Werty,
I hope you don't mind me being quite direct at this point in this now very long thread.
I think you are side-tracking yourself here with all this searching in early 20th century records for FIRTH. Perhaps I have mis-understood, but I am sure that Bron63 is trying to find the father of Agnes and Mary Ann FIRTH, the two daughters of Frances FIRTH who died in 1864, and who was born about 34 years earlier. And further that Bron63 understands that it is the father of these two girls who was a ‘full blood’ Aboriginal man. So, I am at a loss to know why you are trying to find the Aboriginal connection in the generation of those who enlisted for World War I with the surname FIRTH. Surely, as the girls were born in the early 1860s, then the soldiers in the AIF are at least one generation after the girls and with even less Aboriginal heritage to take into account?
Frances dc has her as Irish born, so the girls have half their heritage as “overseas” already. …. And thus this leaves only their Dad that may be of Aboriginal ethnicity for the other ‘half’. So their possible first cousins on their Dad’s side are where you are looking, but we do not yet know Dad’s details. We suspect (from Agnes dc) he was a boundary rider and that his surname was FIRTH.
Agnes and Mary Ann may well have first cousins on their Mum’s side who are fully British stock and they may well have first cousins on their Dad’s side who are fully Aboriginal stock.
What I do find a tad odd, is that it is the DAD, who is believed to be Aboriginal, fathered both the girls. This is not a usual situation. Usually you will find in a “mixed’ marriage in NSW in those times, that the MUM is Aboriginal, and that the DAD is British. Also, these relationships tend to be short term, and so it is not usual to find TWO children who are ‘full’ siblings, and that both are fathered by an Aboriginal.
I do not think there’s two separate families of FIRTH with Patrick and Kate as the parents and then with Patrick and Catherine as another separate family.
Just some thoughts for you to mull over, afterall I have now looked at the NAA file for Leslie Robert FIRTH, and he was a Dental Surgeon before he enlisted on 6 Nov 1918, and his date of birth is given by him on his enlistment papers as 14 July 1894. He had blue eyes, brown hair and a medium complexion, and he lived with him Mother at 11 Shadforth Street, Mosman. Yes, his place of birth is shown on those papers as “Casilis”. Likely his birth cert would be #10106/1894 (Leslie R FIRTH parents as Robert A and Edith J, registered Cassilis)
The online index as Patrick FIRTH marrying Kate Winifred MACARNEY or MCCARNEY in 1880 at Coonamble (#3062) The familysearch.org has baptisms for this couple to match up to many of the civil birth registrations for them. So may I suggest that Joseph, civil rego #23638/1882 with parents as Patrick and Catherine Winifred FIRTH, registering his birth at Narrabri is also the same couple who son Joseph was baptised at St Francis Xavier, Narrabi. Joseph Bernard FIRTH born 4 May 1882, baptised 7 Feburary 1883.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XTCQ-MTL https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XT69-VL4 I believe that Charles Allen FIRTH (brother of Ernest and Francis as per the AIF files for Ernest, with correspondence from their Mum re her sons) was baptised as Carolus Alfredus FIRTH. Born 23 August 1883, baptised at St Joseph at Gunnedah 30 December 1883, with Parents recorded as Patritius FIRTH and Catharine Winefrida Mccarney.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XTCQ-L4N I believe his birth was registered at Narrabri, Charles A, with parents as Patrick and Catherine W FIRTH (#259311883). I checked his NZEF digitised file, I typed up and posted on this thread that info including his physical description. His complexion was noted as Sallow.
Re Ernest FIRTH's brother Charles, the one mentioned on Ernest's AIF files as being in the NZEF
Here's some info
Charles Allen FIRTH, born Australia, a Shearer, n o k, Mrs Maggie Firth (mother), Pilliga, NSW, was a Private in the NZ Expeditionary Forces, as per Auckland Cenotaph Datebase
http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/Cenotaph/locations.aspx?#
21 pages of service records for Charles are available, digitised by NZ Archives Image 17 has a description …. Sallow complexion, Brown Eyes, Black Hair, 31 years 5 months, 5 ft 8 ¾ inches, and a shearer. This is on his Cert of Discharge in NZ in April 1919. (NZEF # 11263 –Army)
http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/
Cheers JM
Cheers, JM
