Fromelles missing - CURRAN (b NSW, enlisted Brisbane)

[majm]

Bit More,

Perhaps we should order the following record first, and if so, how long does the process take - ?  Thanks in advance.  JM

Bit More,

On Qld BDM online, (following up on a thread for one of the other Fromelles-missing - Lads), this may be a clue too. Qld made every effort to honour AIF fallen who had enlisted in Qld. The "F" in this reference reflects that this registration indicaties the AIF death occurred outside of Qld.

1922/F2034 Curran J.J. - - ** aged 33 years

JM

[Andcarred]

Hi JM,

Qld have a wait of about 6-10 weeks for certs at the moment.    They have also put up the price and have no transcription agents.  I don't think this certificate will tell us much more than we already know.

The Catherine Curran who died in Brewarrina is a good chance if the Death Cert comes back with the age tallying as the parents are the same on both certificates.  She would have only been about 16 or 17 when she gave birth to her illegitimate son.  Also he may not have known of her death when he joined up as she was in outback NSW and he was in Queensland.  Both events may have occurred at nearly the same time.

It would be interesting to see who furnished the details on the death certificate.  It may only have been a hospital doctor or someone not related who knew nothing about her son.  I think we need the cert even if its just to rule her out.  I had already offered to get it so will share the cost of a transcript with you if you would like to order it.

I don't know if it useful or not but Brewarrina Council may have a cemetery register as there probably is no headstone.  This might reveal who paid for the grave.


Andcarred

[Auimfo]

Following on with the Brewarrina link I read somewhere that the Brewarrina Information Centre had burial records so I rang them.

Catherine Curran is most certainly buried in the cemetery there and died on 25th April, 1915 (the day of the landing at Anzac Cove!).   She was buried on the 27th.   The only extra info they had on the burial records was that she was catholic and 44 years old.   However, they did state that her actual death certificate would probably provide more information than the burial record.

Her age, although not exact, would suggest it quite possible that she's the Catherine Curran born at Maitland.

The info centre also gave me the name of their local historian so I will try to contact her and see what we might be able to discover.

Cheers,
Tim L.

[Auimfo]

Another thing just struck me.

Catherine Curran died at Brewarrina in April 1915 yet Joseph Curran enlisted three months later in July 1915 and named his mother as his NOK.

That suggests he either didn't know his mother had died or this Catherine isn't his mother.

I suppose he may not have known because he's away in Qld and seemingly didn't have a very close relationship with her.

Cheers,
Tim L.

[Auimfo]

I need to get a secretary to take notes for me........

I forgot to mention that there are no other Curran's buried at Brewarrina.

Cheers,
Tim L.

[Andcarred]

Hi Tim, JM and Others,

The information on Catherine Curran who died in Brewarrina being around the correct age proves it for me that she is the Catherine born in Maitland to Michael and Anne (as stated on both her birth and death certs) but of course that doesn't prove that she was the girl who had the illegitimate baby.

However as he is the only Curran born at that time with a mother called Catherine it would be hard to go past her as his mother.  As Brewarrina was (still is??) fairly remote and he was in Queensland I think it is more than likely he didn't know she was deceased.  I have lots of relies who were away droving or shearing etc and didn't find out until months later that there had been a death in the family.

Michael and Anne Curran seem to have had 3 other children but 2 died young so that leaves only one sibling for Catherine as her mother Anne died in childbirth in 1871.  There may be step siblings, I haven't gone any further.  The one remaining sibling is a brother John J Curran born 1865 Maitland.  Unfortunately lots of J J Currans around.

Andcarred

[Andcarred]

Hi,

Sorry I forgot another brother of Catherine.  He was also called Michael and he died in Maitland in 1944. 

Andcarred

[majm]

Hi All,
Tim,  did you by anychance ask for the name of the funeral director conducting that service, or perhaps the contact details for the current priest for a call to ask for a check of their parish register for April 1915 -  Just a thought considering the point about his enlistment date being several months after that funeral.

JM

[Auimfo]

Actually no I didn't JM.   The woman at the info centre told me that was all there was on that entry.

Didn't even give a thought to contacting the local parish priest.

I haven't got onto the local historian yet cos' there's no answer but I'll remember to ask her these things.

Cheers,
Tim L.