The Story of The Two Bedes - Bede William Connors and Bede Anthony Connors

In my last post, I started recording the stories of people from my family tree who belong on my 'Lonely First Names Club' list.  The list includes all those people (whether they are born into or married into the family) whose first names don't commonly appear in any of the branches of my family.

The first name 'Bede' is quite rare on my family tree and is one of my favourites. In fact, there are only two family members who had that name. One was my father - Bede William Connors - and the other was my paternal 1st cousin twice removed - Bede Anthony (Dick) Connors.  Their common ancestors were William Connor (Connors) and Eleanor Hickey.

Bede is, what I would consider to be, quite an old-fashioned name, and not a name most people would have heard before or be familiar with.  It's a boy's name of old English origin, apparently meaning 'prayer'.  

The original uploader was Timsj at English Wikipedia. -
Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.,
Public Domain,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2259187

There was a famous 7th century saint and church historian known as 'Venerable Bede' who was the saint my Catholic grandparents chose to name my father after.  

'Venerable Bede' was a Benedictine monk, considered to be the first known writer of English prose, and highly influential because of his work 'Ecclesiastical History of the English People', a history of the Church in England.

(The photo to the right is "a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art" known as "The Venerable Bede Translates John" by James Doyle Penrose 1862-1932).

In my family tree, 'Bede' was not chosen very often as a first name, and both men named Bede were not known by that name throughout most of their lives!  Indeed, they were better known by either a shortened version (such as Bernie or Bern in my Dad's case) or by a nickname instead (such as Dick in Bede Anthony's case).

Despite the fact that Bede Anthony was my father's 1st cousin once removed, I don't believe they ever met or actually knew anything about each other.  I wonder if they even knew there was another Bede in the family?

 

Bede William Connors  (1924 - 2016).

Bede William (my Dad) was born in the southern part of Queensland, in Maleny, but he lived most of his life in the small town of Bowen, in northern Queensland.  

Very few people called him by his first name, apart from some of his close family.  I do remember hearing him being called Bede by his two older sisters when I was growing up!

He was mostly known as 'Bernie' though, and is fondly remembered as a bit of a prankster, a man with a wicked, rather irreverent sense of humour. That didn't seem to match his Christian name Bede at all, since that was most commonly associated with a saint!

I've told Dad's story before in one of my first posts on this blog, so instead of repeating exactly what I've previously written, I will just mention a few of the more salient events of his life. 

Bede (known as Bernie) lived an ordinary working man's life.  He and his twin brother Reginald (Reggie) were born into a large family in 1924. Their childhood was spent mostly in Gympie Queensland, with their three older brothers, three older sisters, and their younger sister, who was born when the twins were 5 years old. 

Bede started work at the young age of 16 in 1940, and worked for Queensland Railways his entire life, up unto retirement at the age of 65.  He married Margaret Brigid O'Donnell (my Mum) in his early 30s, and they went on to have two children during their short marriage.

Sadly, Margaret passed away after nine years of marriage, leaving Bede widowed at the age of 43 with two children aged 8 and 6.  Not long after losing his wife, Bede's older sister Chris came to live with the family until both children had reached adulthood.  Bede would continue to live in the family home in Bowen until he died in 2016, at the age of 91.  He was survived by his two children, two grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and his youngest sister. 

For anyone who has not read my previous post about my Dad, please follow this link:  The Story of ... Bede William Connors.  For those who have read the post before, I should mention I've updated it with more accurate information, a few more photos and extra newspaper clippings, so you might want to have another read.

Bede Anthony Connors  (1914 - 1994).

Bede Anthony (known as Dick) was born in August of 1914 in the town of Tumut, New South Wales.  His father, James Connors, was 55 at the time and his mother, Margaret Jane Mulvihill, was aged 44. 

Bede was the youngest child in the family, with five older siblings living at the time of his birth.  One other sibling had passed away soon after birth.

Margaret / Marie Constance (known as Connie) had been born in 1894.

Malcolm had come along in 1897, but sadly died that same year.

Maurice Edward (known as Bob) had been born in 1898.

Thomas John (known as Tom) was born in 1901.

Eileen Joan (known as Joan) was born in 1905.

Frederick Archibald (known as Archie) came along in 1910.

The following family photo was taken around 1920 and shows Bede Anthony sitting on the mat, in front of his father James.  

Back row L-R:  Maurice Edward Connors, Thomas John Connors, and Tom O'Connor, the husband of Margaret Constance Connors.

Middle row, seated L-R:  Eileen Joan Connors, father James Connors, mother Margaret Mulvihill, Margaret Constance with her daughter on her lap.

Front row, seated L-R: Bede Anthony Connors and Frederick Archibald Connors.

At the time this family photo was taken, Bede Anthony would have been around 5 years old.

Sadly, when Bede Anthony was 8 years old, his father James died.  It occurred to me whilst I was writing this post, that this fact is yet another parallel to my own story.  Not only was my father named Bede, like Bede Anthony, but my mother died when I was aged 8, the same age as Bede Anthony lost his father.  I feel I have a little understanding of what his childhood may have been like after the loss of  one of his parents at such a young age.

James Connors' obituary stated that he had been ill for many years and had gone to Sydney for treatment around 1920, but little could be done.  That would have been the same year the photo was taken, so I wonder if Bede Anthony knew at that time his father was very ill.

It sounds as if Bede's father might have had cancer, but that's an unsubstantiated guess on my part.  According to the obituary, James returned home to his family in Tumut after treatment, and returned to work.  When he died in 1923 I'm sure Bede Anthony felt the loss of his father very keenly, especially given that Bede was still only a child.

I only have a limited amount of knowledge about Bede Anthony's life after the death of his father, gleaned mostly from electoral records and his military record.

In the years 1936 and 1937, Bede Anthony was living in the Connors family home on Fitzroy Street in Tumut, with his mother and brother Thomas.  Bede's occupation was listed as 'electrician'. He was aged in his early 20s at that time.  

His cousin Donald and wife Edith were living close by, just one block over, on Russell Street; and brother Maurice Edward and wife Muriel were also living nearby, two blocks over, on Capper Street.  It's likely that the Connors clan was a tightly knit family.

In 1938, Bede Anthony's mother Margaret died, and from information stated in her obituary, it seems she had been ill for quite a while.

Apparently, she had been suffering "heart trouble" for many months and had been hospitalised for a while before Christmas in 1937.

Margaret chose to leave the hospital to be with her family at over Christmas time however, showing just how important the family was to her.

Two months before her death, her second youngest son Archie had taken her to Sydney to seek the advice of a specialist, but in a similar fashion to her husband (Bede Anthony's father), it was "to no avail."  Nothing could be done.  

The week before her death, the obituary states that "a wire was received in Tumut on Thursday that she had taken a bad turn, so son Dick (Bede Anthony) went away by that day's train to be with her."  Margaret passed away on the Saturday night.  Bede Anthony was 23 years old.

It seems that Bede Anthony and his younger brother Archie were quite well-known in the wider Tumut community, and their social life appears to have been of some importance, given that it made the social pages in the newspaper during the Christmas break of 1939-1940.

I'm not sure what "a busy time meeting their Tumut pals" means, but it sounds as if the brothers had lots of good mates, and were great company.

Two years later in 1942, at the age of  28, Bede Anthony enlisted in the 2nd AIF at Wahroonga, naming his oldest sister Connie as his next of kin.  He had in fact joined the CMF (Citizen Military Force) back in 1941, but then went on to enlist with the AIF (Australian Imperial Force) in late 1942.

He had two service numbers - NX138268,whilst serving with the CMF; and N238818, whilst serving for the AIF.   

Upon enlistment in 1942, Bede Anthony joined the 26th Field Company of the RAE (Royal Australian Engineers), 1st Division.  His occupation at that time was recorded as 'plumber', so it seems Bede Anthony had learned a new trade.  His rank was listed as 'Lance Corporal (L/CPL)'.

I'm not entirely sure what the role of the 26th Field Company would have been during WW2, but obviously they were an Engineer Company.  It seems that Bede was still on Australian soil in April of 1943, as it was noted in the social pages of the Tumut & Adelong Times, that he was "back in Tumut on leave".

In mid 1943 however, Bede Anthony (Dick) was shipped up to Thursday Island in the Torres Strait, between New Guinea and Australia.  He remained there with his unit until September of 1944.  

The Tumut & Adelong Times noted that he was home on leave in October of 1944.  By May of 1945, Bede Anthony was on Morotai Island, Indonesia, and served there until the end of 1945.  He was discharged in January of 1946 and at that time was listed as a 'Sapper' in the '9 Aust. Wksp. & Pk. Company, R.A.E. (A.I.F.)'   Bede Anthony was 31 years old.

By the time Bede Anthony's name pops up again in the electoral records of 1949, he is no longer living in Tumut.  He had moved to Bexley, a southern suburb of Sydney.  His occupation was listed as 'plumber'.  It appears that he had moved to be close to his widowed eldest sister, Margaret (known as Connie) O'Connor nee Connors, his other sister Eileen Joan (known as Joan) and her husband Robert O'Neill; and their families,  Bede's nieces and nephews.

Bede Anthony's (Dick's) name had appeared once again in the Tumut & Adelong Times the year before, in 1948.  He had been the best man at "one of the most spectacular weddings ever held in Bexley, Sydney" according to the newspaper item.  Mr. B. A. (Dick) Connors was acting as best man to the groom, Alan McGrath, who was marrying Bede's niece Constance Frances O'Connor, the daughter of Bede's eldest sister Margaret (Connie).

Yet again, Bede is mentioned in the Tumut & Adelong Times in 1950.  

This time he was attending the wedding of his niece Lorna Connors, the daughter of Bede's brother Maurice.  

At this wedding, Bede was toasting the bride's maternal grandparents, the Simmons, and her Uncle Bill Connors.

It sounds very much like Bede was a most favoured uncle, close to many of his extended family, and a man who regarded family as one of the most important things in life.

It seems that Bede Anthony had moved to West Kogarah by 1958, as the electoral record for that year listed his address as Queen Victoria Street.  He was living with Eileen Elma Connors, nee Burrows, whom he had married in 1953.

By this time Bede Anthony had lost his brother Thomas John who had died in 1953.

The 1963 electoral record shows Bede still living on Queen Victoria Street, but there was no Eileen with him.  Bede's sister Eileen Joan (known as Joan) died that same year.

The 1968, 1972, 1977 and 1980 electoral records show Bede living on the same street, but over these years he was living with Gloria Frances Connors, nee Slattery.  So it looks like either Bede had divorced Eileen, or had she died?  Bede married Gloria in 1966 when he was aged 52.  All the electoral records show that Bede worked as a plumber for all of his adult life after the war. 

Bede's oldest brother, Maurice Edward (Bob) had died in 1973.

Bede Anthony (Dick) Connors died on the 13th of April in 1994, aged 79, after a long illness.  He had died just four months before his 80th birthday.  He had apparently passed away in Cronulla, Sydney, but was buried in the cemetery at Tumut, his birthplace.

Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  Please use the comments box below or email me.  It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.

The Story of The Only Marcellas - Marcella Therese O'Donnell and Marcella May Brown

This post tells the story of two family members named 'Marcella'.   

It's a name that doesn't turn up very often in my family tree and belongs to a group I've created and named - The Lonely First Names Club!  Anyone researching their family tree knows that there are a few first names that are not very common at all in the various branches of the family. 

In fact, my own first name - Bernadette - only appears twice in my family tree.  There's me, and there's Bernadette O'Donnell, my 2nd cousin once removed.  My father's Christian name - Bede - only appears twice as well.  Obviously there's my Dad, Bede William Connors and then there's also Bede Anthony Connors, my 1st cousin twice removed.  It's interesting how some first names just lose favour in the family and become the odd ones in a long, long list.

So far, my genealogy research has produced a list of 2,476 individuals and amongst that list, only two women were ever given the first name 'Marcella'.  One was a great aunt, on the paternal Brown side of my family, and one was an aunt on my maternal O'Donnell side.

Marcella Therese O'Donnell  (1934 - 1961).

My maternal Aunt, Marcella Therese O'Donnell, was born in late 1934, in Queensland.  

At the time of her birth, her father James O'Donnell was aged 47 and her mother, Sarah McCane, was 40 years old.  Marcella Therese was born into a family of six children, one sister and five brothers.  

Edmond James had been born in 1922.

Margaret Brigid (my mother) came along in 1923.

Maurice Owen (Morrie) was born in 1925.

John Joseph (Jack) was born in 1926.

James Thomas (Jim) was born in 1928.

Edward Martin (Eddie) was born in 1931.

Her younger brother was born three years after Marcella's birth, in 1937, expanding the number of siblings to seven.

At the time of Marcella's birth, the family were living on the family farm near Guthalungra, close to Armstrong Creek and the Kyburra railway station.  

Family Portrait of the O'Donnell / McCane / Bidgood family -
taken in 1935 on Marcella's grandparents' property at Molongle Creek, near Gumlu

This photo, taken in 1935, shows Marcella as a baby, being held by her mother (my grandmother) Sarah O'Donnell nee McCane.  All the children circled in dark blue are Marcella's brothers and her only sister.  These are my maternal uncles and my mother.

Baby Marcella, sitting on her mother's lap, is surrounded by her close family, including her uncles, aunts, cousins and her grandmother (sitting in the cane chair).  This was a close knit family and Marcella would have spent all her formative years with this clan.

Marcella (the toddler being held by her big brother) with her brothers and only sister,
on the family farm c.1935-1936

Life on the family farm would have been busy, and no doubt Marcella would have had her fair share of jobs about the place during her childhood years.  Her parents, James and Sarah, made the heart-breaking decision to walk off the farm in the mid 1940s, and move into the nearby town of Bowen.

O'Donnell Family, after the move from the farm into Bowen c.1942-1943

This photo was taken sometime around 1943, soon after the move from the farm to a rented house on Richmond Road in Bowen.  Marcella is seated between her mother Sarah and father James.  She would have been aged 8-9. 

Marcella's teenage years were lived in the small town of Bowen, and her life would have been filled with school, church and community events.  I've found a few articles from the local newspaper that give a bit of a glimpse into her life during the 1940s and 1950s.

Wedding Notice - Bowen Independent, Fri June 4 1943, p2

In 1943, when she was 8 years old, Marcella was the flower girl at the wedding of Ernest Bidgood to Maureen Foley, at St Mary's Church in Bowen.

Ernest Bidgood was the brother-in-law of Marcella's Aunty Susan, and the occasion would have been an important event for the family.

This article, taken from the Bowen Independent, dated June 4th 1943, stated:

"The little flower girl, Marcella O'Donnell, in her early Victorian frock of blue silk net, headdress to tone, and carrying a glorious basket of flowers, completed a rather delightful picture."

I wonder what that "early Victorian frock" looked like?

Bowen Independent, Friday Dec 12 1947 p5

In 1947 Marcella, then aged 13, was mentioned again in the local newspaper.  

At the "annual breaking up day" for the pupils of St Mary's School in Bowen, Marcella was a prize winner.  The article doesn't state what the prize was for though.  Perhaps it was an academic prize, or a prize for being a winner in the various competitions held that day, including races, dancing, and community singing!

I particularly love the description of the last day of school given in this newspaper article!

Each class had decorated their classroom and the class table set up for the delicious refreshments. The children "all wore very original jazz caps" I'm not entirely sure what that meant! 

After the completion of the various competitions, the pupils all gathered together and were presented with an "artistically printed religious picture".

The Priest gave a short speech, reminding all the pupils "of the gratitude they owed to their devoted teachers", "congratulating them on the year's hard work" and wishing them a "pleasant holiday."

In the same article there is mention of a St Mary's Convent School annual report that includes the names of pupils who gained certificates in the "Practical and Theoretical Examinations conducted by the Australian Music Examinations Board."  

Marcella's name is amongst them.  She had completed the Grade V11 piano exams, indicating she was quite an accomplished piano player.

Class Photo of 1947 - Marcella in the back row, far left.

Bowen Independent, Friday 21st July 1950, p4

By mid-1950, Marcella was attending Stella Maris College in Bowen and once more her name appeared in the local newspaper.  

Marcella had completed the National Business College of Sydney's Commercial Examinations for typewriting, shorthand and bookkeeping.

Bowen Independent, Friday July 11th 1952, p5

Two years later, in 1952, at the age of 18, Marcella made her debut.  A debutante ball was a significant event in the life of a young lady in the 1950s. 

Historically, it had been an English tradition - a rite of passage - to formally present young ladies of marriageable age to society, but I think by the 1950s, it was seen more as a very special social occasion for people who otherwise had very few similar opportunities or experiences.

Marcella Therese O'Donnell attending her Debutante Ball in 1952.

In 1954 Marcella went on holiday with two friends.  This made news not only in the local newspaper of Bowen, but also in the newspaper of the larger city of Townsville, to the north.  

The reason Marcella's planned trip apparently made the news in the Townsville Daily Bulletin was because her holiday coincided with the first Australian visit by Queen Elizabeth, and Marcella was to be in Sydney on the day of the Queen's visit!

I wonder if Marcella got close enough to actually see the Queen and Prince Phillip?

Interestingly, the Queen did visit Townsville a couple of months later, in March of 1954.  

Was Marcella also an observer for that visit as well?

In January of  the following year, 1955, Marcella's name was once more appearing in the Townsville Daily Bulletin.  

Under the heading 'Bowen Gossip', there was a short paragraph mentioning Marcella's departure from Bowen to work at her new job in Townsville.  She would have been aged 20.

"Members of the Port Denison Sailing Club gathered to farewell Miss Marcella O'Donnell and presented her with a brush and comb set in appreciation of her work in the interest of the club. 

 

Miss O'Donnell left on Friday for Townsville, where she has accepted a position." 

I wonder what her new job in Townsville was?

By 1958 however, the electoral records show that Marcella was back living and working in Bowen.

She was living with her parents, James and Sarah, and siblings, James (Jim), John Joseph (Jack) and Margaret (my mother); and working as a shop assistant.  At this time Marcella would have been 24 years old.

In 1960, Marcella married at the age of 25.  

She wed Geoffrey James Webber at St Mary's Church in Bowen.  Sadly, Marcella did not enjoy a long married life with Geoff.  In April of 1961, eight months after her wedding, Marcella passed away at the age of 26.

The cause of death was recorded as congestive heart failure, rheumatic carditis and mitral stenosis.

Heartbreakingly, Marcella was around seven months pregnant at the time.

When Marcella was quite young, she had suffered with rheumatic fever.  This had apparently caused permanent damage to her heart. 

Tragically, towards the end of her first pregnancy, it seems her damaged heart could not go on any longer.

Her obituary tells the story of a wonderful person, taken too soon.

Marcella Therese was buried in the Bowen Cemetery.

Her only sister Margaret Brigid Connors nee O'Donnell (my mother) was buried beside her in 1968, and Marcella's mother, Sarah O'Donnell nee McCane (my grandmother) was buried beside my mother in 1970.  It's comforting to know that the three women in the family will remain close forever.

Marcella May Brown  (1892 - 1973).

My paternal Grandaunt, Marcella May Brown, was known as 'Marcy' throughout her adult life.  She was the youngest of my grandmother Grace's three sisters.

Marcella May (known as Marcy) was born in July of 1892 in the small township of Bexhill, North Lismore, in New South Wales.  At the time of her birth, her father Richard Joseph (Gordon) Brown was aged 31 and her mother, Ellen Cusack, was 30 years old.

She was the youngest of four daughters born to Richard and Ellen.  Her oldest sister Grace Olive Brown (my grandmother) was aged 7 when Marcella was born.  Sister Lillian Ruth was 5, and sister Elsie Myrtle was 2.  

The girls spent their childhood and teenage years growing up in Lismore, where the family name 'Brown' was well-known and respected.  Their parents were heavily involved in the Lismore community life and no doubt the girls would have experienced many community events and gatherings.

In 1906 Marcella, then aged 14, would have attended the wedding of her oldest sister Grace (my grandmother) to George Thomas Connors at St Mary's Church in Lismore, and the wedding of her sister Lillian to James Alfred Connors (the brother of George).

During the following year 1907, no doubt Marcella would have been overjoyed to meet her two new nieces.  Her sister Grace had given birth to a daughter Beryl Agnes Connors, and sister Lillian had given birth to Lorna May Grace Connors.

Tragically though, Marcella's sister Lillian became a widow not long after the birth of her daughter.  Lillian's husband, James Alfred, died in a devastating accident at his workplace.  He suffered terrible burns in a fire and though he lingered for a couple of hours afterwards, he didn't recover.  Such a gruesome incident must have impacted terribly on all family members, including Marcella who was only aged 15 at the time. 

A year later, in November of 1908, widowed Lillian married again.  Marcella now had a new brother-in-law named Gerald O'Donnell.  She also had a new nephew, as her oldest sister Grace had given birth to a son named Colin Vincent Connors.

At the age of 17, in 1909, Marcella would have attended her sister Elsie's wedding to Sidney Harris, and then celebrated the birth of her new niece Eileen Gladys Harris the following year.  In April of 1911, her oldest sister Grace gave birth to her second son, Thomas Richard Connors.

Sadly, in 1911 Marcella's sister Lillian died.  After re-marrying in 1908, Lillian had lost her newborn son, Roger O'Donnell, in 1909; and then she had passed away less than two weeks after giving birth to her daughter Lillian Margaret O'Donnell.  Whilst the birth itself apparently went well, Lillian then contracted pneumonia and deteriorated quickly.  At the time Marcella was only 19 years old.  I don't quite know how Marcella coped with all these tragedies in her family while still in her teenage years.

I have little knowledge of what happened in Marcella's life in the twelve years between the ages of 19 and 31, other than a few facts about events in her surviving sisters' lives.

Her oldest sister Grace gave birth to another five children, George Thomas Jr., Christina Grace, Olga May, Leo and Marguerite.  Sadly, both Leo and Marguerite died soon after birth.  Sister Elsie gave birth to her son Sidney.  Marcella herself seems to have remained living with her mother and father during these years. 

Northern Star, Lismore, Sat Dec 22, 1923 p9

Marcella May (centre) on her wedding day, standing beside her husband Alfred (on the left).

In December of 1923 Marcella, aged 31, married Alfred Loring Tyler, aged 39, at St. Patrick's Church in Wardell, New South Wales.  Her bridesmaid was her niece (the first born daughter of her deceased sister Lillian).  Such was a beautiful gesture!

Unfortunately there was no long married life for Marcella May.  She and Alfred (known as Alf) were married for only four and a half years, as Alfred was admitted to hospital in July of 1928, suffering from pneumonia, and died three days later.

During those short years of marriage, Marcella and Alfred had three children.  Joan Aileen Ellen was born in 1924.  John Francis (known as Jack) came along in 1926, and Norma Maureen was born in 1928, just a month and a half before the death of Alfred.  

So in July of 1928 Marcella became a widow with three children.  Daughter Aileen was almost 4, John aged 2, and Norma, only a month and a half old.  How did she cope after the death of her husband?  How did she support her young family?  Whilst I'm not entirely sure I have the correct facts, I think that it was her husband's family, the Tylers, who stepped in to help her at this time.

Marcella May never re-married and worked hard for many, many years in order to support and provide for her children.  By the time Marcella was 70, in the early 1960s, she had moved to Queensland, seemingly to be closer to her adult children.  

By 1963, she was living in the Brisbane suburb of Graceville, with her daughter Norma and son-in-law Robert.  By 1972, they were all living in the suburb of Corinda, and this is where Marcella May died in July of 1973 at the age of 80.

Marcella May was buried beside her husband in the Wardell Catholic Cemetery in Ballina Shire, New South Wales.

That completes the stories of the only two women in my family tree christened Marcella.  Born 42 years apart, in different states, on different branches of the family tree, but linked for all time by the name Marcella.  

Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  Please use the comments box below or email me.  It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.

The Story of Morgan Joseph O'Brien

This post tells the rather poignant and intriguing story of my great grandmother's second husband ... Morgan Joseph O'Brien  (1866-1931).

Obviously Morgan is not a direct ancestor or blood relative, but I do feel the need to share his story, or at least as much of his story as I have uncovered so far.  It left me with a profound feeling of loss and despair, and a fervent wish that this cycle did not continue for others in his family.

Morgan was born in late 1866 in County Tipperary, Ireland.  He was the eldest son of his father Michael O'Brien, then aged 26, and his mother Catherine Cahill, then aged 17.

Map showing location of Rodus in County Tipperary

Morgan was baptised in December of 1866 in the townland of Rodus, in the civil parish of Emly and the Catholic Parish of Cashel & Emly, within County Tipperary.  

County Tipperary

After the birth of Morgan, his parents went on to have another eight children born in Ireland.

Ellen was born in 1868.

Thomas came along in 1869 when Morgan was aged 3.

Mary was born in 1871.

Daniel was born in 1872.

Denis joined the family in 1874.

Michael was born in 1877.  Morgan was now 11 years old.

Catherine came along in 1880.

Hannah was born in 1882, when Morgan was 15 years old.

I wonder what sort of older brother Morgan was?  By the time he was 16 he had four brothers and four sisters.  I imagine he would have shouldered quite a lot of responsibility from a very early age.  It seems likely he lived an impoverished childhood as his parents made the decision in 1884 to leave their home country, and travel halfway around the world to Australia.

All eleven members of the O'Brien family were listed as passengers aboard the ship Duke of Devonshire that departed Plymouth in England on the 20th of May, 1884.  The family left the ship on June 25th in Brisbane, and then made their way to Toowoomba.

 

Morgan Joseph was 17 years old when he arrived in Australia.  Once his family had reached Toowoomba, it seems likely he would have started searching for work immediately.  I have found no evidence as yet that can shed light on exactly what type of work Morgan found at that time, but it's likely he would have been doing any sort of labouring work he could find.

Another brother was born not long after the family had arrived.  John Cahill O'Brien came along in August of 1884, when Morgan was aged 17.  Sadly, just three years later, Morgan lost one of his other brothers.  Daniel O'Brien died just before Christmas in 1887.  He was only 15 at the time, and Morgan was aged 21.

In April of 1895, Morgan married Bridget O'Donnell nee Burke, when he was 28 years old.  Bridget, my great grandmother, was 44.  The ages recorded on the marriage certificate were not correct.  

Bridget had also emigrated from Ireland to Australia back in 1883 (the year before Morgan had left Ireland with his family) and had been married to my great grandfather for ten years until he died in early 1893. 

Morgan, upon his marriage to my great grandmother, became the stepfather of Kate O'Donnell (then aged 10), my grandfather James O'Donnell (then aged 7), Mary Margaret O'Donnell (then aged 4) and Maurice Patrick O'Donnell (then aged 2).  Instant large family ... and all the commitments that come with that!  

My great grandmother has become the licensed victualler of the Free Selectors Hotel in June of 1894, after losing her first husband.  Just a couple of months after her second marriage, in June of 1895, there was an application made to transfer the licence to her second husband, Morgan Joseph O'Brien. Bridget was expecting a baby by this time, so perhaps that was the catalyst for the decision to transfer the licence to her new husband, Morgan.

It turned out though that Morgan was not the most reliable or skilled hotel keeper. Just one month later, in July 1895, he was appearing in court on a charge of supplying a child with liquor!!  Things were not going well!

Morgan became a father at the age of 29, with the birth of his son Morgan Joseph in January of 1896.  

Then just a couple months later, in March 1896, Morgan applied to have the victualler licence for the Free Selectors Hotel transferred back to Bridget.

At this point in the story, things appear to be going from not so good to not so very good at all.  

According to information gleaned from descendants of Morgan's parents, it was around this time that Morgan's father, Michael, had a fall from his horse and suffered a significant head injury.  There appeared to be a subsequent impact to his reasoning abilities and mental capacity.  According to family folklore "he was not quite right after this!"

In May of 1897 I found a small entry in the Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs General Advertiser stating that Michael O'Brien had appeared before the court charged with attempted suicide.  This is very likely to have been Morgan's father as the entry states the man was 60 years old, which is a match to the age Morgan's father would have been at this time.

I have not yet found any information to indicate what the outcome of his charge was, but it's likely Morgan's father spent some time in gaol.  Just a few months after his father had appeared in court, Morgan was also up on charges.

At this stage, things are really not going well for Morgan.  I wonder if he was able to pay the fine or ended up spending 24 hours in gaol?

Morgan's father, Michael O'Brien, was by now in a very bad way.  He decided he would return to visit Ireland, on his own, for a while and then come back to Australia.  Obviously the loss of his homeland had left a profound impact and in the depths of his despair, he felt the need to return home.  What followed was a peculiar turn of events though.  One day he was there, in Toowoomba, and the next he had gone.  He made no further contact with any of the family, and no-one was sure if he actually did indeed manage to leave Australia at all.  He didn't return to Toowoomba though, so he literally vanished into thin air.  

On top of all that, Morgan's mother Catherine died in 1899, at the rather young age of 50.  She had obviously been deeply affected by everything that had happened.

From 1897 to 1925, Morgan himself then appears to have disappeared.  

Electoral Roll for Toowoomba in 1905, showing the large O'Brien clan

Whilst his wife and siblings appear on the Electoral Rolls of 1903, 1905 and 1906 for the town of Toowoomba, Morgan doesn't appear at all.  His name doesn't appear on any records until 1925.  Where was he for the intervening 27 years? 

I doubt I will ever find definitive definitive evidence of his whereabouts during that period, but a clue did turn up on the Deceased Estate Files for a Morgan O'Brien, that I think was this particular Morgan.  I'll share this bit of information later on in this post.

If Morgan did indeed leave his family, I can only imagine the effect this would have had on his only son, and his wife, my great grandmother, and his step children, including my grandfather.  Sadly, Morgan's story didn't have a wonderful ending.  I finally found him in the 1925 Electoral Roll record for the electorate of Coorparoo, in the electoral division of Moreton, Queensland.

Morgan was living at the Pensioner's Camp on Ipswich Road in Brisbane. He would have been 59 years old at this time.

He was still there in 1928, at the age of 62.

What was this 'pensioner's camp' where Morgan was to spend his twilight years?

Here's a glimpse ...

This is what a typical abode looked like, from the outside.  Dwellings were erected using whatever material could be found and most would have had exactly this ramshackle look.  At the very least though, it was shelter!

This is what it might have look like inside, although I think the indoors of a single gentlemen's abode would have been far less appealing to the eye.

In a newspaper article published in the Daily Mail in July of 1924, the author painted a picture of the pensioner's camp ...

"Hidden from the view of the Brisbane community ... is a colony formed between twenty and thirty old age pensioners.  Most of them are living on a reserve; a scattered few on private land.  No rent is asked from these men.  They merely obtain a permit from the council or the owner of the private land. 

There are certain conditions to be fulfilled, principally in regard to the burning of all refuse, and the places are under police supervision, a visit being paid to them by an officer of the law about once a month.

The habitations of these men are almost as varied as their characters and ways, and the truth of 'necessity being the mother of invention' is well borne out in their constructions and equipment.

A number of men are in tents still, but most of them have made some sort of a shack for themselves.  Some of them are covered wholly with flattened out kerosene tins nailed neatly together.  The material has been recovered from rubbish heaps or pits.  The huts are mostly square, or nearly so in shape, with flat roofs, so from a distance they resemble large packing cases".

The following article, published in 1928, paints a vivid picture.

So it appears Morgan was living along in a community of old age pensioners who made shelters out of whatever they could scavenge.  The non-contributory aged pension was first paid by the Commonwealth Government here in Australia back in 1909, but only to those Australians who were 65 and over.  As Morgan was not yet aged 65 when he was living in the pensioner's camp, it's likely Morgan set up home with others he knew who were receiving the pension.

Sadly, it looks like Morgan passed away in early 1931 at the age of 64, alone in a hospital in Annerley, Brisbane.  His death certificate was completed by a doctor and a nurse, and interestingly, whilst it contained correct information about his parents' names and his place of birth, there were no details of his marriage or mention of his son.  In fact, the certificate stated that Morgan was not married.

That leads me to believe that Morgan and Bridget had separated way back in the late 1890s, and it's likely Morgan was never seen by his son, his step-children, or his siblings very much after that, if at all!  I'm guessing history repeated itself and he did exactly what his father had done ... disappeared into thin air!

I also uncovered a record on the New South Wales Index to Deceased Estate Files for a Morgan O'Brien who died in Annerley in 1931.  It seems in all likelihood, that the Morgan listed on this record would have been my great grandmother's second husband.

A final piece of the story ... this record lists Morgan's occupation as 'retired miner'.  

That would make sense and explain why he disappeared from all the official records for that 27 year time period I had mentioned previously.  I'm supposing he travelled around quite a bit looking for work as a miner wherever he could find it, and it looks like he moved interstate as well.  The record above shows that Morgan had a tiny sum of money saved, but it appears it was never passed on to family.  I'm left with a feeling of heavy regret that Morgan seems to have missed out on so much family love and support for around half his lifetime.

  

Gravesite of Morgan Joseph O'Brien at the Toowong Cemetery.
The gravesite is located at Portion 27, Section 11, Grave 10
(as indicated by the yellow markers)

Morgan Joseph O'Brien was buried at the Toowong Cemetery at Toowong, Queensland, Australia.  Sadly, his gravesite remains unmarked.

Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  Please use the comments box below or email me.  It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.