Hi Ian,

Thought you’d enjoy a Christmas puzzle. 

Cecil J has me beat. 

Merry Christmas to all and hope Santa finds you.

Cheers, Judy

The first `brick wall' is regarding my great grandfather.  His name was James Joseph Murphy who was born about 1842 in Ireland.  

I do not know when he emigrated to Australia.  However, I do have a copy of his marriage certificate to Harriet Martha Minehan on 2nd January 1871 in Bombala, NSW (note the NSW marriage registration has incorrectly recorded her surname as Minchan).  

The registration number for this marriage certificate is 1779/1871.  His occupation is recorded as a carpenter on this certificate.  

He was commonly called Joseph rather than James.

 

They had 6 children:

1. Marion Mary Murphy born in 1871 at Bombala, NSW reg.no,. 7782/1871.  She died in 1883 in Bombala and the death reg.no. is 9388/1883.  Her death certificate indicates she is buried at Bombala cemetery in the Roman Catholic section.  This is my second `brick wall' as I have not been able to locate online where in this cemetery she is buried.

2. Catherine Murphy was born in 1873 at Bombala, NSW reg.no. 7833/1873.  I have not been able to find any further information about Catherine.  She was also known at Kate.

3. Harriet Martha Murphy was born in 1876 in the district of Eden, NSW reg.no. 11102/1876.  She was married in Victoria to a William Allsop in 1897 (reg.no. 4118/1897) and died in Kalgoorlie, WA on 9 April 1915 (reg.no. 67/1915).  She was also known as Henrietta.

4. Margaret Murphy was born in 1880 at Bombala, NSW.  She also married in Sunnyside, Victoria in 1898 to Arthur Kerr (reg.no. 4224/1898) and died at Comet Vale (near Kalgoorlie), WA on 28 April 1919 (reg.no. 3/1919).  Information from her death certificate indicated she lived in NSW for 14 years which would indicate she left NSW in 1894.

5. Patrick William L. Murphy was born in 1883 at Bombala, NSW reg.no. 23404/1883.  I have information he died in Feb 1938 in Portland, NSW and left a widow, but I do not know who she was.

6. James Joseph Parnell Murphy was born on 16 June 1886 at Bombala, NSW reg.no. 26749/1886 and his father is listed as a builder on this birth certificate. This is my grandfather who married Eva Nettleton in 1920 at Geraldton, WA (reg.no.  40/1920) and died on 16 Dec 1929 in Northampton, WA reg.no. 10/1929.  My father was only 5 years old when his father died and we knew very little about his family.

 

My great grandmother Harriet Martha Murphy (nee Minehan) remarried on 3 Nov 1895 to John Moore in Glen Wills, Victoria. reg.no.  6008/1895.  On that marriage certificate it is recorded that she became a widow on 5 Dec 1892 which is the only information I have about my great grandfather's death.  I have tried to narrow down in both NSW and Vic BDM registrations for his death certificate, but so far without success.  Harriet Martha Moore/Murphy/Minehan died on 1 October 1932 at Randwick, NSW reg.no. 19107/1932.  Her death certificate indicated that she was survived by her sons Patrick Murphy and Hugh Moore.

 

My first `brick wall' is finding out where James Joseph Murphy died ? Bombala, NSW or had the family left the district and the state.  The information from Margaret's death certificate would suggest that the family were still in NSW when he died in 1892.  Then I am hoping I can obtain his death certificate which may assist me find out when he arrived in Australia and from where in Ireland did he come from.