Hannah's friends in Hamley Bridge

Back row L to R: 1. Ollie Casaretto, 2. Monnie Cavanagh, 3. Kath Button, 4. Hannah O'Dea
Front row L to R: 5. Mary Doyle, 6. Grace O'Riley, 7. Jean Dudley and 8. Bridge Barry
in the front: 9. Nora Carrigg

This photo is from the O'Dea family album, South Australia which covers some years between 1907 - 1950.

The photo above would have been taken about 1922/23 when my mother Hannah O'Dea was 10 or 11 years old. She is in the back row on the far right. Perhaps these were classmates at the convent school that my mother attended in Hamley Bridge.

I uploaded this photo to MyHeritage and used the enhancement and colorisation tools to get some idea of how these girls may have looked one hundred years ago. The names under the photo have been transcribed as they were recorded below the photo in the album. 

 

Along with the photo enhancement above I also chose to download the enhanced photo of my mother's face, seen here below.

Hannah O'Dea about 1922/23
face enhanced on MyHeritage

Who were the girls?

Given the location of Hamley Bridge, South Australia and the apparent similarity of one or two years in age, I have searched for some birth dates as listed below.

1. Olive Eileen Casaretto -  my mother's first cousin was born in Hamley Bridge on 1 July 1913 to Daniel Joseph Casaretto and Mary Olive Bennett

2. A Margaret Monica Cavanagh was born 4 May 1911 to William Patrick Cavanagh and Mary Margaret Flaherty in Quorn SA. 

3. Kathleen Marie Caroline Button was born in Hamley Bridge on 11 Oct 1913 to George Theodore Button and Marie Theresa Sullivan

4. My mother Hannah O'Dea was born in Pinnaroo, SA on 17 April 1912. Her mother Georgina Bennett and family moved to Hamley Bridge in 1921 after the death of her father Patrick John O'Dea.

5. Mary Doyle  there are two possibilities here

i) Mary Doyle born in Hamley Bridge on 21st June 1913 to Thomas Laurence Doyle and Mary Cecelia Chambers OR

ii) Mary Cathrine Doyle  born near Hamley Bridge to Edward Doyle and Eliza Ann Thompson on 21 August 1913

6. Grace O'Riley - Grace's parents were William Thomas O'Riley and Honor O'Brien. Her birth was recorded in Hamley Bridge on 20 June 1914

7. Thelma Jean Dudley was born in Hamley Bridge on 29 April 1914 to parents George Dudley and Bertha May Toppelmann.

8. Bridget Maria Barry was born to Johanna Ryan and Thomas Barry in Hamley Bridge on 7 September 1912.

9. Honora Mary Carrigg was born on 14 September 1915 to James Patrick Carrigg and Ellen Mary Comerford in Hamley Bridge.

Nora Carrigg remained one of Mum's good friends and was a bridesmaid at her wedding in 1937.

Do you recognise any of these girls?

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

What's in a nickname?

Where are we here?

The photo above is of Hamley Bridge in South Australia in 1926, the home of Queenie and Coley. They lived in Barry Street, Hamley Bridge.

But who were they and why the nicknames?

My aunt's photo album included several photos with these names written below. In Australia we are often noted for shortening names or giving nicknames such as Bluey to someone with red hair, Paddy for Patrick, Mick for Michael, or attributing nicknames associated with a person's occupation.

The Kane (Kain) family from County Clare had arrived in South Australia aboard the "Lady Ann" in October of 1857. Martin and Catherine came with 5 children and were sponsored by F.H Dutton who already held land in South Australia. In 1860 another son named Colman (Coleman) was born.

This Colman Kain was to become my mother's uncle, Uncle Coley. He was married to Bridget O'Dea, my grandfather's eldest sister in February of 1891. By the end of the 1890s Bridget and Coleman Kain had six boys. 

What delight they must have expressed when daughter Maria was born in July of 1901. Her birth was followed by yet another son, James, born in 1904.

Imagine the household, 7 boys and just the one little girl. There can be little surprise then that she became known as the little queen of that household, Queenie Kain.

Here she is with a pet dog. I think she looks to be about 9 or 10 years old so possibly taken about 1910-11.   

Thanks to family historian Jenny who has pointed out in the comments below the likelihood of this photo being a decade later, perhaps the early 1920s, due to the dress style and the stylish wristwatch. 

My mother Hannah and her older sisters Mary and Margaret O'Dea must have been delighted to have a slightly older female first cousin when they moved to Hamley Bridge with their mother Georgina O'Dea in 1923.

Coleman Kain and his daughter Maria
Inscription under original photo - Uncle Coleman and Queenie Kain

This one of Queenie was probably taken on the same day and in the same position. The dress, the hat and the background are similar, estimated 1925.

This last photo has Michael O'Dea, Colman Kain and his son Patrick Kain. Michael and Colman were brothers-in-law. Note the inscription below. Uncle Mick, Uncle Coley and Paddy Kain. Uncle Coley must have been an affectionate term used by the O'Dea girls and their brothers.

The unfortunate damage in the album is where unsuccessful attempts have been made by others to remove some of the photos.

Deaths

What heartbreak her parents must have suffered when their precious Queenie died in the North Adelaide Hospital in November of 1928. She was only 27. 

Colman Kain died just four years later in 1932 with Bridget's death recorded in 1936. A recent request from a Kain descendant has encouraged me to revisit this album. These appear to be the only Kain photographs included but there are many more early Hamley Bridge residents to come in future posts.

---

References

Arrival of the Lady Ann SA Archives, 
https://archives.sa.gov.au/sites/default/files/documentstore/passengerlists/1857/GRG35_48_1_57-11_Lady%20Ann.pdf

Marriage of Colman Joseph Kain and Bridget Elizabeth O'Dea. 1891 'Family Notices."The Advertiser"  (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), 21 February, p. 4 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26772482

Birth of Maria Kain  

Surname: KAIN Given Names: Maria Immaculate Date of Birth: 02-Jul-1901 Gender: F Father: Colman KAIN Mother: Bridget Elizabeth ODEA Birth Residence: Hamley Bridge District: Gilbert Book/Page: 679/355 

Death of Maria Kain
1928 'Family Notices', The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), 13 November, p. 8.  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article53603925

Death of Colman Kain
1932 'Family Notices.', Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), 28 January, p. 35  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90909787

Death of Bridget Kain
1936 'Family Notices.', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), 21 September, p. 10
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48180341 

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

Celebrations 1913 style

This 1913 account of the Golden Wedding celebrations of my maternal great grandparents, John O'Dea 1835 -1930 and Maria O'Dea (born Crowley) 1841 - 1929, reflects their Irish roots. Reports of this celebration appeared in three papers of the times, with this account providing the most detail and background to their lives.
One of the eleven grandchildren mentioned was my mother, Hannah Horgan (born O'Dea.) It sounds like a jolly good time was had by all with songs and recitals. This was one of the things my mother liked to do too, gather family together and enjoy a singalong around a piano.

1913

The golden wedding of Mr. and Mrs. John O'Dea was celebrated at their residence, Clare Villa, Hamley Bridge, on August 8, by a family gathering. The event by special request consisted only of members of the family circle and relatives available. After the feast was partaken of the family joined unitedly in wishing the old people further happy years, and expressed pleasure that they were spared to that golden privilege that it is the lot of few to enjoy. The evening was spent in cardplaying, singing, and reciting in a manner that embodied a thorough family reunion, and was of a nature that recalled a repetition of many evenings of yore, before the spirit of roving and romance divided those that clustered round the one hearth. 

Mr. O'Dea arrived in South Australia with his parents by the ship "Time and Truth" in May, 1854, from County Clare, Ireland, at the age of 19. He travelled from Port Adelaide to Bagot Station, near Kapunda by the motor of the day, the old bullock dray. The family settled there for about eight years, and during intervals with other pioneers he carted copper from the Burra to Port Adelaide. He tells many thrilling tales of those days, when they were all new chums, and when the word hardship had no meaning for them. 

Mrs. O'Dea (at that time Miss Crowley) arrived in Melbourne with her sister in December, 1862, at the age of 21 years, having also come from County Clare. They came to Port Adelaide a week later, where they were met by her brothers, of Bagot's Gap. The couple were married at the old church of St. John, Kapunda, by the late Rev. Michael Ryan., on August 8 following, and took up their residence in Pinkerton's Plains, where Mr. O'Dea had then taken up land within two miles of their present home. 

The Plains in those days were in their wild state, with kangaroos and emus, and visits of the blacks were not unknown. That was years before the railway was built or Hamley Bridge was even talked about. Mrs. O'Dea, with other lady settlers, used to walk to Stockport (eight miles), as it was the nearest place in those days where the necessaries of life could be obtained. They have seen Hamley Bridge grow from nothing to its present prosperous state, and it is now an enjoyable portion of theirs to have a comfortable home in one of the best sites in the town, having sold their farm 18 months ago. Both are still hale and hearty, and much enjoyed their family reunion after half a century of happy life. 

There are five living members of the family-Messrs. P. J. and M. J. O'Dea, of Ngallo, Victoria; Mrs. C. Kain, and Misses M. I. and H. T. O'Dea, of Hamley Bridge and 11 grandchildren. The son, P. J. O'Dea, was one of the first persons in Hamley Bridge who was instrumental in starting a branch of the United Labor Party, and he was afterwards assisted by his brother, M. J. O'Dea.

1913 'GOLDEN WEDDING.', Daily Herald (Adelaide, SA : 1910 - 1924), 16 August,1913 p. 5 Section: Magazine Section, , http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105588635