Descendants of Samuel O'Hara
Twelve months after their marriage in Ireland, Samuel and Martha emigrated to Australia, departing from Liverpool in England on the Truro and arriving at Moreton Bay (Brisbane) on the 26 May 1855 accompanied by a born during the voyage daughter Eliza. 6, 7. The emigration was sponsored by Samuel's brother-in-law Hugh Wauhop of the Strawberry Hills locality in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills 5.
No doubt the original intent was that they would accompany to Australia four female first cousins and Samuel's sister Eliza, who were also sponsored by Hugh Wauhop, with Samuel acting as their male protector. As it eventuated the other five departed from Plymouth on the Mangerton two months after Samuel and Martha. The thinking is that in late 1854, or early 1855, for some reason Samuel had an expectation they may not be leaving for a few months, and it was apparent their departure if left until then would likely mean the baby his wife Martha was expecting would be born early during what could be as long as a five month the voyage to Australia, thus having a much reduced chance of survival compared to a birth on terra firma. Apart from cautions from the immigration authority that because of the risk emigrants should regulate marital relations to ensure children were not born during emigration voyages to Australia, he would have had direct knowledge from his sister Sarah’s letters back home of her experience of having a baby during a such a voyage, when with husband Thomas O’Hara, who also was Samuel's cousin, she had similarly travelled to Australia two years earlier on the Florentia arriving at Moreton Bay after a passage exceeding five months during which there were 17 deaths on board of whom 12 were children.
The suggested scenario is that upon become aware Martha’s baby would likely be born early during a later departing voyage, Samuel would have contacted the Colonial Land and Emigration Committee (CLEC), the authority responsible for arranging assisted immigration to NSW and chartering the immigrant ships, either through an agent in Ireland or by letter direct to London, and requested his and Martha’s departure be brought forward by several months to permit her expected baby to be born after arrival in Australia. Perhaps he just asked for an as soon as possible departure. It is suggested the request was considered favorably by the immigration authority, with the result they were offered and accepted passage on the Truro even though as it turned out baby Eliza (named as Martha in the arrival immigration record) was still born on the high seas.
It is not known from when after arrival at Moreton Bay, that until the creation of the State of Queensland in 1859 was still part of the colony of NSW, they made the move south. Perhaps it was around the same time Samuel's sister Sarah and her husband also moved south. Sarah's third child was born at Burnett River in July 1856 but by the time the next child was born in Sep. 1858 Thomas was working as a shepherd on Glen Innes Station in the area where they were destined to live out their lives. It seems possible Samuel and Martha moved directly to Sydney by ship and spent some time there in the locality of Strawberry Hill (sic), where Samuel's brother-in-law and emigration sponsor Hugh Wauhop is recorded as living and owning houses from at least 1848, and where in 1856 in Sarah Ann Street he built a licenced hotel signed "The True Irishman" 9. Samuel later named his Glen Innes district rural farming and grazing property "Strawberry Hills", by then in general usage the plural "Hills having replaced the original subdivision name of "Strawberry Hill", implying for a period he likely had a residential association with the locality. He may have even worked there during 1855/56 on the construction of the Wauhop hotel, for which a licence was applied for in March 1856 but not granted until 12 Sep. 1856, before moving moved further south to employment in the Woolongong district. His sister Eliza, who arrived in Sydney on 28 Jul 1855 on the Mangerton, was certainly living there when she married Thomas Wilkinson in Sydney on 22 Mar 1859, and the general surrounding area later became a Mecca for residence by other relatives and family friends such as the Clisdells' and Watsons' etc. who also emigrated. Samuel was a witness at Eliza's wedding. However as the birth of his first Australian born child Mary was registered at Woolongong on 6 Jan 1857, when Samuel gave his occupation as "labourer", it would seem he must have been only visting Sydney for the happy occasion. The births of his next two children, Samuel Jr. in 1858 and Andrew in 1861, were also registered at Woolongong. However by the time of the registration of the birth of Robert in 1863 he had joined his cousin Thomas O'Hara and sister Sarah in the Glen innes district where he and Martha remained for the rest of their lives. They have a most imposing memorial with an obelisk in the Glen Innes Cemetery.Children of Samuel O'Hara and Martha McAuley were:
1. i. Eliza O'Hara
2. ii. Mary O'Hara
3. iii. Samuel O'Hara
4. iv. Andrew O'Hara
5. v. Robert O'Hara
6. vi. Sarah O'Hara
1. Eliza O'Hara b. Feb-May 1855 on the Truro during the voyage to Australia; d. 29 Sep 1895. She married in 1877, Thomas Johnson.
Children of Eliza O'Hara and Samuel Johnston were:2. Mary O'Hara b. 17 Dec 1857 13 at "Towradgi" (presumably a rural property - perhaps misspelt), reg. Woolongong, NSW, Australia. It has been asserted as Mary Jane O'Hara she married in 1880 14 reg. Patricks Plain, William Eveleigh, and they had three children viz. - Sydney Derios (#1880-19431), William Christopher (#1882-19268), Lillian May (#1884-30478).
7. i. Samuel Johnson
8. ii. Sarah Johnson
9. iii. Robert Johnson
10. iv. William T Johnson
11. v. Elizabeth O'Hara
12. vi. Mathew A Johnson
13. vii. Clara J Johnson
14. viii. Andrew Johnson
15. ix. Martha A Johnson
3. Samuel O'Hara b. 1858. He married 1881 15 reg. Glen Innes, Ann Tickle.
4. Andrew O'Hara b. 1861. He married in 1881 16 reg. Wellingrove, Emma Jane Tickle. His mother's death registration, for which he was the informant, gave his address as "Carevaulx" - presumably a rural property.
Children of Andrew O'Hara and Emma J Tickle were:-5. Robert O'Hara b. 1863; d. 10 May 1942; m. Martha Agnes Davidson b. 29 Jan 1867 d. 16 Jul 1946. He had the "Palace" cinema in Glen Innes.
16. i. Samuel Thomas Herbert O'Hara
17. ii. Frederick William O'Hara
18. iii. Clara Jane O'Hara
19. iv. Laura J. O'Hara ??
20. v. Olive M. O'Hara
21. vi. Andrew A. O'Hara
22. vii. Etta A. O'Hara
23. viii. Beatrice A. O'Hara
24. ix. Esmond I. M. O'Hara
Robert & Martha O'Hara and their eight daughters
Jessie at far left
Children of Robert O'Hara and Martha Agnes Davidson were: 86. Sarah O'Hara b. 1866; d. 25 May 1957; m. 30 Jun 1886 John Alexander Davidson b. 15 Oct 1862; d. 25 Oct 1939.
25. i. Annie Blanch O'Hara
26. ii. Eliza Agnes "Sis" O'Hara
27. iii. Ethel Alice O'Hara
28. iv. Samuel Archibald O'Hara
29. v. Emily M. "Dolly" O'Hara
30. vi. Freda Florence O'Hara
31. vii. Jessie Graham O'Hara
32. viii. Edna Isabel O'Hara
33. ix. Linda Marjorie O'Hara
Children of Sarah O'Hara and John Alexander Davidson were: 8
34. i. Emily Jane Davidson
35. ii. Archibald Samuel Davidson
36. iii. John William Davidson
37. iv. Clara Agnes Davidson
38. v. Jessie Elizabeth Davidson
39. vi. Duncan Alexander Davidson
40. vii. Alice McAuley Davidson
41. viii. Walter Robert Davidson
42. ix. Andrew James Davidson
43. x. Donald Albert Davidson
44. xi. Elsie Florence Davidson
7. Samuel Johnson
b. 1878 d. 27 Mar 1900
8. Sarah Johnson
b. 1880 m. 1899 Jesse Dorrington
9. Robert Johnson
b.
1881 m. 1906 Annie Robertson
10. William T Johnson b.
1882
11. Elizabeth O'Hara b. 1884
d. 27 Jul 1964 m. Albert Archibald Johnson
12. Mathew A Johnson b. 1885
m. 1918 Martha A Cave
13. Clara J Johnson b. 1887
14. Andrew Johnson b. 1891
m. 1915 Violet M Butler
15. Martha A Johnson b. 1895
m. 1917 D H C Butler
16. Samuel Thomas HerbertO'Hara
b.
1881 #16031
17. Frederick William O'Hara
b.
1883 #17507 d. 1942 #26282
18. Clara Jane O'Hara
b.
1884 #23341
19. Laura J. O'Hara b.
1884 ? - questionable whether she was an Andrew O'Hara child -
only a church
parish baptism record viz. #V18841155 161
20. Olive M. O'Hara b.
1887 #21162
21. Andrew A. O'Hara b.
1889 #20757
22. Etta A. O'Hara b.
1891 #13921
23. Beatrice A. O'Hara
b.1894
#13530
24. Esmond I. M. O'Hara
b.1897
#3170
25. Annie Blanch O'Hara b.
6 Jun 1888 d. 26 Jun 1875
26. Eliza Agnes "Sis"
O'Hara b. 9 Feb 1890 d. 15 May 1931
27. Ethel Alice O'Hara b.
1893
28. Samuel Archibald O'Hara
b. July 1897 d. 9 Oct 1898
29. Emily M. "Dolly" O'Hara
b. 2 Jul 1895
30. Freda Florence O'Hara
b. 8 Jun 1899 d. 23 Sep 1977
31. Jessie Graham O'Hara b. 21 Jun 1902. She married 1931 in Inverell, NSW, Australia, Kenneth "Ken" Norman Harvie b. 15 Dec 1904 18 in Bellingen, NSW, Australia; d. 31 Mar 1977 18 in NSW, Australia, son of Weston Harvie (1877-1926) and Florence May Smith (1884-1975).
Ken left, with brothers
Robert & Len 18
The Davidsons of New England family history has it Jessie's husband Kenneth "Ken" Harvie was a baker at Glen Innes and a grazier at "Fairy Meadow" 8. Jessie's great grandfather Samuel O'Hara (1780s - ca. 1860) and her husband's great-great grandfather Joseph O'Hara were brothers thus Jessie and her husband were cousins. Her husband was a grandson of Walter Harvie (1843-1932) - in 1865 the first white settler at Coffs Harbour on the NSW mid north coast.32. Edna Isabel O'Hara b. 19 Sep 1904Children of Kenneth Norman Harvie and Jessie Graham O'Hara were:
+ 7. i. Kevin Weston Harvie
+ 8. ii. Valda Harvie
33. Linda Marjorie O'Hara b. 26 Apr 1907
34. Emily Jane Davidson b. 23 Apr 1888 d. 29 Sep 1978
35. Archibald Samuel Davidson b. 3 Nov 1889 d. 1 Aug 1940
36. John William Davidson b. 4 Feb 1891 d. 14 Oct 1967
37. Clara Agnes Davidson b. 5 June 1892
38. Jessie Elizabeth Davidson b. 13 Nov 1894
39. Duncan Alexander Davidson b. 18 Sep 1896
40. Alice McAuley Davidson b. 10 Oct 1898
41. Walter Robert Davidson b. 17 Oct 1900
42. Andrew James Davidson b. 30 Dec 1902
43. Donald Albert Davidson b. 2 Jul 1905
44. Elsie Florence Davidson b. 29 Oct 1907 d. 2 Dec 1941
FOURTH GENERATION
7. Kevin Weston Harvie b. at "Fairy Meadow", Glen Innes, NSW, Australia. He married in NSW, Australia, Elsie Margaret Grob, b. NSW, Australia.
Children of Kevin Weston Harvie and Elsie Margaret Grobb were:8. Valda Harvie b. NSW, Australia . She married Robert J Evans.
21. i. Cheryl Harvie
22. ii. Gail Harvie
23. iii. Tracy Harvie
24. iv. Peter Donald Harvie
Children of Valda Harvie and Robert J Evans were:
25. i. Kerry Lee Evans Evans
26. ii. Leanne Kim Evans Evans
1 Ireland Marriage Records - Vol. 1 for 1854, LDS Microfilm #0101353, p. 533 - Samuel O'Hara aged 26 yrs. (i.e. b. between 3 Mar 1827 and 2 Mar 1828) of Greaghadossan - a farmer, son of Samuel, married in the Bailieborough Presbyterian Church, Martha McAuley aged 24 yrs. of Drumoosclin (Bailieborough Parish), dau. of Andrew McAuley. Both bride and groom signed the marriage register. Noted - the 1856/57 Griffith Valuation of Ireland had a John McAuley in Drumoosclin, who may have been Martha's brother or an uncle, however her liklely father Andrew McAuley appeared in Gola townland adjoining the Greaghadossan townland where her husband's father Samuel Sr farmed.
2 Dates and marriages advised by Gwenda Andersen of Caloundra, QLD by letter dated 20 Apr 1999 and that Martha's death record gave her father's name as William (no doubt incorrect as contradicted by marriage and immigration records). Note there is no NSW BDM marriage indexed of a Samuel O'Hara to Martha Doroney ?
3 NSW Immigration, Persons on Bounty Ships to Syd. & Newcastle, NSW Archives, Microfilm Reel 2472.
On arrival at Moreton Bay (Brisbane, QLD), on 26 May 1855 on board the Truro the immigration record had Samuel’s occupation as labourer and his parent's names as Samuel and Eliza still alive in Cavan. His native place (birth place) was given as Cavan but his parents place of residence was incorrectly recorded as County Clare - no doubt a clerical error. His age was given as 23, contradicting a then more likely age of 27 derived from the 26 years recorded in the church register when he married the previous year in Baileborough in Cavan. Religion was stated for both he and wife Martha as C of E and that they both could read and write. Martha's age was given as 24 yrs., her parents as Andrew and Elizabeth McAuley still alive in Cavan. It was stated she had no relations in the colony and Samuel had a sister in Moreton Bay and two in Sydney. (they were respectively Sarah wife of her cousin Thomas O'Hara who married in Cavan and emigrated to Qld. in 1853, Mary who married Hugh Wauhop in Sydney in 1852 & Matilda who married Andrew Love in Sydney in 1854).
4 The Davidsons of New England, (The Wentworth Press, Sydney, 1983).
5 Immigration Deposit Journals (NSW) - on 28 Sep 1854 Hugh Wauhop paid a £5 each deposit in respect of the emigration of Samuel and Martha and 5 others.
6 The immigration record had the born on the voyage daughter as named Martha however in subsequent Australian records she was named Eliza. The official birth registration of Martha McAuley's first Australian born child Mary had an elder sister named "Eliza aged 2 years". The two years age confirms Eliza was the same child named Martha who was born during the voyage.
7 The Moreton Bay Courier and Northern Districts' General Advertiser, 2 June 1855 - "Shipping Intelligence" section. Arrivals: May 26, Truro 694 tons from Liverpool 14 Feb. with 318 Govt Immigrants - The Truro encountered very severe weather in the Bay of Biscay, where she lost her fore-top sail yard. Off Tristan D'Achuna was becalmed 14 days, being six days in the sight of Islands. In a gale off Van Diemen's Land she lost her quarter boat. She has made a good run, being 93 days to Sydney and 102 days to Moreton Bay. The immigrants are all in good heath, and are reported as an orderly and well conducted body of people. They speak highly of Capt. Duncan, the master of the vessel. On the passage there were 10 births & 1 death an infant. There were 318 in all, 48 being single men. The steamer Hawk was engaged to bring them to Brisbane, and completed the job yesterday.
8 The Davidsons of New England, (The Wentworth Press, Sydney, 1983).
9 Hugh Wauhop land ownership and 1856 hotel license researched by Sherie McEvoy of Hunter River, NSW at the Sydney Council Archives with copies of records obtained provided courtesy of same. 1856 Licence Application List - Sydney Morning Herald 8 Apr 1856. Approval dated 12 Sep 1856 by a Special Court of Petty Sessions for the Transfer of Licences.
10 NSW BDM Indexes #1907-13599
11 Ibid #1892-05537
12 Ibid #1900-3788
13 Ibid #1857-12151
14 Ibid #1880-4626
15 Ibid #1881-3853
16 Ibid #1881-3839
17 Note - it has been asserted Samuel had a third marriage in between the other two, to either a Martha Doroney in Sydney (no such marriage is BDM indexed), or to Jane Martha Downing in Leichhardt in 1894 (BDM indexed as #1894-4513) - no issue from the marriage. As there is no NSW BDM death indexed of a Jane or Martha O'Hara between 1894 and 1900 when Samuel married Emma Davidson a divorce is indicated. Likewise to the marriage such has not been established by this compiler.
18 Harvie family records held by Russell D Gordon of Kandos, NSW - 3 brothers photo courtesy of same.
Compiled by John Raymond, Brisbane, QLD, Australia - posted 30 Aug 2007
