Mystery: Mary Ann Heffernan (Hefferan) and daughters

[dellp22]

 Hi,

Several years ago I posted "Help finding Mary E RYAN's Parents. Quirindi". I had allot of great info and tips and suggestions! Fast forward nearly 12 years later and DNA has helped some of her distant relatives and I piece together all the info to find that Mary E Ryan's parents were John Ryan and Mary Ann Heffernan of Glennies Creek NSW.

Mary Ann H is described on several of her children's certs as being Aboriginal and our DNA confirms what we always knew - that we had indigenous heritage. 

Birth between 1836-1840 • Falbrook, Glennies Creek, New South Wales. (no record)
Married John Ryan 1863 • Patricks Plain, New South Wales. Alexander Bowman and Henry McGee witnesses as they worked on Bowman's property.
Death 25 NOV 1912 • Chinchilla, Queensland. Moved there with her younger daughters.

She had 10 children, some before and some after she married; my Mary E Ryan being baptized (1862) with surname Heffernan as she was born before her parents married.

The most interesting find was a DNA match to someone named Susan Obrien. From several of Mary H's younger daughter's birth certificates we know that there were 2 'living' daughters that we could not find; one being my Mary E and another daughter born before 1864.

Susan was born in ~1857 in Singleton. Died 24 AUG 1897 • Penrith, New South Wales (age listed as 40 and a "native of Singleton"). She entered into a relationship with William H Tolhurst (they never married) and had several children, the first being born in Singleton area - William Porters Obrien Tolhurst.

We have searched extensively on Mary H's origins/whereabouts or for a birth certificate of a child born Ryan, Heffernan or Obrien ~1857 that potentially could be Susan. Even though the DNA states that Susan could be Mary H and John Ryan's daughter we are trying to find more evidence.

Mary H's surname was probably taken from the people she worked for as was Susan's. Susan may not have even been her first name!

We felt so excited when we found proof of Mary E but now we have even more unanswered questions!!! Any tips, hints would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Dell.

 

[giblet]

Mary Ann H is described on several of her children's certs as being Aboriginal and our DNA confirms what we always knew - that we had indigenous heritage. 

I wasn't aware that DNA tests could confirm if a person had indigenous heritage or not. 

Anyway i would be more inclined to go with what was noted on the certificates about been Aboriginal. There appears to be very few birth / baptisms registered in the early days for Aboriginals  so would be very surprised if you found a birth for your Mary Ann H.
You could contact the NSW state archives and ask them if they have any Mission records for Aboriginals in the area she was born and married in. Probably a long shot tho.

My husband's ancestors fostered a young Aboriginal boy in the late 1880's. Apparently they lived on the ancestors family farm in a camp and when the young fella's mother died and no father on the scene, hubby's ancestor took him in, no birth records or anything for him available, the only official record we have on him is his WW1 military file where Hubby's ancestor is noted as his next of kin. His birth mother's name isn't known neither. We only know of the story due to a very elderly relative telling us many years ago and then we found his military file.

[giblet]

Do you have the 1912 death certificate for Mary Ann? It should have her kids listed on it [if the informant of death knew that information]

[Jennaya]

Mary Ann H is described on several of her children's certs as being Aboriginal and our DNA confirms what we always knew - that we had indigenous heritage. 

I wasn't aware that DNA tests could confirm if a person had indigenous heritage or not. 

DNA tests show percentage of each ethnic background for the person being tested.

[Neale1961]

If some of Mary ann’s children were baptised, then I would first make contact with the same church to see what other baptisms may have been recorded locally ( but not necessarily sent on and recorded in Sydney).

[dellp22]

Thanks for the tips!

We have been living up in Darwin for a few months and my dad always gets asked what mob he is from... not to mention all the medical issues we have had in that side of the family which also leads into being asked...

We have limited baptism/birth records for the children. We also have not been able to find some death certificates.

Mary H's death certificate is also not clear who was still alive in terms of the girls. It says 1 female deceased and then lists all known remaining children. Susan (if she is Mary Hs daughter) died 1897 but we all assumed that it was one of her other daughters, Amy that had passed before her death as we have been unable to find Amy's death cert in QLD or NSW. We have not searched other states as yet. Mary E is not listed on Mary Hs death cert but she had lost contact with the family. Her brother John, posted in the paper in 1933 that he was seeking his sister who was 70 years of age, from parents John and Mary of Glennies Creek. This matches Mary's approx age. Amy would have been 66. He could have been searching for either of them though.

Dell.

[giblet]

Are the below births your Mary Ann Heffernan's kids?

HEFFERNAN SYDENHAM  949/1856 V1856949 160 - MARY   district NQ

HEFFERNAN JOHN  950/1860 V1860950 160 -  MARY  district  NQ

HEFFERNAN MARY  951/1862 V1862951 160  - MARY  district  NQ

[dellp22]

Yes she also had:
Susan 1857 (no birth record) query if she is marys daughter
Catherine 1864
Amy 1866
Ada 1868
Arthur 1871
Phoeby 1873
Isabella 1878 (no birth record)