Before Bernadette: Spotlight on .... a Chosen Family!

A family that has always intrigued me a little is that of my paternal 1st cousin 3x removed Mary Jane Dooley, primarily because each of their lives were touched by war in some way.

Photo courtesy of Robert Waddell (my 3rd cousin once removed)

This photo, taken around 1939, shows Mary Jane, seated and surrounded by her children. Mary Jane's children were born between the years 1912 and 1929. What's interesting about this generation of children (any many others like them) is that they grew up with fathers and uncles who had gone off to serve in World War 1, and then these children went on to either serve themselves in World War 11 or marry someone who served in the second World War.

For those of us who were born long after those two world wars, the recent 75th anniversary of the end of World War 11 served as a reminder that we have been so very lucky and very blessed not having had any experience of a true global conflict! In telling the story of this family, I've been trying to imagine the lives of families where members just a generation apart both experienced the horrors of war. Small children growing up in the aftermath of lives ripped apart by the atrocities of the first world war, only to grow up and experience the same sort of sorrow and devastation.

To begin this family's story though, I will go back to talk about Mary Jane, my paternal 1st cousin 3x removed.

Known to family as "Dolly", she was the youngest daughter of James Dooley and Emma Exton (my paternal 3rd great aunt), born in 1887 in a little town known as Newrybar, in the Northern Rivers Region of New South Wales.

Mary Jane grew up with 12 older siblings, four brothers and eight sisters. Those are facts I'm sure of, but the facts pertaining to her adult life are not as clear cut!

When Mary Jane was 25 years old she gave birth to a daughter named Constance Jean whilst living in Barcaldine, which is located in central Queensland. I have yet to work out how and why Mary Jane came to be living in central Queensland by 1912, given that her parents and most of her siblings were living in north-eastern New South Wales.

The birth record for Mary Jane's daughter is very interesting. At the time of registration the father's name was recorded as Arthur Moore. The mother's name was recorded as Mary Jane formerly Wooley, and there was mention of a marriage between these two people exactly eight months previously.

At the time though, Mary Jane was not married.

Birth Record for Constance Jean Dooley / Reid

The birth had been registered almost two months later, but then corrections were made at some future point. The details of the marriage between Mary Jane Wooley and Arthur Moore were crossed out. The word 'Reid' was written underneath the original name for the father. The words 'formerly Wooley' were crossed out and 'Dooley' written alongside.

There was another word added underneath the details pertaining to the father ... illegitimate, which meant that this baby's surname was afterwards recorded as Dooley, the maiden name of her mother.

Just a couple of years later, Mary Jane was pregnant again and a month before she gave birth to her second daughter, Mary Jane married Alexander Reid. Reid? Yes, the groom had the same surname that had been scribbled onto the birth record for Mary Jane's first born.

Mary Jane's first husband - Alexander Reid
Photo courtesy of Robert Waddell

Mary Jane Dooley married the man named Alexander Reid when she was 26 years old, on the 26th of April 1915.

They married in Murwillumbah, New South Wales.

Mary Jane's second daughter, Emma Eileen Mary (known as May), was born in early May of 1915, just a couple of weeks after the wedding of Mary Jane and Alexander.

Given all these circumstances, it's highly probable that Mary Jane and Alexander had been in a relationship for a number of years, and Constance (Mary Jane's first daughter) was likely to have been Alexander's daughter as well.

Why did Mary Jane and Alexander marry after the birth of their second daughter?

Likely because Alexander Reid was heading off to war and perhaps wanted to ensure his daughters legally had his name.

Mary Jane's partner, now husband, Alexander had enlisted just two days before their wedding, and his attestation paper indicated he was unmarried and had no next of kin.

This caused a few issues for Mary Jane. When Alexander was wounded in action in July of 1916, she received no notification from the AIF as they had no knowledge of any next of kin.

A friend of Mary Jane's came across an item in the newspaper, which led Mary Jane to to contact the AIF to let them know she was Alexander's wife.

Mary Jane received this communication just a few days later.

The details on Alexander's attestation record were amended ...

Mary Jane Reid nee Dooley with her daughters Constance and Emma
Photo courtesy of Robert Waddell (3rd cousin once removed)

It's likely this photo of Mary Jane and her daughters was taken at the end of 1916, probably intended to be sent as as a Christmas gift to Alexander.

Sadly, Alexander was reported as killed in action in the village of Walencourt, France on the 28th of February, 1917, and would never see his family again.

Alexander had apparently been mentioned in despatches during his service for

"conspicuous gallantry in patrol work in the vicinity of Butte Warlencourt". I wonder if that was of any comfort for Mary Jane.

Mary Jane became a widow at the age of 29, and the two little girls Constance (known as Connie) and Emma Eileen May (known as May) grew up never really knowing their biological father.

The First World War impacted Mary Jane's siblings as well. One of her brothers, Robert James Dooley, was wounded with gun shots to the right arm and right leg. He was sent home on the hospital ship 'Llanstephen Castle' in April of 1918 and discharged as medically unfit in June of 1918.

In July of 1918, over a year after the death of her husband, Mary Jane gave birth to a son.

Cyril James was born when Mary Jane was aged 30 and I have been unable to find out any details about the father of Cyril. He did throughout his lifetime have the surname "Reid" however, which was the surname of Mary Ann's first husband.

Mary Jane's second husband - George Coldwell

Mary Jane did re-marry six years later, in 1924, when she was 37 years old.

She married George Watson Coldwell in Bellingen, New South Wales.

George had also served during WW1. He had enlisted in November of 1916 and served in France. George had been wounded in action in August of 1918 but made it home by the end of 1919. I do wonder how George coped coming back home though, as so many who returned suffered in various ways for so long afterwards.

By the time Mary Jane had re-married, daughter Constance (known as Connie) was aged 12, Emma Eileen May (known as May) was 9, and Cyril James (known as Jim) was 6 years old.

Mary Jane and her second husband George went on to have two children. Alice Joyce (known as Joy) was born in December of 1924 and Barbara June Agnes came along in 1929. By this time Mary Jane was aged 41.

I can't imagine what Mary Jane would have thought when, just ten years later, the Australian Prime Minister, Robert Gordon Menzies, announced the beginning of Australia's involvement in World War 11.

Almost a million Australians, men and women, ended up serving during the second World War.

Before 1939, the Australian Army had been broken into the Permanent Military Forces (PMF) and the larger Militia, but members could not serve outside the country according to the Defence Act of 1909, unless they volunteered.

When Prime Minister Menzies made his announcement in late 1939, he stated that there was to be an expeditionary force with 20,000 members created, and it would be formed for overseas service. It was to be known as the Second Australian Imperial Force, or the Second AIF.

Some of Mary Jane's children and her children's spouses became serving members of either the RAAF or the Second AIF.

Cyril James (Jim) Reid
Photo courtesy of Robert Waddell
(my 3rd cousin once removed)

Mary Jane's only son Cyril James Reid (known as Jim) served with the RAAF, the Royal Australian Air Force.

Cyril James Reid - enlistment photo
Photo courtesy of the National Australian Archives
Photo in public domain

Cyril enlisted with the RAAF in 1940 and served with the 23rd Squadron, based in Brisbane, Queensland. He remained with the RAAF until his discharge in 1948.

Cyril married Muriel Emily Barnes nee Lemon in Brisbane, Queensland just before his discharge from the RAAF. They married in October of 1947 and the photo below shows Cyril dressed in his uniform for the wedding.

Cyril James (Jim) Reid and his wife Muriel Emily (known as Babs) on their wedding day
Photo courtesy of Carol Chandler

Constance (Connie) Jean Chandler nee Reid
Photo courtesy of Carol Chandler

Mary Jane's eldest daughter Constance Jean Chandler nee Reid (known as Connie) enlisted at the Concord Military Hospital and served as a nurse in the Armed Forces.

She enlisted in January of 1943 with the 2/11 Australian General Hospital and was discharged in July of 1946.

Edward Arthur Chandler
Photo courtesy of Carol Chandler

Connie had married Edward Arthur Chandler in 1939 and he went on to serve as well.

Edward enlisted with the 2/18th Infantry Battalion in 1940 and was discharged in December of 1945.

Edward Arthur Chandler - enlistment photo
Photo courtesy of the National Australian Archives
Photo in public domain

Murray Aubrey Waddell
Photo courtesy of Robert Waddell (my 3rd cousin once removed)

Mary Jane's second eldest daughter, Emma Eileen May Waddell nee Reid (known as May) married Murray Aubrey Waddell who served with the RAAF, Royal Australian Air Force.