Ireland 1842, Australia 1922...and nothing in between!

[MrStephen]

Dear all,

Hope someone can give some advice on where my research should turn to.

My Grandfather's Uncle, Edward Donohue, was baptised at Terryglass outside Nenagh, North Tipperary in Ireland in 1842. He appears as a godfather for his niece in 1869 and then, we are told, he "went to Australia".

And so he did, as I've found his death record in Queensland there in 1922. However, I'm unwilling - for now - to pay the quite exorbiant price for it and I was wondering whether there might be some gaps I could fill in a little more...cheaply!

Namely, I was wondering if anyone knew whether any of the Australian censuses are accessible, or if it's easy to get hold of information on boats going from Ireland to Australia and the passengers therein. I've been through a few of these records - and the Trove site - but to no avail whatsoever.

So...any suggestions...?

[grumpy]

I think it would be a bit early for FMP's records as their shipping records only begin in 1890 (I think as I don't go there too often) but will have a look
at some other sources that I may be able to conjure up.David

[MrStephen]

David,

Thank you for both the swift response and the offer!

Stephen

[Christine in Herts]

<snip>
My Grandfather's Uncle, Edward Donohue, was baptised at Terryglass outside Nenagh, North Tipperary in Ireland in 1842. He appears as a godfather for his niece in 1869 and then, we are told, he "went to Australia".

And so he did, as I've found his death record in Queensland there in 1922. However, I'm unwilling - for now - to pay the quite exorbiant price for it and I was wondering whether there might be some gaps I could fill in a little more...cheaply!

<snip>

So...any suggestions...?

$35 does seem a great deal - but you do get a lot more info on an Australian death cert than you would on a UK one. It might also be worth asking (since I can't see any explicit mention on their site) whether they have any provision equivalent to those in Victoria and NSW for those who want the cert only for the purposes of a family tree and don't need a certified copy i.e.: an uncertified digital image (Victoria: $17.50, instead of $27.20) or an authorised transcription (NSW).

I notice that there's a reduced fee ($29 instead of $38) in NSW for a purchase directly from the search page, too.

I couldn't see any explicit mention on the NSW site about transcriptions, but the service does still appear to be available.

This certainly looks like a useful links site: http://familyhistoryresearch.com.au/...h2_AustBDM.htm

Christine

[Elaine ..Spain]

Have you checked the Australian Electoral Rolls 1903-1954 - available on Ancestry (worldwide subscription).

There are quite a few links for Queensland research on the Australia page in our Reference Library. You might find something useful there.
We also have a Research Guide for Australia in our online Magazine - click here

[grumpy]

Hi,
I haven't been able to find any record yet, from what records that are available it would appear that your man didn't enter via NSW and travel to Queensland
at a later date, and unfortunately there are few Queensland records of interest on line. I have not checked the West Australian records for entry, but due to the
distance involved I feel that he may not have left his ship in Perth/Albany. If you read the info on the link below it will give you some idea of what you are up against.
Will try a few more avenues and see what happens.

http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/research/resourcekits_immigration.asp

David

[grumpy]

Hi,
You might also want to try the link below. It has a large collection of shipping movements around Australia in the late 19th century.

http://mariners.records.nsw.gov.au/

David

[MrStephen]

Elaine - thanks for the recommendations. Unfortunately, this year I'm only on GenesReunited and not Ancestry so I can't pursue this first avenue right now.

Grumpy - thanks for the clarifications on what you've tried and what I need to do. Much appreciated!

[dicole]

Looking at the electoral rolls for QUeensland, there are at least 3 Edward Donohues registered to vote - one in Darling Downs electorate, one in Herbert electorate and the other in Maranoa, but the later two are still enrolled after 1922. But the rolls only give name, address and occupation. You can search on ancestry without a subscription, you won't get a lot of details, but enough to know if you are on the right track.

There doesnot seem to be Edward Donohue listed as buried/cremated in the Brisbane Cemeteries. The "B" in the death registration number indicates he died in Brisbane, but he may have been buried elsewhere (eg if he went to Brisbane for hospital and died while there, he might have gone to his home town for burial)

With no funeral notice in the newspapers in Trove, a death cert might be the only way to progress - it will tell if he married and had children, his occupation, his parents names, how long he had been in Aus, where he is buried, all depending on the informant knowledge of course, but by 1922 , the registrars were quite regulated about getting that information.

[MrStephen]

Dicole,

Thanks a lot for searching so thoroughly! Do you have the details for the 'Darling Downs' Donohue?

Thanks also for the clarification on the 'B' standing for Brisbane. You're swaying me towards getting the cert. But I am wary of how much P&P they're going to charge on top of that $35!

And my car's in the garage today so I'm waiting to hear about how much *that* is gonna cost before I start spending more money on genealogy

Stephen

[Christine in Herts]

I think my first step would be to email and ask if they have any services to compare with the non-certified options offered by VIC and NSW. You won't have lost anything if they say, No.

I thought I'd seen something about inbound archives for QLD, but maybe that's just wishful thinking.

Christine

[Ann from Sussex]

You might be lucky and find something about him here in the online newspaper archives from the National Library of Australia

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

Ann

[MrStephen]

A hint for future Queensland record users - once you've found the year someone died, keep narrowing down the search criteria until you hit upon the right day! Now I know Edward died 10/10/1922 so I can try again on Trove...

[MrStephen]

Bah! Still no luck...

[Uncle John]

Namely, I was wondering if anyone knew whether any of the Australian censuses are accessible, or if it's easy to get hold of information on boats going from Ireland to Australia and the passengers therein. I've been through a few of these records - and the Trove site - but to no avail whatsoever.

The most likely destination for a voyage from the UK to Australia in the 1870s is from Liverpool to Melbourne. Sydney and Brisbane are less likely as direct destinations because they are further. The majority of voyages then were still under sail. Steamer voyages were still slower becuse of the need to refuel, even though they could take a shorter route round Africa instead of the big loop down the South American coast follwing the prevailing winds.

[MrStephen]

Thanks for that info, Uncle John. Very useful.

I don't really know what port he would have gone from. I don't think there were any major ones down Southern Ireland way. Perhaps Dublin rather than England, though...?

[Ann from Sussex]

Thanks for that info, Uncle John. Very useful.

I don't really know what port he would have gone from. I don't think there were any major ones down Southern Ireland way. Perhaps Dublin rather than England, though...?

Cobh near Cork (then called Queenstown) was a major port I believe although I think most of the traffic from there was to America and Canada. You might find something here:

http://www.cobhheritage.com/index2.html

Ann

[Uncle John]

Cobh near Cork (then called Queenstown) was a major port I believe although I think most of the traffic from there was to America and Canada. You might find something here:

http://www.cobhheritage.com/index2.html

It's quite possible that Liverpool sailings to Australia would also call in at Queenstown.

[MrStephen]

Dicole,

If the 'B' stands for Brisbane, what does a 'C' stand for...? Cairns...?

[grumpy]

Stephen,
The Queensland BDM list gives the parents of Edward Donohue (D 1922) as Michael Donohue and Ellen Young. Is this the correct one ?
David