#52Ancestorsin52Weeks Week 26/52 Margaret McLOUGHLIN (nee TAYLOR) – 1877 - 1957

Ahnentafel Number 13

Context for discovery:

This biography was written as part of the 52 ancestors in 52 weeks exercise devised by Amy Johnson Crow.  You can join in too here. The theme for this week is

Amy says:

The theme for Week 26 and July is "Identity." In genealogy, we seek out the identities of our ancestors. But they were more than just names. One way you could approach this prompt would be to share something about an ancestor besides just his or her name. Be creative and have fun!

Margaret was my maternal great-grandmother.  As she serving mainly in the domestic sphere rather than the public, it is difficult to get a sense of Margaret’s identity.  I have one photo generously shared with me by a cousin and I found an article today in Trove. From these two precious fragments, I am able to imagine a loving and caring woman who was motivated to advocate for the most vulnerable in society - infants. 

This blog post includes material from previous blog posts I have written about the family.

Margaret McLoughlin with son Vince

Childhood

Birth Date/Place:

Margaret was the eldest daughter of a family of eight children of John Thomas Taylor and Emma (nee Case). 

She was born in Lower Gundaroo, New South Wales, Australia on 17 August 1877.[i]  Her father was the informant on her birth certificate.  He was a farmer aged 30 years born in Yass.  Her mother, Emma Case, was 22 years old and born at Lower Gundaroo.  The witness was Mrs Maria Hardwick.  John and Emma were married 7 May 1876 at Yass.

Baptism Date/Place:

I have some notes that say Margaret was baptised 2 December 1877 at Gundaroo but I’m not sure who or where these notes are from. I need to verify this somehow.

 

Margaret’s other siblings included:

1.     1878 28 August Thomas Roland (Uncle Rolly - again from same notes) baptised 22 Sep 1878 Gundaroo (cannot find in NSW BDM Index)

2.     1880 21 January William Charles – baptised 20 March 1880 Gundaroo

3.     1883 14 October Alice May – Bourke (NSW BDM index says 1882)

4.     1885 8 May Emily Maria - Bourke (NSW BDM Index says 1884)

5.     1887 10 April Henry James (Uncle Ben)– Barringun

6.     1890 3 March Alfred – Barringun (NSW BDM Index says 1889)

7.     1892 George Robert – Bourke – I suspected George died as a baby, but I would need to order his death certificate to be sure – Taylor being a reasonably common name.

8.     1894 8 Sept Edward Gordon (Uncle Ted)– Bourke

Margaret’s father John had claimed a lease of Crown land adjoining his freehold in 1876 – 360 acres, rent £1, 2s, 6d. county of Buccleuch, parish of Chiedowla.[ii]  He also claimed 120 acres, at Bongongo.[iii]

In 1879 there is a report of John acting as a witness for his niece in a very sad and distressing case which I won’t dwell on here.[iv]  Suffice to say, that this and I think the following two cases may have made John’s life difficult in Yass over the next few years and prompted his family to move to Bourke.

In 1880 we find a case of William Lawrence v John Thomas Taylor; work and labour, £3, 63, 8d.  Mr Iceton is acting for the plaintiff.[v] The newspaper report a week later is somewhat indecipherable. “After some evidence for the proof of the debt had been given by plaintiff’s brother, a verdict was given for the amount claimed.” [vi]So does this mean that William Lawrence’s brother was working for John Taylor and William was acting on his behalf?  I’m confused.

In 1882 we find another case in the Southern Argus – Peter Drummond v John Thomas Taylor – Goods £28 12/3.  Mr Iceton for plaintiff.  Service not served; case to be continued. [vii]

I have not been able to find more out about this case.  I’m not sure where I would look if I wanted to find out more but perhaps Yass Historical Society.

 

Married Life

Marriage Dates/Places:

Margaret married John McLoughlin on 18 April 1898 at St Ignatius, Bourke NSW by William Henry Connelly.[viii] John was a bachelor and Engine Cleaner from Bourke and Margaret was a spinster, housemaid from Bourke. Margaret came from an Anglican family and married a Catholic.

John’s birthplace was recorded as Bowenfells, aged 31 years and his father Patrick McLoughlin (deceased), Contractor and mother Margaret Flanagan. 

Margaret’s birthplace was recorded as Gundaroo, aged 20 ¾ years and her mother as Emma Case. 

Joseph Pickle and Catherine Clancy were the witnesses.  Margaret’s father John was described as a Carrier of Bourke. 

Margaret’s father died in 1899 of typhoid fever as per this newspaper article .

15 November 1899 Western Herald Bourke Page 2

Children’s Birth Dates/Places:

Margaret and John had nine children.  There is a male recorded as being deceased on Vincent’s certificate in 1911.

1.     Thomas Joseph Benedict McLaughlin born 7^th July 1898[ix] in Bathurst – John is described as an Engine Cleaner living in William Street

2.     Margaret Philomena McLoughlin born 1899 in Bathurst[x]

3.     Mary Josephine born 1902 in Bathurst[xi]

4.     John Patrick born 1904 in Bathurst[xii]

5.     Joseph Benizet born 1908 in Penrith[xiii]

6.     Vincent born 7^th April 1911[xiv] Hill Street, Orange, NSW

7.     Helena Mary born 1913 in Orange[xv]

8.     Patrick born 17 March 1916 Kite Street Orange – John described as Engine Driver[xvi]

9.     Francis Noel McLOGHLIN born 13^th December 1918 in Orange[xvii]

1906  Margaret’s younger sister Alice May Taylor married Henry Townsend in Bourke[xviii]

1891 Depression and strikes

1895 Federation Drought

1900 Bubonic plague

1901 Australia becomes a federation

1902 Franchise Act gives women the right to vote

1913 foundation stone for Canberra is laid

 

WW1

Margaret’s younger brother Edward enlisted at Enoggera or Charleville in Queensland on 8 April 1916 aged 21 – a shearer in the 4^th Pioneer Battalion. Edward and Margaret’s mother Emma is his next of kin and is described as living at Sumner Street in Orange, presumably with or near her daughter. Further correspondence from the mother on 21 September 1916 indicates she is living at 4 Shamrock Terrace Kite Street East Orange.[xix]

By the end of the war, it seems the family have moved to Sydney.  My cousins have indicated that this was to do with the general strike in 1917.

 

1919 Influenza pandemic

 

11 Irene Street, Five Dock

 

Electoral Roll 1930 -Living at 11 Irene Street, Five Dock

Mary Josephine McLoughlan, telephoniste

Thomas McLoughlan, labourer – no idea who this is.  I suspect a clerical error

John McLoughlin, horse-driver – could be John or his son

Margaret McLoughlin, home-duties - wife

Margaret Philomena McLoughlin, home duties – daughter 

Thomas Joseph Benedict, salesman – my grandfather, John’s eldest son

 

Electoral Roll 1932 -Living at 11 Irene Street, Five Dock

Mary Josephine McLoughlan, telephoniste

Thomas McLoughlan, labourer – no idea who this is.  I suspect a clerical error

John McLoughlin, horse-driver – now more confident that this is John

John Patrick McLoughlin, photographer – son

Joseph Benzel, block stripper - son

Margaret McLoughlin, home-duties - wife

Margaret Philomena McLoughlin, waitress – daughter 

Thomas Joseph Benedict, salesman – my grandfather, John’s eldest son

 

1933 Electoral roll Margaret’s sister Alice May Townsend is living at

49 King Street Annandale

 

1932 Opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge and height of the Great Depression – 32% unemployment. ABC founded.

1934 Margaret's son John marries Christine Jacobs

1935 Margaret's son Thomas marries Kit Forfar

          Margaret's sister Alice May Townsend dies 21 September and is buried at Reid, Canberra, A.C.T. in St John's graveyard - my childhood church.[xx]

1936 Margaret’s mother Emma Taylor died 12 March in 1936.  Her place of death was 11 Irene Street Abbotsford so she was living with her daughter

 

1935 Jubilee of King George V

1936 Death of King George V followed by Edward VIII then abdication and King George VI

 

1938 Margaret's son Joe married Marjorie Fear

1939 Margaret's son Vincent married Mary McCabe

1939 Introduction of compulsory military service and WW2 begins

23^rd July 1940 Margaret's son Frank enlisted in the Airforce Reserve and by December was in the Permanent Forces

1942 Singapore falls and 15,000 Australians becomes POWs

1942 Daylight saving introduced

1943 Introduction of conscription in WW2

Margaret's true colours are revealed

24 September 1942 Sydney Morning Herald Page 3

 

Electoral Roll 1943 -Living at 11 Irene Street, Five Dock[xxi]

Francis Noel McLoughlin, telephone mechanic

John McLoughlin, horse-driver

Margaret McLoughlin, home duties

Margaret Philomena, waitress

Mary Josephine, telephoniste

Patrick McLoughlin, nurseryman

 

10^th June 1944 Margaret’s son Frank married Dorothy Titley

 

1945 WW2 ends in May and first Sydney to Hobart Yacht race held

Margaret’s husband John died on 14 November 1953 in Sacred Heart Hospice, Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Date and Place of Death

Margaret died 4 years later in 1957 at the age of 79.[xxii] She died on 12 Jun 1957 at 11 Irene Street Abbotsford.  She was survived by Thomas (my grandfather) aged 58, Margaret aged 57, Mary aged 55, John aged 53, Joseph (deceased), Joseph aged 49, Vincent aged 46, Helena aged 44, Patrick aged 41 and Francis aged 38.  Francis was the informant.  She died of Uraemia, chronic nephritis and chronic myocarditis. My mother would have been 22 years old when her grandmother died. This was the only grandmother she knew as her other one died well before she was born.

She was buried at Roman Catholic Cemetery, Field of Mars, New South Wales, Australia.

Estate

I have not been able to find probate for John or Margaret.

Conclusion

References

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[i] Birth Certificate Margaret Taylor 17 August 1877 Registration No. 19565 registered 8 October 1877 Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia.

[ii] "GOVERNMENT GAZETTE." The Yass Courier (NSW : 1857 - 1929) 7 July 1876: 4. Web. 6 Jul 2022 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263900567>.

[iii] "CONDITIONAL PURCHASES." The Yass Courier (NSW : 1857 - 1929) 16 May 1876: 2. Web. 6 Jul 2022 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263900477>.

[iv] "THE MITCHELL RAPE CASE." The Burrangong Argus (NSW : 1865 - 1913) 8 October 1879: 4. Web. 6 Jul 2022 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article247736287>.

[v] "YASS DISTRICT COURT." The Yass Courier (NSW : 1857 - 1929) 8 June 1880: 2. Web. 6 Jul 2022 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263968853>.

[vi] "YASS DISTRICT COURT." The Yass Courier (NSW : 1857 - 1929) 15 June 1880: 2. Web. 6 Jul 2022 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263969477>.

[vii] "DISTRICT COURT." Southern Argus (Goulburn, NSW : 1881 - 1885) 24 January 1882: 4. Web. 6 Jul 2022 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article102062690>.

[viii] Ancestry.com, Australia Marriage Index 1788-1950 and Marriage Certificate including declaration of consent from Margaret’s father.

[ix] Birth Certificate

[x] NSW BDM Index

[xi] NSW BDM Index

[xii] NSB BDM Index

[xiii] NSW BDM Index

[xiv] NSW Birth Certificate Number 19232, Vincent McLoughlin, father John, Engine Driver, Mother Margaret Taylor

[xv] NSW BDM Index

[xvi] NSW Birth Certificate, Registration number 12595/1916 Patrick McLoughlin

[xvii] NSW BDM Index and National Archives Series A9300 Item 5254202 Service Record MCLOUGHLIN FRANCIS NOEL : Service Number - 403202 : Date of birth - 13 Dec 1918 : Place of birth - ORANGE NSW : Place of enlistment - SYDNEY : Next of Kin - MCLOUGHLIN F

[xviii] Ancestry.com 2010 Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1950 NSW Pioneer Index – Federation Series 1889-=1918

[xix] National Archives of Australia; Canberra, ACT, Australia WWI Service Record B2455

[xx] Ancestry.com. Australia and New Zealand, Find a Grave Index, 1800s-Current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

[xxi] Ancestry.com, Australian Electoral Rolls, 1901-1936 accessed 2 May 2022

[xxii] NSW Death registration transcript Ref No 1957/12176 Margaret McLoughlin 12 June 1957