I don’t know about you, but I did a double-take when I saw this advertisement, appearing in the Northern Courier 2 January 1899:
The Advertisement appears often in North QLD newspapers around the turn of the century (1899-1900 and beyond). It is an ad for a ‘mail order catalogue company’ – a predecessor to online shopping I think.
Hi
Just letting everyone know that this weekend I spend some time uploading more family history information to the website (something I’ve been meaning to do for sometime now).
On the family history pages, I’ve uploaded the latest family research for Births, Deaths and Marriages.
I’ve also added in some links to the various websites, containing various family history databases, and the old newspaper website, set up by the National Library of Australia (very good website if you like reading old newspapers, which has many family related stories, advertisements and announcements like obituaries)
For the Smyths:
A recollection of emigration on the SS Stirlingshire in 1880
For the Wilsons
Dunwich Asylum Cemetery – resting place of Catherine Wilson
For the Colemans
The Swing Riots of 1830 & 1831 – including the Hampshire district
And, finally, for the Raynors
Cyclone Sigma was severe, with 18 people in Townsville losing their lives. Most of these drowned when the Ross River broke its banks, with parts of Town having a flood depth of 2m.
George and Jane Coleman, and their children, including Emily Jane (then aged 14 years), were living in North Queensland at the time Cyclone Sigma struck Townsville. The family were either still living at Wyandotte Station (near Cardwell), but more likely had already moved to their home in Fifth Ave, South Townsville. (To confirm, I probably need to check where their children were born – Emily was born at Wyandotte, but many of her younger siblings were born in Townsville, its simply a matter of finding out which sibling was first born in Townsville to best work out when the Colemans moved there).
Abraham Wilson was still living in Rockhampton so was unaffected by Cyclone Sigma.
Joseph Raynor, as yet unmarried, could have been in Townsville, but this seems unlikely.
Isabella Smyth (nee Shiels), and her daughters, including Mary Jane Smyth (then aged 11 years) were living in Townsville somewhere, possibly in the City area, or at Stewart’s Creek (something I’m currently researching).
I’ve come across an old article in a scanned Newspaper on National Library of Australia, which describes Cyclone Sigma in detail, which I’ll include in a post soon.
Abraham Wilson’s obituary appeared in the Townsville (Bulletin?) on (date?)
It read:
Abraham Wilson died in Townsville on May 27 at the age of 92. He was born in Northern Ireland in 1876 and arrived in Australia at Rockhampton in 1892, on the ship S.S. Roma. He came to Townsville in 1901. He lived at Oonoonba during cyclone Leonta, working in the tin shop at Ross River Meatworks.
He married Emily Jane Coleman of South Townsville, in 1908, taking up residence at Railway Estate, living there until his retirement to Pallarenda, Townsville in 1965.
Having been taught painting trade, while in Rockhampton, by a German resident there, worked as such in and around Townsville for approximately 40 years. He was noted for his ability in paint colour mixing, signwriting, house painting, coach painting and lining of same, graining of altars in churches, gold leaf lettering and landscape paintings in oil. Oldtimers alive to-day who knew him refer to him as one of the best in his day in his profession.
He was respected by all who knew him. He loved band music, playing in the Wesleyan Band in Townsville, and with a circus band in Rockhampton as a side drummer. He also played clarinet and accordion. He was a keen fisherman for many years on and around Townsville’s Harbour breakwaters and enjoyed talking of his experiences as such. His means of transport to and from wherever he wished to go, be it work or fishing, throughout his life in Townsville, were his legs only. He was a non-drinker and non-smoker.
He is survived by his wife and sons Henry, Edward, William, Gordon and daughter Lillian (Mrs J. Hatton), all of Townsville.
Mudpicker Family 