William John STEWARD (1860/1861 – 1949)

[cando]

Apologies Grantley for using the wrong name

How do you know she was of the Catholic faith?  Perhaps she simply married a person of the Catholic faith and married in their place of choice.  I have this in my own extended family and the wife continued to practise her protestant faith and was buried in the protestant section of a small country cemetery.  Her husband died many years later was buried beside her but that was a choice made by the surviving children.

Have you thought of searching parish records?

It is actually Sevenhill not Seven Hills.  Lovely spot for a drop or two

Cando

[cando]

I just noticed that the marriage was in the Catholic Presbytery not the Church.  Surely if they were both of the Catholic faith they would have been married in the church. 

have Mary Jane STEWARD's certificate ;
Married in the District of: Clare
When Married: March 14th 1885
Alfred COUZINER, age 24, Bachelor, Labourer, residing Jamestown, father Stephen COUZINER
Jane STEWARD, age 22, Spinster, residing Jamestown, father Thomas STEWARD
Place: Catholic Presbytery Jamestown
Signed: Mr Alfred James COUZNER and Janey STEWARD
Witnesses: A C FRY and Adelaide ALLAN

So other assisting may have a little of the history of Sevenhill etc.
http://www.germanaustralia.com/e/chron/chron3.htm
1851
The Silesian Catholic Franz Weikert and the Austrian Jesuit priest Alois Kranewitter bought a large piece of land at Sevenhill, about 6 km south of Clare in South Australia, and established a Jesuit seminary. Weikert had led a group of Silesian Catholics to South Australia in 1848, but had not been able to keep them together after arrival. The Sevenhill community was organised in the European style, with houses and farms grouped around a central church and a college/seminary. The seminary trained many priests, and at its peak in 1898 sixteen Fathers and eleven Brothers were working there. This close-knit German-speaking Catholic community was an exception; generally German-speaking Catholics blended into existing Anglo-Irish Catholic congregations. Alois Kranewitter later went to Melbourne and worked for the Catholic Church there.

[grantleydawn]

I doubt that her husband's family were anything near Catholic.

Initially I guessed she was a Catholic, being married in a Catholic Presbytery & then buried in a Catholic section of a cemetery.
Through this posting, her obituary was revealed (to me) and it says in part "A devout Catholic, she dedicated her life to work for the church, and that was her sole interest outside her home."

I would not have been surprised if someone suggested an Irish background, based on "Catholic" & the spelling of "Steward".

I do know that researching Irish Catholic records is not something that is easy, from the comfort of home.

I think I need to now put my head down and compile everything that this posting has revealed or lead me to further research.

Best Regards
Grantley

 

[grantleydawn]

Just noting my finds.

I have eliminated Robert Martin STEWARD, he was the son of Thomas Arthur STEWART & Ann Jane MARTIN. They were a separate family.

I did notice that birth indexes, recorded with a location of "Seven Hill", started from 11 Feb 1858. It doesn't mean anything, other than I noticed it.

[grantleydawn]

It would appear that I may be on the right track.

I now have a Thomas STEWART aged 28 (son of Walter STEWART) marrying 10th Dec 1856 at Hill River, S.A. to Jane NOLAN aged 21 (daughter of John NOLAN)
 - that suits Mary Jane STEWARD being born at Sevenhill about 1858.

I also have Thomas STEWART, aged 65, of Quorn, dying 15th Aug 1891 at Port Augusta, S.A.
plus, Jane STEWART, aged 63, dying 11 Feb 1898 at North Quorn, S.A. – informant William STEWART.
 - that suits William John STEWARD having children at Quorn, up to 1896 & then shifting to Mitcham by 1899.

Only achieved by everyone’s help.

Life is looking better.

Regards
Grantley

[cando]

Grantley there appears to be many errors with the transcription of the STEWARD and STEWART records in South Australia and possibly the district registers need to be searched along with possible parish records.

There are a number of public trees with STEWART and STEWARD names intertwined.

Cheers
Cando

[pinefamily]

Grantley,
You are probably already aware of it, but you can view the district registers at SAGHS, or Genealogy SA I think they call themselves now. Not sure if Sevenhill would be in the Clare or Gilbert districts.
And I don't think non-registration was limited to Catholics or Scots; one of my grandfather's brothers is missing from both the Gilbert district register and the central one. I have his birthdate from the family bible, and even have a photo of him, as well as having met his descendants.

[pinefamily]

On a sidenote, didn't the Catholic Brothers start the Sevenhill Winery?
Yes, Cando, it is a nice drop from up there!

[cando]

Detailed in reply#19

Cando