The Killion, Quinn and Hand Families of Port Macquarie and Kempsey and their Feeney Family

The Society of Australian Genealogists' "Hang Outs" are giving me the opportunity to systematically record my research and then turn it into blog posts!      Yesterday was the opportunity to tie together the stories of the past two weeks with my favourite topic - genetic genealogy.  If you've done a DNA test and would like any assistance, please contact me at the above email.  You can read the story of Jane Feeney, my second great-grandmother,  HERE.   You can read the story of Anton and Margaretha Gersbach, my second great-grandparents,  HERE .  I'll show  how DNA is helping me find my genetic make up from Essie Woodlands, my paternal grandmother.   Genetic evidence is necessary to “prove” our pedigree.   Louise Coakley is an Australian genetic genealogist, member of SAG and publisher of Genie1 .  DNA does indeed have amazing power and I hope the information in this p...

MyHeritage has introduced a new feature for subscribers....colouring your black and white photos in seconds!   Here are a few photos that we've seen before... Likely to be Rose Porter (nee Killion) with Cissy and Dattie Possibly Mary Jane Newton (nee Killion) Margaret Gersbach (nee Killion) Annie Quinn (nee Seward) Annie's husband and sons outside their business in Kempsey

My great-grandmother, Margaret Gersbach (nee Killion) died at her home, 19 Northumberland Street Stanmore...the fourth victim of the Spanish Flu Pandemic in our Killion family.  Margaret was 57.  Her cause of death is shown as "chronic bronchitis, pneumonic influenza and heart failure".  She's suffered from influenza for 10 days.  Margaret is buried at Rookwood Catholic Cemetery. Margaret Gersbach (nee Killion) about 1915 What a sad time it was for the family with the death of the three daughters and a grandson of John Killion and Jane Feeney in under three months.  John was 59 when he died in 1864 leaving Jane with their five young children.  He died at the family's home on the North Shore, Port Macquarie from "asthma" and all the children suffered from bronchial issues. My grandmother, Essie, was just short of her twenty eight  birthday when her mother died.  In April, she'd seen her brother, Fran...

Francis was the son of Francis Gersbach and Margaret Killion...the grandson of John Killion and Jane Feeney.  He was born on 25 January 1890 at Grey Street,  Glen Innes - the only son of Francis and Margaret and my great uncle. Francis returned from the First World War an invalid and succumbed to the Spanish Flu Pandemic.  He died at the family's home, 19 Northumberland Avenue Stanmore, after an illness of 7 days.  His cause of death is recorded as "Pneumonic influenza; general debility due to gas 9 months on active service".  Here's the letter Margaret, his mother, wrote on 22 April 1919 to the "Minister of Defence" advising of Francis's death.   On 5 July 1919, Margaret, died at the family home.  Her oldest sister, Rosanna Porter (nee Killion), had died on 29 April 1919 at her home in Glebe and her other sister, Mary Jane Newton (nee Killion), had died on 15 June 1919 at her home in Surry Hills.  All three daughters ...

We have very few details of John and Jane's marriage other than the births of their five children. Edward John (Jack) was born about 1854 and Rosanna (Rose) about 1855.  However, we can't find any birth or baptism registrations for Jack or Rose.  Jack's granddaughter had his birth date recorded as 20 October 1854. Thomas was their third child.  His birth registration shows he was born on 10 April 1857 at "North Shore opposite the Town of Port Macquarie", John shows his occupation as "settler" and there were two "previous issue", John and Rosanna "both living". Mary Jane, their fourth child, was born on 25 October 1859. Margaret, was their fifth child.  Her birth registration shows she was born on 10 February 1862 at "North Shore, Port Macquarie".  Again John is shown as a "settler" and the previous issue are John (9), Rosanna (6), Thomas (5) and Mary Jane (2). Edward John is top ...

The worldwide influenza pandemic which occurred in 1918 and 1919 is believed to have claimed 40 million people.  The disease arrived in Australia through Victoria in early 1919 and spread to New South Wales by 27 January.  By the time it ended in September, more than 6000 people had died in the State.   The three daughters and one grandson of John Killion and Jane Feeney were amongst those who lost their lives.   On 05 July 1919 - 98 years ago today, Margaret Gersbach (nee Killion) was the last of the daughters of John and Jane to died from influenza.  Margaret was 57 years old.  Frank Gersbach jnr, Margaret's son, had died 11 weeks earlier from influenza.  He died on 18 April 1919, aged 29.  Both died at the family home, "Cronulla" 19 Northumberland Street Stanmore. So, it seemed timely to visit the homes where my great-grandmother, great uncle and my two 2nd great-aunts had died all those years ago. Clockwise from top left - Mar...

Now that we've covered each of the children from Jane Feeney's marriages to John Killion and Thomas Seward, here are the Killion, Porter, Newton, Gersbach, Quinn and Hand family charts in one place. Family of John Killion and Jane Feeny Family of Thomas Seward and Jane Feeny Family of Jack Killion and Ellen Johnson Family of Rose Killion and Henry Porter Family of Thomas Killion and Mary Jane Wood Family of Mary Jane Killion and Thomas Newton Family of Margaret Killion and Francis Gersbach Family of Annie Seward and Thomas Quinn Family of Matilda Seward and John Hand