Descendants of Thomas O'Hara
Headstone in Glen Innes Cemetery 10 Thomas O'Hara, born 17 May 1831 1 in
County Cavan, Ireland; died 8 Sep 1896 2
at Plainfield, Glen Innes, NSW, Australia; buried 10 Sep
1896 3
in C of E Section (Grave A5 & 6) Glen Innes Cemetery. He married
(1) on 7 Jul 1852 4 in
Killinkere Church of Ireland, Co. Cavan, Ireland, his first cousin
Sarah O'Hara born circa
1831 in Co. Cavan, Ireland 5;
died 4 Jun 1881 6 in
Glen Innes, NSW, Australia, buried with her husband in Glen Innes
Cemetery, daughter of Samuel O'Hara and Elizabeth Jordan of
Greaghadossan, Killinkere, Co. Cavan, Ireland. He married (2) in
1884 23 in
Glen Innes Ann McRae born on 3 Nov 1839 8;
died 23 Jul 1935 8. No issue from the second marriage.
Thomas and Sarah O'Hara, and their born during the voyage from Plymouth in England first child Joseph, arrived at Moreton Bay aboard the Florentia on 25 April 1853 when it was still part of the Colony of New South Wales. The birth of their third child was registered at Burnett River but by Sept. 1858 when the next was born they had moved south to the New England tablelands where Thomas was working as a shepherd on Glen Innes Station in the district where he was to remain for the rest of his life. The first Glen Innes land grant to this pioneer settler was likely that for 51 acres recorded in the NSW Government Gazette of 11 Feb 1859. In 1863 his occupation was recorded as a carrier and in 1865 as a farmer. He followed the occupation of farmer and grazier for the rest of his life winning many prizes over the years for cattle, produce, and machinery exhibited at the local Agricultural Show of which he was a Committee member. Among many community and occupation related positions held at various times were those of Church of England warden, hospital committee member, and a member of the Land Leagues Committee. He was a member of the first Glen Innes Municipal Council when it came into existance in 1872 and was re-elected an alderman into the 1880s. Indicative of his standing in the community is that he was the Guardian of Minors for the Glen Innes district. Acting in that capacity in 1892 he gave the required consent for Beatrice Williams, an under full age daughter of his 1886 deceased sister Jane, to marry 24. There are a numerous mentions of him in an 1972 published book titled The Beardies Heritage : a history of Glen Innes and District produced by the Municipal Council to mark the centenary of the municipality, and the Glen Innes Historical Society holds a lengthy listing of mentions of him in various publications such as the NSW Government Gazette and local newspaper 25. Thomas and Sarah had eleven children and a known total of eighty-one grandchildren. It is said he employed a tutor for some of the daughters and for a unknown reason got upset if called "Bart". The Armidale and Glen Innes newspapers reported on a bizarre occurrence that took place immediately preceeding his funeral when he went on an unscheduled ride around the Plainfield home paddock - perhaps for one last look at his prize winning Hereford cattle !
SECOND
GENERATION 1. Joseph O'Hara was born in 1853 7 on board the Florentia en route to Australia; died about Feb 1911 8 in Glen Innes, NSW, Australia, and was buried in Glen Innes C of E Cemetery. He never married. 2. Samuel O'Hara was born 27 Apr 1854 9 in Burnett River, Wide Bay, Qld, Australia; died on 12 Oct 1958 8. 3. William Thomas O'Hara was born 31 Jul 1856 11 in Queensland (then part of NSW); died 18 Jul 1936 8. He married on 16 Nov 1877 12, Elizabeth Noble born about 1858 8 and died 1929 8. 4. Sarah Jane O'Hara "Jane" was born 2 Sep 1858 13, reg. at Wellingrove, NSW, Australia; died 24 Dec 1935 8. She married on 3 Nov 1874 8 Joseph Weir, born in 1851 8; died 11 Apr 1928 8. Joseph's obituary in the Glen Innes Examiner of 24 April 1928 stated he was survived by his wife, 1 son, and 10 daughters. 5. Elizabeth O'Hara was born on 3 Feb 1861 15 reg. at Wellingrove, NSW, Australia; died 11 Sep 1935 8. She married on 4 Jun 1879 8 William Ross, born 5 Nov 1856 8; died 15 Sep 1952 8, son of William Ross and Sarah Ridley. 6. Margaret O'Hara "Maggie" was born on 6 Apr 1863 16, reg. at Wellingrove, NSW, Australia; died 9 Oct 1941 8. She married on 27 Feb 1883 8, William Henry Kennedy, born 5 Sep 1849 8; died 30 Jul 1919 8. 7. Mary Ann O'Hara was born on 28 Aug 1865 17, reg. Wellingrove, NSW, Australia; died 14 Jan 1951 8. She married on 12 Mar 1884 8, Alexander "Sandy" Ross born on 7 Apr 1861 8; died 3 Mar 1945 8, son of William Ross and Sarah (presumably Sarah Ridley - thus Alexander would have been a brother to William Ross who married Mary Ann's 4 years older 1861 born sister Elizabeth). 8. James O'Hara was born on 29 Aug 1867 19, reg. at Wellingrove, NSW, Australia; died 1 Oct 1936 8. He married (1) on 25 May 1892 8 Ellen Duff born in 1871 8; died 1919 8; and (2) Eliza Jane Randall who was a daughter of Samuel O'Hara (the son of Samuel Jr. & Martha McAuley) & Ann Tickle. 9. Susan O'Hara was born on 25 Nov 1869 20, reg. Wellingrove, NSW, Australia; died 18 Mar 1958 8. Susan married John William Follent born 13 Jul 1868 and died on 17 Feb 1959 8. 10. Martha Matilda O'Hara "Tillie" was born on 19 Nov 1872 21, reg. Wellingrove, NSW, Australia; died about 1933 8 in Burwood (will probate was 2 May 1933). She married in 1894 8 Thomas Boston born 23 Jan 1869 8 in Warrick, Queensland, Australia; died 7 Jan 1921 8 in Sydney. 11. Isabella O'Hara was born on 14 Jun 1874 22, reg. Wellingrove, NSW, Australia. She married in 1900 in Casino, NSW, Colin Alexander McIntyre. SOURCES:
1
Re his birth date - the Florentia immigration record had
his age at embarkation on 22 Nov 1852 & upon his 25 Apr 1853 arrival at
Moreton Bay as 22 yrs. Such implies Thomas was born before 22 Nov 1830.
Also consistent with a birth before 22 Nov 1830 is the age of 21 given when
he married on 7 Jul 1852 implying a birth date between 8 July 1830 and 7 July
1831. Also consistent with a pre 22 Nov 1830 birth is the age of 65 yrs
given on his 8 Sep 1896 death registration record implying a birth date
after 8 Sep 1830. However contradictory to his 1853 immigration arrival
record is the cemetery headstone which has his birth date as 17 May
1831.
2 NSW BDM #1896-9825 - date on d.c. was 9th. However The Armidale Express of Tues 15 Sep 1896, quoting from the Glen Innes Examiner of Fri 11th, stated he died on Tuesday 8th. 3 Funeral date from The Armidale Express of Tues 15 Sep 1896 & the Glen Innes Examiner of 11 Sep 1896 which carried an account of the events preceeding his funeral held on the 10th. 4 Extraction from LDS Church Microfilm - vol.1 1852 film #0101332 p.504. 5 Florentia immigration record stated Sarah was 21 yrs on 22 Nov 1852 at embarkation, implying she was born between 23 Nov 1830 and 22 Nov 1831. However the 7 Jul 1852 marriage marriage record gave her age as 22, implying a birth on or before 7 Jul 1830. It seems probable she was born in 1831. 6 Date advised by Gwenda Andersen. 7 Establishing he was born during the voyage prior to the Florentia's arrival in Moreton Bay, Qld on 25 April 1853 is that children who were born after arrival in the Bay, but before release from quarantine & disembarkation, were recorded differently. 8 Advised by Gwenda Andersen. 9 V1854-249-42A, C of E , Burnet River, Wide Bay, Queensland. 10 Copy of the Glen Innes grave photo provided courtesy of Colin O'Hara of NSW, Australia. 11 No registration - father Thomas's death cert. says he spent the first 5 years after arrival in Queensland. 12 NSW BDM Indexes #1877. Advised by Gwenda Andersen. 13 Ibid #1858-12903. Date/month advised by Gwenda Andersen. 15 Ibid # 1861-13846. Date/month advised by Gwenda Andersen. 16 Ibid #1863-14468. Date/month advised by Gwenda Andersen. 17 Ibid #1865-16317. Date/month advised by Gwenda Andersen. 19 Ibid #1867-17398. Day/month advised by Gwenda Andersen. 20 Ibid #1870-18380. Day/month advised by Gwenda Andersen. 21 Ibid #1872-19000. Date/month advised by Gwenda Andersen. 22 Ibid #1874-20878. Day/month advised by Gwenda Andersen. 23 Ibid #1884-4777. 24 Ibid #1896-07244 copy of marriage record transcript provided courtesy of Gustav Schaefer of NSW. 25 The Beardies heritage : a history of Glen Innes and district (Glen Innes Municipal Council, 1972) - 396 pages. As at Aug. 2001 no longer available from the Council - second hand copies may be avilable from "The Big Book" bookstore in Glen Innes. compiled
by John Raymond, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
posted 15 August 2001  |