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...