DWYER of Mia Mia (Vic)

[ChristineR]

Hello Judith
I just found this post on a google search, I am working on my husband's DWYER lines at the moment.  Thomas is his gt grandfather's brother.  I do have Thomas' death certificate which lists all his children to each wife. 
I was interested to hear about the postmistress bit for Honorah Kate,  as I was surprised to see in the electoral roll that Thomas' brother was a postmaster at Glenhope.  They didn't mention that in his obituary, just the farming bit.   Honorah only ever appears in the electoral rolls with home duties.

Thomas Dwyer, Shire Valuator and Rate Collector
Died: 27th October 1916, Mia Mia, Shire of McIvor, County of Dalhousie.
Sex and Age: Male, 67 years.
Informant:R.C.Dwyer, son, Heathcote
I had difficulty reading some details on the death certificate, but the order of the children is shown.
By 1st marriage- Margaret Madden
Michael ? 44,  Ellen? 43,  Thomas James 41,  Bridget   dead, Elizabeth  39,        Mary Ann ?, Margaret Easter   37
By 2nd marriage-  Mary Maher
Honorah Kate 25: Edward John 33, Annie(crossed out), Richard Charles 31,     Annie dead

JOHNSTON Susie Elizabeth
Father Dwyer Thomas  Mother Margaret  MADDEN
At Melbourne  87 years  1963  Reg#24409   [born 1876]

Susie is listed as Elizabeth aged 39 on her father's death, she was born about 1877, in between Bridget and Mary Ann, her birth not registered.  She married Charles Johnston as Elizabeth Susan Dwyer.  I think Charles died in Hawthorn in 1943, they were living there at the time.

Margaret Easter is shown at death and in the electoral rolls as Margaret Esther.   It isn't really surprising that some were not registered, it would be a a fair trip by horse or wagon into Heathcote to do the registering, and they would have a busy life, so time would just pass by and then it would be too late. 

Hope this helps.
Christine

[ChristineR]

Just further to my previous post, fishing around in my files.
Moderators please note that this is my own transcription below from a photograph that I took myself at the Kyneton cemetery.

Michael and Bridget Madden, nee Coughlan (I have that they married 1842 at Campbellfield, so a Merri Creek baptism /birth for Margaret is most likley right) They had the pub at Mia Mia from Jan 1854.  Michael died 1855 and Bridget went on to marry Frederick Lars Westblade.  Bridget was born abt 1822 in Galway, Ireland, died 9 May 1900 at Westby Park, Murrabit.   Margaret Dwyer, nee Madden is buried with her parents.   The young Thomas mentioned on the headstone died after a tragic gun accident just outside the Mia Mia Hotel. 

 Headstone Transcription, Kyneton cemetery.
                Erected by
           The Beloved wife of
           MICHAEL MADDEN
            who died AD 1855
               Aged 35 years
                     ALSO
          HIS BELOVED SON
           THOMAS MADDEN
          WHO DIED AD 1858
            AGED 13 YEARS
MAY THEIR SOULS REST IN PEACE
                    AND
             MARGARET
    THE BELOVED WIFE OF
          THOMAS DWYER
who died at Mia Mia 8th April 1879
            Aged 29 years
   May her soul rest in peace
                ALSO
      BRIDGET WESTBLADE
     RELICT OF THE ABOVE
       Died 9th May 1900
              Aged 78
                R.I.P.
 Also PATRICK MADDEN
    DIED 30th MAY 1906

Often one will see two baptism entries in the BDM index - one is from the original church record where the ceremony took place, the other is a second record forwarded to the registry office when they asked for records to be sent to them when civil registration began July 1853.  Some churches did not comply with this request. (or some reason like that) 

[judb]

Many thanks Christine for that extra info.  You have done such excellent research and helped me so much privately as well. 

I found Honora Kate's death notice on the NLA digi newspaper site as well as finding her on Thomas's digitised will. I do recall my aunt (daughter of RC Dwyer) mentioning Aunt Kate but I didn't listen in those days!!!!

I also recall a mention that someone - I think one of the first family - went to NZ and was a horse breeder or something like that.  How vague am I 

Judith

[ChristineR]

  privately as well? which explains why Judith rang a bell.   And now, after checking my inbox, I know of course who you are.  At least you know that I am really working on the Dwyers as I told you.  I will upload what I have so far checked on TribalPages this Sunday - regardless of if I have finished checking or not.  I accidentally transferred too many of them when I did a gedcom from my PAF database.   

I spent ages working on the line of Michael Joseph, only to discover he wasn't who I thought he was, but luckily he turned out to be related, being the son of William Dwyer - I brought William's death certificate last week, to confirm that he was the one to marry Mary Navin.  I was so relieved that he was, else I had just wasted nearly three weeks of work on the wrong line.  That William, my husband's Patrick, and your Thomas are all brothers, sons of Michael Dwyer and Ellen McCarthy (who lived to 101).  Patrick and William were born in Tipperary, Thomas in Melbourne. The usual girls as well, Ellen, Mary, Bridget, Honorah, and another son Michael McCarthy Dwyer who I haven't followed up yet.
Patrick was postmaster at Glenhope in the 1903 and 1909 electoral rolls before moving into Kyneton.  He married Catherine Murphy.  Their son John went to New Zealand, interested to hear about the horse breeding or whatever, might help find him in NZ, if it was him - he was Thomas' nephew.

They are great those probates and Wills on the PROV site.  I've been fishing in them as well, and the NLA is wonderful too.  The electoral rolls and the war service records can hold valuable little clues too.  I would have never sorted out Michael Joseph without them, and believed that he was Patrick's son.  Two of them born in 1861 in Tylden, but only one registered, in Kyneton as just Michael.   I am going to have to buy the death certificate of the right Michael now, to confirm his wife, before I go off on another wild goose chase, next time I might not be so lucky. 
Don't forget to check my tree on Sunday.
cheers
Christine

[judb]

Thanks again Christine - yes it's me!!

I only heard the horse part of the NZ story very second hand from my aunt who said it was only a vague story she'd heard so may have no truth at all, although I know one of them was into horse racing and breeding in Victoria.

They were certainly intoworking for the Government - postmaster/mistresses and rate collector - not the usual occupations for the Irish - pub-keeping sounds more in my lot's line of work LOL

As I've said, I'm in Canberra so if there is anything I can look up at the NLA just let me know.

Judith

[Mia Mia Girl]

Hi Judith,
We may have some more information on the Dwyer's of Mia Mia. My father is writing a historical record of the district and the occupants. He has asked me to contact you to see if you are willing to communicate with him. Unfortunately he does not have access to internet or the computer. (He is very diligently typing out his notes  using an old typewriter). He seems to think that he may be able to fill in some of the gaps for you and that wondered if you could do same for him.

Regards

Mia Mia Girl

[Mia Mia Girl]

Just to add, he was born and bred in Mia Mia, knows most of the stories of the area including Heathcote, Redesdale, Glenhope etc. and remembers a lot of the original families in the area.

cheers
MiaMia Girl

[judb]

Hi there Mia Mia girl - and a big welcome to Rootschat

Would love to help your dad but I know very little except through records.  Unfortunately my dad's family are all deceased now so there is no-one left with first-hand knowledge.  My father's immediate family moved from Heathcote to Richmond (Melbourne) in the late 1920s as there was better work t be found in Melbourne.  However, as his father - Richard Charles DWYER seems to have been a Rate Collector I'm not sure why he left his job in Heathcote.

If ChristineR, who is also on this thread, is still contactable she has really good information about the early days as she is still in the area (or was when I was last in contact with her).

I'll PM you my email and if I can help at all please ask!

Judith

[ChristineR]

Hello Mia Mia girl,

I'm the ChristineR mentioned by judb. I had to come to Rootschat today to check on a private message (been so long since I have been here that I had to ask for a new password!). So, I thought I would browse a bit and checked out the 'new replies' key at the top of the page. So, I see your post.

My husband (who is the Dwyer relative) and I have been in the area since 1990. The only knowledge we have is from what I have learned through my family history research. We have no family stories of the Dwyers.

If you would like to PM me your email address I will send you an invitation to my Tribal Pages website. There, you can find absolutely everything I know about the Dwyers but would never be able to remember without looking at the notes! The dates and family structures might help prompt your father's memories about people too. If you want copies of birth, death, marriage certificates referred to in the notes I am happy to do that.

I've often wondered if the Dwyers around here were from the same lines. 

ChristineR