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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: anna_tom on Friday 06 April 12 08:23 BST (UK)
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I am hoping that someone may kindly be able to help me break through a long standing brick wall please.
Searching for the parents of John Donovan. According to his marriage certificate to Mary Ann Crowe of September 1873 (St Francis Church in Melbourne) it lists his parents as John Donovan and Mary Corbett. I have him aged 29 at the time of his marriage - so birth date approx 1844. The marriage certificate states that he was born in Brighton, Victoria, although I have never been able to find any evidence of this. His occupation was miner and his usual residence was Ballan.
John Donovan had a brother, whom I discovered only last year through an obituary notice. His name was Thomas Donovan. He too was a miner and lived in Mount Egerton, not far from Ballan. Thomas Donovan married Catherine Kay in Creswick, Victoria in 1885. His marriage certificate however states that his parents were John Donovan and Margaret Darcy. Thomas died in 1903 aged 53, His birth approx 1852 in Geelong. I have never been able to find any evidence of his birth or baptism either.
I have death certificates of both brothers but conflicting information has prevented my search continuing further. John Donovan died in Charters Towers, Queensland, in 1917 but his mother's name was mistakenly given as Margaret Hogan (his mother-IN-LAW). On Thomas Donovan's death certificate his mother is given as Margaret Dwyer.
Thomas Donovan's death certificate says that he was born in Geelong and had lived in Victoria for 34 years, NSW for 10 years, Queensland for 5 years and Western Australia for 2 years. I have never been able to find evidence of Thomas Donovan living in these states either and am hoping someone may be able to provide a census/voters record check?
If anyone would kindly help me try to get over this hurdle I would very much appreciate it.
Thanks so much,
Anna.
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Anna,
What information is given in the obituary?
Apart from the Obituary, is there any evidence that the two men were both sons of the same JOHN DONNOVAN?
Sue
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Hi Sue,
The obituary was for Mary Ann Donovan (nee Crowe) and was published in the Gordon Advertiser newspaper in 1914. It talked about Mary Ann Donovan being survived by her husband John Donovan, a brother of the late Thomas Donovan of Egerton. It also confirmed Mary Ann's parents John Crowe and Margaret (nee Hogan) who were formerly from the Ballan rd, near Egerton but died in Deniliquin.
Hope this helps.
Anna.
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http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/15585032?searchTerm=%22mary%20ann%20donovan%22&searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/15567201?searchTerm=%22mary%20ann%20donovan%22&searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc
Re:Probate
There are 3 of them from 1914 -1917. Why would it take so long to settle?
Jamjar
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Possibly their mother remarried?
CORBETT Margaret m. DARCY Michael 1857 #3959
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Hi Merlin,
I purchased the marriage certificate of Corbett-Darcy to no avail. Michael Corbett m Margaret Darcy on Nov 20th 1857 in Duneed, Vic (near Geelong). She was a spinster according to the certificate and aged 22. There is some interesting further information though - and am wondering if it's worth following up.
Her parents names given as Mary Darcy (coincidence?) and Patrick Corbett. His parents are Patrick Darcy and Margaret Griffin.
The marriage entry beneath Michael Corbett and Margaret Darcy is for a Michael Darcy and a Margaret Griffin! Also from Duneed and her parents given as Michael Griffin and Mary McCarthy and his parents names as Thomas Darcy and Mary (looks like Mealy - hard to transcribe).
Were these people all related?!!
Am unsure how I can connect them to Donovan but am open to all suggestions!
I will keep hunting today and hoping some of you could assist me in trying to smash this brick wall.
Thanks so much for your efforts thus far!
Anna.
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Hi Jamjar - thanks for helping me ..
I think after Mary Ann's death her husband packed up and left Deniliquin and moved to Charters Towers to be with two of his sons who ran Nelia Ponds Station. The third son remained in Deniliquin .. perhaps there was some family rift with the brothers. I have never been able to find out.
I am wondering if the elusive parents of John Donovan were convicts .. I just can't work out why I cannot find them anywhere despite years of trying. Both John and his brother Thomas were born in Australia, so their parents must be buried somewhere - it's amazing that there is no record of theie existence (that I can find anyway!).
Hoping someone out there can assist me!
Anna.
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Hi Sue,
The only other evidence I have (apart from the obituary) I believe is rather convincing. Thomas Donovan's will/probate records show that the witness on documentation was John Crowe, brother of Mary Ann Donovan (nee Crowe) who also lived in Egerton.
Does this help you at all? I am still searching!
Anna.
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A woman named MARY BUTLER and a man named JOHN DONOVAN were having children in Melbourne between 1842 and 1849.
One of these was JOHN in 1843
DONOVAN John
Father John
Mother Mary BUTLER
Birth Place MELBOURNE
Year 1843
Reg Number 36940
Denomination Roman Catholic
Parish St Francis, Melbourne
Fiche 525
Among the siblings was this birth in BRIGHTON
DONOVAN Bridget
Father John
Mother Mary BUTLER
Birth Place BRIGHTON
Year 1846
Reg Number 39411
Denomination Roman Catholic
Parish St Francis, Melbourne
Fiche 540
MARY BUTLER may have died in 1855
DONOVAN Mary
Father Butler John
Mother-
Age 36
Birth Place WATE (wild guess! WATERFORD)
Year 1855
Reg Number 5357
Other children were ELLEN and JAMES.
Have you previously persued this line?
Sue
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Hi Sue,
Yes I have pursued this line to a point ..
A long time ago I purchased Mary Butlers death certificate. It revealed that she died on Xmas Day 1855 at Brighton. Thomas Hallinan friend and witness to her death. Certificate says that she was married to John Donovan at Four Mile Wake in Waterford approx 1834. She had lived in Victoria for 14 years which gives an emigration year of approx 1841. Children given as James (13), John (12), Bridget (10), Ellen (8), Thomas (6) and Catherine (2).
I haven't chased this lead up for a few years - might see if I can uncover something. For memory I don't think I could find any record of the marriage in Ireland. I also seem to recall that one of the children was born in the Geelong or Mount Moriac area (where the Crowe family lived).
Any help appreciated - thank you so much I am very grateful.
Anna.
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Hi again Sue,
I also have John Donovan (born to Mary Butler and John Donovan) baptism record. Looks like witnesses were Mary Garey and a possible Thomas Flannery (hard to transcribe name)
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Hello again!
I am hoping someone may be able to assist as I continue in my efforts to smash through this frustrating brick wall.
I have returned to the marriage certificate of John Donovan and Mary Ann Crowe and note that the names given as witnesses are:
William Patrick Corcoran, Amanda Corcoran, Maggie Corcoran and Patrick Crowe.
William Patrick Corcoran was a hotelier who owned the Prince George Hotel in Swanston St, Melbourne.
I have discovered that his wife at the time of John Donovan and Mary Ann Crowe's marriage (1873) was Mary Alice O'Connor (parents Jeremiah O'Connor and Margaret Crowe), the cousin of Mary Ann Crowe.
Further investigation revealed that he had two previous wives and numerous children.
Wife #1 Rachel Fitzsimons (m 1843 in Dublin, residence given as Powerscourt). The couple had two boys, Francis John Corcoran and William Edward Corcoran in Ireland. I am assuming Rachel must have died but I haven't been able to find any death record for her in either Australia or Ireland.
To add to my problem, I am also having trouble finding an emigration record for William Patrick Corcoran and his sons!
Wife #2 Mary Ann Burns McGonigall (m Melbourne 1856). They had five children that I could find: Amanda, Margaret Ann Jane, Frances Mary, Adelaide Victoria Creed, and Annie Alex. The only child I can only find marriage details for is Frances Mary (who wed Charles Thomas Lake).
Mary Ann Burns McGonigall died in Melbourne in 1870.
Wife #3 Mary Alice O'Connor (m 1873). I can't seem to find any children to the couple - and it seems just two years later, in 1875, William Patrick Corcoran died.
I am hoping to discover what happened to Mary Alice O'Connor, who must have been left with these step children she would barely have known. I can't find a marriage record for her and am asking for assistance if anyone could help me.
I am hoping that if I can uncover any clues it could perhaps help me in my search for the elusive John Donovan!
I also notice on this board a lady who is researching Joanna Crowe who is one of Mary Ann Crowe's family members but so far have had no luck in making contact with her.
Thank you for taking the time to read this!
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Sorry - re: Mary Alice O'Connor marriage record - I have her marriage certificate to William Patrick Corcoran but cannot find any further marriages after her husband's death in 1875. Hoping someone can shed some light ..
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Anna
I have also tried to find Mary Alice Corcoran nee O'Connor. The two references I have to her are:
13 Nov 1877, The Argus. 'Notice. Smith's Royal Hotel, cnr Queen and Bourke Streets, Melbourne. Mrs Thomas Smith of Mack's Hotel Geelong and Mrs WP Corcoran, formerly of Prince George Hotel Melbourne. The hotel has been thoroughly renovated and altered to suit the convenience and comfort of visitors.'
Margaret O'Connor nee Crow's death cert - Mary Alice was deceased by 18 Sept 1911.
My link to Mary Alice is Theresa O'Connor, her sister (born 1870 in Ballan) whose birth was not registered but is listed as a twin to Ann on Margaret's death cert. On Jeremiah O'Connor's death certificate the girls are named Eliza Ann and Bridget Theresa.
You mention Deniliquin in your post. Theresa had two illegitimate children in Deniliquin by John Mollenhour/Mollenhaur/Mollenhauer, a musician, in Jan 1893 and Feb 1894. He was being chased for maintenance in 1894. Both children were put into State care as Theresa was unable to support them. Mollenhaurer drowned at Thursday Island 14 Dec 1899.
Theresa from Ballarat married John William Brooks from Elmore at Rochester in May 1895 and they had a son the same year. Brooks advertised in The Argus in May 1902 - 'ANYONE knowing the whereabouts of THERESA BROOKS (nee Theresa O'Connor), who formerly resided at Ballan, will kindly communicate with J.W. Brooks, Elmore.'
It has been hard to trace Theresa's movements - the last one being - 12 Jan 1930, Sunday Times, Perth. 'Missing Friends - O'CONNOR (Bridget Teresa), aged now about 60 years, born at Ballan, Victoria, will hear something to her advantage by communicating with National Trustees Company, 113 Queen-street, Melbourne.'
Kind regards
Heather
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Hi Heather :)
I saw where you posted that about Giralda O'Connor. Giralda O'Connor was my Grandmother although we don't know if that is really her first name. On her wedding certificate it is Christina May O'Connor plus she used Christina. I only knew her as Christine. Her sister was Olga Grade O'Connor and she married Edwin George Wade. They had one son called John. My Grandmother had 5 children, Madeleine Joan (my mother), Bruce, Buddy (Noel), Claire and Mary (Molly). Claire and Molly married two Americans and lived in the USA until their passing. Anything else you need to know, just ask. Cheers Julie
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My apologies for interrupting this thread but it was the only way to find HeatherWade55. Thank you :)
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Julie
Lovely to hear from a descendant of Giralda. I have spent many hours trying to find her as I have their mother.
Who did Christina May O'Connor marry?
Regards
Heather
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Morning Heather
My Grandmother married Noel Ernest Maddison. You have her Mother?
Cheers Julie
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Julie
Her mother is the Theresa O'Connor mentioned above.
Regards
Heather
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According to our family's information, my Grandmother Giralda/Christina Maddison (nee O'Connor) was the daughter of an Irish sailor John O'Connor and a lady called Annie Marks. They had two daughters, Olga Grace and Giralda May/ChristinaMay. Annie died giving birth to my Grandmother Giralda/Christina and both girls were placed in an orphanage. My Grandmother was born on the 6th February 1894.
There is a twist to this story as there seems to be another story that my Grandmother's mother was Theresa Hausheur. My Grandmother appears to have been born in Deniliquin. But there is also the statement by my late Grandfather that she was born in Sydney. Totally confused. I am not a member of my heritage or ancestry.com. You may email me at cortrad@bigpond.net.au
Regards
Julie