Family history across the seas

Randy Seaver of Geneamusings blog, posed a challenge for us over the weekend: what were your living ancestors doing 100 years ago? The topic caught my imagination, so I thought I’d participate – even though it’s no longer Saturday.

My paternal grandparents were both alive and living at Kelvin Grove where they settled after their marriage. My grandfather, Denis Kunkel, had bought the block of land before he went off to World War I, serving in the Railway Unit. On his return from war, he was again employed as a guard with Queensland Railways until he retired. Both of Denis’s parents had died in late 1901, just six weeks apart.

My grandmother, Catherine McCorkindale married Denis in 1922, though they had met before the war – religious differences may have contributed to a delay as Denis was Catholic and Catherine was Scots Presbyterian. Catherine and siblings had emigrated with their mother from Scotland, arriving in Brisbane in 1910. Catherine (or Kit as she was known) was a professional dressmaker and had worked for Finney Isles before her marriage. After their marriage, she was a homemaker and 100 years ago she was being kept busy with a toddler, my father.

My great-grandmother, Annie Sim McCorkindale, was living at Guildford St, Red Hill, Brisbane and was registered on the Lilley electoral roll in 1925. She was a brave woman to emigrate to Australia in her 50s so she could be near most of her children. Annie would die in 1926 and was buried in the Toowong cemetery.

My maternal grandparents, James McSherry and his wife Laura Louisa nee Melvin, were living in Townsville in 1925. Granddad was also working for Queensland Rail but as a carpenter. His voluntary activities with the local Catholic church, the Hibernian Society and the Labor Party kept him busy. By 1925 the couple had one son and three daughters which no doubt kept Laura busy as well.

The McSherry family have long-living genes and Jim’s parents were both still alive in 1925. Peter Sherry was born at Tullamore, Offaly and his wife, Margaret Callaghan had been born at Courtown in Co Wexford. They emigrated a year after his parents and other siblings, leaving Ireland in 1884 and arriving in Rockhampton in 1884 with their two eldest children, Bridget, and my grandfather Jim.

Peter was also employed with Queensland Rail and eventually was appointed to an Inspector’s position. Over his career he moved west to Longreach, then north to Hughenden and later to Townsville and Rockhampton where they settled and were living in 1925. They had many sadnesses in their lives with the loss of children.

The couple were strong Catholics, and Peter occupied key roles with the Hibernian Society over many years. Peter and Mary celebrated their 60^th wedding anniversary in Rockhampton in 1941 and died there in 1949.

My only other ancestor alive in 1925 was my great-grandfather, Stephen Gillespie Melvin, father to Laura above. At this time in 1925, he was en route on the Aorangi returning from London where his third wife had died a couple of months earlier in November 1924. On his return to Australia he was busy with his confectionery business and manufacturing. Stephen’s family had been mariners for several generations and as part of his confectionery business he made multiple trips to the United Kingdom. Stephen would die a year later, also in London. I blame him for my love of chocolate and travel <smile>.