A Message from the Sea

HMAT A73 Commonwealth
 https://alh-research.tripod.com/ships_lh.htm

The Kain brothers - World War I

It was 21 September 1916 when John and Martin Kain boarded the transport ship HMAT Commonwealth in Adelaide bound for the war raging in Europe.

These two brothers, the middle sons of Coleman and Bridget Kain, had been born and raised in the small town of Hamley Bridge in country South Australia. John had enlisted in Adelaide just a few weeks earlier on August 4th with Martin enlisting one week later. Now a scant 5 weeks later they were off to war with the 32nd Battalion, 9th Reinforcement.

John was a farm labourer, 21 years and 2 months old and elder brother Martin a blacksmith at age 22. They were leaving behind a large extended family in the surrounding district. Their immediate family comprising parents, 2 older brothers, 2 younger brothers and a sister must all have worried as they farewelled these young men.

While aboard the ship John (Jack) wrote to his parents and decided on an unusual delivery method. The Register newspaper reported:

A MESSAGE FROM THE SEA.

 

John and Martin Kain, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Coleman Kain, of Hamley Bridge, embarked for England in September last, and when approaching Western Australia John threw overboard a bottle containing the following message. —

 'On board ship. Dear Parents— Just a few lines, hoping they will find you all well. Every one on board is fine. It is nice and calm. We saw six whales this morning. We expect to sight land to-day and be in the west tomorrow. September 25. — Jack Kain. Please send this home.' 

The following letter explains when the bottle was picked up: — 'January 19, 1917. Point Malcolm. Dear Sir — The enclosed letter was found in a bottle at Cape Paisley, Western Australia, by Mr. W. A. Matthews, of Thomas River. I have great pleasure in forwarding your son's letter to you.— Yours sincerely. W. H. Vincent, Point Malcolm (via Albany), W.A.' 

Notwithstanding the meagre clue from the note, the letter reached Mr. Kain on February 19. Australia is an extensive country, the name of Kain is, very common, and the wonder is the postal authorities were able to find the right parents.

Martin Kain

John Francis Kain

WWI Service

The ship arrived in Plymouth, England and they disembarked on the 14th November. By Jan 21st John and Martin were in France where the 32nd battalion were engaged in battle in those muddy, unforgiving Somme fields and ridges.

Martin was severely wounded in October of 1917 resulting in the amputation of his left leg.

John's medical records show he suffered from tonsillitis and spent two weeks in hospital with influenza in November 1917.  In July of 1918 he was wounded  and invalided to Reading Hospital.

Martin returned to Australia on the Dunluce and was welcomed back to Hamley Bridge on the 14th March 1918.

HONORING SOLDIERS.

On Thursday morning at Hamley Bridge when the train arrived from Adelaide a number of the townspeople assembled on the platform gave a hearty welcome home to Private M. Kain. About two years ago Private M. Kain and his brother enlisted. After a short time in England they were sent to France, where Private M. Kain was wounded in October last. An amputation of one leg was found necessary.

Having welcomed home one injured son, now in August of 1918 the family were anxiously awaiting news about John. 

Bridget, his mother, wrote to the Red Cross seeking help. 

By September 12th a reply had been received that he was in Reading Hospital and had been shot in the leg but his condition was satisfactory. John returned to Australia on the ship Aeneas in January 1919.

John Francis Kain died in 1956. 

Martin Kain died at age 46 in 1940.

The ravages of war affected so many families. These Kain brothers are my first cousins once removed, my mother's first cousins. We remember them for their service on ANZAC Day. Lest we forget.

---

1917 'A MESSAGE FROM THE SEA.', The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), 22 February, p. 8. , viewed 24 Apr 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59893874

1918 'HONORING SOLDIERS.', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), 18 March, p. 8. , viewed 24 Apr 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5536488

South Australian Red Cross Information Bureau 1916 - 1919,  John Francis Kain, SLSA record number: SRG 76/1/2754   https://sarcib.ww1.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/soldier/john-francis-kain

South Australian Red Cross Information Bureau 1916 - 1919, Martin Kain, SLSA record number: 

SRG 76/1/4646 https://sarcib.ww1.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/soldier/martin-kain

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

Tennis in the spotlight

Mary and Ed Horgan September 1927

Tennis group at Alma, South Australia 1927

Back: Edward J Horgan, Francis J Smyth (known as Frank)

Front: Hanora Mary Horgan (known as Mary) Parker Hogan, Margaret Mary Smyth (known as Mary)

photo enhanced and colourised at MyHeritage

As the Australian Open Tennis tournament gets underway in Melbourne I find it interesting to look back at my family's days of playing tennis. From our own family albums come these two photos, both taken at Alma in September of 1927.

On perusing the editions of digitised newspapers there are many mentions of my father Edward John Horgan and his siblings Hanora Mary and Joseph Andrew playing in tennis matches and tournaments in the nineteen twenties and thirties.

Many of the small towns in the area had tennis clubs and the results of matches were regularly published. This Horgan family were mentioned in matches between 1925 and 1936 for Alma Tennis club, Hamley Bridge Catholic club and Tarlee Catholic club. As well as playing tennis they attended Tennis balls and dances held variously to raise money for the club.

1925

"On Wednesday evening the members of the Tennis Club arranged a euchre and dance, which proved enjoyable as well as augmenting the tennis funds that are being added to with the object of laying down another asphalt court."

1925 'DISTRICT NEWS.', The Wooroora Producer (Balaklava, SA : 1909 - 1940),

16 July, p. 3. , viewed 09 Feb 2021,

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article207139646

Ouch, asphalt courts - yet these were the most common tennis courts in the towns at the time. With limited rainfall in the lower north area of South Australia, lawn tennis was rarely a feasible option. Hard rolled dirt courts provided variable bounce and so skill, speed and sometimes good luck played chance with the games result.
Joseph Andrew Horgan, my father's brother was of short stature at about 4 ft 11 in. but he developed a very mean slice. Here he is playing tennis at his McInerney cousins' farm near Riverton.

Joe Horgan - tennis at Olive Farm Riverton
photo courtesy McInerney family

Other early photos shared from the McInerney family albums show the previous generation of Horgans also on the court at Olive Farm. In this one Eddie and Joe look as if they have been playing or are ready for tennis but their aunt, Kate Horgan and uncles John McInerney, Tom and Jack (John) Horgan appear dressed to be spectators rather than players.

Mid 1930s tennis group at McInerney Olive Farm, Riverton, South Australia

Standing: Tom O'Leary, Kate Horgan, John McInerney, Mr Bosch, Vin McInerney, Tom Horgan, Frank McInerney, Eddie Horgan, Jack Horgan.

Front: Bernie McInerney, Joe Horgan, Mary McInerney, Vi Doecke

1960s tennis at the farm
Some time after we moved from the old farmhouse to the new in 1959, my father built a hard packed tennis court next to the house. Here we learnt to play tennis with those heavy wooden racquets of the day. Sunday afternoons were often tennis afternoons and Uncle Joe managed to keep us running with his well placed sliced shots. Some of my siblings went on to play for the local Tarlee Tennis Club while we younger ones had the opportunity to try out for tennis teams at boarding school. My skill level however, never reached that of my father and uncle.

Other articles mentioning the tennis related activities of Mary, Eddie and Joe Horgan in the 1920s and 1930s

Alma versus the Woods club
1926 'DISTRICT NEWS.', The Wooroora Producer (Balaklava, SA : 1909 - 1940), 8 April, p. 4. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article207140470

Alma versus Hamley Bridge at Stockport
1927 'TENNIS.', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), 23 March, p. 20. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article73655863

E Horgan attends the Alma Tennis Ball
1927 'ALMA TENNIS BALL.', Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), 10 September, p. 73. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90076648

Riverton Catholic Tennis club v. Tarlee Catholic Club
1930 'S.A. CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 19 December, p. 19. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167051800

Match between Riverton (Good Shepherd) and the Tarlee (SS. John and Paul) Catholic Clubs
1931 'RIVERTON v. TARLEE.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 20 February, p. 18. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167052764

Eddie and Joe in the final of the Men's doubles
1931 'CATHOLIC TOURNAMENT AT RIVERTON.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 20 March, p. 22. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167053260

Eddie plays in singles and doubles
1931 'TARLEE AND RIVERTON v. MINTARO.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 2 April, p. 18. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167053495

Joe and his first cousin Mary Smyth win the mixed doubles
1932 'CATHOLIC TENNIS TOURNAMENT AT RIVERTON.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 11 March, p. 18. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167059421

An early defeat for the Horgan brothers in the men's doubles
1933 'RIVERTON TENNIS CLUB.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 24 February, p. 15. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167694429

Balaklava. — Balaklava Catholic lost to Hamley Bridge
1936 1936 'TENNIS', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), 5 February, p. 9. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74158435

In the Hamley Bridge Catholic team
1936 'SEVENHILL.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 27 March, p. 7. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167077747


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

Looking for Margaret

Australia Day 2021 - the Irish ancestors

I'm reflecting on those ancestors who migrated to Australia and am grateful for their journeys to this land. On checking my research I find that I had not identified when gt-grandmother Margaret Byrne arrived in Australia, but first a recap of what I do know.

From Ireland to South Australia

1840 Andrew O'Leary and his wife Catherine Burke, gt.gt. g-parents with gt-grandmother Honora and 3 other children, arrived in South Australia aboard the "Mary Dugdale" from County Cork. 

1852 Johanna Horgan (born Fitzgerald), gt-gt-grandmother widow with three sons arrived in South Australia aboard the "China". John Horgan, one of those sons and a gt-grandfather, was 19 when he arrived. He married Honora O'Leary. The Horgans came from County Kerry.

1854 Patrick and Mary O’Dea gt-gt-grandparents arrived in S.A. from County Clare with 2 sons and 2 daughters. Their son, gt grandfather John was about 20 when they arrived.

1859 Edward Smyth, another gt.-grandfather from County Westmeath was aboard the "North" when it docked in Port Adelaide on January 28th, 1859. He had followed his younger brother the Rev. John Smyth to South Australia.

1862 Maria Crowley, gt-grandmother from County Tipperary arrived on the "Henry Fernie" in Melbourne and journeyed to South Australia to meet up with her brothers. She married John O'Dea in 1863.

1879 Bridget Kelly, gt-grandmother from Limerick was 17 when she arrived in Adelaide aboard the "Trevelyan." Aboard the same ship was a George Bennett aged 22 but I have yet no evidence to determine if this was the George Bennett she married at Teetulpa in 1887.

On February 6th, 1862 Edward Smyth married Margaret Byrne in St John's near Kapunda. He is listed as 38 years old and she is 27. This puts Margaret's birth date about 1835. European settlers arrived in South Australia in 1836 so she was not born in the colony. On the marriage record she is listed as being a Housekeeper rather than as a spinster which suggests she was working to earn a living rather than living with her family. Her father is listed as Peter but none of the Peter Byrnes who immigrated to South Aust were old enough to be her father.

On further searching through ships' records I identified several Margaret Byrnes. The most likely candidate is the Margaret Byrne who was 17 when she arrived on the "Marshall Bennett" in 1852. On that ship there was a large contingent of single Irish girls. I then searched the Ireland Catholic baptism records for a Margaret Byrne born around 1835 with a father named Peter. There is only one in 1835 and two in 1833.

In St Andrew's Parish, Dublin City there is a Margaret Byrne baptised on 23 February 1835 with parents Peter and Mary Byrne. Could this possibly be gt-grandmother Margaret Byrne? Her death record has her as age 75 in May of 1907 which would give a birth date of 1832/33. So I'm still looking for Margaret, but am thankful to those 12 ancestors who travelled from Ireland to make Australia home.

Where did they come from?

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