's around mid 1850's.
Majority of both sides, had just missed the full effects of the Famine - both from Famine and Disease, but also escaped the Governmental idealogies of how they dealt with the Famine afterwards.
(I am so glad they missed both sides of it) But Mum's side did have connections to the after effects with the Famine (the handling of the landed estates and absentee landlord issue).

This Irish "Culture" - appears on both my family lines in Ireland. Mum's direct Maternal Protestant lineage clashes with a Catholic family, who had indirect "Nationalistic" tendancies. Dad's side carries a surname of domination of the Irish with Strongbow and later times they swap sides to fight against the English, but also carries a very heavy genetic connection to the deep South West territory of Ireland. Genetics have allowed me to explore a much more native connection to South Western Ireland than once thought. I am of the opinion, that we are "Gaelicised Normans" to Limerick, with some degree of confidence.
 
Also, I am in belief, that Dad's Maternal line carries a very strong North Irish/Gallowglass linked lineage through his Co.Cork Gallagher line. It is messing my thoughts up with his direct ancient Paternal lineage to Cork City / Co.Cork / Limerick. As 2 plausible Gallowglass families (McDonald and Calhoun clans) sit very close to our very defined - direct Paternal line in Limerick around the Norman Invasion period. These clans intersect with the Collins/ODonovan's of Limerick.

But what I found most interesting and profounding on both sides, is that many traditions, values or idealogies, were never passed down through the generations, since they left Ireland. I have tried to extract thoughts through the family, but it seems we lost most of our Irish culture in today's world.
My Grandfather never really talked about our Irish roots, but his Sister did. In the 60's and 70's, Dad's family tried to trace our roots, but hit quite a few dead ends with our Fitzgerald line. But we did have a hit with Dad's Paternal Grandmother's "Hatch" line (possible Cromwellian Planter family) and a Cork native Irish Sheehan line. But because the Fitzgerald lineage info, was not found or nothing of interest beyond late 1700's- Early 1800's, this may have forced them in to giving up "looking" for them?

Learning about Mum's Maternal Persse line (based on reasearch from Lady Gregory), I decided to finally approach the 1916 events in Ireland - The Easter Rising.
Simply, because I didn't know anything about it, but part of me was also lost in "why" do I need to learn of this event. I had put this to the side, mainly because I had no direct family involvement in this cause. But I found out later, how messy 1916 was and how it directly had an effect in Australia.
Lady Gregory's life, her comments and other people's perception of what happened is quite contrasting. Gregory came from a Protestant life, but around the 1916 events, her mind was filled with a lot of thoughts on siding with the martyr's. This is one main reason that inspired me to learn "why would someone do that". What changed her views? Was it Culture?
As an example, my Maternal MacNevin line, it has an Catholic Irish man becoming a Judge/Coroner in the Sydney and he judged everyone, without prejudice - regardless if you were Catholic or a Protestant in his court.

I recently attended a Irish International Conference in Melbourne, a few months ago, based upon the "Australian Perspective" of the 1916 Easter Rising. I went into this conference, with a completely open and an unbiased mind. I wanted to learn the details of it, without prejudice.

Even though I knew a lot of what I was going to learn, was "way over my head", I did it for myself to learn that word again - culture. I wanted to put myself in both shoes to understand what drove both sides into the awful mess and what inspired Yeates to write (or finish off ) his "A Terrible Beauty is Born".
This 2 day conference, opened my eyes to a very messy and complex insurrection that had far wider implications, than just taking the GPO.

Half a world away, it deeply and directly affected Australia and it created an after-effect too.
It split the views of Australian's and the Irish Immigrants, with Empire's strangehold hold with WW1.
It created political division and 2 referendums within the confines of this Southern land.
Parliament asked it's population to vote on a decison, it couldn't answer for itself.
Australia's population back then, had a lot of Irish in it. Part of which was Catholic.
Melbourne Archbishop - Dr Mannix split the Irish community on terms and differences he had, on what he called a "Trade War" (WW1). The complexity of this whole era, was compounded when the Australian Irish Catholic community, was asked to vote on participation via conscription with The Empire in WW1.
Dr Mannix was a changed man after the 1916 executions and he asked the Catholic's to vote "no" to conscription, simply because "Australia came first and the Empire second".
(applies to the context with the English vs Irish debate).

There was also an "after effect" to the above happenings. In the 1916 conference, it was found that quite a percentage of Australian born children, to Irish Catholic parents (after 1880), became radicalised about the Republic in Ireland.
Seinn Feinism or the likes of, was apparent and radicalised men were inciting "republicanism" within Australia. Some of which were jailed and known as the "Darlinghurst Seven".

Looking back on what I had learnt, I didn't agree with the insurrection, neither did the "majority" of Ireland. But I do agree on upholding a forced debate on National identity. Whether it be a republic or home rule.
Australia is in a Home Rule situation, but a republic discussion has popped up from time to time, but has been squashed everytime of it's appearance.
The problem about the debate issue, is that the British nature of debating will almost win hands down. And why we have this contiunal lingering problem. If the Irish want to beat them, you will have to enter a debate on their soil, on their terms and nail every part of the debate - including on not "selling out". But with debates, the only way to win, is to comprimise, so it's a catch 22 which way you go.
Collins was out-debated, because of the "bloodshed that will ensue", if he didn't agree to the English.
I would argue, if he had the attributes of a top barrister or a law maker, the outcome would have been different, but would have had some sort of bloodshed.
If Daniel O'Connell hadn't of killed John D'Esterre, would things have been different? It changed his views on bloodshed vs political gain (but there again, O'Connell sold out to the Whigs later in his political life).

The greatest part of learning about the events of 1916, is how many innocent people were killed (reports of how many vary, but lets point in the direction of about 400).
Because of a "statement" that the insurrection had to make, it's voice came at the price of the innocent people. And what hurt the most, whether the British or Irish killed them, was the death's of the innocent, that they were brushed underneath the carpet, like as if they didn't care. It completely struck a chord with me.
Even though I haven't read "everything" of Lady Gregory's views, I drew a thought to atleast understand if atleast she mentioned or recognised the innocent deaths. She did list the deaths in her writings, but still was not made to be a prominent issue of the cause.

Regardless of what I had written above, the key to understanding both sides, is their culture's.
And I am glad that I had the opportunity to understand them and the 1916 Easter Rising.

Get some culture and learn from it.

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by Stories Of My Irish Families Sunday, June 05, 2016 No comments

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