Tracing Family Branches

Today’s post involves my first cousin four times removed Harold Augustine Quirk.  Harold was born in 1885 the son of Thomas Quirk and his wife Kate née Cullen (see post  here  for more information on this couple).  On the 23rd October 1906 at St. Patrick’s church Albury he married Elizabeth Agnes Murray (also known as Letty).  They lived at Wagra until 1914 when he sold up the family property and moved his family to Melbourne.  On the 16th October 1914 Harold enlisted in the Australian Army with the 6th Australian Infantry Battalion, Service No. 3168. Source: Trove.  All ABOUT PEOPLE. (1914, November 11).  The Gundagai Independent and Pastoral, Agricultural and Mining Advocate (NSW : 1898 - 1928) , p. 4. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122205040 Transcript:  Mr. Harold Quirk, late of Wagra, who left those parts for Victoria a few months ago, is off to the war.  He is at present in camp in Sydney.  He purposes taking...

After my trip to Wagragobilly Cemetery (see post here ) I wanted to know more about the people who’s finally resting place I had visited.  The first one I wanted to know more about was Mrs. Thomas Quirk.  What was was/is her first name?  I had a really strong desire to know this and thankfully the ability to find it out.  Her name was/is Catherine, although it seems she went by Kate as that is the name on her marriage registration, the birth registrations of her children and on her teaching records. Yes, Kate had been a teacher and her last teaching position had been at Wagragobilly Public School. I have been able to find out the following about Kate’s teaching career. In 1876 she was appointed a teacher at Huon Prov. School.  Then in 1877 she moved to Lacmalac Public School and stayed there until she was moved to Wagragobilly Public School in 1882.  She put in her resignation from teaching in June 1884 and it was accepted. Source:  EDUCATION APPO...

Ever since my visit to Wagragobilly Cemetery (see here ) I have been wanting to find out more about the cemetery and the people buried there and today’s snippet helps me to do just that. In 1900 the government of the day decided to resume 65 acres that it had allocated to Aboriginal people near Brungle.  It also decided that the cemetery that Aboriginal people had established for themselves would not be permitted to have any future interments there and that determined that they should be buried in the unsectarian portion of Wagra Cemetery (Wagragobilly cemetery is refererred to as Wagra Cemetery with great frequency in this era) five miles away instead.  This must of devasted the local Aboriginal community!  Not being able to be buried in a cemetery you had established as a community and had family members in is heartbreaking and very unfair.  Wagragobilly cemetery today does not even have clearly defined portion markers, so I don’t know at present where these burial...

I love looking up the old parish maps and finding out where my ancestors had their land holdings.  Today’s map is the Parish of Darbalara published in 1937.  You can see the Pierse family land holdings on the map. Source: New South Wales.  Department of Lands (1937).  Parish of Darbalara, County of Buccleuch : Tumut and Gundagai Lands Districts, Gundagai Shire, EasternDivision N.S.W. (6th Ed.). Dept. of Lands, Sydney.  Retrieved fron  https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/20890393

On Monday my husband and I went on a genealogy road trip!  First I want to say how much I appreciate that I have a husband who not only loves and supports me but also supports my genealogy passion!  He is very limited physically these days due to injuries accumulated during his former long military career so him coming with me is rare, highly appreciated and leaves him in extreme pain and most often bed bound for days afterwards.  The main goal of the trip was to visit Wagragobilly cemetery to pay my respects to my family members there and to photograph the family graves; which I am very happy to say we achieved.  We would not have achieved it without the assistance of two very lovely local gentleman, who’s help on the day was and still is very greatly appreciated!  The cemetery is behind the former Catholic Church which is now a private home; that has been lovingly converted and looks amazing!  We were not sure how to get to the cemetery and drove past thi...

Today’s post mentions my 3rd Great Grandfather John Pierse.  I had a laugh reading this because the biggest and best crop of tomatoes I have ever grown was at our married quarter at Kapooka in 2003.  We called them ‘the triffids‘ and the family consensus was they were the nicest tomatoes any of us had ever had!  I didn’t stake them either and just let them grow freely into the massive plants they became.  I have not been too active growing vegetables recently (Covid 19 got me back into it and my current plantings are growing very nicely at the moment) but I am looking forward to growing tomatoes again this year, especially now and they won’t be staked either! Source:   WISE & OTHERWISE. (1906, October 17).   The Gundagai Independent and Pastoral, Agricultural and Mining Advocate (NSW : 1898 - 1928) , p. 3. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120258756 Transcript: The worst system of growing tomatoes (and now is the time for plantin...

Happy dancing as I have had a great night.  Three of our four grandchildren are sleeping over and we have had a lovely time with them as usual. They are all sound asleep now so I was doing some genealogy and knocked down one of my brick walls.  My 4th Great Grandmother Ellen didn’t die in Ireland as I had thought, she died in 1881 in Gundagai and Trove has the story.  DNA has already confirmed that My 3rd Great Grandfather John Pierse was the brother of Winifred Pierse who married William Carrigg, proving some researchers wrong!  My Great Great Grandmother Ellen Battye née Pierse actually got married at her Aunts house according to her marriage certificate so I knew some researchers were wrong when they claimed no relationship between Winifred and John! Ancestry ThruLines sent me to another tree that had Ellen marrying a Daniel Shoughron/Shoughran and dying in Gundagai in 1881 but had no sources or details.  I couldn’t find a death registration for her but a Tro...

Today's post involves my 3rd Great Grandfather Joseph Dolphin Jones and his estate.  More information on him can be found at posts  here , here , here , and  here . Source:ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION. (1885, June 16). New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), p. 3779. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article221694657 Transcript: ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION. In the estate and goods of Joseph Dolphin Jones, late of Sutton Forest, in the Colony of New South Wales, storekeeper, deceased, intestate. NOTICE is hereby given, that after the expiration of fourteen days from the publication hereof, application will be made to this Honorable Court, in its Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, that letters of administration of the estate, goods, chattels. credits, and effects of the abovenamed deceased, who died on or about the 2nd day of May last, may be granted to Anne Jones, of Sutton Forest aforesaid, the widow of the said deceased.- Dated t...

Today’s post involves my first cousin twice removed Violet Josephine Atkinson née O’Connor.  Violet died aged just twenty eight years old from chronic Bright’s disease after Scarlet fever on the 12th September 1918 at Cobar. The daughter of Timothy O’Connor and his wife Catherine née Spellman, she had married William Atkinson in 1916 at Cobar.  They had no children.  Violet is buried at the Cobar Cemetery. Source:   Family Notices (1919, September 12).  Western Age (Dubbo, NSW : 1914 - 1932) , p. 2. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136907207 Transcript: IN MEMORIAM. ATKINSON.- In loving memory of my dear wife, VIOLET JOSEPHINE (Josie), who departed this life on September 12th, 1918, aged 28 years. This day brings back to memory fresh My dear one gone to rest ; And those who miss her most of all Are those who loved her best. I seem to see her dear, kind face Through a mist of tears ; But a husband’s part is a bro...