RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: RoserAncestors on Thursday 10 January 19 08:42 GMT (UK)
-
Hi there, I'm doing some family history research for that part of my half-sister's family that I don't share. I've successfully traced all her lines back to their places of origin overseas except one.
The line I can't trace is that of an Arthur O'Donnell who married Eliza Jane Bryans in 1892 in Brisbane (see attached marriage certificate).
Arthur lists his birthplace as Paddington, Cumberland, NSW about 1868 and his parents as Arthur O'Donnell (policeman) and Mary nee Lovett. The same parents are listed on his death registration record on the Qld BDM index in 1943.
I can't trace Arthur Junior's parents. The best I can find is a small Trove reference to an Arthur "McDonnell" as a constable stationed at Gayndah near Maryborough in Queensland: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/148729762
Can anyone identify Arthur's parents in the records? Many thanks in advance for any assistance.
-
Sands directories freely available to search
City of Sydney https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/learn/search-our-collections/sands-directory
1868, Paddington : http://cdn.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/learn/history/archives/sands/1858-1869/1868-part2.pdf
JM
-
There are several deaths in QLD showing father Henry Baldwin and mother Mary Lovett ** late O'Donnell, tracing this family, I can see children to Mary and Baldwin:
Henry Baldwin b. 1881
Mabel Mary Ann Baldwin b. 1883
Sydney Ernest Baldwin b. 1885
Albert Edward Baldwin b. 1888
I can't see a marriage under Baldwin but there is a 1880 marriage of Henry BALWIN (no D) and Mary O'Donnel
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179684599?searchTerm=%22A%20O%27Donnell%22
This death notice for Mrs M. "Balwin" mentions children Henry and Albert Edward Baldwin, Mrs J. P. Kennedy, and Mr A. O'Donnell.
Her death is registered as "Mary Balwin", daughter of John Lovett and Jane Roe
-
Hi JM, thanks for those links. I can find a Mrs Mary O'Donnell living at Sussex Street in the city so perhaps that is her. I will investigate.
Hi jorose, thanks for that detective work, it definitely sounds like her and now I have some more certificates I can order!
-
BDM QLD births
1876 C4171 Percival Henry LOVETT parents Mary Lovett
1879 B24610 Alice Mabel LOVETT parents Mary Lovett
BDM QLD death
1881 B13927 Alice Mabel LOVETT parenrs- Mary Lovett ** born Queensland aged 1 year
1886 B18615 Sydney Ernest BALDWIN parents Henry BALDWIN / Mary LVETT ** late O'Donnell
https://graves.brisbane.qld.gov.au/ (buried in same plot)
Toowong Cemetery location 7-37-9
BALDWIN Sydney bur. 15 Feb 1886
O'DONNELL Alice Mabel bur. 6 Feb 1881
Arthur O'DONNELL was not around by 1876?
-
Hi wivenhoe, yes that sounds right - I'll have to look for a death record or something else for Arthur O'Donnell before 1876 it seems. Many thanks for your help.
-
If the Lovett births in QLD are of the correct Mary, then does it mean that she wasn’t an O’donnell?
Arthur Jnr was born c1868.
I can’t see her registering the children in her maiden name and then re-marrying in her first married name.
Jamjar.
-
Re that Qld m.c.
If we assume that Arthur’s dad was a policeman in NSW at some time in the 1860s to 1890s … then we should expect to find some indexed info at NSW State Archives
https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/police-service-guide
and
https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/police-service-registers
I have had a quick skim for Arthur O'Donnell…. But please do check and re-check…. I found ziltch… (two as O'Donnell, but not Arthur :D )
I have also tried just keying in Arthur as the given name and leaving everything else blank … so that for example the Surnames are in alphabetical order for all those with a given name of Arthur ….
So the nearest to O’DONNELL seems to be :
Arthur DONNELLY
Arthur Joseph W DONNELLY
Alfred Arthur Rynsey OCONNOR
Arthur John ONEILL
Arthur OSBORNE
I haven’t searched my pre-federation NSW electoral rolls for Arthur O’DONNELL simply because policemen were exempt from enrolling as they were the ones acting under the authority of the Police Magistrates and compiling the lists of those males aged 21 and over who were British Subjects and thus eligible to be enrolled to vote in NSW elections.
Noting a birth place as Paddington, Cumberland, New South Wales on a 1892 m.c. is somewhat unusual …. I would have expected it to be recorded in 1892 as Paddington, N.S. Wales …. But I have no detailed knowledge of the Queensland Primitive Methodists Clergy’s admin rules and practices.
Have you considered searching Trove for ‘Constable O’Donnell’ :D :D
JM
-
Hi jamjar, yes that is a little strange isn't it? It makes me wonder if maybe there is something more complicated going on than simply the death of a first husband prior to a remarriage.
Hi again JM and thanks again. As you suggested I did just do a Trove search for "Constable O'Donnell" and found a large number of hits for me to go through - there seem to be a few separate individuals in NSW & Queensland over that period. I will also have a look at the police registers that you linked.
-
I purchased the death certificate of Mary Balwin nee Lovett who died in Brisbane in 1915 (see attached). It says she was born in Launceston, Tasmania, about 1852. It doesn't mention an O'Donnell marriage or child but her funeral notice mentions a son "Mr A O'Donnell" (courtesy of jorose).
I haven't located Mary's Launceston birth record yet but I have located a birth record on 18 November 1874 in Launceston of an Arthur Lovett son of Mary Lovett (no father recorded). I strongly suspect this is the Arthur O'Donnell who married Eliza Jane Bryans in 1892 in Brisbane, despite the birthplace and age on his marriage certificate being different.
https://linctas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fNAME_INDEXES$002f0$002fNAME_INDEXES:976489/one?qf=NI_INDEX%09Record+type%09Births%09Births&qu=mary&qu=lovett
I also found a marriage between a Jane Roe and a John Hendricks on 31 December 1849 in Launceston, but none with a John Lovett. There are several John Lovett's recorded in Trove and on the Tasmanian BDM site.
https://linctas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fNAME_INDEXES$002f0$002fNAME_INDEXES:840406/one?qu=jane&qu=roe
Many thanks for everyone's help.
-
Oops, the Arthur Lovett 1874 birth was registered in Hobart, not Launceston. I'm still guessing it's him though.
-
The death certificate is good information. Albert BALWIN has not included Arthur among the children of Mary LOVETT, when he is obviously known to the family by the funeral notice in the paper.
The marriage certificate, BALWIN O'DONNEL 1880, would have information by Mary about herself.
I think this incident is about your Arthur O'DONNELL.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/83673738?
...Arthur O'DONNELL....to the reformatory.........
https://www.qld.gov.au/dsiti/qsa/search (Schools, Hospitals, Orphanages)
Westbrook Reformatory for Boys
There is a file here for Arthur. Usually it is possible to see an image from here (search by name) but that does not seem to be possible just now.
Go to the bottom of the page to download the index.......to see his name, and age 14. The files are usually one line of admission details including birth date and some indication of domestic/social circumstances of family.
-
Thanks heaps wivenhoe, the newspaper story is very interesting if a little sad. I've been working on this line a bit since I got the clues from this thread and now have a theory for how it all hangs together going back to convict origins in Tasmania. Once I'm finished I'll give a proper update.
-
Just thought I'd give an update on what I think I've worked out with everyone's help.
I now strongly suspect that Arthur O'Donnell was born in Hobart, Tasmania, on 18 Nov 1874 (not Paddington, NSW, in 1868). He was registered as Arthur Lovett son of Mary Lovett (nee Row and later Mary Balwin) with no father recorded.
I believe his father may have been the Daniel O'Donnell mentioned in this snippet from the 1868 Tasmanian reports of crime: "Mary Lovett, charged with leaving her children at Latrobe without means of support. ... Supposed to be in company with Daniel O'Donnell, late District Constable."
This Daniel O'Donnell was a convict transported to Tasmania in 1850 for assault with intent to ravish Jane Jack in Inverness-shire while a private in the 27th Regiment stationed at Fort George. His native place was County Donegal and he became a police constable in Tasmania.
Mary Row seems to have been the daughter of another convict, Mary Maguire/Mary Roe/Jane Roe, who came from County Tyrone, married, was widowed, had two illegitimate children, was transported to Tasmania in 1848 for stealing a gown, married John Hendrick (a ticket of leave convict) in 1849 in Launceston and died in the New Town Pauper Establishment in Hobart in 1885.
-
Here's the 1880 marriage certificate of Henry Balwin & Mary O'Donnell: