1876 – 1956
Family
Parents
John Carr – c1834 to unknown date;
Eliza Carr (nee Callaghan) c1839 to unknown date;
John and Eliza were married at Daylesford on 27 July 1839, Mary war born at Leichardt (north west of Bendigo) on 11 December 1876.
Siblings
William – c1868 to unknown date;
Michael George – c1870 to unknown date;
John Timothy & Jeremiah Timothy – C1874 to unknown date.
(Information re siblings derived from Mary’s birth certificate, there may be later children born to John & Eliza)
Marriage
John Thomas Powell – 2 February 1873 to 24 July 1938;
Mary & John were married at St Patrick’s Cathedral, East Melbourne, on
30 March 1898.
Children of Mary and John
Mary Eileen – 5 October 1898 to 2 March 1973;
Junaita Margaret – 3 March 1907 to unknown date;
Elizabeth – 19 Jun 1910 to unknown date.
There were two sons, both named John, born after Mary Eileen who both died in infancy.
Biography
Mary’s father John was born in Milltown, Clare, Ireland. Mary’s mother Eliza Callaghan was born in Cork, Ireland. John and Eliza were married at Daylesford in 1839, Mary war born at Leichardt (north west of Bendigo) in 1876, at the time of her birth Mary’s father was a farmer and presumable farmed land at Leichardt.
Mary married John at East Melbourne in 1898. At the time of their marriage John is recorded as being a railway employee and Mary a domestic, both being resident in Geelong. A family story is that Mary had worked as a housekeeper on western district properties, possibly true, Mary was only twenty one when married, but presumable started work as a domestic at a very young age. John was later to be chief accountant for the railways at Geelong. Mary’s nickname was Min or Minnie. John’s nickname was Jackie.
At the time of Eileen’s birth the family lived at 7 Arnott Street West Geelong. At Juanaita’s birth the family had moved to 4 Anakie Street West Geelong and at Elizabeth’s birth to 47 Wellington Street West Geelong. It is thought that this remained John and Mary’s home until at least John’s death in 1938.
Mary died at Bendigo on 15 Aril 1956.
Anecdotes and other stories.
A family story is that Mary died playing cards with her cousin Kit O’Brien at Bridgewater. Mary’s death certificate records her place of death as being the Bendigo Base Hospital, the stories are not necessarily incompatible, she may have collapsed playing cards and died a short time later in hospital without regaining consciousness.
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