Honora Meehan : Short Biography

Honor Meehan, residing at Sooey, Sligo, Ireland (parents Peter Meehan and Mary Golden) married John Barber, a farmer, living in Rathosey, Parish of Killoran on the 18th June, 1860 in the Church of Ballysumaghan. John's parents were William and Jane Barber nee Whitesides. John and Honora had two daughters in Ireland, Elizabeth and Mary Ann.  When they emigrated to Queensland, Australia, Elizabeth stayed with her Paternal grandparents while John, Honora now calling herself Ann, Mary and John's sister Marion boarded the ship "Prince Consort" which sailed from London 13th December 1863 and arrived in Maryborough, Queensland 6th April 1864.Tragically John died aboard ship on the 10th March 1864. Their daughter Jane was born in Maryborough.

Marion or Maria married Henry Harris, a policeman, in Maryborough in 1866 and Ann married George Ernest Simpson in Rockhampton in 4/1/1869. The Harris family and Ann and George were living in Bouldercombe (Crocodile Creek) a gold mining area outside Rockhampton in 1869. Five children were born to Ann and George: George Ernest, 25/12/1869-10/5/1923, William John 22/1/1872- 12/7/1925, John James 1/10/1875-31/8/1943, Harriett 2/12/1877-12/9/1854 and Mabel 4/10/1879-5/6/1932.(My Grandmother) George worked as a goldminer, shoemaker and platelayer on the railways and was even reputed to have been licensee of an hotel. The family moved to Brisbane in the 1890's. and George worked as a telegraph line overseer in many areas of Queensland leaving Ann alone a lot.

Ann's daughter, Jane Barber, a school teacher, married William Briggs in Rockhamptonin  in1893, Mary Ann Barber was commited to an asylum in Brisbane, and Elizabeth Barber married Thomas Hoyston O'Neill about 1891 and emigrated from Ireland to Boston, USA, where they had two sons.

George Ernest Jnr did not marry. He  served in World War !. William John married Marian Hoare, John James married Annie Royle, Harriett married Arthur Cottew and Mabel married Henry Mortimer Simmonds 24/1/1900.

Ann died after being accidently hit bt a train 17/8/1904 and was buried in the Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane.  George died 9/8/1918 from Cancer of the Parotid Gland and was buried with his wife.

We know very little about Ann's family except a Peter Meehan was found in the townland of Carrowntawy, Parish of Kilvarnet and  the townland of Kingsfort, Parish of Killerry, Sligo, according to Griffith Valuation records of 1858. They were a Catholic family and disowned Honora who married a Protestant. Honora always stated she was born in Collooney. A death registration record at Boston  has been found of a widow Michael Meehan, who died January 1910. He was born in Ireland in 1837 to parents Peter Meehan and Mary Golden. He died In Tewksbury, MA, USA. Perhaps he was Honora's brother..