The Legacy of the Name 'Erice'.

As I delved into my family tree, certain Christian names appeared frequently across generations on both my maternal and paternal sides.

Names such as Ann / Anne, Bridget / Brigid, Catherine / Katherine, Elizabeth, Ellen, Margaret, Mary and Sarah for women, and Charles, Edward, George, Henry, James, John, Michael, Patrick, Robert, Thomas and William for men, were staples in my lineage.

However, there were other names that did not occur often at all and one stood out as rare and intriguing.

Until about six years ago, I had never heard of my paternal grand uncle, Erice Sylvester Connors.  His name was a revelation in my research, capturing my interest immediately.

My great grandparents, Thomas Edgar Connor (Connors) and Susannah Fullagar Hukins had named all their other sons with fairly common names for the time, with all sons born from 1876 to 1892.  There was John Edgar, William Adolphus (a family name), George Thomas, James Alfred, Percy Jerome, Cyril Ernest, Frederick Augustus, and then .... there was the baby of the family, Erice Sylvester.

Why this unique name was chosen for the youngest son remains a mystery, and I had been left wondering whether or not this name was been passed down in the following generations.

Yes, is the answer, but only a few times.  Erice Sylvester's life was tragically brief.  In 1915, at the age of 23, he enlisted to serve in World War 1.  Less than a year after being sent to France, he was killed in action in December of 1916.  Unmarried and without children, his name might have faded into history if not for the decision of some family members to name their children Erice, either as a first name or a middle name.  

(If anyone is interested in finding out more about Erice Slyvester's story, please click on this link:  The Story Of Erice Sylvester Connors).

The brother closest in age to Erice Sylvester was Frederick Augustus Connors.   Frederick and his wife Florence welcomed their first born into the world in September of 1917, just a couple of months before the death of Erice.  

They named their son Erice Alfred (my paternal 1st cousin once removed).  Did Frederick share this tribute with his younger brother before his passing?  I may never know.

Erice Alfred later served in World War 11, enlisting at the same age as his namesake, 23.  Unlike his uncle however, he returned home safely after serving in Australia, Morotai, and the Torres Strait Islands.

Before the birth of Erice Alfred Connors however, there was another instance where a child was named Erice.

Erice Sylvester was very close to his oldest sister, Mary Ellen.  He was living with her and her husband in Brisbane before he enlisted for service in WW1.   Mary Ellen and husband John George Bates had welcomed their third son into the world in January of 1909.  They named him James Erice Bates (my paternal 1st cousin once removed).  

Erice Sylvester would have been 17 years old at the time, likely playing a role in his young nephew's life.

James Erice Bates also went on to enlist for war service, but this was in World War 11.  He enlisted in 1942 at the age of 33, and thankfully, returned home safely in 1945.

The name then continued on into another generation, through Mary Ellen's firstborn son, George Thomas Bates (the eldest brother of James Erice).  

George Thomas and his wife Dorothy welcomed their third child into the world in 1931.  

They named this son Erice James (my paternal second cousin).

This marks the last known instance of the name "Erice" in my family tree.  Though the name Erice has appeared sparingly, its presence speaks volumes about the bond between family members and their desire to keep a memory alive.

I regard each occurrence as a poignant tribute to Erice Sylvester Connors, ensuring his name and legacy remain part of our family's story.  While I don't have personal knowledge of Erice Alfred, James Erice or Erice James, or whether the name has been carried forward with their own children, it's heartening to see how this unique name has been cherished across generations.

I'm joining Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.  The prompt for this week's challenge is:  Handed Down.

For anyone wishing to join the challenge, please click on this link:  Generations Cafe (Facebook Group)

Memories ... July 17

In Remembrance

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page) 

Today is the anniversary of the passing of my paternal Grandaunt Mary Ellen Bates nee Connors.

(I have previously written a far more detailed post about my Grandaunt, and for those who are interested in reading this, please click on this link:  The Story of Mary Ellen Connors)

• Mary Ellen Connors (my paternal grandfather George Connors' oldest sister)  was born on the 24th of July in 1874 at Gerringong, on the coast south of Kiama, in southern New South Wales.

• She was the first child born to Thomas Edgar Connors and Susannah (Susan) Fullagar Hukins.

• By the time Mary Ellen was 17 years old, the family were living in inland southern New South Wales, in the region that surrounds the town of Berry.  Mary Ellen's father, Thomas Edgar Connors, had bought land there and had established a dairy farm.

• There was a child named Margaret Adelaide born in 1897, raised by Thomas and Susan Connors as one of their own children, but actually Thomas and Susan were Margaret's grandparents, as Margaret was the daughter of Mary Ellen.

• At the age of 23, Mary Ellen gave birth to Margaret Adelaide in December of 1897.  The father of the baby girl was not recorded on the birth certificate, and it appears that the circumstances surrounding the birth of Margaret must have caused some consternation to the family, given that Thomas and Susan raised Margaret as one of their own children.  I think Mary Ellen's parents wanted to protect her from possible negative attitudes from the community and shield their granddaughter from the stigma of illegitimacy.

• Six years after the birth of her daughter, Mary Ellen married John George Bates in May of 1904, when she was 29 years old.  They married at St. Luke's Church in Berry, New South Wales.  

• Mary Ellen and John George remained married until Mary Ellen passed, and they had six children together - George Thomas, William Alfred, James Erice, Mary Elisabeth Susannah, Percy Frederick and Cyril Ernest.

• Sometime around 1912, Mary Ellen, her husband and her family moved to Queensland.

          

• Mary Ellen passed away at the age of 72 and is buried at the Nudgee Catholic Cemetery in Brisbane, Queensland.

 

Memories ... July 9

 In Remembrance

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page)

Today is the anniversary of the passing of two of my paternal uncles, my Uncle Tommy who passed away at the age of 61, and his brother Leo, who passed away when only 3 days old.

Both were the sons of George Thomas Connors and Grace Olive Brown (my paternal grandparents).

• Thomas Richard Connors (known as Tommy) was born on the 19th of April 1911 at McGougan's Lane in Mullumbimby, New South Wales.  This is likely the address of the family's home at the time and his was likely a home birth.

• Thomas was the third of eleven children born to George and Grace.

• At the age of 21, Thomas married Dulcie Elizabeth Charlotte Hunt, but this marriage did not last.  Together, Thomas and Dulcie had a son named Noel William, born in 1934.

• At the age of 29, Thomas enlisted with the 2nd AIF for service in World War 11.

• He served in Darwin in 1940, in the Middle East between the end of 1940 and the start of 1943, and then in New Guinea from mid 1943 to the start of 1946.

• During his time in the Middle East, Thomas was one of the famous Rats of Tobruk.

• In 1947, at the age of 36, Thomas re-married.  He and his wife Catherine Millicent Soames remained married until Thomas passed away.  Together they had four children. 

• From around 1950, Thomas's occupation was Forestry Worker and throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he and his family lived at Imbil in Queensland.

• Thomas passed away in Gympie, Queensland in 1972 and is buried at the Gympie Cemetery.

I told Tommy's story last year in much more detailed blog post that included lots of information about his war service.  For those interested in following up on this, please click on this link:  The Story of Thomas Richard Connors  

Tragically, the story of Thomas's younger brother Leo is much shorter.

• Leo Connors was born on the 6th of July 1921 in Lismore, New South Wales.

• He was the seventh of eleven children born to George and Grace.

• Leo was born at the Bonnie Doon Private Hospital in Lismore, but in a tragic turn of events, he passed away on the 9th of July.

• There was an inquest held into the circumstances of his death and the resulting finding listed the cause of death as  "cardiac failure through being accidentally overlain". 

• At the time of Leo's death, his brother Thomas was only 10 years old.  I imagine it would have been very hard for Thomas to fully understand what happened to his baby brother! 

• Leo's parents (my grandparents) George and Grace would have been devastated.  George at the time was working as a butcher in Lismore and Grace was a homemaker, taking care of their six other children.  No doubt it took every ounce of their resilience and fortitude to carry on for the sake of their family.

• Their baby Leo was buried at the East Lismore General Cemetery.  He was buried in the Roman Catholic section in Row 5A, plot 12.  Heartbreakingly, his grave has remained unmarked since his burial. 

I have also previously told Leo's story in a blog post about two of George's and Grace's children who passed away in their infancy.  For those who are interest in reading more, please follow this link:  The Story of the Almost Forgotten Children of George and Grace

The Story of Erice Sylvester Connors

This is the story of my paternal Grand Uncle, Erice Sylvester Connors  (1892 - 1916).

Our Common Ancestors are: Thomas Edgar Connors and Susannah (Susan) Fullagar Hukins.

• Erice was born on the 24th of January 1892 at the family farm named 'Far Meadow' outside Berry, in the Shoalhaven Region of New South Wales.  The birthplace is recorded as Meroo, as that was the nearest small town to the family farm.

• He was the youngest of ten children born to Thomas Edgar Connors and Susannah (Susan) Fullagar Hukins.

• The children born before Erice were:

           - Mary Ellen born in 1874

           - John Edgar born in 1876

           -William Adolphus born in 1878

           - George Thomas (my grandfather) born in 1880

           - Alice Adelaide born in 1882

           - James Alfred born in 1884

           - Percy Jerome born in 1886

           - Cyril Ernest born in 1888

           - Frederick Augustus born in 1890

• The name Erice stands out as an intriguing anomaly in our family's history.  At the time of his birth, it was neither a common first name nor a familiar family name, making its choice by my great-grandparents all the more curious.  This decision becomes even more puzzling when considering the conventional names given to all his siblings.

• Throughout his lifetime, Erice was rarely called by his given name.  Most people knew him as Eric, a more conventional variant, while friends affectionately referred to him as Ted.  It seems the unusual nature of his Christian name led many to adopt these alternatives, and Erice remained a seldom-used curiousity.

• In my attempts to uncover the origins and significance of the name Erice, I found little clarity.  The name appears to be quite rare, with conflicting claims about its usage and origin.  Some sources suggest it is a female name, others a male or unisex name.  Some attribute it to English origins, while most remain noncommittal.  The scarcity of reliable information left me both dazed and fascinated, wondering what inspired my great-grandparents to choose it!

• Interestingly, my research uncovered a couple of potential connections.  There is an ancient Greek name, Eryx, associated with a legendary Greek hero.  However, it seems highly unlikely that my great-grandparents would have had an awareness of ancient Greek mythology.

• Another possibility is the historic town named Erice in Sicily, which sits atop Mount Erice.  The town adopted this name in 1934 though, long after my great-grandparents had passed away, ruling out any direct link to their choice.

• Ultimately, the reasoning behind my paternal grand uncle's distinctive name remains a mystery, one likely lost to history.  Despite this, Erice holds a special place in our family's story.  His name, unique and enigmatic, ensures his memory endures as a cherished part of our lineage.

Here's his story:

• Growing up on the family dairy farm ' Far Meadow' near Berry, Erice and his siblings would have learned all the ins and outs of farm life, supporting their father with the work involved in running a dairy farm.

• Erice would have tended to all his chores before and after school, making for very long days indeed.

• Erice was an active participant in local and school events as well.  In 1906, at just 14 years of age, Erice showcased his athleticism by placing 1st in the '75 yard sack race' and the 'wheelbarrow race' during the Public Schools Carnival, held in Nowra.  He placed 2nd in the 'throwing at wicket' competition.  His name appeared as Eric in several newspapers at the time, including the Shoalhaven Telegraph (dated Oct 3 1906) and The Kiama Independent & Shoalhaven Advertiser (dated Oct 5 1906).

• Tragically in December of that same year, Erice faced the loss of his older brother William Adolphus.  William had been suffering tuberculosis for at least three years and unfortunately, he died as a result of this terrible disease when he was just a young man aged 28.

• The following year brought more sorrow to the family.  In 1907, When Erice was 15, his older brother James Alfred died as a result of burns inflicted by a fire that broke out at his workplace.  (I've written about James in this previous post:  Fire and its Tragic Consequences.  For those interested, scroll to Story 2).

• In 1910 the Connors family experiences further heartbreak.  Erice's mother Susan died in May and then his father passed away in August.  Erice had just turned 18 at the start of that year.

• By this stage, Erice found himself amidst a family that had dispersed, with most of his siblings leaving the family farm.  In the face of such personal loss and family change, Erice made his way to the north coast of New South Wales, joining his older brothers John, Cyril and Frederick (Fred) who had established themselves in the Richmond River area.  His eldest sister wasn't too far away either, as she was living in Brisbane with her husband John George Bates. 

• By 1914, Erice was living with his siter Mary Ann and her husband John George on Gotha Street in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Queensland.  Erice was working as a bread carter.

• The spectre of World War 1 was now looming menacingly, and when England declared war on Germany, Australia was thrown into a worldwide conflict that would alter the lives of millions.

Cyril Ernest Connors, older brother of Erice
Photo taken around time of enlistment - 1914

• Erice's older brother Cyril Ernest had enlisted early, in October of 1914.

• Erice himself answered the call for duty, enlisting for the Great War on the 28th of September 1915.   He signed his attestation papers with the signature 'E. S. Connors'.  Despite the fact that his name was recorded at the top as 'Erice Sylvester Connors', when I was searching for his war service record I found it had been created under the name of 'Eric Sylvester Connors'.

(The following details of Erice's war service were sourced from his War Service Record & "Stories of the Somme: The Soldiers of the Great War", a Weebly webpage written by Micheal & Donna Fiechtner).

HMAT Wandilla
Description:  Troop Transport HMAT Wandilla (A62) preparing to sail from Pinkenba Wharf on Jan 1916 with Australian troops onboard. Relatives and friends farewell the troops from the dockside.
Copyright expired - in public domain
Sourced from the Australian War Memorial website

• Erice joined the 9th Battalion 14th Reinforcements, embarking on the HMAT Wandilla from Brisbane on the 31st of December 1915. 

Active Service Record of Erice Sylvester Connors

• His journey initially led him to Alexandria, Egypt, where the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) were preparing for deployment to France.  He disembarked at Alexandria on the 5th of March 1916.

11th Field Artillery Brigade
Description:  11th Field Artillery Brigade, near Bailleul, France 1917
Copyright expired - in Public Domain
Source:  Australian War Memorial website

• On the 21st of April 1916, at Serapeum, Erice was taken on strength by the 11th Field Artillery Brigade, assigned the rank of 'gunner', and posted to the Brigade Ammunition Column. The 11th Field Artillery Brigade had only just been formed in February, and was attached to the 4th Division.  

•  Erice was then assigned to the 43rd Battery of the 11th FAB at Serapeum on the 24th of May 1916.   (Information about the 11th Field Artillery Brigade can be found here:  11th Field Artillery Brigade, 4th Division Artillery, AIF)

• On the 1st of June 1916, Erice sailed for France aboard the HMT Haverford, marking the beginning of his active service.  The ship docked in Marseilles on the 10th of June, and at 2.00 pm that afternoon Erice boarded a train for a three-day train ride to Le Havre, near Paris.

• After this train journey, the brigade arrived in a relatively quiet "nursery" sector near the town of Armentieres in northern France.  The early battalions were engaged around Armentieres first as it was regarded as a good place to prepare soldiers for future engagement on the Western Front.

• On the 17th of June 1916, Erice was transferred to the 11th Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters where he took on the role of a signaller withing the Brigade Ammunition Column.  He would have been responsible for communications within the Brigade, possibly laying signal lines between HQ and the various batteries.

• Erice was involved in major action involving Australians on the Western Front throughout the remainder of 1916.

• The Brigade first entered the line at Fleurbaix in the Fromelles sector on the 4th of July 1916 and two days later had its first taste of battle when shelled by enemy artillery for two hours.  The Brigade returned fire during the next few days.  On the 13th of July 1916 the Brigade retired to billets at Croix du Bac, but returned to its former position in the lines within a few days.

The battlefield of Fromelles
A view from the German observation post on Fromelles church that gives an idea of the complete domination the enemy had over the battlefield on 19 July 1916.
Copyright expired - in public domain
Sourced from the Australian War Memorial website

• Between the 19th and 20th of July, the Brigade supported the 5th Division AIF in its attack at Fromelles, and on the 22nd of July it was attached to the New Zealand Division and moved north to Armentieres where it stayed in the line until the 3rd of August.  (Information about the Battle of Fromelles can be found here:  Fromelles (Fleurbaix) 19/20 July 1916)

• The Brigade undertook further training until the 23rd of August 1916 when it proceeded to Dickebusch near Ypres to take over from the 6th FAB of the Canadian 2nd Division.  This area was in the vicinity of Pozieres which had been taken by AIF troops in the previous weeks.

• The 11th FAB stayed in the line until the 18th of September when it was relieved.  On the 8th of September, Erice had been invalided to the Australian Field Ambulance for a short while, as his teeth were giving him trouble.

• The next couple of months represented a similar affair for the unit, with stints in and out of the lines.  

• On the 14th of November 1916 the Brigade undertook a six day march from Boeschepe to Naours, returning to the Somme, where it would eventually be held in reserve until the 21st of December 1916.

Front line at Flers 1916

• At that time his battalion took the line just north of Flers, not far from Pozieres on The Somme.  The Germans welcomed them promptly with a heavy bombardment on the 22 of December 1916.  Shrapnel fire was sustained, and the Brigade subsequently engaged in an artillery duel with the enemy on Christmas Eve.                                                                                                      (Information about the Flers/Gueudecourt Battle can be found here:  'The Winter Offensive' - Flers/Gueudecourt /Gueudecourt Winter of 1916/1917)

• By Boxing Day, the enemy had accurately registered its guns on the Brigade and the Australians were convinced their own gun flashes were visible to the Germans except in extremely foggy weather.

• The conditions on the Somme were horrendous, with the winter of 1916/1917 being the worst in 40 years.  In the short time Erice had been in France, he had experienced and endured the extremely harsh conditions of the Western Front, engaging in battles and facing relentless enemy fire.

• On the 28th of December 1916 an enemy airplane attacked the Brigade, firing its machine guns into the Batteries.  Two days later, on the 30th of December 1916, the Germans opened fire on the Brigade, whose positions it had ranged.  The fire around HQ was very heavy throughout both the morning and evening that day. 

• At 4.00 pm a shell hit one of the HQ dugouts that functioned as a cook house where Erice was sheltering with a number of soldiers.  Erice was killed instantly along other soldiers, including Kenneth (Ken) Taylor and John (Paddy) McGrath.  In all, 344 other Australians would be killed that month.

• The Red Cross Wounded and Missing Files have a number of records concerning Erice's death.  This suggests that enquiries were made by relatives back home in Australia, after hearing the devastating news of his death.

• It had taken some time before family and friends knew about Erice's death.  Death notices did not appear in local newspapers until February the following year.

• The Red Cross Wounded and Missing File indicated that Erice, acting as a Signaller for Brigade HQ, was sheltering in a dugout, reportedly having a cup of coffee with comrades Ken Taylor and John (Paddy) McGrath, when a 5.9 inch shell hit their location.  The explosion claimed Erice's life, along with the lives of his comrades and at least one other soldier, and left little evidence behind.  Erice's death was instantaneous.

• These files included a statement by an eye witness who assisted in the burial of what remained of the all the soldiers into one grave, with a cross erected above the grave.  There were other reports stating that the soldiers were indeed buried together.

• Burials often occurred in a field or an available clear space near where the soldiers died, but sadly these graves would often be destroyed later, as the war ravaged on.  This appears to be the case for Erice's burial place and his remains, as they have never been found. 

Erice's name on the Australian Memorial at Villers Brettoneux

Erice's name on the Wall of Honour at the Australian War Memorial

• Erice Connors, like many others, became one of the countless soldiers with no known grave.  His sacrifice is however commemorated on the Australian Memorial at Villers Brettoneux and the Roll of Honour Wall at the Australian War Memorial, a testament to a life cut short on the brutal battlegrounds of World War 1.

• Erice's name is projected onto the exterior of the Hall of Memory at the Australian War Memorial four times a year, ensuring his name lives on.  The next name projection is scheduled for Monday, May 13 at 12.54 am.

Memories ... February 19

Anniversary of a Birthday

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page) 

Today is the anniversary of the birth date of my paternal grandfather, George Thomas Brown.

I have written a longer, far more detailed post about my grandfather before (follow this link if you are interested in reading: The Story of George Thomas Connors), but for this 'Memories' post I will simply include some of the important events in his life.

• George was the fourth of ten children born to Thomas Edgar Connors and Susannah (Susan) Fullagar Hukins.

• He was born on the 19th of February 1880 in the township of Meroo, New South Wales.

• His siblings included 

          - Mary Ellen, born in 1874

          - John Edgar, born 1876

          - William Adolphus, born 1878

          - Alice Adelaide, born 1882

          - James Alfred, born in 1884

          - Percy Jerome, born 1886

          - Cyril Ernest, born 1888

          - Frederick Augustus, born 1890

          - Erice Sylvester, born in 1892

• George spent his childhood years learning the work of dairy farming, following in the footsteps of his father.

• Over his lifetime however, George was employed in various occupations.  He worked on railway gangs.  He worked as a butcher, and he also found employment at a forestry logging camp at one point.

• In 1906, when he was 26 years old, George married Grace Brown in Lismore, New South Wales.

• They went on to have 11 children, but sadly lost two of their children in infancy.

• George and Grace were married for 60 years, until George passed away.

• In 1966, at the age of 86, George died.

• He was buried at the Gympie Cemetery.

• George was survived by his wife and his nine children.

Memories ... February 7

Anniversary of a Birthday /  In Remembrance

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page)

Today is the anniversary of my paternal Grand Aunt Lillian Ruth Brown's birthday .....  

.....  and the passing of my maternal Great Grand Uncle Thomas Farrell.

Here's some of Lillian's story:

Our common ancestors are: Richard Joseph Brown and Ellen Cusack.

• Lillian was born in 1887 in Lismore, New South Wales.

• She was the second of four daughters born to Richard Joseph Brown and Ellen Cusack.

• At the time of her birth, her father Richard was 25 years old and her mother Ellen was 24.

• Lillian's older sister Grace (my paternal grandmother) had been born two years before Lillian.  Then when Lillian was 3 years old her sister Elsie came along.  When Lillian was 5, her sister Marcella (Marcy) was born.

• The sisters grew up in Lismore, New South Wales.  They were the descendants of well-known pioneering stock on both their paternal and maternal sides (the Browns and Brownings on her father's side, the Cusacks and the Extons on their mother's side).  As such the girls inherited a well-respected family name.

• After leaving school, Lillian worked as a dressmaker for a number of years.  

• In 1906, when she was 20 years old, Lillian married James Alfred Connors.

• James was in fact the younger brother of George Connors (my grandfather), who had married Lillian's sister Grace (my grandmother) that very same year.

• Lillian and her husband James welcomed their only child into the world in April of 1907, a daughter named Lorna Mary Grace.

• Sadly, Lillian became a widow just six months later, when her husband died as a result of burns inflicted during a tragic accident at his workplace.  (I have told James Alfred Connors' story before.  For anyone interested in knowing more, follow this link:  Fire and its Tragic Consequences!)

• Lillian re-married just over a year later to an Irish immigrant named Jeremiah (Gerry/Jerry) O'Donnell, who hailed from County Cork.  Lillian was 21 years old at the time and Jeremiah was 23.  

• Sadly, Lillian and Jeremiah lost their first born, a son named Roger, on the day he was born in 1909.

• Their daughter Lillian Margaret was born 1911.

• Unfortunately though, Lillian would never see her two daughters grow up.

• Standard practice for women giving birth in hospitals in the early 1900s included the women remaining 'in confinement' at the hospital for a couple of weeks after giving birth.  Tragically, Lillian contracted pneumonia while in confinement, became weaker and weaker until her heart gave out and she passed away.

• Lillian was only 24 years old when she passed away on the evening of August 31st, 1911.  She died at the maternity hospital which was known as Nurse Atkins' Private Hospital, in Lismore.

• She was buried in the Roman Catholic section of the Lismore Cemetery.  I have yet to locate her exact resting place.

• Lillian was survived by her second husband, a daughter aged 4 and a newborn aged just 14 days.  She was also survived by her father Richard, her mother Ellen, and her three sisters, Grace (my grandmother), Elsie and Marcella (known as Marcy). 

• Interestingly, Lillian's second husband did not provide details of Lillian's first husband on the death certificate, nor indeed the name of Lillian's first child.  I think there's a story there that I have yet to uncover!

Here's some of Thomas's story:

Our common ancestors are:  Michael Farrell and Susan Muldowney/Downey.

• Thomas's birth record shows that he was born on the 15th of January 1868 in Holmside, County Durham, England.   His mother registered his birth on the 26th of February and interestingly, this date appears to have become the date that his birthday was celebrated for the remainder of his life!  Weird, right???  Did his mother forget his actual birth date?  Surely not!

• At the time of his birth, his father Michael Farrell was 34 years old and his mother, Susan Downey / Muldowney was 26.

• Thomas was the second of nine children born to Michael and Susan, and he was the oldest boy. 

• Thomas was born at a place named 'East Field House' which was part of a row of small, rather humble, colliery houses, built by the owners of the coal mines and coke works in the Durham Coalfield area of north-eastern England to provide housing for the their workers and families.  It was substandard housing and families often lived in tiny one-room cottages, quite inadequate for housing large families.  The harsh living conditions became a breeding ground for disease and ill-health.   

• Sadly, Thomas's younger brother Michael died as an infant when Thomas was 5 years old.

• The 1881 England Census shows that Thomas was working as a 'screener' at a colliery when he was only 13 years old.  While Thomas was working above ground (a whole lot better than being down the mine), the work was laborious and the days were long.  

Definition of 'screener':  watches that coal passes over screens and dust or small coal is properly sifted through; may also pick dirt from conveying belt as coal passes to screens.

• It was not uncommon at the time for children to start work when they were 7 or 8, sometimes younger!!  I suspect that Thomas had started work a few years before the census date.

Australia Passenger List - Queensland
Ship - Chyebassa

• Thomas emigrated to Australia at the age of 19, along with his father, mother and six of his siblings.  Two of his sisters (my great grandmother Margaret and her sister Helen Ann) had already emigrated and were living in Charters Towers.

• After arriving in Townsville in September of 1887, Thomas and the other members of his family travelled to Charters Towers to meet up with his sisters.

Australian Electoral Roll 1903

• The 1903 Census shows Thomas living on Bridge Street in Charters Towers, with his father, mother and Thomas's occupation was listed as 'miner'.  He was 35 years old at this time.

• Thomas remained living on Bridge Street until he became ill later in life.

• Thomas worked as a miner in Charters Towers until he became quite ill in his late 50s.

• Thomas never married, but was very close to his family throughout his lifetime.

• Thomas's three youngest brothers, Patrick, James and Matthew, all went off to serve in WW1.  Tragically, his brother Patrick was killed in action in 1917.  Brothers James and Matthew did return home.

• Sadly, Thomas also experienced the loss of both parents and another brother before the end of 1919.

• His father Michael died in 1917, the same year as his brother Patrick was killed in action.  Thomas's brother Michael died in 1918.  Thomas's mother Susan died in 1919.

• When the war finally ceased, things had changed quite dramatically for Thomas.  His three sisters and his brother James had all married and moved away from home.  His brother Matthew was the only sibling left in Charters Towers, and was living with Thomas at the family home on Bridge Street.

• Then, quite unexpectedly in mid-1922, Thomas's brother Matthew also passed away.  Thomas was now living on his own in Charters Towers.

• The 1925 Electoral Roll lists Thomas as still living on Bridge Street and his occupation was still 'miner'.  Thomas was 57 years old.

• Thomas became very ill with pulmonary tuberculosis in 1926.  He left Charters Towers to live with his older sister Margaret (my great grandmother) at her home on the family farm at Molongle Creek near Gumlu.

• On the 7th of February 1927 Thomas passed away at the age of 59.  He would have only just celebrated his 59th birthday a month before.  (Note:  his age is recorded incorrectly on his death notice and on his headstone.)

• Death notices for Thomas appeared in the Northern Miner (a Charters Towers newspaper) and the Townsville Daily Bulletin.

• He was returned home to be buried at the Monumental & Lawn Cemetery in Charters Towers, alongside his brother Matthew.  Unfortunately, both burial sites are now quite severely damaged and need repair.

• Thomas was survived by his three sisters and his brother James.

An interesting note:

• The brother still living when Thomas passed away - James - also suffered with pulmonary tuberculosis for a couple of years before he died, and this was listed as one of the causes of his death as well!