Stories of Agnes Cahill

Today I'm writing about James Cahill - someone that we are related to! James was Agnes's father - cousin Gail's great-grandfather and my 2nd great-grandfather. James was born about 1822 at Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland. His parents were Richard Cahill and Catherine Hogan. On 20 November 1854, James married Elizabeth (Eliza) Dunn at the Catholic Church, Clara Parish, County Kilkenny. Eliza was born about 1830 at Johns Well, County Kilkenny. Her parents were Laurence Dunn and Judith Ryan. We've covered some of the details of Laurence and Judith and James and Eliza's life in an earlier blog. James and Eliza left Ireland aboard the Simonds and arrived in Port Jackson on 12 April 1855 - less than 6 months after their marriage. They settled in Patricks Plain which is close to Singleton. James went to work as a labourer for the railways.   They went on to have 11 children. There are issues with birth registrations which was often the case in those early d...

To set the scene...Margaret Ryan is the mother of James Woodland who married Agnes Cahill in 1901... On 18 August 1887, Margaret Ryan married George Austin Woodland at St Mary's Catholic Church, Newcastle.  So this was the day that the Woodland/s name came into our family but I very much doubt that any of us are descendants from George! It's also seven years today since my dear dad, Frank Woodlands, died.  My interest in our family history stems from Mum and Dad but I'm not sure they could have foreseen the journey I'm on.... So, what better day for a post! By now, we know that the story of Agnes Cahill is a complicated one.  James Oswald Woodlands' father was Cornelius Bray but James Woodland snr was in James Oswald's life from about the age of 8.  James Woodland snr was the father of Lorna Mae Bisgrove (nee Woodlands).   When I went to look for the birth registration of James Woodland snr, the next twist in the story unfolded. ...

It's 98 years since a 27 year old grocer from Stanmore married a 27 year old saleswoman also from Stanmore.  Yes, on 09 August 1919, James Oswald (Jim) Woodlands married Margaret Essie (Essie) Gersback at St Michael's Catholic Church in Stanmore.   On the marriage registration, Jim shows his parents as James Woodlands, a baker, and Agnes Cahill.  Essie shows her parents as Francis Gersbach, a collector, and Margaret Killion, deceased.  The witnesses at the wedding were Ettie Kane and Irene Gersbach, Essie's sister.  "Auntie Ettie" is very familiar to me amongst all the visitors to my "Grandma Woodie's"  home at 14 Yeo Street Neutral Bay.  She was a friend and not relative of Jim and Essie.   Jim has enlisted in the First World War on 29 May 1917 in Newcastle and had been discharged on 23 June 1919 in Sydney.  I've wondered how long Jim and Essie knew each other before the marriage and whether Jim was a bo...

On 18 July 1824, Laurence Dunn married Judith Ryan at St John's Parish, County Kilkenny, Ireland.  That's 187 years ago today!  Laurence was known as Larry and Judith as Judy or Johanna.  The alternative spelling for the family name is Dunne.  Larry and Judy were Agnes Cahill's grandparents. There were 10 children from the marriage born between about 1825 and 1846.  Elizabeth (Eliza) was the third child and oldest daughter of Larry and Judy and she was Agnes's mother.  Eliza was born about 1830 in Kilkenny.  On 20 November 1854, Eliza married James Cahill at the Clara Parish, County Kilkenny.  James was born in about 1822 in Kilkenny.  His parents were Richard Cahill and Catherine Hogan. Ruins of old church and graveyard, Clara, County Kilkenny James and Eliza left Ireland aboard the Simonds and arrived in Port Jackson on 12 April 1855 - less than 6 months after their marriage.  They settled in Patricks Plain which is close...

Lorna Mae was the youngest child of Agnes Cahill and James Woodland.  She was born at Church Street West, Newcastle on 04 November 1914.  Her birth was registered by James, on 26 November 1914, with her given name as "Lorna May".  He's shown as a baker, 42 years of age and born in Newcastle.  Agnes's family name is shown as "Kale" with her age as 38 and born in Singleton. Lorna Mae Woodlands from collection held by her daughter, Gail The family lived in an area of Newcastle known as "The Junction".  First in Union Street and then  in Watkins Street.  The area is between the CBD and Merewether Beach.  When Jim, Lorna's brother, enlisted in the First World War on 31 May 1917, his address is "Cavan", Watkins Street, The Junction.  The family were still living there in October 1919, when Lorna's older sister, Myra, married Robert Hollyford Whitworth. The Junction Newcastle with Union and Watkins Streets highlighted On 0...

In the last post, I covered my search for the birth details of James Oswald (Jim) Woodlands, my paternal grandfather. In brief, Jim was born, Oswald Cahill on 20 September 1891 at Dawson Street, Newcastle. His mother was Agnes Cahill but his birth registration didn't give any details of his father. Was I going to find Jim's biological father?   As I look at the photograph of Jim on the left, I see that strong resemblance with his son, my father - Frank! Back to my search, technology has completely revolutionised family history research! You can sit at home tapping away at your computer and you're presented with information that you'd have been hard pressed to find a few years ago. "Trove", the National Library of Australia's digital service, provides access to most Australian newspapers up to the mid 1950s.   So a search under "Agnes Cahill" and I have the answer! In a case reported on 7 November 1891, Charles Bray, a sto...

I admit to being a family history tragic and getting hooked very quickly.  Much of this is down to my picking the right relative to research first up! My choice was James Oswald (Jim) Woodlands, my paterna l grandfather.  He was the only grandparent that I didn't know and it seemed like an opportunity to get closer to him.  Even for a novice, it was easy to find Jim's 1946 death details but, after many weeks and knowing that he was born about 1891 in Newcastle, I couldn't locate his birth registration!   I only have four group photos including Jim and this is the best - circa 1944, two years before his death. Much searching and purchasing of transcripts of birth, death and marriage registrations, led me to the conclusion that, while Agnes Woodland (nee Cahill) was James Oswald's mother, it was improbable that James Woodland was his father - he was too young - and Agnes and James snr were not married until 1901 in West Maitland.  A brick wall..... I'...

Since early in 2016, I've been looking at my paternal grandfather's family - researching, questioning and sharing with a few of "the cousins" along the way.  There've been a few surprises!  The biggest being that Cornelius Bray was my grandfather's biological father and James Woodland (Snr) was his step-father.  We knew my grandfather as James Oswald Woodlands but his birth name was Oswald Cahill. So it's probably time that I started to record some of what I've uncovered...  After all, there's a lot more to research - my grandfather's biological Bray family and his known (or social) Woodlands family! My grandfather's biological pedigree My grandfather's "social" pedigree Agnes Cahill is at the centre of the story.  Agnes's descendants are a small groups these days - one granddaughter, great-grandchild (including me) and great-great-grandchildren.  Maybe we'll find out how many as more join our Facebook group! Here...