Closing in on the Bennetts

The O'Dea Album

These photos are from my grandmother's album and provided a puzzle now solved. My DNA results indicate that I am related to a descendant of this Clement Bennett and I have now to worked out how he was related to my maternal grandmother Georgina Ellen Bennett (O'Dea). He was her nephew.

Monnie and Clem as they were labelled in the album, were the children of John Raymond Bennett and his wife Margaret Bridget Healy. This couple had married in Hamley Bridge in January of 1918. when they were both 23 years old. John Raymond's father is listed as a George Bennett. 

This is gt-grandfather George Bennett, father to Mary Olive, Georgina, James and Ronald.

If John Raymond Bennett was 23 when he married in 1918 that suggests the birth year of 1895. 

I have been unable to find a birth record for John Raymond Bennett in NSW, Vic or SA just as I have been unable to find a birth record for grandmother Georgina but indeed her father was George Bennett. Her elder sister Mary Olive was born in Broken Hill, NSW in 1888 where grandmother also claimed to have been born in 1890. 

By 1892 George Bennett and his wife Bridget Kelly were living in South Australia as their son James George David is recorded as born at Goodwood. Could John Raymond have also been born there and his birth unregistered? The Bennetts are next recorded in Edithburgh where another son Albert Ronald Victor (known as Ron) was born in 1902. Another move was made away from Edithburgh possibly before the birth of Mary Olive's son William Rose in 1904.

Mary Olive and Georgina both married Hamley Bridge men in the following years. That John Raymond was also married in Hamley Bridge, suggests a relationship.

Five children were born to John Raymond Bennett (c 1895 - 1962) and Margaret Healy 

Francis James - b. 9 November 1918 - d. 24 Nov 2012 - I have found no evidence of a marriage record for Francis

Joseph - b. 13 Jan 1921 - died just 2 days later

Vincent John - b. 30 Dec 1921 - died in Woomera, S.A. on 24 Apr 1968 as a single man

Monica - b. 11 Jan 1924 - 10 November 2023

Clement Ronald - b. 2 Oct 1925 - d.16 November 1997

Monica and Clem

Monnie and Clem Bennett as titled below the photos

Monica Bennett married Stanley Whittenbury in 1948. 

BENNETT—WHITTENBURY. —The marriage of Monica, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Bennett, Hamley Bridge, and Stanley H. B, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Whittenbury, Short street, Wayville, will be solemnised at St. Mary's Church, Hamley Bridge, at 10.30 a.m. on January 3, 1948. Reception at Dublin Hotel.

Clement Ronald Bennett married Elizabeth Cant in 1949

CANT—BENNETT. — The marriage of Elizabeth D. (Bette), daughter of the late Mr. G. and Mrs. S. G. Cant, to Clement R., youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Bennett, both of Hamley Bridge, will be solemnised at St. Marys Church, Hamley Bridge, on Saturday, August 27, at 7 p.m.

Clement died in 1997 and is buried with his wife in the Bremer Road cemetery in Murray Bridge, South Australia. Their headstone can be viewed here at Find a Grave.

One of my DNA matches at 176 centimorgans on Ancestry is a grandchild of Clement and Elizabeth. Clement and my mother were first cousins that certainly explains the presence of those photos in my grandmother's album. 

If you are a descendant of either Clement or Monica I am happy to send you copies of these photos at a higher resolution. 

Now (2024) with several descendants of both Monica and Clem identified by DNA matches there is no doubt that John Raymond was Georgina's brother and son of George Bennett and Bridget Helen (sometimes Ellen) Kelly. 

Post updated June 2024

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1948 'Family Notices', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), 1 January, p. 8. , viewed 29 Nov 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43750613

1949 'Family Notices', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), 20 August, p. 20. , viewed 29 Nov 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36682306

This post first appeared on earlieryears.blogspot.com by CRGalvin

Inquest into fatal accident

Was the horse guilty?

Horse and Spring cart, approx 1890. https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+42348

David O'Leary, a brother of great grandmother Honora (O'Leary) Horgan, had celebrated his marriage to Mary Johanna Bannon in St Patrick's Church in Adelaide in 1874 and by 1878 they were living near Stockport, South Australia, with their two small children, Andrew Joseph and Anne Catherine later known as "Cissie."

The cart in the picture above may have been similar to the one that Mary Johanna took to do her shopping on that fateful day in May of 1878. On returning home she lost control. She must have suffered in great pain from her injuries for the five hours leading up to her death.

An inquest into the accident was held the next day, as reported here in the South Australian Register.

FATAL ACCIDENT— On Thursday, May 2, Mr. Jas. Elliott, J.P., held an inquest at Stockport on the body of Mary Johannah O'Leary, who died from the effects of a vehicle accident on the previous day. Mr. J. H. Williams acted as Foreman. 

Henry L. Tuck, Baptist Minister, stated that about 10 o'clock on Tuesday morning he saw the deceased pass his house in a spring-cart. About half-past 11 hearing a vehicle approach, and thinking it was a friend coming to his house, he sent one of his children to see. She came running into the room and exclaimed

 "It's Mrs. O'Leary, and she has upset her cart and is lying on the ground."

He immediately ran out and found the horse plunging in the shafts. He sought to assist Mrs. O'Leary, who was lying insensible within three or four feet of the point of the shafts. He tried to get her out of the reach of the cart in case the horse should again plunge. He drew her back, and she then appeared to become conscious and said 'I am dying.' 

Mrs. Tuck and the children assisted, and deceased was taken into the house. Immediately telegraphed for Dr. Renner, who arrived about 3 o'clock. There was a cornerpost near where the accident happened. The earth was raised round it, and it appeared as if the cartwheel had mounted to the top of the post, which was about 3 feet high. He knew the horse to be a quiet one, and Mrs. O'Leary to be of temperate habits. Felt sure the cart did not fall on her, but the horse was plunging in dangerous proximity to her. 

Dr. Renner deposed to attending deceased from Kapunda. He found that a number of her ribs were broken to pieces. Her face was very black, and he at once concluded that her left lung was lacerated by the broken ribs, and that a quantity of blood was in the cavity of the chest. She died about 5 o'clock without stating anything as to the cause of the accident. Judged from appearances that the horse had trodden on deceased's side. Death resulted from the injuries. 

David O'Leary, farmer, Stockport, husband of deceased, said on seeing her after the accident, she said she was afraid that in turning the corner she pulled the wrong rein. She was about 30 years of age, and he was quite satisfied that the mishap was purely accidental. The Jury returned a verdict that deceased died from injuries received through the capsizing of a cart. (1)

Conflicting dates

Immigration:

Johanna Bannon arrived in South Australia in 1866 aboard the "Charlotte Gladstone." She was listed as age 24, a teacher from Tipperary. 

Baptism:

A baptism record on the 9 March 1841 in the Roscrea parish of Tipperary has Johanna's parents listed as Dan Bannon and Ann Fogarty. This would imply that Johanna had just turned 25 when she boarded the "Charlotte Gladstone" in March of 1866. She would have indeed been 24 when the proposed list for embarkment was prepared.

Marriage:

Although she listed her age as 24 in 1874 when she married, it is more likely that she was 33. Her father on her marriage record is listed as Daniel Bannon.

Her husband David has listed his age on the marriage record as 27, but as he was born in South Australia in 1843 that also was incorrect. He was 31. 

Occupation:

In  husband David's obituary in 1937 there is reference to his wife as having "conducted a Catholic school after her arrival in South Australia, first at Salisbury and later on in Adelaide"(2).

In her son Andrew's obituary in 1941 there is also a referral to her appointment as a teacher shortly after her arrival in 1866.

 His mother, formerly Miss Mary Johanna Bannon, was born in Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, Ireland, and received an excellent education at the local convent school, which fitted her admirably for the position she had to undertake on her arrival in South, Australia, where she was appointed by the V. Rev. M. Ryan, V.G., as teacher in charge of the Salisbury Catholic school in about 1867. (3)

Death:

The tombstone lists her as 30 years of age, but the death registration lists her age as 32. A confusion of ages indeed, but her listing on immigration as a 24 year old teacher and subsequent reference to it in the two obituaries implies that her age at death was more likely to have been 37. 

A confusion of ages indeed!

1. 1878 'CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES IN GERMANY.', South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900), 6 May, p. 5. , viewed 02 Nov 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42996239

2. 1937 'OBITUARY', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 15 October, p. 10. , viewed 27 Sep 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167703748

3. 1941 'Mr. A. J. O'Leary, late of Salisbury.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 24 October, p. 11. , viewed 27 Sep 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167771778

This post first appeared on earlieryears.blogspot.com by CRGalvin