Hi Kris,
I found the record of my Grandfather's grave in the Catholic section of Burra Cemetery on a site listing SA burials.
The date of death, name, his age and the cemetery location of Burra all correlate with when I knew he died and where he died. That is the only information I have. My Father suspected he had TB but according to my Grandmother he died of Spanish Flu. His health was not good for some time apparently.
I don't, as yet, have a birth or death certificate for him so all I have run with is what is known through family history and information my cousin, Clare, has given me. Clare is the Grandaughter of my Grandfather's oldest sister, Bridget.
I found Francis Patrick's name on the School Records for Burra on the
burrahistory.com.au website and have corresponded with the lady who runs the family history section on that site. She was helpful in providing some information and she provided the contact of another Burra historian who was reasonably confident that John Quinn was the father of Emily. John Quinn is listed on the 'Burra Pioneers' page of this site and I have a newspaper obituary for him. There were 2 Quinn families in Burra around that time. I'm embarrassed that I can't remember this ladies name but she owns a B & B called Birch Cottage and was very helpful.
My Grandmother, Catherine Margaret Lynch, was also from that area of SA.....Pekina, and was also obviously Irish descent, with a name like Lynch.
A very distant cousin recently provided a lot of information about her family living around this area.
I was aware that Burra had a lot of Cornish & Welsh migrants and that the Irish tended to be farmers......as my Grandmother's family were.
The family link with Broken Hill is interesting and I suspect has something to do with the Railways as well as mining. My Grandfather was a Railway worker and married my Grandmother in Broken Hill.......where my father was subsequently born in 1913. My G. Grandfather, James Davoren Casey, was also a Railway worker in Melbourne.
Having looked at photos of Burra, yes, I can imagine it seemed a very harsh place after Ireland, but Irish immigrants were pretty desperate I guess, after the Potato Famine.
The
Jeremiah Darby Casey I mentioned was apparently in Burra at some stage? but also in lancelot (nr Gumbowie). He was also at Kapunda where he was a Foremen at the smelting works. He tried his hand at farming at Terowie, not successfully, and was a Carrier from Kadina to Adelaide prior to the railway opening. Other locations mentioned in his history are Mt Gipps, The Barrier (Silverton) and Limestone or 'The Acacia' before he ended up in Broken Hill.
The
John Casey I mentioned (another sibling of James Davoren we suspect) had 12 children, the first 6 being born in Burra. The last 6 children were born in Coglin & Dawson in SA and Broken Hill.
As you can see I am having to use a bit of guesswork regarding my Grandfather.
Anything you can find or confirm would be wonderful.
Many, many thanks.
Regards,
Lynne
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? wow - the things you find that you weren't expecting!
