Raynor

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Where were family members during Cyclone Sigma 26-27 January 1896?

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.

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March 1946 – Townsville Floods

At the time of the 1946 floods in Townsville, Mary Jane Raynor and some of her children, were living in McIlwraith St (which was flooded).  Abraham and Emily were living in their home on the corner of Ninth Ave and Doorey St, Railway Estate.  Their children were grown up and all had left home (except perhaps their daughter?), all children were living nearby in either Railway Estate or South Townsville.

Abraham and Emily’s home was flooded.  Lillian (daughter) described what happened:

“In 1946, flood waters flowed through the windows, over her mother’s sewing machine and the stove.  Cracks between the sheets of tin were filled with silt.  They had stretcher beds, mattresses, dining table, and chairs stacked high.  Her father had put his painter’s planks underneath the roof where there was no ceiling and piled things on top.

Lillian worked long hours removing crockery from the mud. “Lots of it was broken,” she remembered.”

 

 

 

 

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Joseph Raynor – Siblings

Joseph Raynor

There is also a brother of Joseph as there was a photo taken of them together.  Unsure where the photo was taken, but I suspect it was taken in Australia. I think this because if the photo was taken in Sicily, why did he not also have a photo of his mother?  Also, all my family history research so far shows a pattern of ‘chain emigration’.  This is where one family member emigrates first and then encourages other family members to emigrate to the same location.

Given cost of travel back then, Joseph’s brother might also have emigrated to Australia – it seems unlikely he would come to Australia back then for a holiday.  It is also uncertain whether the brother is a full or half brother (ie. different fathers).

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Joseph Raynor – Insolvency 1899

Queensland State Archives reference details:

Townsville Insolvency Register – Series 9302

Department No:  1/1899 – 59/1928

Joseph’s involvency file reference is No#55/1899.

Date petition filed:  5 June 1899

Declaration of Bankruptcy:  17 June 1899

First Meeting with appointed Trustee (Chas Norris):   22 June 1899

Joseph’s signed statement of financial affairs:  23 June 1899

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Family History – the story so far

Joseph Raynor:

Born:   2 November 1866 – Messina Sicily (no birth certificate to verify this)

Parents:  Joseph Raynor (Master Mariner), Rosa Cefaly  (no verification of parents names or Joseph’s name)

Arrived in Australia:  – circa 1897 (family oral history)

Naturalisation:  – 11 Jan 1899 – Supreme Court Townsville (register entry found only – no oath of allegiance – he would have signed –  exists)

Enrolled to vote:  24 Jan 1899 (not yet verified)

Insolvency:   17 June 1899

Married:  4 March 1905 – Mary Jane Smyth

Employment:   SS Bobby Towns (based in Townsville), Waterside Worker (member of Waterside Workers Federation)

Will written:   24 July 1923

Homes:  Initially lived on Palmer St South Townsville, prior to moving to McIlwraith St (1915-16) and later purchased a home 9 March 1927  (date listed in his Estate File held at Queensland Archives).  Possibly rented the same home he later purchased.

Age pension:  On the pension at the time of his death.

Died:   14 February 1937

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Mary Jane Raynor (nee Smyth)

Born:   10 April 1884, Knapp St, Townsville

Parents:  

John Smyth (born Edinburgh Scotland? circa 1846-47) died 14 December 1883

Isabella Smyth nee Shiels  born Strabane, Tyrone, Ireland circa 1847-50) died 12 April 1909

Family Tree:  Limited search conducted so far – no ancestors yet verified.

Arrived in Australia:  – Parents and older siblings arrived 1882 – SS Stirlingshire, disembarked at Townsville.

Married:  4 March 1905 – Joseph Raynor

Homes:     Appears to have grown up in Wills St, Townsville, prior to moving to South Townsville with Joseph

Died:   27 December 1956

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Abraham Wilson

Born:   27 June 1876, Portadown, Armagh, Ireland

Parents:  

Christopher Wilson:  Occupation Weaver, later Shipbuilder, born 1831, died circa late 1880s in Belfast in a Shipyard accident.

Catherine Wilson (nee McFall):  Born circa 1835, died 5 November 1922, at Dunwich Asylum in Queensland.

Family Tree search so far:

Most of Abraham siblings names are known, however there is one female unknown (deceased at the time of Catherine’s death) – the sibling was probably born before 1864, as this is the year Ireland Births commenced being registered (prior to this it is Parish Church records).  Parents of Christopher & Catherine not yet located, but surnames are known.

Christopher & Catherine married 14 March 1853 at Moyntaghs, Armagh Ireland.

Catherine’s father’s name was John McFall, and her mother (Mary Sturger) married a Thomas Bunting (after Catherine was born), and Catherine assumed the surname of Bunting.  Catherine had a half-sister, Ann Eliza, who also later married a Wilson – a Robert Wilson (not apparently related to Christopher Wilson)

Arrived in Australia:  – December 1891, SS Roma, disembarked Rockhampton.  Mother Catherine and Brother Robert also onboard.  Older brother  Thomas Andrew emigrated earlier, arriving Townsville on SS Dacca.

Married:  9 December 1908 – Emily Jane Coleman (Townsville)

Employment:   Painter, Signwriter – initially employed by a German resident in Rockhampton, then later the Ross River Meatworks. Other later employment in Townsville.

 

Homes:  Rockhampton, Oonoonaba (Fairfield), Ninth Avenue Railway Estate

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