Easter offerings 1895

Easter Sunday in 1895 fell on April 14th. In the small Sts. John and Paul Catholic Church in Tarlee, South Australia, parishioners contributed money known as Easter Offerings. The handwritten document below, Easter offerings April 14, 1895 provides a glance at the names of the parishioners of the time. This document was stored in a suitcase under the altar until recent years. It is one of several documents I photographed in 2016 on a visit to the church with my sister-in-law.

It is probable that the people listed were present for that morning's Easter Sunday Mass conducted by the local parish priest Fr. Thomas Lee. If all these people were present for that Easter celebration, the small church would have been very full. Transcription below.

Easter Offerings April 14 1895

Easter offerings April 14 1895

Mr Michael OKeef 10s

" Michael McInerney £2

" David OLeary £1

OSullivan Bros £2

Mrs Howard 7s. 6d.

Mr E Smyth £1

Mrs Connell £1

Mr Terence Murphy 5s.

Mr Patrick Hogan £1

Thos. Rotchford 10s.

Jas. Smyth 10s.

W. Haasey £1

John Hogan £2

Mrs John Horgan £1. 10s.

Mrs Fitzgerald £1

Mrs McCarthy 10s.

Patrick Buckley £2

Mrs Thos. Kain £1

Brief research notes 

Michael O'Keefe of Tarlee had married Catherine Walsh in 1893. Her parents were from Kooringa, near Burra and it was in November of 1932 that Michael died in Burra hospital.

Michael McInerney was well known throughout the district, he died at the age of 73 and is buried in Navan Cemetery, near Riverton. His obituary reported: Last week the town and district suffered the loss of one of its oldest and most highly respected gentlemen in Mr. Michael McInerney, who died on June 7 at his residence, after an illness of five months. Mr. McInemey was a colonist of over 70 years, having arrived in this State by the ship Burmah in 1840. For some years he lived with his parents at Brighton. In the early days he used to do carting to and from Burra. In 1863 he began farming in this district, and continued to do so until his death. For many years Mr. McInerney had been a member of the Old Colonists' Association, and also a regular attendant at its annual celebrations at Glenelg.

David O'Leary David had two children Andrew and Cissie who would have been with him as he had lost his wife Johanna in an accident in 1878.

The O'Sullivan Brothers There were three O'Sullivan brothers living near Tarlee in 1895. James John may have been present at Easter Sunday Mass with his wife Hannah Hogan and their 5 children under the age of 10, Eugene Francis was a bachelor, and Jerome Michael with wife and 3 children may also have been present. When Eugene died in 1914 there was reference to his home and career in Tarlee.

The name of "Glandore," the comfortable home which he, in conjunction with his brother, established near Tarlee, suggests the love and affection they had for the dear land of their parents. Irish nomenclature is found everywhere around the farm. For many years the names of J. M. and E. F. O'Sullivan stood in the first ranks of stock exhibitors in the city and leading provincial shows, and on numerous occasions the champion ribbons were placed on their exhibits, bearing the Irish cognomens of Shamrock, Kathleen, or Sheela.

Mrs Howard was Bridget Dempsey who had married Emmanuel Howard in 1853. Further details about her are revealed in this newspaper article published after her death in 1903. She is buried in Navan Catholic Cemetery, Riverton.

TARLEE, August 24.—Mrs. Emmanuel Howard died at her farm, Stockport, on August 22. She was born in County Cavan in 1831, and came to the state in 1849, in the ship Duke of Wellington. For two years she lived near Salisbury, and then moved to Stockport, where she died. She married in 1853, and had 10 children—four sons and six daughters, of whom three sons and four daughters survive.1.

Mr E Smyth Edward Smyth farmed near Alma with his wife Margaret Byrne and in 1895 it is highly likely that his four adult, as yet unmarried children; Catherine, Francis, Elizabeth and Margaret were with their parents. He died at age 79 in 1901 after an accident on the farm and is buried in the Pinkerton Plains cemetery.

Mrs Connell James Connell had died at Navan, the small settlement between Tarlee and Riverton in 1884, leaving a wife and seven children. By 1895 two of those adult sons had married, but it is likely that the Mrs Connell mentioned here is Susan, his wife, who died in 1913. It is likely that several of the Connell families were present on Easter Sunday morning.

Mr Terence Murphy Terence Murphy had married Anne Connell at Tarlee in 1885. They had two small boys by 1895. According to the marriage record Terence would have been about 45 in 1895. He died in 1916 and is buried in the Port Pirie Cemetery.

Mr Patrick Hogan Patrick had married Mary Ann in 1875 and in 1895 they were probably accompanied by some of their ten children on Easter morning. Three of Patrick's family, including his wife, predeceased him and they are buried together in Navan Cemetery. Patrick died in his 84th year on the 30th April 1922.

Thos. Rotchford was 86 when he died in Adelaide on the 10th July 1926. His wife had died in 1888 and is buried in Manoora Catholic Cemetery. Thomas and his daughter Mary were living in Tarlee in 1895. They are both buried in the Catholic section of the West Terrace cemetery in Adelaide.

Jas. Smyth James, brother of Edward, also farming near Alma, was probably accompanied by his wife Catherine Mulvaney and their five children in 1895. James was 90 when he died in 1920 and is buried in Pinkerton Plains Cemetery.

W Haasey This was William Hahesy who would marry a local girl Ellen Nash in 1896. William was buried in Navan Cemetery after his death in April 1938. His story is recalled in this newspaper obituary.

John Hogan John had married Johanna Horgan in 1861 and by 1895 there were still three daughters living with them. Their son and two other married daughters lived in the parish. There may have been many Hogans in the church that morning. John is buried in St Johns Cemetery, near Kapunda, South Australia. This obituary was published in the Kapunda Herald. in 1898.

-On Wednesday Mr. John Hogan, of Taylor's Gap, died at the age of 74. Mr. Hogan was a very old resident of this district. In the early days of Kapunda with his father and brother he was a blacksmith in the town. Leaving that trade, they went farming, Mr. John Hogan taking up land at Taylor's Gap, where he resided until his death. Mr Hogan also took up land in the hundred of Schomburgk, which was principally devoted to sheep. At one time Mr. Hogan was noted for the draught horse stock which he bred and with which he used to carry off the bulk of the prizes at Kapunda shows. Mr. Hogan was well known throughout the district, and was highly respected. He leaves a widow and grown up family.

Mrs John Horgan was Honora O'Leary who had married in 1863. She would have been accompanied by her sons Thomas, Andrew and John (known as Jack) as well as her daughters Kate and Johanna. Her husband John had died in 1883 and when she died in 1927 she was buried with him in St Johns Cemetery.

Mrs Fitzgerald This one has been difficult to determine. More than one Fitzgerald family lived within the parish.

Mrs McCarthy This was Catherine Collins. Her husband Patrick was a ganger on the railway line between Tarlee and Riverton and was killed on the line in 1892 and buried in Navan. They had nine children many of whom would have been with her on Easter morning. Catherine died in 1933  and is buried in Willaston Cemetery.

McCARTHY.—On the 15th February, at her residence, No. 14, Finniss street, Gawler, Catherine McCarthy, widow of Patrick McCarthy (late S.A.R. Tarlee), in her 85th year. R.I.P.

Patrick Buckley  attended Mass with his wife Hannah, she was John Hogan's sister. When Patrick died aged 85 in August of 1913, he was buried at Navan alongside his wife who had predeceased him in 1897.

Mrs Thos. Kain Bridget Hahesy (Hahessy) had married Thomas Kain in this church in 1889. Just two years later he was killed while crossing the railway line near Stockport between Tarlee and Hamley Bridge. Bridget was left with two babies. She did not remarry and died  in July 1927. She is buried in the Catholic section of the cemetery at West Terrace, Adelaide.

Some of those mentioned are commemorated at the bottom of the stained glass windows in the church.

Wherever you are this Easter Sunday may it be a peaceful one for you and your family.

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

Fiery death

As we suffer the rage of bushfires in this summer of 2019, I look back through the family tree to identify several painful deaths caused by burns. These deaths make us pause to consider the pain both physical and mental endured by those who suffer from the ravages of fire.

MARTIN KAIN

When Coleman Kain married Bridget O’Dea in the old church at Pinkerton Plains in South Australia in 1891, his father Martin was 70 years old. Martin and his wife Catherine had been in South Australia since 1857 bringing 5 sons with them on the Lady Ann. Tragedy dogged the family with the loss of two sons. One in 1891 as a result of a railway accident and an 1896 death after four years of illness.

By 1897 Martin himself was quite feeble. A stumble into the fire was to have dire consequences.

HAMLEY BRIDGE, April 5.-A sad accident occurred to Mr. Martin Kain, an old and highly respected resident, aged 80, who is very feeble. He fell into the fire a few days ago and got very badly burnt on the right arm and hip. He appears to have lost all feeling as he was driven into township to-day to see the doctor, a distance of about three miles, and although the road was very rough he did not suffer any inconvenience. The. doctor considers the case very serious. This family lately lost a son who left a widow and several children.₁

On the 23rd April, Martin died from his burns. He was buried on Sunday 25th April in the Pinkerton Plains cemetery.

MARY HOGAN (KITSCHKE)

Mary Hogan was one of six children born to John Hogan and Johanna Horgan. They lived on a farm at Taylor’s Gap between Tarlee and Kapunda in South Australia. When Mary was born in  June of 1868 her eldest sister Hannah was 6, brother Timothy 4, and sister Johannah, 2.

Mary and her baby [twin?] sister Bridget Helen were baptised at St Rose’s Catholic Church in Kapunda on June 5 1868. With 6 children under 7, life for their mother Johannah would have been very busy. Their father John, whom Johannah had married in 1861, was a well respected farmer in the district.

When Mary was 28 she married Anthony Joseph Kitschke. This would have been a happy occasion for the Hogan family as the eldest daughter, Hannah Catherine who was only 23 had died the previous year leaving behind her husband James O’Sullivan with 6 young children.

Mary and Anthony had a farm at Canowie Belt east of Jamestown. Six children were registered as born to them over the next 12 years, but two of those babies died soon after birth. By December of 1917 the youngest surviving child was 6 years old and Mary was now 49.
The newspapers of the day tell the sad tale.

SAD BURNING FATALITY
Mrs. Anthony Kitschke, of Canowie Belt, was washing, and was wearing a hessian apron. Whilst she was at the copper the hessian ignited, and her other clothing caught fire. She tried to roll a table cover round herself, but this also caught fire. Except for a small portion about her shoulders, her clothing was all burnt off. She had no one near to aid her. When Mr. Kitschke came home shortly afterwards he found her on the verandah, terribly burnt. Strange as it may seem, after the burning she got water from the tank and put out the burning fragments lying about the verandah. A neighbor did what she could to relieve the poor sufferer, who lived for 48 hours and was conscious to the last. Possessed of a cheerful, generous disposition, she was highly respected by all. ₂

Another obituary reports:
OBITUARY. MRS. A. KITSCHKE, CANOWIE BELT.
Our Canowie Belt correspondent writes: —Quite a gloom was cast over the district on Wednesday last when it became known that Mrs. A. Kitschke was burnt to death and died on that morning. It appears that Mrs. Kitschke was doing her washing on Monday morning, when her dress became lighted from the copper, and before she could get it under control, she was frightfully burnt. Dr. Aitken was immediately on the spot, but could do nothing beyond making her death easier. Father Doyle attended Mrs. Kitschke during her last few days, and administered the last rites of the Church.

Mrs. Kitschke was a fine strong woman of 49 years, and was respected by everybody. She leaves a sorrowing husband, Mr. Anthony Kitschke, three sons, and one daughter to mourn her loss.
The funeral took place on Thursday and was the largest funeral that went into Jamestown for a number of years. About 80 traps followed the remains. Very Rev. Father Doyle officiated. R.I.P.₃

THOMAS HORGAN

Another death as a result of a farm related fire occurred in 1957.

The death in a Melbourne Hospital in  January of Thomas Horgan was very sad and tragic. Mr Horgan suffered severe burns on November 13 [1956] whilst burning grass at his homestead in Belalie East. He was finally taken to Melbourne for special treatment after spending several weeks in the Jamestown hospital. Mr Horgan was born at Jamestown in 1903 and was a son of Mrs C and and the late Mr John Horgan.

Thomas at age 53 left behind a wife and four young children. He was buried in the Jamestown Cemetery in South Australia.

My thoughts go out to all those who have suffered losses past and present through fire, whether that be loss of life, loss of property or loss of peace of mind. May your community and loved ones support you through difficult times.

---

1. 1897 'ACCIDENT AT HAMLEY BRIDGE.', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), 6 April, p. 6. ,  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35075051

2. 1917 'SAD BURNING FATALITY.', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), 22 December, p. 7. ,   http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5582519

3, 1917 'OBITUARY.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 21 December, p. 15.  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166984831

Relations in religion

This is one of a series of posts about a range of relatives who entered Catholic religious life. These men and women only have relatives or their communities to recall and remember their lives as they have no direct descendants.

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries it was not uncommon and indeed sometimes expected that at least one child in a Catholic family should pursue a religious life either as a priest, brother or nun. A wide variety of religious orders both male and female were dedicated to providing Catholic education and training for both children and adults. Some orders specialised in the care of the sick and elderly. When few records can found for a female relative I have found it useful to look for their presence in a religious community. The choice of religious order or community often came down to geographical circumstance, the influence of a bishop or a particular religious order in a region.

This post is a list that addresses only the known, deceased relatives who lived in Australia. Further detail will be provided in subsequent posts.

The SMYTH line

• John Smyth 1824 –1870 priest, administrator and Vicar–General of Adelaide diocese: brother to Edward Smyth, my great-grandfather
• Mary Smyth 1878 – 1960 Sister Mary Catherine: Sisters of Mercy in Perth,  daughter of James Smyth and Catherine Mulvaney elder sister of Francis below, first cousin twice removed
• Francis Smyth 1884 –1955 – Parish priest:  first cousin of a grandmother,  my first cousin twice removed, son of James Smyth and Catherine Mulvaney
• Ann Elizabeth Callery 1899 – 1981 Sister Mary Patricia: Sisters of Mercy, Perth, my father’s first cousin, my first cousin once removed, daughter of John Callery and Catherine Teresa Smyth
• Edward John Smyth 1905-1978 – Parish priest: my father’s first cousin, my first cousin once removed, son of Francis John Smyth and Catherine Mary Fitzgerald
• Margaret Byrne 1903 - 1980  Sister Mary Rose: Order of the Sisters of St Joseph: my father’s first cousin, my first cousin once removed daughter of James Leo Byrne and Margaret Smyth
• Elizabeth Byrne 1911 – 2001 Sister Mary Raphael: Order of the Sisters of St Joseph, my father’s first cousin, my first cousin once removed daughter of James Leo Byrne and Margaret Smyth

The O’LEARY/HORGAN line

• Ellen O’Leary 1845 –1908 Sister Aloysius, Order of the Sisters of St Joseph nun: great grandmother’s sister
• Johanna Horgan 1883 –1979 Sister Stanislaus: Dominican nun, first cousin twice removed, daughter of Thomas Horgan and Mary Carroll
• Peter Maurice Horgan 1890 – 1950 parish priest: first cousin twice removed, son of Daniel Horgan and Julia Evans
• Joan Therese Horgan 1909 – 1994 Sister Joan:  Dominican nun, second cousin once removed, daughter of Thomas James Horgan and Margaret Anne Dempsey
• Phoebe Horgan 1912 –2012 Sister Alphonsus: Dominican nun, second cousin once removed, daughter of Daniel Horgan and Lillie May McCarthy
• James E Horgan 1914 – 1946  priest of the Redemptorist order: second cousin once removed, son of Denis Joseph Horgan and Laura Maria Worthington
• Mary Elizabeth Hogan 1908  –1975 Member of the sisters of the Little Company of Mary: (Calvary Hospital, North Adelaide)second cousin once removed daughter of Timothy Thomas Hogan and Elizabeth Mary Kerin
• Elizabeth Ann Hogan 1914 –1973 Sister Peter: Loreto nun, second cousin once removed daughter of Timothy Thomas Hogan and Elizabeth Mary Kerin
• Thomas Erwin Horgan 1915 – 2002 priest: second cousin once removed son of Thomas James Horgan and Margaret Anne Dempsey
• Lillian Veronica Horgan 1917 –2003 Sister Vianney, Dominican nun for early years of her life, second cousin once removed, daughter of Daniel Horgan and Lillie May McCarthy, my music teacher in the late 1960s at Cabra Dominican Convent
• Mary Dominica Slattery 1917 -2018 Sr Mary Carmel, Dominican nun, second cousin once removed, daughter of William John Slattery and Katherine Gertrude Horgan
• Thomas Barry Horgan 1925 – 2009 Member of the Marist order known as  Brother Godric, second cousin once removed, son of John Michael Horgan and Mary Ann Barry