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Hi, I wonder if anyone can help me? I would love to learn more about my O’Shaughnessy family if it is possible :). I am the great granddaughter of John Alfred James O'Shaughnessy. His death certificate of January, 1959 in Adelaide South Australia, says he was 86 years when he died, his birthplace was Ireland and he had lived in the Commonwealth 72 years. Therefore John was born about 1873 in Ireland, arrived in Australia about 1887 at 14yrs of age (possibly at Port Misery/Port Adelaide). The marriage certificate of John Alfred and Caroline Pellew show, he married Caroline (born 1879) in November 1898 in Holy Trinity Church Adelaide, when he was 24 and she was 19. He was the son of Martin O’Shaughnessy, Caroline the daughter Of Thomas Andrew Pellew. John and Caroline had 7 children the third of whom was my grandmother Agnes Margarette O’Shaughnessy.
The death certificate of Margaret in April 1923, shows she was 91 years old, widow of Martin O’Shaughnessy (Contractor), she was born in County of Clare Ireland, had resided in the Commonwealth 24 years, and was 20 years when she married. Therefore Margaret was born about 1839 in County Clare Ireland, arrived Australia about 1888/89 age about 25, and died April 1923 near Adelaide in South Australia.
The only information I have of Martin is on John’s marriage certificate to Caroline and on Margarets’ death certificate. I have not been able to locate any shipping records for any of my ancestors or any records for Martin. I do not know Margarets’ maiden name :(.
My grandmother Agnes Margarette O’Shaughnessy was born in 1902 at Rosewater, near Port Adelaide, she married Albert Victor Dow 1921,(the same day her father married his second wife, Catherine August McEvoy). Margarette lived in Queenstown, Tasmania around 1924, then Adelaide and Port Augusta before retiring to Sellicks Beach where she lived until moving to a nursing home in Victor Harbour a short time before her death in 1970.
I believe John Alfred is buried in Cheltenham cemetery, Adelaide with his mother Margaret and second wife Catherine. All of his children are deceased and I have located sites for most of them in Adelaide. I would love to make contact with any family who would like to share this journey with me as I know little of my family and I am very ignorant of my Irish heritage. I have some information of who married who and their children in Australia, mainly in Adelaide and possibly around Wodonga, Victoria and Albury NSW, but have yet to make contact with any of my elusive second cousins etc.  Karenc

karenc

Tuesday 30th Apr 2013, 12:17PM

Message Board Replies

  • Hi

    Thanks for your message.

    Have you checked the immigration records in Australia? Generally, more information was given at the port of arrival rather than the port of departure. The University of Woolongong has produced, on microfiche, a complete index and transcript of all information concerning immigrants of Irish origin recorded on ships' passenger lists between 1848 and 1867 for New South Wales. These are useful for finding out an exact place of origin as well as parents' names. The Public Record Office of Victoria has good online databases of settlers at www.prov.vic.gov.au Otherwise, other records may be found in the Colonial Office Papers of the UK National Archives, class reference CO 201. This class contains a wide variety of records, including petitions for assisted passages, emigrants' lists, records of emigrants on board ship, petitions from settlers for financial assistance and much more.

    The Clare County Library is an excellent resource for family history - http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/genealog.htm

    Some other sites that might be of use to you are:

    British parliamentary papers on Ireland can be found at: http://eppi.dippam.ac.uk/documents/9824/eppi_pages/215093

    The National Archives of Ireland http://www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy1/genealogy-records/introduction/

    The National Library of Ireland http://www.nli.ie/en/family-history-introduction.aspx

    The National Archives UK ? genealogy search: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/

    Remember to post as much information as you can with regard to the people you are researching. The more information you post, the more likely it is that one of our volunteers will be able to advise or assist you. Also include information concerning which sources you may have already used so others may further your search.

    Kind regards,                    

    Genealogy Support 

    cynoconnor

    Friday 31st May 2013, 09:23AM
  • I hope I can get to Ireland someday and would love to join the O'Shaughnessy Gathering, perhaps then I will solve some of the mysteries, until then thank you to all who have offered advice.

    Cheers Karen

    karenc

    Sunday 16th Jun 2013, 07:13AM
  • Hi, I have some Shaughnessy folk from Clare. They lived in the Pollagh/ Sixmilebridge area in Clare.

    The furthest back I can go is to James Shaughnessy (born about 1800), who married Anne Sheehan and had 8 children (that we know of).

    Patrick (1830), Michael (1831), Margaret (1835) , Mary (1840), Francis (1843), Thomas (1846), James (1846) and Catherine (1851). I know about most of them except Patrick and Mary. Francis went to america but the others seemed to have stayed but a few of the next generation seems to have left.

     

    If anyone else can help me out, I would appreciate it.

     

    Claire

    clairefalvey

    Saturday 20th Jul 2013, 11:00AM

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