Unravelling my family name: Woodlands
This post has been a couple of years in the making! Cousin Gail kindly took an AncestryDNA test recently. The results revealed all I'd hoped for and so much more. To tell the story requires lengthy, details about Gail's maternal grandfather, James Woodland, his mother and her family. None of this has been handed down in our families. It's now recorded to be shared and handed down within the family.
Over the last five years, I've been peeling back the layers but there's still a way to go. I might never have all the answers. I knew my grandfather as James Oswald Woodlands. He'd died seven years before my birth. He's the older brother to Gail's mother, Lorna.
With basic research, I put together my grandfather's family tree which all fitted in with what I'd heard over the years.
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| Chart 1 - My paternal grandfather's known family - my "social" family tree |
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| Chart 2 - My paternal grandfather's biological family |
So while I'm biologically a Bray not a Woodlands, my grandfather was known as James Oswald Woodlands from the age of eight. James Woodland (senior) and Agnes Cahill married when my grandfather was ten and James (senior) was then his stepfather. My connection with the Woodlands name was still there!
The next task was to find out about James Woodland (senior) and his parents George Austin Woodland and Margaret Mary Ryan (Chart 1). Finding the 18 August 1877 marriage of George and Margaret in Newcastle was straightforward but I had no success in finding a birth registration for James. "History never repeats" as the song goes but it did! James Ryan was born on 23 November 1874 to Margaret Ryan and is recorded as "illegitimate".
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| Record of James's birth from ancestry.com |
It's likely that James became known as Woodland when Margaret married George. The birth of their first child in 1878 is shown as the first issue of the marriage. So the evidence points to James being George's stepson.
Could two step-fathers provide my Woodlands family name?
Any link with the Woodlands name seems to be through two stepfather relationships!
- James Woodland being the stepfather of James Oswald Woodlands (born Oswald Cahill) and
- George Austin Woodland being the stepfather of James Woodland (born James Ryan).
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| My tenuous link to the Woodlands family name |
Descendants of Agnes Cahill and James Woodland (senior)
James and Agnes had three children. Myra was born in 1898, prior to their marriage. She's named as the previous issue of the marriage when Frank is born in 1903. He only lived for three weeks. Their third child, Lorna, was born on 1914.
There's no evidence Myra had any children. Lorna married Stan Bisgrove in 1934. They had two children, Ron and Gail. With Ron's death in 2012, Gail, her children and grandchildren and Ron's children and grandchildren are the living descendants of James and Agnes.
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| Chart 3 - Gail and my relationship |
Gail and I have tested at AncestryDNA. These show-
- we both share many DNA cousins on the Cahill/Dunn line (Chart 1),
- Gail doesn't share my DNA cousins on the Bray/Pascoe line (Chart 2) and
- I don't share Gail's DNA cousins on the Woodland/Ryan line (Chart 1).
This supports our relationship as half first cousin 1x removed with Agnes Cahill as our most recent common ancestor. Agnes is Gail's grandmother and my great-grandmother.
How Gail's AncestryDNA test peeled away more layers
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| Chart 4 - Tracking Gail's maternal cousins |
I've collected many birth, marriage and death certificates and other documents for Margaret Ryan and her family to piece together their story. Gail's AncestryDNA maternal matches have provided the final evidence to prove that-
- Margaret Ryan arrived in the Colony on 22 June 1874,
- her mother, Margaret McDonnell (also recorded as McDonald), was already in New South Wales,
- James Woodland (born Ryan) was born about five months after Margaret's arrival,
- the children of Margaret's marriage to George Woodland were James Woodland's half siblings and
- James Oswald Woodlands, my grandfather, and Lorna Woodland, Gail's mother, were half siblings.
- Margaret McDonnell married William Crowe in 1860 in Raymond Terrace,
- Margaret and William had three children,
- Margaret Ryan had at least one other sister, Norah, here when she arrived,
- Honnorah (Norah) Ryan married Thomas Gray in 1874 in Raymond Terrace and
- Norah and Thomas had three children,
Gail has a number of AncestryDNA maternal matches that aren't on the Cahill or Ryan lines. Some may be distant cousins on the line of the unknown father of James Woodland. Further analysis and new matches could untimately lead to identifying James's father.
The maternal cousins who shared DNA with Gail at AncestryDNA fall into four groups-
- Descendants of James Cahill and Eliza Dunn - in Chart 4, I'm shown in the yellow box,
- Descendants of Margaret Ryan and George Woodland - in Chart 4, Robert and Tracey are shown in the green boxes,
- Descendants of Margaret McDonnell and Edward Ryan - in Chart 4, "R.S" is shown in the orange box and
- Descendants of Margaret McDonnell and William Crowe - in Chart 4, "koyr02" is shown in the lime box.
Other maternal matches have been tracked back to these lines. They're not included in the charts to simplify the explanation.
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| Chart 5 - Gail's Woodland cousins Gail and Robert are half 2nd cousins Gail and Tracey are half 2nd cousins 1x removed |
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| Chart 6 - Gail's Ryan and Crowe cousins Gail and "R.S." are 3rd cousins Gail and "koyr02" are half 3rd cousins |
The stage is now set to record the story of my step and step-step Woodland family through Gail's great-grandmother, Margaret Ryan, and her 2nd great-grandmother, Margaret McDonnell.
Peeling back a layer from Woodland to Ryan.....
My step great-great-grandmother: Margaret Ryan's story - her early life
In 1849, Margaret was born in Toomevara, County Tipperary, Ireland. She was baptised on 15 September in the Killaloe Catholic Diocese, the daughter of Edward (Ned) Ryan and Margaret McDonnell.
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| Margaret's baptismal record |
Margaret arrived in Sydney on 22 June 1874 on board the Jerusalem. Her son, James, was born five month after her arrival in Newcastle on 23 November 1874. Was Margaret pregnant before she left Ireland or was his father on the ship? I doubt we'll ever know.
The image above and the following article were published in the Illustrated Australian News for Home Readers (Melbourne, Vic. : 1867 - 1875), p 131. This makes interesting reading as it records that most of the immigrants came to join friends and family. We now know that Margaret's arrival saw her reunited with her mother after more than 20 years. She was about 4 when her mother left for the colony. Her sister, Norah, had also arrived earlier. I've still to locate Margaret (senior) and Norah's immigration records. Margaret also met her stepfather, William Crowe, and three half siblings aged from 8 to 13.
"The above vessel, the first of a number to be chartered by the New South Wales Agent-General in England, to convey passengers under the assisted immigration laws to Sydney, arrived in Port Jackson on the 22nd June. Her arrival was most opportune, as the Government had just announced their intention of pushing ahead as speedily as possible the various lines of railway already surveyed, north, south, and west, and consequently will require a number of workmen of the class similar to those the Jerusalem brought out. In addition to the agricultural laborers, and unskilled workmen upon the list of new arrivals, there were also, many young men of various trades whose terms of apprenticeship had only recently expired, and who therefore must be regarded as a great acquisition to the producing elements of the colony. The servant girls and young women are also of unexecptionably good character, their conduct through out the whole voyage forming a marked contrast to those shipments of whose arrival in Queensland and New Zealand we were recently advised, and to whom objections were made by the Parliaments and public of both colonies. The scene at landing was one of extreme life and excitement. The Jerusalem, which had cast anchor in the fairway of Port Jackson, was surrounded early on the morning after her arrival by vast numbers of boats of all kind and sizes, which were busily engaged throughout the entire day in transhipping both passengers and luggage. Three days clapsed before this work was finally completed. As the great proportion of passengers came out to join their friends and relations, the immigration barracks were not crowded with either males or females anxious for employment, and the applicants for household servants were pretty numerous. It is a remarkable fact that although the weather during part of the voyage was extremely rough not a single casualty occurred, but the 313 immigrants were landed in the best of health and spirits. As Mr. Cowper, to whose lot falls the duty of selecting our colonists that are to be, exercises care in his work, and confines his efforts chiefly to informing inquirers of the capabilities of New South Wales and the opportunities for remunerative employment existing there, we have no doubt but that the next batch he deports will be quite as recommendable as those already arrived."
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| https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/1204 |
The NSW Assisted Immigrant Passenger List records that Margaret Ryan is a 21 year old, dairymaid from Toomevera, County Tipperary. She's Catholic and unable to read or write. Her mother is recorded as Margaret McDonald living in Sydney. There's no details of her father. It seems that Margaret was around 24 at the time of her arrival.
My step great-great-grandmother: Margaret Ryan's story - her children and marriage to George Woodland
Margaret travelled from Sydney to Newcastle after her arrival. Son James was born in King Street Newcastle on 23 November 1874. R Harris and Mrs Jack were present at the birth.
On 18 August 1877, Margaret Mary Ryan married George Austin Woodland at St Mary's Catholic Church in Newcastle. Their marriage certificate shows George was a compositor and Margaret a housemaid. The birth certificates of their children show George was a year older than Margaret and came from Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland.
Margaret and George had five children-
- George Joseph Ryan Woodland was born on 11 May 1874 in Newcastle. He married Elizabeth Florence Archer (1890 to 1939) in 1907 in Kurri Kurri. They had six children and one died as an infant. George died on 22 July 1927 at the Coast Hospital, Little Bay.
- Margaret Agnes Woodland was born on 19 December 1879 in Newcastle. She married Alfred John Haggett (1876 to 1927) in 1901 in Sydney. They had twelve children and three died as infants. Margaret died on 8 February 1949 in Mascot.
- Edward Joseph Ryan Woodland was born on 2 November 1881 in Newcastle. He first married Catherine Jane Edgar (1882 to 1923) in Wickham. He second married Wilhelmina Le Breton (1885 to 1971) in 1907 in Sydney. They had three children. He was in a common law relationship with Ray from about 1930. Edward died on 4 October 1934 in Redfern.
- Francis Xaviour Woodland was born on 16 January 1884 in Goulburn. He died on 14 March 1884 in Goulburn.
- Winifred Honora Woodland was born on 8 January 1885 in Gundagai. She married Walter Raymond O'Leary (1883 to 1947) in 1904 in Newcastle. They had five children. Winifred died on 10 February 1963 in Newtown.
The death of Francis was tragic. He was smothered when sleeping with his parents.
"DEATH FROM OVER-LYING. - Mr. Betts, coroner, held an inquest yesterday evening on the body of Francis infant son of George Woodland, compositor, Goulburn. The evidence of Margaret Woodland the mother of the deceased, showed that the parents went to bed on the previous night with the child between them; the child was eight weeks old, and when last noticed in the night was sleeping on the mother's arm; on awaking in the morning, however, she found it had turned over towards her husband, whoso arm was across the child's face; on picking the child up she saw that it way dead ; she awoke her husband, who fetched Dr. Gillman. The doctor found that death had evidently taken place some hours, the usual appearances of death from suffocation being present. The jury returned a verdict of death from suffocation, the result of accident." [GOULBURN ART UNION. (1884, March 15). Goulburn Herald (NSW : 1881 - 1907), p. 4. Retrieved August 20, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103505650]
By 1887, Margaret, George and their four surviving children had returned to Cook's Hill, Newcastle. Young George Joseph is listed as a pupil in 1st Class at the Cook's9 Hill Primary School. [COOK'S HILL PUBLIC SCHOOL PRIZE PRESENTATION. (1887, December 17). Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), p. 5. Retrieved August 21, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article135985770]
Twelve year old, George, came under the notice of local police in July 1890. This report give us an insight into life in the Woodland family at the time.
"Alleged Wandering. A little lad named George Woodland was charged with he, being under the age of 16 years, had been found wandering about the streets in no ostensible occupation. The boy was barefooted, wore threadbare clothing, and altogether presented a miserable and very much neglected appearance. Constable Larson stated that about 2 o'clock on Sunday morning he arrested the boy in Market Square. He had known him for about 12 months, and had seen him running about the streets at all hours of the day and up till 11 o'clock at night. George Woodland, a compositor, residing in Railway street, stated that the boy was his son. He frequently played truant from school and stayed out at night. Witness did not wish, however, to have him sent to the Vernon, as he believed the present lesson would have a good effect on him. In discharging the boy the Bench stated that a great deal of blame was due to the parents in such cases. If proper inquiries were made fathers could easily ascertain whether their sons went to school or not. It was to be hoped that in the present case the boy would in future be more carefully looked after by both parents. He was then discharged." [Newcastle Police Court. (1890, July 8). Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), p. 6. Retrieved August 21, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138940737]
On 16 October 1890, George deserted his family. The NSW Police Gazette of 15 March 1891 tells the story-
"A warrant has been issued by the Newcastle bench for the arrest of George Austin Woodland, charged with unlawfully deserting his wife, Margaret Woodland...leaving her without means of support. He is 37 of age, 5 foot 4 inches high, stout build, fair complexion, cleaned shaved except sandy moustache, hair cut short, round face, teeth regular but black, hollow cheeks, blue eyes, pug nose, high forehead, rings tattooed on the third and fourth fingers of one hand, tattoo mark on left wrist; walks lame owing to injury on the left instep, a compositor, dressed in brown coat and vest, dark tweed trousers, and dark soft felt hat. Supposed to be employed on one of the papers, Bathurst, went by name of Little Dandy."
That's the last trace of George! Margaret was left with their four children aged between five and twelve. Margaret's oldest son, James, was sixteen.
My step great-great-grandmother: Margaret Ryan's story - her marriage to James O'Hara and death
On 2 June 1896, Margaret married James O'Hara (about 1845 to 1905) at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, West Maitland. The marriage certificate records that-
- Margaret is a 41 year old widow working as a washerwoman and
- James in a 51 year old bachelor from County Cavan working as a carter.
On 13 Jun 1979, Michael O'Hara (about 1844 to 1923) paid a deposit for James O'Hara's migration to Australia. Michael and James were brothers. Michael arrived in NSW in about 1862 and was married and living in Newcastle by 1872. A sister, Mary (? to 1887), was also living in colony. In 1866, she married John Lawlor in Armidale.
You can often glean an unexpected snippet from newspaper searches. On 19 May 1897, the following appeared in the local paper-
"Struck Out - A case on the charge-sheet, in which George Woodland sued James O'Hara for an alleged assault was struck out, there being no parties present." [SUMMONS DIVISION. (1897, May 19). Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), p. 6. Retrieved August 21, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134874417]
Margaret's son George had just celebrated his nineteenth birthday. There was clearly trouble between George and his step-father of a year.
On 13 Oct 1900, Margaret died at her home at 53 Charles St, Cook's Hill, Newcastle. She was only 51. She was buried two days later at Sandgate Catholic Cemetery. The location of her grave is unknown.
Although the marriage was only 4 years, I hope that Margaret's life with James was less turbulent than her life with George and there was no further trouble between George (junior) and his stepfather.
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| Family Notices (1900, October 15). Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), p. 8. Retrieved August 21, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136238635 |
In 27 March1905, James died in Newcastle. He was also buried at Sandgate Catholic Cemetery. The funeral notices include one from James Woodland referring to "his beloved stepfather, James O'Hara". A link directly back to my grandfather's stepfather. As far as we know, James and Agnes Woodland didn't have any contact with his half-siblings or their families after they moved to Sydney in the 1920s.
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| Family Notices (1905, March 28). Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), p. 8. Retrieved August 22, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138750967 |
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| James's burial site |
James is buried with his brother, Michael (about 1844 to 1923), sister-in-law, Bridget (about 1843 to 1921) and their daughter, Catherine (1885 to 1964).
Making more Ryan connections
James O'Hara's brother, Michael, married Bridget Ryan in 1872 in Newcastle. She was born in Nenagh, County Tipperary which is about 12 kilometres from Toomevera where Margret Ryan was born. Bridget's father, Michael, died in 1891 in Maitland. Her mother, Ann, died 1902 in Maitland. She also had two sisters-
- Mary Agnes Ryan was born about 1842. She married David Peterson in 1868 in Newcastle. She died in 1927 in North Sydney.
- Anne Jane Ryan was born about 1846. She married Joseph Henry Anderson in 1873 in Newcastle. She died in 1931 in Waratah.
At this time, there's no genetic or other evidence of a relationship between Margaret and the Ryan's of Nenagh.
Peeling back another layer from Ryan to McDonnell.....
My step great-great-great grandparents: Margaret Ryan's parents - Edward Ryan and Margaret McDonnell (or McDonald)
On 1896 marriage certificate of Margaret and James O'Hara, her father is recorded as Edward Ryan and her mother as Margaret McDonnell. Her 1900 death certificate records her father as Edward Ryan and mother as Margaret McDonald and her time in the colony as 27 years. These certificates led me to the immigration journal above showing her mother Margaret McDonald was living in Sydney. Over the last few years, my searches for mother Margaret hadn't been conclusive.
Gail's AncestryDNA matches gave us the links back to Margaret Ryan's mother, Margaret McDonnell, who is Gail's great-great-grandmother. These matches are shown in orange and lime green in Chart 5. The certificates for Margaret McDonnell's second marriage and her death gives us the best insight into her life and family.
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| Gail's maternal line |
Margaret McDonnell was born in about 1820 in Toomavera, County Tipperary. Her parents were Michael McDonnell and Julia Gleeson. When she was seventeen, she married Edward Ryan in Toomavera. Margaret's death certificate shows they had four daughters. At present, we can only identify two-
- Honorah (born about 1848) and
- Margaret, Gail's great-grandmother (born about 1849).
Margaret left Ireland in about 1853 when she was about 33. Her husband, Edward Ryan, had probably died and she probably left her girls with family in Ireland. I've not been able to locate the immigration records for Margaret McDonnell or her daughter, Norah.
My step great-great grandmother's sister: Honorah (Norah) Ryan (about 1848 to 1919)
Chart 6 shows the link between Gail and her AncestryDNA match, "R.S.". He's Norah's great-grandson and Gail's third cousin.Their most recent common ancestors are Edward Ryan and Margaret McDonnell, their great-great-grandparents.
Norah married Thomas Gray in 1872 in Raymond Terrace. They had seven children:-
- Johannah was born in 1874 in Newcastle. In 1891, she married Samuel Thomas Miles (1867 to 1910) in Newcastle. They had eight children - Samuel, Albert, Amy, Harry, Elsie, Mary, Edward and George. Johannah died in 1944 in Sydney.
- Margaret was born in 1876 in Newcastle. In 1900, she married Samuel Tillett (1876 to 1908) in Newcastle. They had four daughters - Margaret, Emma, Dorothy and Linda. Margaret died in 1910 in Newcastle.
- Thomas was born in 1879 in Newcastle and died in the same year.
- Edward was born in 1880 and died in 1895 in Newcastle.
- John was born in 1883 in Newcastle. He died in 1949 in Newcastle.
- Henry was born and died in 1884 in Newcastle.
- Honorah Mary was in 1886 and died in 1907 in Newcastle.
Thomas died in 1890 in Newcastle. Two years later, Norah married Olaf Olsen in Newcastle. Norah filed for bankruptcy the next year. They divorced in 1900. Norah died on 16 March 1919 in Sydney.
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| Norah's 1919 death notice |
My step great-great-great-grandmother: Margaret McDonnell marries William Michael Crowe
Chart 6 shows the link between Gail and her AncestryDNA match, "koyr02". He's Margaret McDonnell and William Crowe's great-great-grandson and Gail's half third cousin. Margaret McDonnell is their most recent common ancestor and their great-great grandmother.
On 21 April 1860, Margaret McDonnell married William Michael Crowe (about 1824 to 1899) at the Catholic Church in Raymond Terrace. She's a widow, house servant. He's a bachelor, labourer and engineer. They had three children:-
- Matilda May was born in 1861 in Raymond Terrace. She married Daniel O'Hay O'Keeffe (1864 to 1949) in 1886 in Raymond Terrace. They had five children - John, William, Ellen, Cyril and Margaret. Matilda died in 1899 in Raymond Terrace.
- Julia May was born in 1863 in Raymond Terrace. She married William Louis Delacheur (1859 to 1942) in 1889 in Sydney. They had seven daughters - Julia, Eileen, Veronica, Roma, Renee, Lyla and Kathleen. Julia died in 1949 in Hamilton.
- William was born in 1866 and died in 1934 in Redfern.
Margaret died on 26 April 1911 at Raymond Terrace. She's buried with her granddaughter, Ellen, at the Pioneer Hill Cemetery in Raymond Terrace.
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| Margaret McDonnell's burial site |
If you have any additional information or pictures that can add to this story, please contact me.
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| My grandfather, James Oswald Woodlands |
