A SPECIAL FAMILY HISTORY POST FOR MY THOMPSON 'RELLIES:

JEREMIAH DOWNEY

I have realised that Mary Agnes Downey's oldest brother, my Great-great Uncle Jeremiah, also emigrated to Queensland at some time before 1895. Searches of the QLD Births, Deaths & Marriages have shown this much information:

Jeremiah Downey was born in 1858 in Golden, Tipperary, the son of Michael Downey and Kate Nolan. He died in Brisbane in 1935. He had been in Australia for over 40 years. Don't know when he came, but that's something for us to find out!

I couldn't insert the file so hope this screen shot is readable

In 1891, he married Honoria Ahern in Brisbane. She was also known as Nora or Norah. Nora was the daughter of John and Margaret (nee Heffernan). I can't find a record of her birth here so maybe she was also an immigrant?

They had seven children:

1892 Michael, died 1892

sometime before 1897 but registered in 1897: Winifred, died 1897

sometime before 1897 but registered in 1897: Margaret Mary, died 1964

1897 William Joseph, died 1916

1900 Joseph, died 1966

1902 John Richard, died 1950

1905 Patrick Hugh, no date of death. The Qld Death records online only go until 1984 so hopefully this means that Patrick lived to a ripe old age!

Nora died in 1941.

In 1915 the family were living in Thomas Street, Kurilpa (West End) and in 1935 they were living at 16 Exeter Street, West End. The highset Queenslander they lived in is still there and if you look on Google street images you can see it.

Poor young William Joseph enlisted in November 1915 and joined the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion. He was killed in action on 8th August, 1916 in France, aged 18 and is buried in the Combles Communal Cemetery extension, Picardie, France. His service number was 5383.

William's full service record is on the Australian War Memorial site.