Hello every one,
I have been searching for the date of death for Catherine Dillon (Kate). She was born on July 16th, 1893 and all I know is she died around 5 years old. This makes sense as her sister Katherine Dillon (Kathleen Frances) was born October 5th, 1899. Her parents were James and Ellen Dillion.
Any help in establishing her date of death would be terrific.
Below is my research thus far:
James Dillon was born in 1854, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. His father was Charles Dillon and his mother was Jane Kyle. He had four brothers; Henry Dillon, John Dillon, Charles Dillon and Daniel Dillon. James also has five sisters; Elizabeth Dillon, Margaret Dillon, Mary Dillon, Sarah Dillon and Jane Dillon. His brother Charles and four children were home when James left for New Zealand.
The ship James immigrated on was called the “Conflict” which sailed from Belfast on the 4th November, 1875, and arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand on the 29th January, 1876. They sailed along Africa and around the Cape of Good Hope. At the port of Lyttelton local farmers met these ships to find labour, James wages was one pound a week. He bought 20 acres of grazing land at Orari, Geraldine.
In Geraldine James Dillon knew Bridget McQuillan (nee McIlroy). Bridget had immigrated to New Zealand with her husband James aboard the sailing ship “Celaeno”, the ship left the port on the 30th September, 1869 under the command of Captain C. H. Renaut. They eventually arrived at Lyttelton, New Zealand at 3.00pm, the 16th January, 1870 while anchored off from the quarantine station at Camp Bay. James met Ellen McIlroy at Bridget McIlroy’s Geraldine home (she was her aunt).
James and Ellen married at Queenstown on the 18th November,1886. Ellen McIlroy was born in 1858, Maghrahoney, Antrim, Northern Ireland. Her father was Daniel McIlroy, born in about 1828 (he was from Cushendall) and had a brother Hugh. Her mother was Mary Scally born in about 1836 (she was from Dunacaslter in Carey, outside Ballycastle, Northern Ireland). Ellen’s parents had married in 1857. She had six sisters; Catherine McIlroy born 1859, Mary Ann McIlroy born 1860, Jane McIlroy born 1863, Bridget McIlroy born 1868, Agnes Mary McIlroy born 1874 and Elizabeth McIlroy born 1876. Ellen also had four brothers: Patrick McIlroy born 1864, Daniel McIlroy born 1866, John McIlroy born 1870 and Charles McIlroy born 1871. Their father Daniel passed away in 1903, while their mother Mary died many years later in 1921.
Ellen and her sister Mary Ann immigrated to New Zealand in 1883. They went from Antrim in Northern Ireland to Glasgow in Scotland. The port of departure was Greenock Dock. They left on the sailing ship Nelson which was commanded by Captain Bannatyne and had on board 305 immigrants. It left port on the 2nd August, 1883 and arrived in Otago, New Zealand at Port Chalmers on the 19th October, 1883.
James later sold his 20 acres of land at Orari and purchased 266 acres at Ashwick Flat, this is about eight miles from Fairley - he was the first farmer there. The family was there for twelve years before James’ poor health, due to rheumatic fever, caused the doctor to advise shifting north to a warmer climate.
The family numbering seven at the time came to the Manawatu district, and eventually bought a farm at Newman near Eketahuna where they lived for 33 years.
The children of James and Ellen were:
Charles John Dillon,
born 1887
James Daniel Dillon,
born 1889
Mary Elizabeth Dillon,
born 1890
Ellen Jane Dillon,
born 1892
Catherine Dillon (Kate),
born 1893
Margaret Ann Dillon (Mary Rita),
born 1894
Patrick Dillon,
born 1896
Agnes Josephine Dillon,
born 1897
Katherine Dillon (Kathleen Frances),
born 1899
Joseph Mark Dillon,
born 1901
Francis Hugh Dillon,
born 1903
Warmest regards,
Ashley
