W is for .... Wills

WILLS

I was over the moon when I found Wills and Probate records for the period 1841 to 1925 online at the Public Records Office of Victoria

My best find was the Will of my great-great grand Uncle, Michael Kelly.  because it gave me the name of a brother, William, who I didn't know existed. I only knew about Michael because he is buried at Melbourne General Cemetery in the family grave of his sister, my great great grandmother, Alice Morgan, nee Kelly.

On obtaining his death certificate I found that he was born in Ireland but had only been in Victoria for 6 months.
It stated that his occupation was "Gentleman" and that he had suffered Tuberculosis of the lungs for 12 months.  His nephew, John Felix Morgan, was the informant.  I would say Michael came to his sister when he knew he was dying.

I am glad I found his Will before I went searching for him in Ireland because he wouldn't have been there.  He came to Victoria from Kimberley in South Africa.  I have no idea how to find any information on him in South Africa.  Because he wasn't married (that I know of)  I doubt he would have left a paper trail.
I am assuming from his will that he did rather well there, perhaps in mining?  Occupation "Gentleman" doesn't give me any clues.  If anyone has experience with research in South Africa any suggestions would be extremely welcome.

A transcript of Michael Kelly's will:
This is the last Will and Testament of me MICHAEL KELLY late of Kimberley South Africa now of Pascoe Vale Road Essendon in the Colony of Victoria. Gentleman.  AFTER payment of all my just debts funeral costs testamentory expenses I GIVE DEVISE AND BEQUEATH all my property of what nature soever and wheresoever situate unto my nephew and niece John Morgan and Agnes Morgan of Pascoe Vale Road Essendon aforesaid hereinafter called "my trustees" and whom I hereby appoint Executor Executrix and Trustees of this my Will UPON TRUST to realise such part of such property as shall not consist of money and out of the proceeds of such realisation and such money to pay to my niece Mary Adams the wife of John Adams of Moonee Ponds in the Colony of Victoria Bricklayer the sum of one hundred pounds to Alice Kelly of Melrose Street North Melbourne in said Colony daughter of my brother John Kelly the sum of one hundred pounds to my dear sister Alice Morgan of Pascoe Vale Road Essendon aforesaid Widow the sum of three hundred pounds to my brother William Kelly now I believe of West Australia Mining Speculator the sum of three hundred pounds and to retain for a pay to themselves my trustees the said John Morgan and Agnes Morgan the sum of three hundred pounds each and I direct that in the event of the death of the said William Kelly before the making of this my Will my trustees shall hold the said sum of three hundred pounds bequeathed to the said William Kelly in trust to divide the same equally between my said sister Alice Morgan and my trustees the said John Morgan and Agnes Morgan.  Any residue of my said property after payment of such debts expenses legacies and discharges of such trusts I leave to my trustees in trust for the said Agnes Morgan absolutely.  I revoke all former Wills made by me I appoint Joseph FitzGerald of 108 Queen Street Melbourne Solicitor to my Estate and to obtain Probate hereof IN WITNESS whereof I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of March one thousand eight hundred and ninety eight.

signed Michael Kelly

Witnesses 
George Henry Monks, State School Teacher, 25 Arden Street, Kensington
Nicholas Bergin, Pascoe Vale Road, Essendon, Labourer

This is my contribution for the Letter W in the

Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge

 My family history through the alphabet list

P is for ....... Occupations continued

PUBLICAN  

Is my contribution to Alona from Goulds
"Family History through the alphabet"  theme

                                                   There was a PUB in my family

My great great grandparents, John and Alice Morgan started the original Cross Keys Hotel in North Essendon, Victoria in 1871.  I wondered why John named it the Cross Keys but through my research of the area he came from in Armagh, Ireland I was told there is a place called Cross Keys not far from where the Morgan family lived.

John Morgan purchased the block of land from Crown Grantee, William Jones, on the 10th of October 1859 for ₤81.  Read more here
I'm not sure if anything was on the land between him purchasing it and being granted the license in 1871.

On my wish list of books at Gould is Carole Rileys "Land research for family historians.

The Morgan's didn't seem to have the luck of the Irish even though Alice's brothers had done quite well with prospecting.   Michael Kelly had done quite well at the Kimberley in South Africa and Thomas Kelly in the New Zealand gold rushes.
  
In 1872 John and Alice Morgan's young daughter Margaret died of convulsions at the age of five.

John Morgan died of chronic alcoholism in 1880.  His wife Alice  then took over the license. 

In 1886 their second son Alexander moved to New Zealand where he was employed by the treasury department until his retirement.  It seems he had gone to join his Uncle Thomas Kelly.

Alice had a tough time in 1900 losing both her eldest son Francis Edward Morgan at 41 years of age and her youngest daughter Agnes age 25.  That year she was also fined ₤2 for selling under proof Brandy. Alice died in 1904 

Their son John Felix Morgan then became licensee but in 1907 he tragically drowned in the Hotel's water tank.  His wife Margaret (nee O'Meara) then took over the license until sometime around the mid to late 1920s.  I'm not sure if Margaret sold the pub or just closed it.  She and John had no children to hand it on to and and a new Hotel was built on the old site in about 1929 according to an article in the Argus newspaper.

Very helpful sites for researching Publicans are:
The  Cole-Tetlow Index of hotel records at the State Library of Victoria.
Sue O'Neill's Publican Index of 19th Century Victoria
and of course Trove  for the newspaper articles about licensing and excise matters.

my paternal grandparents.

Papa

As today is the 23rd ofAugust I must add to this post a birthday remembrance for my much loved paternal grandfather. 

James (Jim) Forsyth was born James Richard Musson on this day in 1906 at Belfast, Canterbury, New Zealand.

He died on the 16th of August 1976 here in Victoria, Australia.

My grandmother Brenda, nee Adams (pictured) was the grand daughter of John and Alice Morgan who owned the Pub.

 My family history through the alphabet list

Travel Tuesday - It's a long way from Tipperary

In the 1850 Griffiths Valuation Cornelius Kelly was leasing house land and office from M Penefather at Fussough near Dualla, Ballysheehan, Tipperary.

Yellow highlighted area is roughly map reference 8 on the old Griffiths Valuation map.  This is where Cornelius Kelly's leasehold was situated in 1850.

Cornelius Kelly and his wife Mary Moloughney married on the 6th of February 1834.
Cornelius had died about 1851.
I haven't found when Mary died but perhaps it was about 1858 as her three youngest sons, John, Thomas and William Kelly, aged 18, 15 and 13 resepectively, sailed from Tipperary to Melbourne, Australia just in time for their older sister Margaret's wedding in June 1858.

Margaret Alice Kelly, (known as Alice) my great great grandmother, had moved to Australia possibly about 6 years earlier and their older brother Michael had gone to South Africa to make his fortune.  He remained a bachelor.

All the brothers except John were interested in mining.  Michael did well in Kimberley, South Africa but contracted Tuberculosis and came to his sister in Melbourne where he died in 1898, age 62,  leaving large sums of money to his remaining family members.  Read Michael's Will.

Meanwhile in 1861, Thomas headed for the New Zealand gold rushes where he was one of the discoverers of Noble's Rush on the Grey River in 1865.  Read Thomas' story. 

William it seems was also a miner but a bit more elusive than his brothers.  I have obtained one death certificate which may be him but perhaps I'll never know.  William's story.

John Kelly became a Tanner and it seemed he had a rather tragic life.  His wife and one daughter both died in Melbourne in 1888.  It is on my "to do list" to find out what happened to them.  As yet all I know is his daughter died from accidental burns.  John's story

DUALLA

Dualla - a charming village in Co. Tipperary, nestled in between the local Kill Hills, Slieve na Mbhan (the mountain of women), and the distant Galtees. A lovely, modern church, a beautiful Grotto erected by local people, a Community Centre, tennis court, all add to the picturesque village on the road between historic Cashel and Killenaule.

At the foot of the Kill Hills, which was once thickly populated, can be seen the remains of Killballyherbry Church, built in the 13th century. This church was in use for the locals before Dualla was built. There is a graveyard nearby, where many of our ancestors are buried.

There are various interpretations of the origin of Dualla, but a widely accepted one in Duche Ui Cheallaigh - the land of Kelly.

A few miles down the road as you approach the main Dublin road can be seen the ruins of a Cistercian Monastery in Ballykelly.

The chief attractions of Dualla are it's unspoilt beauty, and the warm, welcoming and friendly people, who are always ready to greet friend and stranger with a Céad Míle Fáilte.

Dualla sounds like a beautiful place and it is my dream to one day visit my great great grandmother's homeland.

Tombstone Tuesday

The family grave of my Morgan and Kelly ancestors originally from Ireland.  It is situated in the Roman Catholic section F Grave 53 at the Melbourne General Cemetery, Carlton North, Victoria Australia.

The headstone inscription reads:

MORGAN

Erected by
Alice
in memory of her beloved husband
John MORGAN
died at Essendon
24 Feb 1880
age 48 yrs

also their second daughter
Alice
died 5 Nov 1872
age 6 yrs

also
Michael KELLY
died at Essendon
19 Apr 1898
age 59 yrs

also their dearly beloved youngest daughter
Agnes Mary Magdelen MORGAN
died at Essendon
30 Apr 1900
age 24 yrs

also their son
Francis
died at Essendon
11 Jun 1900 age 40 yrs

also the beloved mother of above
Alice MORGAN
died at Essendon
30 Sep 1904
age 69 yrs.

John Morgan and his wife Alice, nee Kelly owned the original Cross Keys Hotel at Essendon.

http://morganandkellyfamilyhistories.weebly.com/index.html